Chapter 8Producing a Narrative Documentary

Narrative Documentary Structure

The structure of a narrative documentary is very similar to that of a feature story. Narrative documentaries also include a protagonist, a conflict, and a resolution. But documentaries, by the nature of their length and time of production, also demonstrate another significant element: change over time.

The structure of a narrative documentary is no different to the structure of fiction feature films or television shows with long story arcs. These allow producers to tackle themes and demonstrate character development more in-depth than in breaking news or shorter stories.

Figure 8.1 The structure of a three-act narrative.

Figure 8.1 represents the general structure ...

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