13 point manifesto for documentary filmmaking article response

  In the article Michael Moore shares his 13 key ideas for making a documentary. One thing to think about is to tell the audience something that the majority of them wouldn't already know about, so don't make the documentary about how smoking is bad, or that you shouldn't run with scissors. Name the enemy, if you are trying to say that a certain company is bad, don't try to work your way around saying their name, call them out on it. Your documentary should be personal, so be in it, or at least narrate it. Entertain the audience, try to make them laugh, people love to laugh. When you are filming a scene, pay attention to your emotions, chances are your audience will feel the same thing. Less is more, so cut and edit things, your audience doesn't want a lecture. In your documentary sound is as important, if not more than, visuals.

  Well, for the most part, these tips sound pretty good. However, I just have to think that maybe naming the company that you're essentially talking bad about is not a good idea. They will most likely sue you, and their lawyers are probably better than yours. That being said, I like the other points made. I agree that people don't want to be lectured, I like to be entertained. And I wouldn't want to be told something I already knew, because where's the point in telling me in the first place? Personalizing your documentary also sounds like a good idea, then it actually means more to your audience that it meant something to you.