How to go from an idea to a film - why the idea alone is never enough

The DocFix Documentary Storytelling Podcast

Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn a simple idea into a captivating documentary? It shouldn't be a surprise that it all boils down to the art of storytelling.
This mini episode outlines the four-step process that allows you to take an idea and develop it into a real story - a documentary that is meaningful, memorable and has an impact.
This is how storytellers have to think. There are great documentary makers who have succeeded without a process or a system, but often, it's because they have years of experience using their successes and failures to hone their craft. That's what I explore when I talk to the great storytellers in this podcast - what is their approach that makes what they do have the best chance of success?
If you are struggling with your idea or feel that your documentary idea is evolving into a meaningless list, then listen as I explain a step-by-step system that enables you to explore your idea deeply and provides you with the building blocks you can use to structure your story.
Great opening scenes that set up your documentary, ideas that evolve and develop as the story progresses, act turns that are meaningful, and a climax that is inevitable and yet surprising. This doesn't happen by accident.
There are countless documentaries that seem to have a great idea but lose focus. You watch it and think, 'What is this story for?' They seem to be less than the sum of their parts.
But when they work, it's because of the power of their storytelling.
This is the methodology I rely on when I'm working on TV series and films for a global audience - documentaries that simply have to work.
This episode outlines that process so that you spend less time lost in what some people call 'the process' (which can take weeks, months or years) and more time honing and developing a documentary story that simply works.

Are you interested in joining the DocFix program and working with Nigel?
Get started with our complimentary case study that shows you how the method is used in high-profile documentaries and to see if you are a good fit for what we do and how we work.
Instagram: @nigel.levy.stories
Facebook: Nigel Levy - The Doc Fix
Incidental music composed by Birger Clausen

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1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Stage 1: Foundations (00:05:53)

3. Stage 2: Meaning (00:07:45)

4. Stage 3: Structure (00:08:38)

5. Stage 4: Decoration (00:10:34)

6. Conclusion (00:12:06)