Radio documentaries

Details

1) Find a story with a clear focus and strong characters

There are as many different ways to tell a story as there are storytellers. However, some basic principles apply to all stories, whether they’re meant to spark a child’s imagination or to convince a government leader to take action against climate change.

Effective radio documentaries tell the story of a character who has encountered a problem, obstacle, dilemma, or challenge and has either found a solution or is working on one. Someone is doing something for a reason. The story takes place in a specific location, which listeners are invited to visit in their imagination. As the story unfolds, listeners get to know the character as a person. They “watch” as the character takes action to solve their dilemma. As the story progresses, the character undergoes a transformation. Perhaps they solve their problem and see that their life has improved. Or maybe they realize that the best solution is to simply live with their dilemma.

Emotion, mystery, and surprise are crucial parts of every story. By focusing on the human element, a documentary encourages listeners to feel a range of emotions, from delight and surprise to sadness or anger and everything in between. A good storyteller wants their audience to keep listening, so they reveal the facts and details of the story little by little.

The first step in finding your story is to write a focus statement. A focus statement is a short sentence (often no more than 30 words) that describes exactly what a documentary is about. It follows this formula: “Someone interesting doing something for a compelling reason.”

A good focus statement helps you separate a story from a topic. It helps you narrow down exactly what story you want to tell and keeps you on track as you research and produce the documentary.

To find your focus, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Who is the character? (Include a brief description of the character.)
2. What is their problem, obstacle, or dilemma? (The character’s motivation or reason for taking action)
3. What are they doing to overcome it? (The action in the story)

The answers to these questions give you your focus statement: Someone interesting doing something for a compelling reason.

If you cannot answer those three questions, then you have not yet found a story to tell.

Keep your focus statement in front of you as you work. Revisit the statement as you progress with the story, and change it if needed.

Examples of an effective focus statement might be:

“Justin, the eldest son of a well-known rice farmer in northern Uganda, is planting hundreds of indigenous trees because his family lacks school fees for the youngest children."

“Gertude, a soft-spoken mother of five, is running for public office because she is not allowed to own land."

“Benjamin is collecting and storing rainwater as well as reusing wash water to irrigate the kitchen garden, because he dreams of opening a family-style restaurant.”

2) Draw up an initial outline

At this stage, you may not know very much about your story. Drawing up a rough outline or storyboard * will help you start organizing your thoughts and guide your research. The outline or storyboard will be based on the information you already have as well as the information you think you will need to make an effective documentary. Keep in mind that this is a preliminary road map. It will change as you gather more information and your documentary starts to take shape.

To draw up your outline, ask yourself these questions:

• What is the purpose of my documentary?
• What are the main questions I want my documentary to answer?
• Who is the best person to tell this story? What character or type of character can best answer these questions? This is your main character.
• Who else can help tell this story? These are supporting characters.
• Where will the documentary take place? There could be several locations—the compound, a market tea shop, a farmers’ group, the field, etc.
• What “scenes” and sounds could I include?

3) Research the problem your character has encountered.

Gather as much information as possible before you head out to a location. Doing research will help you further focus your story. It will help you identify the best characters, locations, sounds, and scenes for your documentary. And it will help you ask better, more precise questions. There are two broad types of questions in a radio storytelling interview—those that get at the facts of the story and those that get at thoughts, feelings, reactions, and emotions. Both are required, but for good storytelling, the second category is critical.

The internet is a great place to start your research. It’s even better to talk to people who are knowledgeable about your story. This might include local extension officers, researchers, community leaders, health workers, or farmers and other individuals with direct experience of the topic. Not everyone you talk to will appear in your documentary, but their expertise and insights will help develop your thinking and shape your documentary.

4) Pre-interviews. Spend time talking with potential characters

Pre-interviews are an important part of your research. Arrange to speak to everyone you think might become a character in your story. Pre-interviews serve several purposes:

• You will learn whether your characters are good storytellers and feel comfortable speaking to a stranger holding a microphone. Eliminate anyone who does not meet these criteria.
• You will build trust between yourself and your characters. They will be more relaxed and open when you meet for recorded interviews.
• You can ask your characters about important events and specific actions that illustrate their story. You can accompany and interview your character during those events so that you can show listeners what’s happening, rather than just tell them. For example, if your story is about a woman running for public office so she can fight for gender equality, you might accompany her as she debates an incumbent male politician about the status of women in her region. If the story takes place in the past, you could ask the character to take you to the location of a significant event, such as the public square where a group of women told her they dreamed of owning land. Ask her to describe what happened, including details such as sights, sounds, smells, and actions as well as her thoughts and feelings at the time.
• Confirm with your characters when they will be available and arrange to spend time with them to record the documentary.

5) Plan your time in the field by creating an outline or storyboard

At this point, you should have a much clearer idea of how your documentary will unfold. Now is the time to draft a detailed outline or storyboard. You can use your storyboard to map out your documentary and plan your time in the field. It will also serve as a checklist, to ensure you have recorded all the interviews and sounds you need.

There are many ways to create a storyboard. You can use sticky notes. You can draw a diagram. You can write out the steps on a piece of paper. You can create a digital storyboard on a laptop. You can even capture your thoughts with an audio or video recorder. Use a typical story structure as a template.

Most stories are shaped like an arc, with the climax or main turning point * at the top of the arc.

Typical story structure:

1. Set up the story by introducing your main character, who is in a particular location. (For this step, choose a strong image that will really grab your listener’s attention. For example, a young woman is enthusiastically and expertly giving a presentation in her classroom, and leading a classroom discussion about menstruation.)
2. Early on in your story, introduce the conflict or the challenge the character faces. You can use sound, narration, voice clips, or any combination of these three. This is the most important part of your story. It creates suspense and gets listeners hooked. They will want to know what just happened, why it happened, and what will happen next. (This should also be a strong image that will grab your listener's attention.)
3. Your character takes a series of actions to try to overcome their challenge. For example, the girl starts a campaign to convince the school to provide free menstrual products, she convinces parents to let their daughters join, she starts selling handicrafts to raise money, etc. These actions may be supported by or opposed by secondary characters. (This is the main part of the story.)
4. The character overcomes their challenge and undergoes a change. (This is the climax or main turning point of the story. It is the top of the arc.) School officials agree to vote on the girl's proposal, but it's defeated by one vote. She realizes she has had an important influence and that she must keep fighting.
5. The character takes the next step in their journey. She starts a school club to discuss the kinds of health issues teenagers face, including menstruation.

To make the most of your time in the field, it’s a good idea to plan your recordings around key events or actions in your documentary.

You will likely need a minimum of one recording day in the field for each documentary you produce.

While it’s important to plan your time in the field, it’s also important to remain flexible. Keep an open mind so that you can respond to unexpected events. For example, it may rain on the day you’re recording for a documentary about a drought related to climate change. Or a secondary character may turn out to be much more interesting than your primary character. Rather than throwing up your hands in despair, think about how you can incorporate these surprises into your documentary. For instance, the unexpected rain may demonstrate how unpredictable the weather has become. Your characters’ joyful reactions may help underline their concern over the drought.

6) Record several interviews with your main character in several relevant location

Plan to record several interviews with your main character in different locations that are relevant to the story. This will help you get the best from them and tell a more complete story. You can ask them some of the same questions in different locations, which may get a different response. For example, asking a question in the location where an important event happened might elicit a different response than asking the same question in the studio, in an office, or other place. You can also collect different sounds in different locations.

Imagine your character is restoring the natural forest habitat on his land after years of over-cutting for charcoal and firewood destroyed the original forest. He organizes monthly tree planting days for youth in the community as a way to encourage reforestation. You should consider interviewing your character in at least three locations.

• Arrange to interview him on a tree planting day. Record your character as he leads the activity. Conduct an initial interview while the activity takes place, taking care to record his voice separately from other sounds. Then you can interview participants. They will be minor characters.
• Once the activity ends, the farmer shows you the new house he has built with his own lumber. You record as he shows you around the house and describes how strong and comfortable the new structure is. He tells you about the time his old house was destroyed by strong winds and his thoughts and feelings each time he returns to his new home.
• Finally, you conduct your main interview in a quiet place. Be sure to include some of the same questions you have already asked. If you wish, this “clean” version of your character’s answers (that is, with no background sound) can be mixed with appropriate sounds from the field.
• Remember to record “room tone” in each location. This is the natural sound of the location where your interviews take place. Even in a silent room, there are subtle background sounds. Outdoors, there may be birds in the distance or the occasional vehicle passing by. You can use these sounds to smooth out your edits. To capture them, ask everyone around you to be silent. Then record the sounds that remain. One to two minutes of recording in each location is enough.

7) Record interviews with secondary characters

Secondary characters can help tell your story. These characters appear briefly and are present to support the main character’s story. A farmer can add his experiences with a similar problem. An extension officer, health worker, teacher, friend, or family member can provide information that the audience needs to understand the story. Ideally, secondary characters, including experts, will have a direct connection with your main character's story.

8) Record your sound

Think of your audio recorder like a camera. Instead of taking pictures, you capture images with sound. These sound images are like photographs. Used effectively, they can help listeners “see” and experience what your characters see and experience during the documentary. You show listeners what happened, rather than simply telling them.

The sounds you record and include in your documentary are pieces of information. They are there to help you tell your story. Choose your sounds carefully, just the way you choose the words, facts, and other information for your documentary. For example, if your story is about the benefits of reforestation, background sounds in a busy kitchen likely will not add to your story. They might even distract listeners, who will be wondering why they are hearing pots clanging while your character talks about trees.

While you’re on location, be observant and listen for sounds that help listeners imagine what is happening. Record general sounds in the background, such as birds singing, children playing, or livestock. Also, record specific sounds in the foreground, such as a shovel going into the earth as a farmer plants a tree, a gate opening as you enter an enclosure, cattle drinking in a newly-restored wetland, or teenagers discussing adolescent health issues.

When deciding what sounds to record or include, ask yourself these questions.

• What do I want to show my listeners?
• What is important about that?
• How will this sound help me tell my story?
• How will it help my listeners understand the story?

Remember that what sounds obvious to you may not be obvious to your listeners. For example, you are making a documentary about reforestation. You have recorded the sound of birds singing in the forest. The sound is important because it helps illustrate a benefit of planting trees i.e., the birds have come back. You assume that your listener will automatically know you are in a forest so you play the sounds without any commentary. But those birds could be in a wetland or bird sanctuary. Your listeners won’t know unless you tell them.

A more effective approach is to combine those bird sounds with narration and voice clips to help listeners understand the story. Here is an example of how the sound of birds can help tell your story about reforestation:

SOUND:   THE SOUND OF BRANCHES BREAKING UNDER FOOTSTEPS. BIRDS SINGING IN THE BACKGROUND.

NARRATOR:  Farmer X is leading me through the forest that surrounds his home.

SOUND:    BIRDS SINGING IN THE FOREGROUND.

FARMER:  Do you hear that?

SOUND:   BIRDS SINGING IN THE FOREGROUND.

FARMER:   That’s a blue turaco. It’s one of the most beautiful birds in the forest!

SOUND:    DIFFERENT BIRDS SINGING IN THE FOREGROUND.

FARMER:    And that one there?

SOUND:   BIRDS SINGING IN THE FOREGROUND.

FARMER:  That’s a white-spotted flufftail. It’s a tiny bird, it looks like a baby chicken, but it has such a big song!

NARRATOR:   Just five years ago, there were no birds here. There weren’t any trees either. But then Farmer X started replanting.

FARMER:    We started thinking about what the trees were for. We wanted better soil. We needed shade and firewood and lumber. It was a wasteland. No living creature wanted to come here. But now we’re surrounded by trees and the birds have come back by the thousands.

SOUND:   BRING UP SOUND OF BIRDS SINGING

FARMER:  Every morning I wake up smiling because I wake up with the birds. It makes me feel like a child again!

9) Listen to everything you have recorded

When you return to your workplace, listen to everything you have recorded, making note of the best material. Not everything you recorded will belong in your documentary. Even with the best planning, you will find that some interviews and sounds were stronger than you anticipated and some were not as good as expected. You may find that your story has changed, and that you have to draw up a new storyboard to better reflect the material you gathered.

For instance, if you find that your secondary character’s story is compelling, give it more space. You may also find that some scenarios are more or less interesting than you expected. Or you may discover that your story is best told in a different order. In that case, you can rearrange the storyboard to reflect the material you have in hand.

Remember that at this stage, your job is to make the most of what you have collected.

10) Choose your best voice clips and sounds

To tell your story, use only the strongest sounds and voice clips. There is no need to include an entire interview or to keep the interview intact. Instead, you should break up the interview and use the strongest parts in different places throughout the documentary.

Using your notes, identify the best voice clips and sounds. The best clips will be:

• Action clips, such as when your character approaches someone to raise funds to support free menstrual pads.
• Emotional clips, such as your character talking about the difficulties she and her family faced and her hopes for the future.
• Informational clips that help you tell your character’s story.
• Voice clips where the speaker says something better than you can as a narrator.

11) Arrange your clips and sounds in the best order to tell your story

Put your voice clips and sounds in the order you think best tells your farmer’s story. Voice clips do not need to be long. Sometimes, the best clips last only a couple of seconds. You can also break up your interviews and use the various voice clips throughout the documentary.

Remember that a story is typically shaped like an arc. Start with a strong image that grabs your listeners’ attention and introduces your character and their dilemma. Next, choose voice clips and sounds that show the actions your character takes to deal with the problem. The climax* or main turning point of the story is at the top of the arc. The voice clips and sounds that follow point to the future and what will happen next.

12) Write your script or narration

It is always easier to write your narration after you have put your clips and sounds in order. Your characters and sound should tell the most important parts of the story. Your script or narration is there to help move the story along.

The narrator will fill in details, describe scenes and actions, and move the listener from place to place. You can paraphrase much of what your characters tell you, especially if you can say the same thing in a simpler or more compelling way.

For example, the narrator may choose to introduce a character. Or the character can introduce themselves. Either way, the introduction should include only relevant details that help the listener get to know the character.

CORRECT:

NARRATOR:  The residents of Y town have always turned to Worker X when they need advice about anything to do with forests. She started planting trees when she was six years old. She wrote her first newspaper column about it when she was 16.

INCORRECT:

NARRATOR:   I talked to Worker X about tree planting.

FARMER:  I am Worker X and I live in Y town, Z sub-county, B parish. I am the LC5 for the town and the LC1 for the sub-county. In addition, everyone has always known me in A parish.

Here is an example of how a script might look:

INTRODUCTION OF MAIN CHARACTER WITH A STRONG IMAGE

SFX:   AMBIENT SOUND, I.E., MORNING BIRD SONG, BEES SWARMING AROUND THEIR HIVE, THE SOUND OF A FARMER WORKING WITH BEEHIVES.

CONTINUE SFX OF BEES BUZZING IN BACKGROUND.

NARRATOR: The sun is just peeping over the horizon but when I meet Farmer A, she’s already hard at work.

FARMER:  (COMING ON MIC) Hi, good morning! Just looking after my dear honeymakers …

NARRATOR:  She’s the first beekeeper in Moro county. She’s a tiny woman, barely five feet tall. But it’s obvious she’s got something I don’t have much of right now—courage.

FARMER:  Don’t be shy. (LAUGHS) Come on over ….

NARRATOR:  She’s tending 12 of her beehives, hidden deep in a tangled rainforest. Wooden boxes, shaped like tiny houses. Surrounded by dark clouds of honey bees.

FARMER A:   Now here they come. They’re moving out now. Now they’re getting after me. You see this. They’re all over my trousers.

INTRODUCTION OF CHALLENGE

NARRATOR:  I’m terrified. But Farmer A calmly opens the hives. The bees swarm around her head and cover her arms. She looks at me and breaks out in an enormous grin.

SFX:     BEES BUZZING IN FOREGROUND, FARMER A MOVING AROUND

FARMER A: I have always been fascinated by bees, but that doesn’t mean this was easy. The first time I tried to get close to a hive, I shook like a leaf. The second time, I was quiet on the outside but I was trembling inside. The third time, my mentor told me: “Farmer A, be still. These creatures are your friends. They are going to change your life.”

NARRATOR:   As a child, Farmer A dreamt of becoming a teacher. But there was no money for school fees. She got married on her 16th birthday. The day she turned 17, she had twin girls.

FARMER A:  My heart burst when they arrived. I was so happy. And I told my husband, we will find a way to send these girls to school. And then my cousin told me about beekeeping.

13. Assemble your documentary, incorporating the narration, voice clips, and sounds

When you assemble your documentary, you can use a combination of relevant sounds, your character’s voice, and your own descriptions and narration to create a vivid picture.

Foreground sounds, which are played at the same volume as clips and narration, are important in telling the story.

Background sounds, where the volume of the sound is lower than the volume of the clips and narration, give the listener information about the environment. For example, goats bleating and chickens clucking show the character is on a farm. The sound of food cooking brings your listener into the kitchen.

When you mix these sounds together, listeners will experience your character’s dilemma, actions, and transformation for themselves, rather than just listening to the farmer talk about them.

Conclusion

This document describes one way to make a documentary. It describes the simplest story-telling structure: you present a person or persons, you present their challenge, and then follow as they find a solution and undergo a change.

As you become more comfortable with documentaries, you can start to experiment with other forms. The basic elements remain the same—someone doing something for a reason—but the structure of the story can change. For example, you could start the story at the end, so listeners already know the result, and then follow your character as they get there.

Above all, remember to keep an open mind and allow your curiosity to lead you and your listeners on the journey. Documentaries take time and effort to produce, but they are a powerful way to connect with audiences.

Definitions:

Climax or turning point: The highest point of tension or drama in your documentary. The climax is often when your main character faces or resolves the main problem or conflict in the story.

Storyboard: A guide or roadmap of your documentary that can be written or discussed amongst the team. It is used to plan and document the beginning, middle, and end of the story and all that happens in between. You can also use it to visualize and arrange the different parts of a story before heading out on location for recording, and again before writing the script or narration.

For more on audio documentaries:

24h dans une redaction, undated. Les Techniques d’Interview.  https://24hdansuneredaction.com/radio/8-les-techniques-dinterview/

Arte Radio audioblog, undated. Astuces, entretiens et conseils pratiques. https://audioblog.arteradio.com/entretiens-conseils-pratiques/6

Arte Radio audioblog, undated. Montage audio : 15 conseils aux debutants. https://audioblog.arteradio.com/article/134817/montage-audio-15-conseils-aux-debutants

Arte Radio audioblog, undated. Prise de son : Les 15 erreurs du debutant. https://audioblog.arteradio.com/article/131470/prise-de-son-les-15-erreurs-du-debutant

Farm Radio International, 2019. How to produce mini-docs. https://training.farmradio.fm/how-to-produce-mini-docs/

Katwala, J., undated. Making Documentaries for Radio. Media Helping Media.  https://mediahelpingmedia.org/advanced/making-documentaries-for-radio/

Rosenthal, R., 2022. Here’s What It Takes To Produce A Story At Any Level. Transom. https://transom.org/2022/heres-what-it-takes/