If you want to make a documentary film by yourself – you definitely can! In fact, it's often quicker and easier to create a short documentary solo than try and coordinate a crew, especially if budgets are small. However there are certain challenges to be aware of. Here is a brief overview of my experience filming my first solo documentary about Ethiopian Airlines and a few of the big mistakes I made.
The Quest for Characters and Stories
Finding an interesting character will be the most important aspect of your documentary. You may be drawn to make a film about an issue or an event, but the audience needs a person through which to understand and experience the story. So first things first, find a character.
Touching down in Ethiopia, I found myself with no characters or a clear storyline. However, with access to Ethiopian Airline's training academy, I dove headfirst into interviews and conversations, hoping to piece together a compelling narrative. From cabin crew to aspiring pilots, each encounter offered a glimpse into the nuances of Ethiopian aviation culture.
The more I spoke to people, the more I understood how the people of Addis Ababa viewed their national airline. It was through people that a storyline for my documentary took shape.
Spend Time With Your Characters
Next mistake: once I found my characters I didn't spend enough time with any them to really understand their stories. My process was a quick interview, a thank you, and then on to the next character. I was constantly thinking, "who can I talk to next?" instead of, "who can I follow up with and talk to again?" Of course, the result was the documentary only scratched the surface.
When trying to find a good documentary character, talk to lots of people. But once you've found one, spend time with them to get a deeper understanding of their story and their experience.
Being Too Ambitious
My plan in Ethiopia – if you generously want to call it a plan – was to weave a tapestry of interconnected lives stemming from the national airline and explore not just why pilots are considered cool but how Ethiopia as a nation fits into the wider world. I totally failed to make that film.
Simply put: I bit off more than I could chew. I had no concept of how long it would take to film a meaningful tapestry of lives – much longer than the three weeks I had. Of course, this would have been plenty of time to shoot a thoughtful character-focused study.
Making a concise film about one (or maybe two) people would have resulted in a better film and given a deeper insight into Ethiopian airlines, Ethiopian people and Ethiopian culture.
My Solo-Documentary Lessons
Although this documentary may not have met my expectations, it served as a pivotal learning experience. It taught me the importance of immersing oneself in the subject matter, forging genuine connections, and allowing stories to unfold naturally. It also taught me to have a narrative focus. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious but it's better to finish a simple film than leave a complex project incomplete.