Arzu Aliyeva’s Guide for A Perfect Documentary Film
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On the quest to find the ingredients for a perfect documentary film, there are many obstacles. Arzu Aliyeva, a world-renowned documentary filmmaker, is here to explain what makes a good documentary film. Aliyeva is the daughter of Azerbaijan's president and an integral part of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. She is also responsible for the productions of films such as: "Objective: Baku. Hitler's War on Oil", and "Son Iclas
Arzu Aliyeva says the world of filmmaking is divided into two main categories that define the nature of a film. The first category is defined by "plot-based" films, which are fictional, genre-oriented features that discuss social issues through fictional characters. The second is the world of "documentary filmmaking". This world is defined by movies that are mostly based on real people and events.
Arzu Alieva's key elements in a documentary film
According to Arzu Aliyeva, elements that create good documentary films are not much different from those used for "traditional" films.
The first element and the most important of all is the human aspect. If your audience can't connect with the humanity of your subjects, the film is lost before it even began. The second, Aliya vigorously argues- is finding your message.
Once you have found your message, it is time to turn it into a script. As opposed to feature films, who have scripts that are accurate down to the word, documentaries are different. A script for a documentary film is like a blueprint. You want to be able to know how your film will be structured and how the pace of it will be. The script is one of the most important parts of the pre-production.
According to Aliyeva, a documentary filmmaker needs to be aware of the general message that he or she wants the movie to express, otherwise it is really easy to get lost. The other elements that are important to mark out are the ones of production value and the general visual aspects.
Arzu Aliyeva's Critical Tips
Aliyeva claims that a movie can have very important messages and people in it, but without having gripping great shots, color, sound, and other "minor" elements, you can lose a lot of viewers. Furthermore, a lot can be said about the element of the work behind the scenes. One simply can't do a full documentary film alone. The work that your colleagues will do is maybe one of the most important elements of all. It might not be as obvious as great coloring, but the end result is dependent on people. People are the greatest and the most challenging element in any documentary film.
All of these elements eventually accumulate to a "little" thing called a "budget". Your film cannot exist without proper handling of your budget. Luckily, a documentary film's budget does not contain salaries for high-paid actors who take a great bite out of it. But your problems are not quite over, there are equipment and studio fees, location permits, copyright fees, and even catering. According to Arzu Aliyeva, the list goes on and on.
Arzu Aliyeva has made a name for herself by managing to have all of these elements brought to perfection.
What makes a documentary film stand out for Arzu Aliyeva?
As mentioned, Arzu Aliyeva claims that a documentary film will stand out once you've captured all of the required elements correctly. The audience needs to feel like their intelligence is not being disregarded. Filmmakers cannot feed them (the audience) the information at hand with a spoon. Their interest in the story needs to unfold along with the advancement of your story. Once the audience feels like it has got the "gist" of your movie, they will mentally check out.
During the process of building the concept of the film, another helpful tip could be to avoid repetitiveness. Many films these days, especially those on Netflix, tend to fall into a space of repetitiveness. Aliyeva urges the ones that come to her for advice to be daring and fearless. When speaking about avoiding pre-set patterns in documentary films, Aliyeva has always been a strong advocate. Her reasoning comes from the thought that "the same is not always better".
Of course, not every topic is worthy of a full documentary film. Some topics are simply not interesting enough. According to Aliyeva,a documentary stands out when it has done justice to the people\topic that it is covering. A lot of films tend to be unrightfully too long, without having the justification to be as such. The way for you to know whether you are doing your film a disservice is to show it to people. You need to realize how the general public perceives your movie. Then, and only then, can you make further editorial decisions.
Arzu Aliyeva's Best Advice for Filmmakers
Arzu Aliyeva preaches the need for a documentary filmmaker to show more grit and determination than the average "traditional" filmmaker. Aliyeva rightfully claims that when you face real people, with real-world problems, you are going to face challenges. You should consider yourself as more of a journalist and a filmmaker.
Documentary filmmakers have noted that they were only able to make their art when they felt they are being supported. Once you have a vision, a supportive environment, and a good understanding of the element above, you're ready.
It is not for everyone though. If you truly think that you could incorporate all these elements, you are bound to have a good experience. It is the most rewarding form of art that could be. You are not just inventing situations out of thin air, you are documenting real events and real people.
For an audience to see that, claims Aliyeva, you also need to invest time being around the right people. If you're not surrounding yourself with people that encourage your passion, it's time to change friends.
