Why Photos are Crucial in Settlement Documentaries
After editing down the base timeline of a settlement documentary - which consists mainly of talking heads- I always ask my client for photos to add into it. This is the last step of my editing process.
Sometimes, I am given a Dropbox link to a treasure trove of photos. But, more often than not, I am sent maybe 10 carefully curated photos. When I ask for more, I’m told that this is all the client gave them and it's not necessary to add more. Photos seem to be generally regarded as superfluous.
But, photos are the whipped cream, sprinkles and cherry on top to the talking head sundae that was just edited. They elevate your presentation and engage your audience. Allow me to explain why:
1. SOCIAL MEDIA HAS TRAINED US TO BE MORE VISUAL
We live in a world where 90% of the dogs that live in my building have their own Instagram accounts. It’s become something that is expected. It’s because the average person spends about 53 minutes a day on IG scrolling through pictures of cute pets, people’s homes, celebrity lifestyles or their friend’s vacation. Humans are nosey creatures. We want to see- not just hear- what everyone is up to.
Video of a talking head that runs longer than a minute will put your audience to sleep. Adding photos of your client at family gatherings, being goofy with their kids, shoveling the driveway, planting a garden, running a race, volunteering with a church or community group, coaching their kid’s little league team, hugging a pet, hiking a mountain trail-or whatever that they enjoyed pre-incident- brings their story to life. They become real people that enjoyed real lives instead of just an adjuster’s dollar amount.
Think of news magazine shows like “60 minutes”, “20/20”, or “Dateline” and how they incorporate photos and home video footage into their stories. Think of how the stories flow and paint portraits of whomever they are featuring. This is what you should be aiming for.
2. PHOTOS HELP KEEP THINGS MOVING ALONG
Sometimes, you might have some speakers who are slooooooooooow talkers. I’m sure there was a “Seinfeld” episode about this. They think while they speak, so there might be some very long pauses. There might false starts to new thoughts. Maybe lots of “Ums”, “Ya knows” and other verbal fillers. I worked on one project where there were 5-20 seconds of pauses- mid sentence! If they are one of the main interviewees, that can lead to 3-5 minutes of dreaded dead air in the whole video. You can't do that to your audience and expect them to stay focused.
Photos can help “cover” all that. Adding a 10-15 second photo montage over the talking head allows me to edit out those pauses, false starts or fillers. So, when all is said and done, you hear a clean, normally paced sentence while seeing a photo montage that illustrates what they are describing. Given enough photos (about 25-50), I can shorten the total running time of a video by 2-3 minutes.
3. THEY ADD CREDIBILITY TO YOUR CLIENT’S STORY
“Pics or it didn’t happen!” was a popular phrase on internet forums. With social media shaping how we think and communicate, photo documentation of everything we do has become expected. So, it isn’t enough to hear about your client’s life before the life changing incident. We will need to see it.
Show us the love, the joys, and the accomplishments your client experienced. Show us the friends and the family members. Show us the holidays and birthday celebrations. Show us the happy and care free faces of that “pre” life. The contrast they offer to your client’s current situation is priceless.
It’s also helpful to show photos of the injuries and healing process. Some families document time spent in the ICU as their loved ones were bandaged up and connected to breathing tubes. Pictures of incision sites, bruising, halo braces, external fixtures or burns gives the viewer an unflinching look at your client’s pain and suffering. Seeing is believing.
The next time your video producer asks for photos, don’t be stingy and don’t blow it off. Keep asking your client to give you whatever they pictures they have. Have them check with family members or friends to see if they have anything. Look at Facebook and Instagram accounts of all the immediate family members. Google schools and organizations they were members of for useful images. Pull stills from funeral home slideshows. You would be surprised at what you can find if you look hard enough.
Photos are a valuable asset to the effectiveness of your video. You’ve already put a lot of time and hard work into your project. Take it to that next level.
For more tips on how to plan a Settlement Documentary, please visit: www.fadetoblackproductions.com
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