Documentaries

Life is full of compelling stories and inspirational people. We may not learn of every community hero or medical miracle, but the growing frequency of non-fiction media means more of these stories are reaching the wide-audience. Maybe considered boring by some, documentaries stand out when they pull back the curtain of something seemingly simple, or develop the understanding of a well-known idea. A looking glass into the human experience and enduring spirit of mankind, a documentary represents the awareness of human history, of what and how we learn from our past.

Ken Burns is perhaps the most well-known documentarian, doing deep dives on pillars of American culture. From Jazz to Baseball, the Civil War to the Roosevelts, Burns has framed history with detail and nuance to paint encompassing pictures endured to the audience. Thus, when done well, documentaries can become part of the zeitgeist, or even pose the opportunity to shift worldviews.

Sometimes a story is just so interesting that it begs to be told to an expansive audience. A character is too enigmatic to not be seen for one’s self. A unique cultural milestone can draw in viewers who may not have been knowledgeable of that world. The King of Kong tells of the rivalry between Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe as they vie for the Donkey Kong world record. A seemingly narrow interest story, the outrageous characters unveiled and the enduring nature of personal rivalries made it one of the most compelling documentaries of the early 21st century.

Occasionally, stories are so wild they need to be seen to be believed. They can also work as a warning or cautionary tale as there are lessons to be gleaned. Wild, Wild Country is a Netflix docu-series concerned with a spiritual cult and how enchanting personalities can blind from simple human realities. People are presented honestly and the audience can figure the lessons through a well laid out presentation of the actual experiences.

Whether wanting to preserve familial memories for posterity, or tell a business’ story of success, the documentary format can be utilized by all. Do you have a story to tell? Do you know the inspirational individual whose message needs to be heard? JP Video Productions can help to produce your story. At JP Video, we put the pro into your production!