WHAT DOES A DOCUMENTARY RESEARCHER DO? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Documentary Researcher / Photo Credit: Career Addict

WHAT DOES A DOCUMENTARY RESEARCHER DO? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What Does A Documentary Researcher Do?  

A documentary is a film, television show or radio program that provides a factual record. To ensure the documentary is as accurate and detailed as possible, producers often hire researchers to gather all the relevant information.

What Do Documentary Researchers Do?

To begin with, documentary researchers are a type of media researchers that specialize in documentaries and other factual productions. Their day-to-day tasks include: 

• Establishing the kind of information that is needed for a specific project…
• Identifying potential sources of this information – The sources could be scholarly journals, works of art or government publications…
• Verifying the authenticity of these sources…
• Studying the documents and retrieving relevant information…
• Holding interviews with documentary contributors – These individuals could be renowned scholars or government officials…
• Recording the information gathered from the sources and presenting it to filmmakers or producers… 

There are no set educational requirements to get started in documentary media. It is, nonetheless, important to possess a bachelor’s degree. Filmmaking experience as a requirement for employment generally came second to (a) a willingness and ability to learn technical skills and (b) mastery of basic research, writing and organizational skills. With that said, experience in basic media digitizing and editing (Final Cut Pro or Avid) is strongly desired, as is knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects. Website-building experience would also often be of interest, along with general IT skills.

 The following disciplines can give you a good foundation: 

• Communications...
• Journalism...
• Museum studies...
• Culture and Media...
• Digital Media...
• Anthropology...
• History... 

Important Skills and Abilities

To be a well-rounded documentary researcher, you must possess the following qualities: 

• An inquisitive mind…
• Strong information acquisition, management and analysis skills…
• Strong research skills…
• Critical thinking skills…
• Networking skills…
• Strong teamwork skills…
• The ability to work under minimal supervision…
• Good listening, speaking and writing skills… 

Documentary filmmaking is composed of countless tasks, and all of them matter-even those that may seem mundane, such as photocopying, filing or making sure the crew has lunch. Perform these tasks well and cheerfully, and you'll prove you're capable of greater responsibility. Nobody wants to micromanage you, so demonstrate that you don't need close supervision by keeping track of what's assigned (write assignments down; it's a good idea to carry a small notebook), giving the tasks your full attention and reporting back on what you've accomplished. Remember, too, that films are collaborative and are often made in fits and starts, which means that your work needs to be easily shared among colleagues both now and in the future. Organization and a willingness to go the extra step are important.

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, WikiBooks, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, Careers Hub, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Blurb, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Chron, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, How Stuff Works, WGA, BBC, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Truity, Production Hub, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Variety, Wolf Crow, Get In Media, Production Beast, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, UCAS, Frankenbite, Realty 101, Careers Hub, Sokanu, Raindance, Film Connection, My Job Search, Documentary.org,

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Documentary Researcher / Photo Credit: Career Addict