Alright, so I decided to try my hand at making a “fastest documentary” – you know, like those super quick, get-to-the-point kind of videos. Here’s how it all went down.
First thing’s first, I needed a subject. I was scrolling through some old files and stumbled upon a bunch of photos from a local street art festival. Bingo! Street art it is. Seemed visually interesting and I knew enough about it to not sound like a complete idiot.
Next up: planning. I scribbled down a basic outline. Start with an intro about the festival, then show some of the coolest art pieces, maybe throw in some commentary about the artists and their styles, and wrap it up with a quick summary. Simple, right?
The editing software I chose was DaVinci Resolve, it’s free and I’ve used it before. I imported all the photos and videos I had. The real challenge was to keep it short and snappy. I forced myself to cut out anything that didn’t directly contribute to the story. Kill your darlings, as they say.
Music was important to get the vibe right. I hopped over to YouTube’s audio library. After some browsing, I found this cool electronic track that felt energetic and urban. Dropped it into the timeline.
Now, voiceover time. I wrote a short script, trying to keep it conversational and informative. Then, I recorded it using my phone’s voice recorder. It wasn’t perfect, but I figured I could clean it up in post. Threw that audio into Resolve, synced it with the visuals, and tweaked the levels.
Transitions! Gotta make it smooth. I used simple fades and cuts, nothing too fancy. I threw in some quick text overlays to identify the artists and locations of the art pieces. Keep it clear and concise.
Color correction was the last step. I adjusted the levels to make the images pop a bit more. Nothing drastic, just a little enhancement to make it look its best.
Exported the final product as a 1080p video, ready for sharing. The whole thing took me about four hours, from initial idea to finished product. Not bad, huh?
Here is my conclusion, making a “fastest documentary” is all about focus and efficiency. You gotta nail down your subject, plan your story, and be ruthless in the editing room. It’s a fun exercise in storytelling and a great way to learn how to get your message across quickly. Give it a shot!
