Documentary storytelling starts with people

The strongest documentary work is not about subjects or issues. It is about specific people, in specific circumstances, at a specific moment.

That distinction changes how a film gets made. A story about "youth employment" produces statistics and stock imagery. A story about one person's morning — the route they walk, the work they look for, the person waiting for them at home — produces something an audience can hold on to. The wider point is still made. It is simply made through someone.

This takes time before the camera comes out. Conversations without recording. Understanding what someone is willing to share and what they are not. Being clear about where the film will be shown, so consent means something.

On the day it means listening more than directing. The line you did not plan for is usually the line that ends up in the film. It means filming the quiet parts too — the waiting, the hands, the room — because those are what give an interview somewhere to breathe.

And in the edit it means resisting the urge to explain. If the people are strong and the moments are honest, an audience does not need to be told what to feel.