We speak with BAFTA nominated executive producer and professional story consultant Nic Guttridge about how to craft the documentary story.
Hosted by Karoline Pelikan (@PelikanPictures) and Paul Hulligan (@paulhully).
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Episode guide:
00:36 - Introduction
01:26 - What a ‘story consultant’ is, and who hires one
03:25 - Favourite story that he’s worked on
06:07 - Shaping a story that’s unfolding naturally / in real time
08:12 - The importance of following your instincts
12:45 - Mapping the story
16:45 - How does a typical ‘story arc’ work
18:05 - What if there is no arc - adding layers to the story
22:36 - Putting yourself in the film
24:20 - The importance of bringing others into the creative process
26:05 - What is a storyline, synopsis, treatment (the pitch) - examples
31:56 - How to avoid losing site of the story
32:28 - Practical advice for planning the story
33:43 - Scripting the film
35:05 - Plotting the arc
36:11 - How do you sell a foreign story
38:19 - Nic’s top crafting the story tips
45:50 - How you can find Nic ‘the story consultant’