The Secret Diary of a Documentary Filmmaker

Secret Diary of a Documentary Filmmaker. is a unique, present-tense, decision-by-decision account of the making of a major international documentary providing an honest, unvarnished insight into the realities of documentary-making. Taking the form of a daily diary, it provides unique, behind the scenes insight into the making of a million-dollar feature-documentary from Darlow Smithson (the company behind landmark docs such as Touching the Void, 9/11 The Falling Man) to mark the centenary of the attacks on the World Trade Centre.

The book charts the thinking behind - and consequences of - each directorial choice, encompassing everything from the form interviews should take, to the look and feel of dramatic reconstruction; from selecting cameras and lenses, to complex cutting-room questions like structure and tone; from the big one-off decisions connected to casting and choosing a soundtrack, to the myriad tiny decisions of the edit; from problem-solving on shoots and sets, to dealing with the pressures and responsibilities of telling an important story. The diary gives readers privileged access to the thinking processes of a professional director, and is full of insights, ideas and lessons from which readers can learn.