1st Edition

The Fundamentals of Documentary

By Julie Casper Roth Copyright 2026
260 Pages 43 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

260 Pages 43 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

260 Pages 43 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This is a definitive, accessible, and practical textbook that charts the course of creating a documentary – from concept to screening – breaking down filmmaking into its essential components. Inspired by workshop and classroom settings, this book focuses on process. It frees readers from the burden of technical jargon that may overwhelm first‑time filmmakers. It assists readers in gathering the... Read more

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Discovery Phase

Chapter 2: Building the Launch Pad

Chapter 3: Integrity as Guide

Chapter 4: On Set

Chapter 5: Sourced and Additional Materials

Chapter 6: Revisions: Responding to Obstacles and Embracing Change

Chapter 7: Putting it Together

Chapter 8: Now Playing

Chapter 9: Before You Go Big

Chapter 10: Talking the Talk: A Documentarian’s Guide to Terminology

Appendix

Biography

Julie Casper Roth is Associate Professor at CT State‑Norwalk and an Emmy‑nominated, award‑winning filmmaker whose work has been shown on PBS, at film festivals, and in venues around the world. She’s a two‑time Sundance Screenwriters Lab finalist and has won grant and fellowship awards from the New York Foundation for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, and the College Art Association. She has taught documentary filmmaking at Skidmore College, the University at Albany, and in community workshops.