Illegal Immigration in the UK | Documentary Idea

by James
(Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)

Question: I am a first year university student from England living in Canada. For some time now I have been intrigued into making a documentary about the amount of illegal immigrants there is living in the UK because it is a number that is fascinating and possibly concerning.

I'm only 17 years old and I'm planning on taking a sabbatical after the new year back to the UK and other parts of Europe. I have no idea where to start with this as I have no experience with making documentaries and I don't know anyone that could help me with making this documentary as well as having no experience with filming either. Could anyone give me any idea on how I could get myself started or anyone who might be interested in this topic with me?

---

Desktop Documentaries | Answer
Submitted by Faith, Publisher

Hi James. Illegal immigration is indeed a fascinating topic and it is quite a large topic. What exactly about illegal immigration intrigues you? Is there a particular angle you're going for?

The more specific you can get the better the story. For example, are you interested in the children of illegal immigrants? The legal aspects? The treacherous journey they must make to get to the UK? How they are treated by the locals? The impact they are having (positive/negative) on society in the UK? What questions are you hoping to answer? Who are the people you need to talk to get those answers?

You say you have no experience making documentaries. With that in mind, here are a few places to start:

Getting Started | How To Make A Documentary:

• Step By Step: How To Make A Documentary
  
• The Basics To Making A Documentary | 7 Key Steps
  
• How To Make a Documentary | Watch and Learn from a Documentary Crew That Travels to Rwanda
  
• Documentary Production 101 Audio Tutorial
  
• Filmmaking 101 | What Is Video Production
  
• Video Production Equipment | Check List
  
• How To Find Filmmakers To Help You Make Your Documentary
  

There are also many wonderful books that have been written about documentary filmmaking:

• The Documentary Filmmakers Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Documentary Filmmaking
  
• The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide: A Down & Dirty DV Production
  
• Documentary Storytelling: Making Stronger and More Dramatic Nonfiction Films
  

Please let us know if this was helpful and leave a comment below. Also, if anyone else has ideas for James, please share!

Return Home

---

HOT!
Low-Budget
Documentary Gear

Ulanzi Smartphone Rig

---

LED Video Lighting Kit

---

Apple MacBook Pro Laptop

---

RODE VideoMic Studio Boom Kit

---