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Donna Lawrence Productions

Last week, we visited Donna Lawrence Productions. Donna Lawrence makes incredible short form documentaries that are installed in museums. She has made films for the Kentucky Derby Museum, the Statue of Liberty Museum, the New York Historical Society, and many more. After viewing a screening of some of her films, I really got an idea of what a professional documentary looks like and how a true genius in the field of documentary works.

I made sure that I paid attention to the way they use interviews and voiceovers. Most of the interviews were played over top of imagery, they weren't just videos of a person talking. The audio clips were not too long either, they were just snippets of important statements and information that gave some context to the imagery we were seeing. This will be important in my documentary because the message will rely heavily on what the people involved are saying.

What I really took note of was the music that was used. Each soundtrack was perfectly timed to specific cuts of imagery being shown. The music really set the tone of each film. There was a specific feeling that each documentary had and the music played a huge part in that. Without the music, each film would not have the same emotional impact. I honestly hadn't thought much about music for my documentary until after we visited Donna Lawrence. I now know that choosing music will be a very important aspect to consider.

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