ABSTRACT
Some documentaries are easier to structure than others, whilst some offer editors far less freedom for manoeuvre. In documentary, there are a number of common story structures. Three of the most common are as follows: a three-act structure, an episodic structure and a parallel narrative structure. The three-act structure is a dramatic and filmic way to structure a story, based around the principle of conflict and resolution. An episodic film juxtaposes story events that have no, or only casual, narrative relations. The basic premise behind a parallel narrative storyline is that multiple characters tell their own story with some common thread between them. Fortunately, editors are not usually alone in making major structural and story related decisions. Good directors are highly skilled at dealing with the narrative and editorial aspects of the storytelling, which is to say everything relating to the written and spoken word.
