Documentary filmmaker, Stephen McCaskell has published an 8-part blog series on the process of making a documentary. McCaskell was behind the documentaries Puritan, Luther, The Church, Discipleship Explored, and a series with Tim Challies called Epic. He has a lot of experience as a documentary filmmaker, so if you aspire to make a documentary this is a great place to start. 

McCaskell has recently moved from Media Gratiae to take up a position as Supervising Producer for Ligonier Ministries.

Stephen McCaskell’s Guide to Documentary Filmmaking

Part 1: The Idea and Visual Treatment
Part 2: Funding and Budgeting
Part 3: Development
Part 4: Pre-Production 1/2, Scriptwriting and Storyboarding
Part 5: Pre-Production 2/2, Itinerary
Part 6: Production
Part 7: Post-Production
Part 8: Manufacturing/Distribution and Conclusion

McCaskell also generously provides examples of documents he’s used, including script, budget, interview release form, and others.