# Documentary-Style — YouTube Long Format

> Documentary aesthetic on YouTube. Investigative or observational. 20-60+ min.

## Format basics

- Length: 20-60+ min
- Documentary cinematography
- Talking-head interviews
- B-roll heavy
- Investigative or observational
- Real subjects/events

## Structure

```
0-3min   HOOK
         Compelling moment
         Question/mystery established

3-10min  SETUP
         Subject introduced
         Stakes clarified
         Multiple voices begin

10-40min INVESTIGATION / EXPLORATION
         Multiple POVs
         Evidence gathered
         Reveals throughout

40-55min CLIMAX / TURNING POINT
         Major revelation
         Or narrative peak

55-60min RESOLUTION / REFLECTION
         What it means
         Where things stand
         Filmmaker reflection
```

## Sample 45-min documentary-style YouTube video

```
"Inside the Yemen Coffee Trade: A 6-Month Investigation"

0-3min: HOOK
- Striking imagery: coffee farm at sunrise
- Voice (filmmaker, intimate): "Six months ago, I went to Yemen
to find out why the world's best coffee comes from a country at war."

3-10min: SETUP
- Filmmaker arrival in Sana'a
- First interview: a coffee farmer
- His farm has been in family 4 generations
- Currently impossible to export
- War, sanctions, infrastructure

10-25min: EXPANSION
- Visit multiple farms
- Different farmers
- Showing the bean quality
- The processing
- The supply chain breakdown
- Interview: international buyers
- The frustration

25-40min: COMPLICATION
- Discovery: an underground network keeping coffee flowing
- Risk: filmmaker may be in danger documenting this
- Interviews with smugglers (faces obscured)
- Moral complexity

40-50min: CLIMAX
- Specific farmer's coffee makes it to market
- He receives payment for first time in 2 years
- Emotional reunion
- The bigger picture revealed

50-55min: REFLECTION
- Filmmaker on what they learned
- The cup of coffee context now changed
- Next steps for these farmers

55-60min: WRAP + CTA
- Where these farmers are now
- How viewers can help
- Subscribe + share
- Cite sources, organizations
```

## Key principles

### Real subjects
- People matter
- Trust earned through respect
- Privacy considered

### Multiple POVs
- Different voices
- Complexity honored
- Truth = layered

### Cinematography matters
- Documentary look
- Real locations
- Lighting carefully

### Investigative rigor
- Sources verified
- Claims supported
- Ethics maintained

### Filmmaker presence
- First-person sometimes
- Or observational
- Audience trusts perspective

## Sub-types

### Investigative
- Uncovering truth
- Following leads
- Building case

### Observational
- Watching subjects live
- Minimal intervention
- Patience-based

### Issue-based
- Specific problem examined
- Solutions explored
- Activism-adjacent

### Personal documentary
- Filmmaker's own journey
- Subjective lens
- Vulnerability welcomed

## Famous YouTube documentary creators

- Johnny Harris (geopolitical)
- Yes Theory (immersive experiences)
- Veritasium (science)
- Tom Scott (places, history)
- Corridor Crew (VFX/film breakdown)

## When to use

- Subject deserves long-form treatment
- Investigative journalism
- Audience trust building
- Awards / recognition
- Patreon / Substack audience

## Common mistakes

- Manipulating subjects
- Sensationalism over substance
- Padding (could be shorter)
- Unfair to subjects
- Missing context
- Hidden filmmaker bias

## Ethics

- Subject consent
- Accurate representation
- Don't harm sources
- Truth-telling
- Fair compensation when possible

## Production

- Significant time (months to years)
- Travel often required
- Permissions and releases
- Multiple shoots
- Heavy editing
- Original music or licensing
