For over a decade, True Crime has become one of the fastest-growing genres in unscripted television.
Something about these stories resonates with audiences. Whether it’s a desire to explore the inner workings of a killer’s mind or the deep emotional connection we feel when a victim’s family member tells us their story–it’s clear that this genre is here to stay.
After spending nearly 15 years directing dramatic recreations I’d like to take a moment to share my process.
AN APPROACH TO DRAMATIC RECREATIONS
Dramatic Recreations (also known as: re-enactments, recon, reconstructions, and b-cree) are an important part of the true crime genre. Recreations exist for two primary purposes:
1) On a functional level, recreation scenes help producers cover story beats that can’t be covered with archive or interview moments.
2) On a dramatic level, recreation scenes help heighten tension and clarify story points that are best supported with cinematic visuals.
My personal approach to directing and filming dramatic recreations has evolved over the years as I’ve gained experience, but the basic approach is as follows:
LEARNING THE STORY
The first step in recreation pre-production begins with the script and/or radio cut. I like to watch the radio cut first, if possible, and then go back to the script for a more thorough read.
While working through the cut/script I like to jot down my first creative reactions to the story. These ideas won’t always be on point because at this stage we still haven’t met with producers–but it’s an important step in unearthing ideas that aren’t obvious on the surface.
SPOTTING SCENES
The next step is to spot scenes. Scene spotting is the act of identifying what scenes will needed to be filmed to cover the obvious gaps in the radio cut.
Usually, if there is an ample amount of archive in a cut producers will opt to not film recreations for that scene. Recreations are one of the costliest parts of true crime documentary filmmaking, so it’s reserved for the most necessary moments.
Often the script I’m receiving will already have scenes spotted by a post-producer. In either case, the next step is to meet with the team to discuss the scenes that will need to be filmed.
THE FIRST MEETING
During the first pre-production meeting, I typically like to have the post-producer and primary editor for the episode involved. These people are my compass, they know the story, they know what they need, and just as importantly, they know what they don’t need.
I love this first meeting because it’s a truly collaborative time in the recreation pipeline. This is when you, as the director, get to present ideas. Sometimes these ideas stick and sometimes they don’t.
The goal of this meeting is two-fold:
Locking Scenes: In this first meeting, we want to come to a group consensus on what truly needs to be filmed for the episode.
During this step, we go through the cut scene by scene and discuss whether or not recreations will be necessary. Ideally, by the end of the meeting, we will have a total scene count so that we can begin scheduling our shoot days.
Asking Questions: Another important step during these meetings is to ask plenty of questions. We want to know the goal of each scene. Who the primary POV of the scene is. What turning points exist within the scene. And how much coverage will be necessary for the editor.
COMMUNICATING WITH THE PRODUCTION TEAM
Now that we know what scenes we will need to film and what the creative direction is, it’s time to disseminate this information to the production team: Casting, Art Department, Wardrobe, and Locations.
The priority should be letting each department know what big-ticket items & red flags exist. These are elements that will be harder to source and will require more time for the team to address like picture cars, unique locations, atypical casting needs, and props that may need to be built.
Once each department knows what their primary focuses are, it’s time to move into scheduling.
CREATIVE SCHEDULING
Because recreations are typically shot with shoestring budgets it’s usually not possible to shoot every scene in its ideal location. For example, the story may call for 6 different homes, but you might only be filming for 3 days. In this case, you will be recycling homes to “play” as multiple homes.
The reason I jump to scheduling before building out my scenes is that locations are always one of the most difficult elements to source. The quicker I can extrapolate what locations will be necessary the more time I give the location manager to pull in great backgrounds for our frames. A location that works for the story is going to make your job executing quality recreations exponentially easier.
For the true crime shows I’ve worked on, we’re often filming over three to four days. Usually, there are going to be scenes that take place in a police precinct, or a domestic location such as a house, and then there will be special requirements specific to each story (parks, bowling alleys, you name it…)
By grouping scenes by a given location, we begin to understand how many scenes will be shot on each day. Grouping scenes by location allows us to determine what days are heavy with scenes, allowing us to identify what filming days may need additional resources, etc.
For example:
We may only have 4 scenes that require a police precinct and 10 scenes that require a domestic setting such as a home. 10 scenes is usually too many scenes to film in a single day so now we know that we’ll either need to do a half day at the precinct and then do a company move to another house location, or we’ll need to bring in a second unit to shoot the additional scenes while we’re at a given location.
Scheduling isn’t just a dull process. If done well it’s a highly creative act and the more attention you give your schedule the more successful your shoot day will become.
SHOT LISTING
Now that all departments know the basic requirements of the story, I begin the process of shot listing. To do this we go scene by scene and list out all the necessary shots to tell the story.
Traditionally, in recreations, most scenes require the following shots:
WIDE SHOT – that establishes the location and context of the scene. These are often leaned on in recreations because we are typically trying to emphasize the mystery of the story and focusing less on an actor’s performance.
MEDIUMS / CLOSEUPS – these shots are typically the content shots that express the primary emotions of the scene through an actor’s portrayal.
CUTAWAYS/ INSERTS – are shots that don’t usually require the performer’s face such, they are used as glue shots to move us through a scene. Getting these shots is invaluable as it allows the editors to jump in and out of a scene, cut around performances, etc.
While approaching my shot list I like to think about:
POV — Who is the primary POV of the scene?
Focal Length — Helps determine whether a shot has a more objective vs subjective feeling.
Camera Height — Helps determine’s how much “power” a character has.
Camera Movement — Motivated camera movement will help tell the story.
RECREATION AESTHETIC
Outside of the actual shots we’ll need it is important to know what aesthetic approach we’ll be taking for a given show.
Typically, true crime recreations are moody scenes with a heavy emphasis on silhouettes and shadows. This is because at its core, true crime is an extension of the mystery genre.
We want to fill the audience’s mind with questions of what’s lurking beneath the surface. The less they see the more their imagination will fill in the gaps.
As a director who got his start through cinematography, I love using lighting to my storytelling advantage. As I’ve evolved my craft, I’ve found that my scenes have become more and more expressive and less on the nose in terms of traditional drama coverage.
A great way to create unity between episodes in a single season of a TV show is to create “aesthetic rules” that you stick to while producing each episode.
For example, in the true crime miniseries TWO SHALLOW GRAVES my aesthetic rules were as follows:
–No faces.
–Backlit scenes only.
–Every scene gets 1 take with a foreground element in focus. This foreground element should be narratively relevant to the story.
–Warm light over cold light. Unless the story mandates cold light.
PARTING THOUGHTS
Recreations are a powerful tool for documentary storytelling. They are best when sparingly used to emphasize story points and bolster tension.
As a filmmaker, it’s important to understand that in this medium you are typically working with lower budgets and fewer shoot days. Use the limitations to your advantage. One of the most rewarding parts of shooting recreations is that you learn the art of what’s necessary for a scene to work.
My own filmmaking has been deeply enriched by approaching each of my dramatic recreation’s project with pride and respect. I’ve learned the power of preproduction and the art of execution at a high volume. Every day we are on set there is a chance to learn something new and a chance to grow as a filmmaker.
