Types of Footage in Documentary Filmmaking: Building Layers

A post about shooting, editing, and storytelling theory, where I manage to get in a nod to my side hustle as well

Footage for a documentary falls into one of three categories, not counting interviews and graphics (It's a spectrum, of course, like everything). Understanding the types of footage in documentary filmmaking is critical because it shapes:

• How you build story beats

• How you tell your story

• How you weave meaning into the edit

Nearly every documentary uses all three of these footage types in different proportions — and the proportions often define the final film’s feel and market fit.

Here's a breakdown of the three core types of footage you’ll encounter, plus how to use them effectively.

📹 Low Context Footage: The Flexible Glue

On the far edge of the spectrum is low context footage:

• B-roll of your characters walking around

• Exteriors and scenic shots

• Stock footage

• Abstraction and “beauty” shots

  
  

The defining characteristic: It can be used almost anywhere.

Low context footage is highly flexible. It’s essential for covering interview, creating transitions, and crafting moments you didn’t anticipate needing during the shoot.

Even the most story-rich verite documentary needs a little low context material to breathe and stitch everything together.

📹 Medium Context Footage: The Meaning Containers

Medium context footage shows people (or animals) doing goal-oriented activities:

• A process unfolding

• Characters working toward a goal

• Routine actions tied to larger themes

This is some of the most valuable material in the editing process because:

• It’s flexible.

• It supports higher-level thematic ideas.

• It creates movement without necessarily needing detailed exposition.

  
  

Medium context footage acts as containers for meaning. You can layer voiceover, interview bites, or observational commentary over it to deepen the story.

Great documentaries use medium context footage strategically — letting visible processes become metaphors for larger emotional or political arcs. Check out my blog post about editing in layers for more about this.

📹 High Context Footage: The Gold Standard

At the other end of the spectrum is high context footage:

• Real events unfolding in real time

• Unstaged emotional moments

• Conflict, decision-making, transformation happening as the camera rolls

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High context footage gives you natural story beats that feel immersive, dramatic, and alive — much like scripted narrative films.

This footage carries its own inherent meaning. You don't need to layer explanation or context over it (though you might add nuance) — the drama speaks for itself.

The more high context footage you have, the better, especially in today's market where authenticity and emotional immersion are prized.

Here's a BioGraff (my side hustle) of a few recent documentaries and the relative proportions of the different types of footage.

How These Types of Footage Shape Your Documentary

Many documentaries blend these three types:

• A few unforgettable high-context moments

• Process-driven medium-context scenes to discuss ideas

• Low-context glue to hold it all together

  
  

Understanding the types of footage in documentary filmmaking helps you:

• Design smarter shoots

• Recognize opportunities during field production

• Plan the emotional architecture of your edit

• Choose where to prioritize your shooting energy (and budget)

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Even if you’re lucky enough to have lots of high-context drama, don’t forget to intentionally shoot some low-context material! You’ll need it more than you think — for breathing space, pacing, and invisible emotional transitions.

Bonus: How Reality TV Hacked This Spectrum

It’s worth noting that “Reality” TV was built on pretending to have high-context footage — while often staging or guiding action to simulate drama.

Hosted shows (travel shows, makeover shows) found another shortcut: Put a charismatic host into real-world situations, make stuff happen to them, and create semi-controlled high-context experiences.

Good documentarians know the difference. They strive for real high-context footage — and when they don't have it, they use medium and low context material skillfully to build meaning without faking reality.

Final Thoughts: Footage as Story Ingredients

I think about footage the way a painter thinks about paints, or a chef thinks about ingredients.

Low context, medium context, and high context footage are the media on your palette. Each one offers different flavors, different possibilities.

The art of documentary editing is knowing how to mix them, layer them, and balance them —so that the final story feels alive, inevitable, and true.

Interested in learning more about BioGraffs? Check it out!