Documentary
Long-form work following a team, a scene or a subject across weeks rather than hours.
The brief
Time and access do more than equipment.
A single visit gets you illustration. Coming back often enough gets you the frame where nobody is performing for the camera any more.
Documentary work benefits from time. We start with research, then plan a rhythm of shoot days and edit the material into a sequence with a clear beginning and end. Whether it becomes text, an exhibition or a film comes after that.
Selected work
Stories we followed
Long-form work, where familiarity is what makes the honest frames possible.
Possible deliverables
Commissioned by editors, federations, foundations and brands.
01
Research and access plan
Who we need to meet, what we are allowed to show, which moments in the calendar cannot be missed. Written down before day one.
02
A rhythm of shoot days
Shoot days spread across the period, including the unglamorous ones. Familiarity is what buys the honest frames.
03
An edited sequence
A set number of images in a fixed order, not a gallery. Plus a wider selection for archive and secondary use.
04
Optional film layer
Interviews, atmosphere and sound recorded alongside, cut into a film from the same access.
05
Publication support
Captions, credits, print files and layout advice for a feature, an exhibition wall or a printed edition.
How long a project runs, and what comes out of it, is agreed at the start and written into the offer.
How a project runs
From research to publication
Phase 01
Research
Reading, conversations and, where useful, a first visit without a camera. This is where we work out what the story is actually about.
Phase 02
Access
Permissions, consent, house rules and the calendar of moments we cannot miss.
Phase 03
Shooting
Repeated visits across the agreed period, with a small setup and as little disruption as possible.
Phase 04
Sequence
We edit the material down, put the images in order and keep refining until the sequence works as a whole.
Phase 05
Publication
Feature, exhibition, printed edition or film release — prepared with whoever is publishing it.
Example scopes
Every project runs on shoot days spread over a period. Research comes first, and it is part of the work.
Weeks
Photo essay
A handful of shoot days over one to two months. A tight sequence for a feature or a campaign story.
Possible elements:
- A short run of shoot days
- An edited sequence
- Captions and credits
Months
Long-form project
A season, a build, a transformation, followed across months, with a film layer if you want one.
Possible elements:
- Shoot days across the period
- A longer sequence
- Optional film layer
A year
Commissioned strand
Several subjects in one visual language over a year — for a foundation, a federation or an editorial series.
Possible elements:
- Several chapters
- One visual language
- Exhibition files
Before we start
You see the sequence before publication. We agree beforehand what can and cannot be shown, and we address concerns that come up in the review. The aim is to protect trust without turning documentary work into staged communication.
Usually one contact person, a shared calendar and some coordination along the way. On shoot days we work around your schedule instead of creating a second one.
Usage rights are defined in the offer according to how you plan to use the work. Authorship stays with us. Any use by us for portfolio, exhibition or publication is agreed separately rather than assumed.
It usually does, and that is normally good news. We review the direction as we go, so a change is a decision you make with us instead of a surprise in the edit.
One subject. Months, not hours.
Send us the subject and roughly how long it runs. We will come back with a clear approach and a realistic scope.
❯❯ Get in touch ❮❮Or write directly — team@vznbrothers.com