Documentaries can be a smashing hit and do great things for your business. Or, without the proper combination of ingredients, your documentary can end up being a royal flop. Whether your documentary flies or fails has to do with whether or not you believe in one of the most damaging myths about low cost documentaries. It is a myth that if you're producing low cost documentaries, it is OK to sacrifice here and there on quality.

This is not true. Although you may be producing low cost documentaries, there is no need to compromise on quality. Sure, you are not going to have the budget of Star Wars nor the storyline of Avatar, but there is no reason to capitulate to the myth that low cost documentaries need to be low-quality documentaries. Here are four of the major areas in which documentary producers settle on poorer quality.

Lack of interesting photographic technique. Even if the documentary is dealing with a relatively mundane theme, this does not mean that you should be mundane about the photography. Using the same view over and over again will quickly have your viewers turning it off. Use a dose of movement, an action clip, an aerial shot, or a few close-ups.

Lack of actual photography, and a dependence upon text, charts, or diagrams. The less creative documentaries rely on computer generated aspects to add to their film. Sure, it may easier and less expensive to use less actual photography, but that is no reason to completely deprive your viewers of photographic interest.

Lack of high-quality audio. In our day of low-cost, high-quality technology, you should have very little problem obtaining excellent recording quality. A microphone wired to a speaker should be enough. Low cost documentaries are notorious for their garbled and canned sound.

Lack of careful editing. Editing makes the video. If it does not advance the story or thesis in some way, you should not include it. The same thing is true in writing a college paper. As your English teacher probably told you, eliminate irrelevant content and focus on the theme. Documentaries are no different. Everything should serve the purpose of the film.

Low cost documentaries can turn out to be high-quality documentaries. Simply resist believing the myth that quality can or must suffer.