UPDATE:
While in my first year at UF, I took two classes that let to the development of my documentary topic. They were Documentary Writing I and Documentary Research Methods I. The final projects for each of these classes resulted in a visual treatment and a research proposal respectively.
The purpose of a visual treatment is to describe what the intended film will look like, shot by shot. The whole idea was a first for me. I'd never planned out a film in this way before committing to complete it, much less meeting anyone involved or going to the location.
The research proposal contained a research statement, annotated bibliography, potential contact list, chronology & timeline, character sketches, narrative brief, potential visual sources & observational sequences, and a research plan.
I gave the film a working title: "The Privileged Few" and gave three suggestions for possible locations/balls: the Bal Du Bois in Richmond, VA, the North Carolina Debutante Ball in Raleigh, NC, and the Medallion Ball in Pittsburgh, PA.
I concluded that the idea had a lot of potential, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue with the project.
