The Ten Rules of Personal Documentary Filmmaking - Rule #7

One of the biggest challenges facing those making first-person documentaries is to figure out their own role in the film.  Do they shoot it themselves or hire a camera person?  Should they appear on screen or "hide" behind the camera?  Will they use narration to help tell the story or not? 

While I tend to prefer docs shot by the person telling the story (and it's how I do my own personal films), it's certainly a valid and time-honored tradition to be an onscreen presence in your own documentary.  However, it does lead right to...

Rule #7:  If you're in it, don't overstay your welcome.

Unless you're unusually charming or witty, you run a huge risk of irritating the hell out of the audience if you put your mug up there too much.  The trick is to find just the right balance between making your presence felt without making it seem self-indulgent. 

How do you achieve that balance?  For starters, hire the best editor you can possibly afford and give her room to truly collaborate.  Together, find a solid justification for each time you appear on screen and pick your spots carefully.  And once you have a cut far enough along, hold a couple of small screenings (and not just with your friends) to solicit honest feedback. 

Yes, there's a whole lot more to it than that.  But when it comes to being in your own personal doc, it so often boils down to... less is more.