Filming a first Documentary

[andie_prostrollo]

Okay, I got myself into a mess, I was voted on to be the director/camera person (they are cheap). This will be the first time I have ever filmed a documentary and I just wanted to know if there was anything to look out for or for me to do that was any different from the usual National Geographic wannabe with half the budget. Any advice welcome. I wanted to get others advice before I went to the people who hired me.

[Mods]

Im not sure what exactly you're asking, and you'll probably ignore what I say anyway But, I have to read the post again...one sec....

[Mods]

Are you looking for advice on how to go about filming it and directing it? Or advice on how to turn round and say "ummm, i dont wanna do it anymore"


Mods

[andie_prostrollo]

I need filming and directing tips.

[The_Case]

In docu film-making, the best thing to do is to sit down and write a proper brief.

That is the time to form your ideas (which will govern your shot-selections).

Also make sure you decide on the audience you will be targeting.

That's the situation licked, and now your mind is free to create.

Have fun.

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[marti-c]

Some tips for you:

Do at least 3 interviews and change the shot size several times during each interview(usually when the interviewer is asking a question)(if you need to know the standard 3 point lighting for an interview then ask me)

Get some archive footage .This could be anything from old video footage to some old signs or newspaper cuttings/Advertisments etc.
Get lots of GV's (general views)then go close in for the particular views.
Try and get people doing things to get movement in the frame( usually whatever the company makes)These shots shoud be done away from where the interview is taking place so it has a different background. A typical set up would be a.....a long establishing shot ........close up of hands lets say...........and then a view of face looking at hands. get the person to change their eye movements so that this can be used as a motivation for an edit point. ( when doing several shots like these together make a marked up script and overlap the action so you have a lot more scope in the editing room.

Most of all plan ahead.( have an idea in your head that will be a rough edit)

Watch documentaries and see what style you are going to do it in and think sequences all the time. Its no good getting great shots by themselves so think of a few shots that will go together nicely. All these should be for covering shots.

When editing try and get the initial structure of your programme and just concern yourself wih getting the talking heads in the right order( there may be lots of blank gaps in between the head shots, but just make sure the dialogue sounds ok and makes sense in the way that the story your trying to tell is driven forward with each section.( leave this to forment for a day then look at it with fresh eyes to notice any sections that may be in the wrong place. Then go back and cover the ugly jump cuts with the covering shots.

Think of a witty way of starting the video edit wise and you will need a final thought to remain in the viewers mind when it concludes.

If you decide to include yourself in it as a presenter then get noddie shots and question shots from yourself.( these should be taken with a view of the rear of the interviewees head and maybe him just saying nonsense to get the mouth moving(even thoughyou dont really see it but the side of the cheeks will be in view sort of.....after he stops talking ask the question and always give 10 seconds before the shot and 10 seconds after then shout cut.

If you decide not to be in it make sure the interviewees include the question in their answer so the audience knows what there talking about.
And finallly make sure you ask open questions that cant be answered with "yes or No"

i.e.
NOT "Do you like Football"

TRY " Tell me about what sports you like"

hope these tips help

marti

[andie_prostrollo]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mods:
Are you looking for advice on how to go about filming it and directing it? Or advice on how to turn round and say "ummm, i dont wanna do it anymore"


Mods<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, I just didn't know that I was going to be doing a documentary, but hey, its an adventure.

[The_Case]

Some good advice above.

Onen-ended questions are important (as he says).

Also, listen to the interviewee:

- he could lead you into some interesting areas, and the whole thing will flow.

- if you keep reading from a list of questions, the interview will seem jerky and you may ask a question that he already addressed while talking earlier.


When it comes to considering the shots you choose to do:

KISS (keep it simple, stupid) Don't stretch yourself and cause major headaches when it comes to the edit.

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[edenrepublik]

FIRST: Marti-c, please tell me the three point lighting for an interview, thanks.

SECOND: Don't do what I did. (several mistakes from several school projects). DO NOT make your documentary look like a power-point presentation. I didn't have enough action footage so it ended up just being picture after picture after picture. If your documentary is going to have a lot of VOs, by all means DO NOT have only one person do them. (It ended up being me on a tight schedule, Voicing over for 35 minutes.) DO NOT show a person talking for over one minute. (In hindsight, I wish that I had used the voice track as a VO.) DO get plenty of footage. That's pretty much all I have to say. Don't put too much faith in this advise, I've only made 3 documentaries, all of them were for school, and none were over 45 min.