Hello all, Myself and two others are going to attempt to film a documentary. We don't have too much experience (one only has experience in short films) but are going for it and planning on learning a lot through this process. Is there any advice anyone can give? Anything I should keep in mind? Any specific techniques I should look into? We are going in blind but want to take the chance! Thanks so much
Filmmaking / Directing : Documentary Techniques by Desiree Argentina
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the camera should have a high resolution capability ( 4k ) , portable and provision for XLR connections for possibly using sound capability if you aren't going double system. You can use on board sound for guide track if your camera can jam sync SMPTE timecode from the sound recorder. Use pro gear, don't cut corners with imaging and sound equipment.
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Documentaries vary so widely, and this advice might not apply to you. Try to have a thesis you're trying to prove or disprove. For example, with MY KID COULD PAINT THAT, Amir Bar-Lev set out to prove that the little girl painted the paintings, but as he shot footage and hung out in her home, he started to doubt that she was really the painter. He ended up suggesting that she probably didn't paint the paintings. This arc of the documentary filmmaker's dawning realization gave shape to the story. If this doesn't apply to you, try to give some shape to your story in another way.
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Build a great story board...Work with it... Visualize every frame...Keep some music tracks for the hit..Great camera can make great stories... Keep calm...GO for filmriot channel in youtube...https://www.youtube.com/user/filmriot/videos They really got some class.
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Hi. Whatever the content, the visual and aural qualities should be of a calibre that audiences can accept the storytelling without having to squint their eyes or crank up the volume. Having professional codecs or film format allows your doc to be marketed properly when you have finished it. Normally, there is considerable reworking in the post production phase as you analyze your gathered footage, particularly if you have shot on location and can not easily return. The above comments are important if you are in the conceptual phase and are looking for your perspective. Remember, that may change as you explore your topic. As a matter of fact, I can almost guarantee it !
Thank you all so much for the tips!
I got a documentary for you. Interview ME wont take long.. bring a heat sensitive camera. I have a symbiont. No one believes Me It was done to me against my will for an experiment.. when trained right this thing can be amazing for next to impossible tasks physically of the likes that can only be compared to a YOGI At the moment it has a lot of nervous rules built for a group of people to manipulate its programming. I want to change its firmware. Its in my head. Not to mention exploit it for more than being told to go to a soup kitchen when it doesn't displease the locals. This thing comes with a high tech user interface. I call a HUD. or a GUI. It confuses the hell out of me when I try to work it for Multi personality profiling. I have In me the records of peoples thoughts and nervous habits. Its been done under secrecy and they left it in me and left me high and dry when i complained.. who were these people? some group that wanted to experiment on a person willing to take cell phone signals for a command to my brain Under some co sponsored religious program. It built to make people kick habits but its written for the Spanish inquisition. And I am SOOOO SICK of the people around me hushing it into a corner with people who are mentally challenged and drug induced. They already tried to burn out my frontal lobes. I'm using whats in my Panic brain to operate. commands. Plus I made my own commands based on some of theirs. In order to have a life. Tried to get a Job with the GOVT no response.. Its truly amazing the things I can do with it. Including Find things at a moments notice. from just the memory of peoples memories. Get It on camera before Criminals walk free. myartist7@aol.com
Sorry I wrote that in a huff.. the program is signaling to me I might not be taken seriously due to spelling errors. I Need your help before I Die From a total cerebral collapse or suicide or homicide by way of programming due to these peoples rules written in. Or Maybe the long version.. I just become a mental invalid for these people to kick around. I'm a self Employed visual artist by trade. and I still want my future to be just as bright.