The Documentary Making - Essay Example

Title: documentary making Name Course Tutor Date INTRODUCTION A wonderful documentary mixes various aspects such as vision and access, materials and technique. Unlike film of narration, a documentary requires you to research resources and convince people to share their experiences with you. It takes time in this process and a very serious amount of planning a pre-production that is unique and unlike any other type of film process. The success of a documentary is based on some of the following aspects: According to Karen Everett of documentary editing, a successful documentary is based on the production stages that is; Who to invite The person to invite is:  1) experts on the topic who serve as your advisors; 2) seasoned documentary professionals, and 3) people representative of your film’s target audience. According to her experts on your subject matter, including any advisors, should watch your documentary mid-post production with an eye out for accuracy and balance. incase you need to do some key fact checking, or check if your essay-style doc depends on an argument that one of your advisors deems invalid, you’ll want to handle these problems now–before heading into the fine cut. The professionals including filmmakers, editors and story editors need to watch at their own screening time to argue constructively on the subject. Lastly, the audience intended group now can watch to give their ideas and opinions on the subject at hand. Then there is where to hold the screening. This determines the esteem for the film and encourages the invitees to take this event very serious. Your job as the documentary maker will be to listen. You will also need helper who takes notes and helps with the refreshments. This in turn will give you enough time to take in the comments. Others include a sign in table, which gears the guests towards the seriousness of the event, refreshments, to encourage conviviality and boost blood sugar for the requisite concentration.  Transcripts A complete and accurate, word-for-word transcript of your rough cut is expected at screenings for advisors and filmmaking professional. Questionnaires This anonymous questionnaire will generate to you people’s true feelings and they will not have to be worried hurting your feelings. Ask how was the film? What is working well in the film? How was the music? How was wording of the film? And so on. This is the whole essence of a good documentary in progress. According to Edward J Delaney the Rule is simple: If a documentary is to do well, you need to have three famous people appear in it. These people need not have any incredibly tight fit to the film, nor say anything especially interesting. They just need to be in it. He argues that Famous people, in short, legitimize a film just through their presence. Shorthand is: The more well-known the people in your film, the more outstanding the film, regardless of topic, approach or value. It’s likely as well to get more funding, as headliners always set investors at greater ease. His opinion is basically to have as a person known to a society as a celebrity. A person people will take serious and respect him or her for just who they are. There are three major types of documentaries that are successful; Film about a famous person Probably the most legitimate. Famous people can be captivating, and often they’re famous for a genuine reason. Films that focus in on such people often attract audience. So, for example, Alex Gibney’s documentary about Hunter S. Thompson is going to get more of a built-in audience than say, Jeff Feuerzeig’s, The Devil and Daniel Johnston.   And, of course, the difference between the two is that the former was about a deceased person, the latter about on living.The basic is this; bigger the celebrity, the more they’re likely to see it as a ‘the film we all like to see’. Errol Morris’s “Fog of War” is about nothing but Robert McNamara. Celebrity as narrator or guide Getting a celebrity to narrate is an old technique. Morgan Freeman in ‘March of the Penguins’ is an example. But more and more, the celebrated people want to be in front of the camera, and sometimes directing it. This gives the documentary an audience that is already willing to listen. Take a celebrity party girl, let her meet poor child laborers and girl prostitutes and starving families, and watch her be ‘moved’. (Edward, 2010) Most people got in documentary cinematography to avoid actors. Dejectedly, as with all such activities in a celebrity-obsessed culture, more people will probably end up watching this film that, say, the Academy-Award-winning ‘Born into Brothels.’ Like Anjelina Jolie’s new persona as Mother-Teresa-in-training, this film seems to be nothing more than a remaking of the out-of-control Lohan. Another movie is good hair by Chris Rock. Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth is made into an Oscar-winning documentary, due to his fame as well as the subject at hand. Famous person as commentator This is where you get to the real meaning of the Rule. That is, having a great person sitting in a chair, talking on the subject. Most documentarians reflect about ‘The Big Get;’ that is, the top interview that affords the film some greater level of importance to the film. In Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man, about the lesser-known Canadian singer, there’s what appear to be a backstage interview with the band U2 (they’re standing in a hallway, shot handheld) in which Bono heaps praise on Cohen’s place in the pantheon. That does wonders for the film. Television Documentaries The Great Pyramid is mesmerizing, but Egypt has a lot of other ancient wonders, not least the Valley of the Kings and the Karnak Temple complex. These explorative documentaries have a unique story which keeps the viewer to the screen. Botton is a remarkable social testing where mentally challenged individuals live and work together alongside volunteer care takers. They have been doing this for fifty years and seem to be perfectly happy with this unusual lifestyle. With example of Christopher Columbus who was a remarkable explorer and a sea-faring legend. There are many versions of his life story and many claims as to his heritage, but what is the truth. Is he Italian as claimed or Spanish as the counter claims would have us believe? This makes a subject for a very engaging documentary. Khubilai Khan, grandson of the great Genghis Khan who ruled one of the largest empires in history. He had a large empire but because he wanted more, Kublai Khan, went on an exploration journey. Japan became his next target possession and he was raring to go for conquest. He built and launched the biggest battle fleet the world has ever seen, but it disappeared without trace or explanation. This also is a very good subject for engaging documentary. Scientists on a routine investigation on the Indonesian island of Flores, unearth the remains of a tiny body which has started a huge debate in the scientific community. Is this a new species of human, previously unknown to man, do the evolution textbooks need to be rewritten, or has the evidence been misinterpreted. The discovery of a human hobbit has biologists, anthropologists and archaeologists at loggerheads as they argue the meaning of the new evidence that has been discovered. Example of engaging documentaries This film, by the director of March of the Penguins, is all about the daily life of insects. But rather than the typical nature documentary with some British guy telling us all about the lives and loves and deepest goals of each of the animals, this one has only one paragraph of narration, which states “But to observe this world, we must fall silent now and listen to its murmurs.” And then there’s no more narration, just really cool footage of insects doing stuff. For boring documentaries, an hour seems like double. Some of the contributing factors will be; The subject seems very obvious such that it is very possible to understand the story from the very beginning. The music sometimes does not seem very interesting. Sometimes the whole story becomes so complicated. In narration documentaries, time may be concentrated on the talking time. Talking and talking about the subject at hand. In the absence of the genuinely interesting people such as Gordon Ramsey and Nigella Lawson turning up as talking heads a good 15 minutes was spent chatting to agents and publicists. Not only are these people the spawn of Satan but they are also incredibly dull, especially Borra Garson. It got so bad that there must have calls across living rooms in the country. There are also three main styles of documentary making. The most common is the omniscient documentary. In this an unseen, yet all-knowing narrator (often with a low voice and a British accent) tells us the way things are and thus we are inclined to believe him (or rarely her). There are interviews with scholars or others in authority. Later was what we may call a movement known as direct cinema or observational documentary. This style has no narrator and no interviews. It’s just someone holding a camera filming things that happen as they happen. A good example would be a live concert video. These filmmakers believed that it was most truthful to be as right as possible and just catch things on tape as they happen. Then followers of the Cinema Verite movement thought the direct cinema stuff was a bunch of crap. Cinema Verite tends to be confrontational or at least interactive. The filmmaker is often part of the film. She’s on camera talking to people. Every successful shoot starts with a good plan If you want to expand your creative horizons and add new and exciting production elements to your videos, start by developing a plan for your production. Selecting the appropriate format, style and production elements will set you up for success. Tell an engaging story. The beginning is the story. If your goal is either to entertain or persuade, you will need to tell a story or reveal the whole case that you are covering. This is the beginning of making your documentary. Telling a the story very well is the reason why a film like Super Size Me did spectacularly at the box office while Earthlings , in spite of its important, earnest message, struggled to find an wide, general, audience. Their differences go down not to right or wrong, facts you can see, or even the message portrayed but storytelling. Think of it like this; if the documentary doesn’t have to entertain, you’ve made a big mistake. The message is very important, but without story, nobody will want to see it. Remembering that films are meant in the end of the day to inspire and persuade if you tell a good story. Gather Information Before you begin to think creatively, do a quick overview of the project. Determine what it is that you hope to accomplish. Identify the intended viewer. Explain how you want your video to affect that viewer. Do you want to motivate, inform or just cause him to relive a warm memory? Try to boil the project down to a single statement that encompasses everything you are trying to accomplish. Actually write down a statement that defines what is unique about the project and what elements must be present in order to produce a successful project. Next, take a look at all the potential production elements and then allow your time-line, budget, available resources and the appropriateness for the project to dictate what goes into your outline. Once you've defined your project, summarize it in a paragraph. Keep that paragraph in front of you as a constant reminder of what is important in the project. Do your research. Research is significant for good documentary. Identify your issue backwards and forwards, and try to know the best of your ability contrasting positions if you’re doing an issue oriented film. Particularly when you’re doing interviews, people will speak about better if you converse with them from a position of understanding, they get it they have to explain things to the audience, but they should not be annoyed with having to explain the most basic things to you. The more of the territory you know, the better you can discover the special gems of knowledge along the way. Choose a Format Part of the planning will involve getting a format (or combination of formats) to be used for your project. There are many formats that are commonly used for television and video productions. Interview. A formal interview might take place on a set with the host seated behind a desk, like Leno or Letterman, with the person being interviewed seated opposite the host in a chair. An informal interview could be someone in a reporter role interviewing a coach on the sidelines of a football game, or a starlet on the red carpet before the Oscars. Additionally, the interviewer may be seen or unseen. Documentary. A formal documentary might use a voiceover to describe the events that lead to the Battle of the Alamo, featuring drawings from the period and using black and white footage from old films that depicted the battle. An informal documentary could be comprised of interviewing the cast and crew of an upcoming musical as they prepare to open a new performing arts facility. Rather than having a formal narration to describe the events leading to the opening, ask questions of the actual participants that will lead to a body of material from which you may cut your entire documentary. In the real people own words. Give good pitch. When you are fundraising, or seeking assistance, or promoting your film, be prepared to hook listeners with a short description of your film. Save the long proposal for funders that ask for it. If you can’t explain enough of what your film is about in thirty to sixty seconds to engage the listener’s interest, you’re never going to get an audience to take an hour or more of their lives to watch your film. Think ahead, know what you are going to say, rather than speak extemporaneously about your project. Develop negotiation skills. Good negotiation requires six workings (five of which I’ve borrowed from Guy Kawasaki): (1) get ready for the negotiation by knowing the facts of the situation; (2) always be forthright and honest in your dealings; (3) build what you really want; (4) Figure out what you don’t care about; (5) Figure out what the other person or organization really wants; and (6) generate a win-win outcome to ensure that everyone is glad. This is the simple path to fine negotiation. It’s easy, but it requires doing your homework. These days, the similar occurrence is considered beneficial and filmmakers have learnt that sound can be manipulated well to improve a film. The fact is, sound is from time to time far more of use as a medium in film than the visual image. Christian Metz acknowledged five channels of information in film: (a) the visual image (b) print and other graphics (c) speech (d) music; and (e) noise. Fascinatingly, three of the five channels are auditory rather than visual, giving testament to the meaning of sound in any film. On the other hand, even though it’s given its due by filmmakers, fiction and documentary alike, sound is often not considered enough at the scriptwriting stage. A soundtrack can strengthen script moments and sequences and realize both space and time. In documentary, sound can be a clear counterpart to the visual, adding up to the drama and realism of the overall film. It is on this basis that the scriptwriter must add in sound into the script. Sit interviews are conducted in the world of the subject. Interview the people in their homes, their place of work or wherever they live their lives. Interview location should say something about the character. Avoid shooting an interview with the subject sitting against the wall. In a sit down interview, you don’t want to be behind the camera. Get someone to shoot for you in such a case or lock the camera off a tripod. Try mixing up interview positions. For the introduction, try a medium shot when the interview is about introductory subject. Beats Beats are a valuable technique often used by scriptwriters in creating pace for the film. Beat is the least element of structural technique. It is a substitute of conduct in action/reaction. Beat by beat these varying behaviors shape a sequence. References James Monaco2000 “How to read a film: Movies, Media, Multimedia” 3rd Edition Oxford University Press USA. Sheila Curran Bernard. 2004. “Documentary Storytelling for Video and Filmmakers” Focal Press Publications USA Syd Field. (1994) “Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting” 3rd Edition Dell Publishing. USA Read More

Famous people can be captivating, and often they’re famous for a genuine reason. Films that focus in on such people often attract audience. So, for example, Alex Gibney’s documentary about Hunter S. Thompson is going to get more of a built-in audience than say, Jeff Feuerzeig’s, The Devil and Daniel Johnston.   And, of course, the difference between the two is that the former was about a deceased person, the latter about on living.The basic is this; bigger the celebrity, the more they’re likely to see it as a ‘the film we all like to see’.

Errol Morris’s “Fog of War” is about nothing but Robert McNamara. Celebrity as narrator or guide Getting a celebrity to narrate is an old technique. Morgan Freeman in ‘March of the Penguins’ is an example. But more and more, the celebrated people want to be in front of the camera, and sometimes directing it. This gives the documentary an audience that is already willing to listen. Take a celebrity party girl, let her meet poor child laborers and girl prostitutes and starving families, and watch her be ‘moved’.

(Edward, 2010) Most people got in documentary cinematography to avoid actors. Dejectedly, as with all such activities in a celebrity-obsessed culture, more people will probably end up watching this film that, say, the Academy-Award-winning ‘Born into Brothels.’ Like Anjelina Jolie’s new persona as Mother-Teresa-in-training, this film seems to be nothing more than a remaking of the out-of-control Lohan. Another movie is good hair by Chris Rock. Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth is made into an Oscar-winning documentary, due to his fame as well as the subject at hand.

Famous person as commentator This is where you get to the real meaning of the Rule. That is, having a great person sitting in a chair, talking on the subject. Most documentarians reflect about ‘The Big Get;’ that is, the top interview that affords the film some greater level of importance to the film. In Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man, about the lesser-known Canadian singer, there’s what appear to be a backstage interview with the band U2 (they’re standing in a hallway, shot handheld) in which Bono heaps praise on Cohen’s place in the pantheon.

That does wonders for the film. Television Documentaries The Great Pyramid is mesmerizing, but Egypt has a lot of other ancient wonders, not least the Valley of the Kings and the Karnak Temple complex. These explorative documentaries have a unique story which keeps the viewer to the screen. Botton is a remarkable social testing where mentally challenged individuals live and work together alongside volunteer care takers. They have been doing this for fifty years and seem to be perfectly happy with this unusual lifestyle.

With example of Christopher Columbus who was a remarkable explorer and a sea-faring legend. There are many versions of his life story and many claims as to his heritage, but what is the truth. Is he Italian as claimed or Spanish as the counter claims would have us believe? This makes a subject for a very engaging documentary. Khubilai Khan, grandson of the great Genghis Khan who ruled one of the largest empires in history. He had a large empire but because he wanted more, Kublai Khan, went on an exploration journey.

Japan became his next target possession and he was raring to go for conquest. He built and launched the biggest battle fleet the world has ever seen, but it disappeared without trace or explanation. This also is a very good subject for engaging documentary. Scientists on a routine investigation on the Indonesian island of Flores, unearth the remains of a tiny body which has started a huge debate in the scientific community. Is this a new species of human, previously unknown to man, do the evolution textbooks need to be rewritten, or has the evidence been misinterpreted.

The discovery of a human hobbit has biologists, anthropologists and archaeologists at loggerheads as they argue the meaning of the new evidence that has been discovered.

Read More