Documentaries

Documentary [dok-yuh-men-tuh-ree] : based on or re-creating an actual event, era, life story, etc., that purports to be factually accurate and contains no fictional elements.

Although this class is focused on narratives, I felt like documentaries essentially do the same thing. They tell a story to the audience. They introduce a world, a conflict, and how it can be resolved or has been resolved. Narratives do the same, with an opening scene that is completely opposite from the ending scene, and a climax in the middle. The reason why I'm writing this is because recently, I researched more into documentaries and how to make a good one for my trip to Myanmar this winter. I feel like the same elements that make a documentary can also be applied to making a narrative film.

How to make an effective documentary

1. What is the message you want to convey?

I think this is an important question to ask yourself. Before you even think about what equipment you need, you need to find out what the focus of the documentary is going to be, and why you're filming this in the first place. What are the issues you want to address and offer solutions to? Is it going to be worthy of your audience's time? And make sure the topic you choose is also something that you're interested in, as well as enlightening and enganging the audience. Generally, documentaries are about controversial issues, and as well as educational. If you're going to provoke, fully explain.

2. No one likes to be lectured

Although it's the documentaries job to inform, you don't want to bore the audience and make them feel like they're in a classroom. This can also be applied to films as well: Don't tell, show. People don't go to see films to have a person tell them what the film is about. We go to see movies to see the emotions and the drama and the action. With documentaries, you don't want to lecture your audience and over inform them on the subject. Instead, you want to inspire them to learn more about your documentary and be involved as well. 

3. Outline, outline, outline

It honestly can't be emphasized enough. Outlining what you want to include in your documentary or film can help you organize your shots and time schedule as well. You don't wanna be out in the middle of the day ready to shoot, and not know what you need to film. Along with that, it's better to overshoot than to undershoot. You want to have more shots to work and edit with, especially if you're travelling to a location and you'll only be able to shoot certain days. Re-shooting sucks, and no one wants to go through all that effort, only to not have enough shots. 

4. Music 

Music can completely change the mood of a scene, even manipulate how the audience can react towards a clip because of the sound. It's one thing to enhance the scene with audio, and another to alter it's intent. When editing, it's important to ask if the shot can speak for itself. If it can't and you need music to alter it in anyway, chances are you're going to ruin it and make the audience feel disconnected and even feel different than what they were supposed to feel. 

Movie Making On A Budget

Our first projects have been screened and submitted. Now without a blink of an eye our final films start frolicking into our field of vision. While we all viciously scramble for an idea or a crew, allow me to address the real question, is this all even possible? Perhaps I shall rephrase the concern.

Is this all even possible, on a budget?

I've asked a few of our fellow peers how they're affording their projects and... the response?
"My parents gave me five hundred dollars and the assistant directors parents gave us five hundred dollars."

I don't know about you folks, but my folks, aren't wealthy folks. I had to fight every fiber of my being not to throw my hands in the air and say, "WELL OK, THERE GOES THAT." How can I compete with that? How on Earth can no dollars make a better film than, I don't know, 1,000 of them!?
Certainly there are ways to gather green rectangles rather than calling mom and dad.

Well, well, well for those of you who's fiscal status is mutually not as trust fund-friendly let's embark on a quest entitled: "Film Making With Minimal Financing"
(Brought to you by the various movie making books I've collected and consumed throughout the years and a grand Google search.)

             DO: 

• Host A House Party
• Apply For Grants
• Have A Yard Sale
• Ask Wealthy Friends With Puppy Dog Eyes If They Truly Believe In Cinema

                                               

DON'T:

• Shoot By Yourself/Dysfunctional Crew
• Compare Your Film To Other Films In Preproduction
• I break this rule all of the time though I've read it EVERYWHERE online AND just as much in the books. It's the toughest one, I admit, but it makes perfect sense if you stop and think about it. Dig deeper and attempt to explain your specific vision. (Stay strong)
• Attempt To Do It For Free/Neglect To Fundraise

My own personal plan?

• Neglect to purchase groceries as often as possible - donate funds to feed friends who sacrificed their weekend to slave away behind viewfinders and omni-peppers
• Ask strangers if they have any change for stamps so you can mail a very important letter (this letter is a lie), repeat on multiple subjects over a course of many days - cash in coins for props
• Bike More - donate saved funds to gas money for crew (This is what I get for choosing to shoot in Philadelphia, PA)

All I can say is, I came here to make movies and I'm going to do whatever it takes to do just that. I didn't let $50,000 (or whatever repulsive amount we spend to go here) stop me from furthering my education in filmmaking, I'm not going to let a fraction of that stop me from actually filmmaking itself. So saddle up crew...

we're making a movie. 

I also stumbled upon a couple of other helpful resources of sorts that might assist others on their own "babies first movie." I shall link those below for your eyeball browsing pleasure:

Feeding Your Crew - TIPS

PreProduction Templates

Film Production "Checklist"

THE 4 RULES OF STUDENT FILMMAKING

As our projects come to end, I thought it would be a good time to reflect upon my experience as a student filmmaker. These rules are essential for anyone starting their career as a filmmaker, but I hope they can also be helpful for those who have already established themselves in the industry. These rules, if followed perfectly, can result in a very high quality film. 

1. Know your job

        It's one of the basics but it's also one of the most important. There are many different positions on a film set and it's essential that everyone knows what their responsibility is. Filmmaking is not the combination of one or two elements but the cumulation of several people's knowledge and skill. Dialogue, performance, lighting, audio, continuity– these are just a few of the many components controlled by one or more people on a film set. If even one of these components is lacking, it can ruin a film. The given number of people on a set can range anywhere from 4 to 400, but it's essential that everyone knows how to do their job perfectly as well as where they lie in the hierarchy of decision making.

2. Prepare for everything to go wrong

        It's a natural law of filmmaking– what can go wrong will go wrong. Seriously. Some of my first times shooting in the field were a complete disaster. Camera batteries were MIA, the talent wouldn't show up, SD card's couldn't format correctly, we had no AA batteries for the Zoom mic... the number of things that can go wrong on a film set are infinite, a fact that is reinforced every time I go on to a film set. There's no way to completely cover yourself, but there are ways to prepare yourself for the future when things go array.

Double check everything. Make sure you have the most important things you need to bring to the set and then bring everything else you might not need. These things can vary depending on what your job is, but even having the most basic household items like tape, markers, and jar openers can save a film. 

Bring extras. If you're in the audio department for example, you should have extra batteries, XLR cords, headphones, and extension cords. If something goes wrong in your department it's on you and it's up to you to cover yourself. This rule can only be learned though experience so grab every opportunity you have to work on a film. 

3. Focus on the story

       Making a film look and sound awesome will not make an awesome film. When you're looking to direct a quality film you are not making it for yourself or your close filmmaking friends, but an expansive audience. An audience that doesn't care how hard it was to work with the actors or light a tiny bookstore. The audience only requires that what they're watching will compel them with a certain emotion and that they can walk away amazed by what they saw. Before creating a film, plan all of the technical things as perfectly as you can, and then step away from it all and make sure the story you are telling makes sense. Not only makes sense, but draws your audience in and keeps them there until the credits finish rolling. 

4. Have Fun

      Come on guys... we have one of the coolest jobs. We're storytellers. To create a powerful film can be thrilling, empowering, and hopefully rewarding. Things can get very stressful on set though, and it's important to remember why you're there. When you know that all your bases are covered and you're skillfully prepared, making films can be an extremely fun and engaging job. It's not an easy process by any means, but if you have good people to work with you're guaranteed to have a fun time doing it. 

A quality film is like a gourmet sandwich... Crafted by several high-quality ingredients.