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CHAPTER 1 PREPRODUCTION

Plenty of people have bright ideas. Plenty of people are geniuses, but will never know it, because they don’t execute. —Fat Joe from the documentary Paper Chasers

Shut up and shoot. —Anthony Q. Artis

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1 2 THE SHUT UP AND SHOOT DOCUMENTARY GUIDE - K 8 0 9 3 5 . i n d d be wellonyourwaytosuccessifyoustudy,practice,and—aboveallelse—persist. (or arocket).Whetherornotyourfi then methodicallydoit,step-by-step,andattheendofdayyouwillhaveafi scientist forthatmatter).Allyou’vegottadois fi Know this:Filmmakingisnotmagicorrocketscience.Allthecraftsandpracticesof time youlookatit,itwill beliketakingamini-fi crew commentary.Afterthat, you’llneverlookatthatfi making-of documentary(doc) andalltheextras,thenwatchitagainwith director/ elements ofthefi research material,scripts,crewinterviews,deleted scenes, andotherpreviouslyunseen , setandcostumesketches,director’searly works, quite prevalent.Moreover,manyoftheseDVDsalso contain behind-the-scenes struggletomakeafi from ideatodistribution.Mini-documentariesthat showthe real crewfunctionsandhowthefi certain sceneswerepulledoff,youcanlearnalot about howa fi director commentaryandotherextrasthatdetailthe purchase DVDversionsofyourfavoritemoviesthatinclude education inalongtime.Wheneverpossible,trytorentor DVD extrasareprobablythebestthingtohappenfi DVD Extras fi what theyrecommend.(AtDownAndDirtyDV.comyoucan found theyallhavesomethingtooffer.Askfellowfi philosophical, andothersarein-depthcasestudies.Ihave technical blueprints,somearemoreacademicand collections ofinspirationalfi books comeinmanyfl invaluable toexpandingmyknowledgeasafi more. Inmypersonalfi You’re alreadyofftoagreatstartwiththisbook,butyouneed Books and honethecraft.Usethemall. you, butinthisnewdigitalageyouhavemanyoptionsoutsideoffi Dirty. Ifyouweren’tinfi and industryareallconstantlychangingyouneedtostayupbeDown

lmmaking process.Apartfromtellingyouspecifi nd acollectionofspecifi lmmaking canbelearned.Prettymuchanyoneafi

2 , especiallyDVfi LEARNING THEFILMMAKINGPROCESS lmmaking process.Trywatchingamovieonce,thenlook atthe avors andstyles.Somearesimply lmmaking journey,bookshave been lm school,onceuponatime,itwould’vereallysuckedtobe c fi c lmmaking anecdotes,someare lm booksIrecommend.) lmmaking, isconstantlyevolving.Thetools,practices, lm actuallycametogether rst effortstakeoffisanotherstory,butyouwill lm arealsobecoming lmmaker. Film lmmaker. study and lm studies course. cs abouthow lmmakers lm lm the samewayagain.Every

learn lmmaker (orevenarocket whatthetaskinvolves, lm schooltolearn DVD Extras Film Books lm 66/26/2007 5:22:41 PM / 2 6 / 2 0 0 7

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7 0 0 2 / 6 2 / 66/26/2007 5:22:43 PM Podcasts Cable TV Workshops lmmaking process, if lmmaking process lmmakers, and comb your lmmakers, lms. See the Resources Project , Inside lmmaking podcasts out there lmmaking podcasts out there y Down and Dirty Anatomy of a (IFC) (MTV), (E!). All of these lms and (Fox), Film School lmmaking-related lmmaking-related podcasts. On the Lot lmmaking. These range lmmaking. s Making the ’ lmmaking instruction is podcasting. If you’re is podcasting. instruction lmmaking MTV (Bravo), E! True Hollywood Story lmmakers discussing the craft and in many (Bravo), (Sundance Channel), s Studio lmmaking workshops, but there are plenty of other workshops out there lmmaking ’ lmmaker expand their skills and knowledge. Down and Dirty DV offers short their skills and knowledge. Down and Dirty DV offers short lmmaker expand (IFC), and 3

lmmaking. IFC and The Sundance Channel have lmmaking. Among my past and present favorites are lmmaking workshops, panels, and classes that will lmmaking

unfolding up close and personal with all the ugly seams showing. Iconoclasts the Actor Scene shows feature fi cases cameras are rolling behind the scenes to show you the fi There are always a handful of cable TV shows about fi programming entirely dedicated to indie fi fi Greenlight guerrilla fi on the net, ask fellow fi with different focuses. Poke around local college course listings. Cable TV also vary from one hour to one year or free to also vary from one hour to one year out there thousands of dollars. There is something video veterans. for everyone from kids to old-school sponsor panels Filmmaking organizations typically commercial and college workshops to help every and workshops, but there are also level of fi In major cities all over the country there are In major cities all over the country fi help you learn the craft of fi workshops to from scriptwriting classes to hands-on Time and price Q&A panels about industry issues. include feature interviews, tutorials, call-in Q&As, news, Web links, interviews, tutorials, call-in Q&As, include feature interviews, fi trailers, shorts, and even feature-length product reviews, for a list of fi section of this book Workshops and played on your computer or your iPod or other portable media computer or your iPod or other and played on your course the pimped-out superfl player. There is of are also many other great audio I highly recommend. And there DV Podcast, which the fi out there that can help you understand and video shows fi outright step-by-step lessons. The not teach you in Podcasts entry to fi The newest because to get down, yet, you really need with podcasting not down In short, podcasts free resources. on some amazing you’re sleeping saved, can be downloaded, video clips that and high-quality are audio d d n i . 5 3 9 0 8 K - 1 0 0 h cch001-K80935.indd 3 cch001-K80935.indd 4 h 0 0

1 4 THE SHUT UP AND SHOOT DOCUMENTARY GUIDE - K 8 0 9 3 5 . i n d d check outtheDownandDirtyDVDVDSeriesatwww.DownAndDirtyDV.com. almost everyaspectofDVfi linear editing,there’sprobablyaDVDproductouttheretoteach process step-by-step.Fromlightingtutorialstocameraworknon- will helpwalkyouthroughthetechnicalaspectsoffi there (seeminglyallwiththesubtitle“fi easiest explainedinpictures.ThereareanumberofDVDsout Books arecool,butultimatelyfi Instructional DVDs your ownfi stressful andpainfulwith manyofthesamefi P learning from thing betterthanlearningfromyourownmistakes is crews. (IcallthisOPMLearning,becausetheonly are infi personal. Ifyouarewillingtoworkforfree,there is agreatplacetolearntheprocessupcloseand Any placewherepeoplearemakingfi Crewing cover price. survey onceortwiceayear.It’sfairtrade-offandbeatsthe involves givingupyoure-mailaddressandfi people intheindustry.AsfarasIcantell,qualifyingusually StudentFilmmakers fi equipment reviews,tutorials,andinterviewswithtoday’s trends andpracticesoftheindustry:in-depthcasestudies, Magazines areagreatwaytostaydownwiththelatest Magazines more fi of onlinetutorialsandinstruction.SeetheResourcesListinbackbookfor free andlow-costfi FilmSchoolOnline.com orCyberCollege.comoffer prices, andonon.Somesuchas fi fi projects, casestudies,articles,tutorials,getyour online. Youcanlookupdoityourself(DIY) There areendlessfi Web Sites

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M lm. More important,youwillhaveinformalteachersand youwillmeet oney O . ther ) Crewingischeaperand less lmmaking instructionintheform lmmaking blogsandWebsites and P eople’s DV lmmaking. Ifguerrillaisyourstyle, , areofferedfreetoqualifi

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66/26/2007 5:22:48 PM working Doing lm crew announcements. just do lm organizations, college bulletin boards, lm organizations, college bulletin rst, at some point you are for free. In the best case scenarios where there is a real budget there is a real budget scenarios where In the best case for free. learning to learn. Production Assistant, Craft Services, and boom operator are all excellent Assistant, Craft Services, and to learn. Production than the last project. When you take this approach a magic thing happens over than the last project. When you take 5 . This is the hands-down most effective way to . This is the hands-down most effective

lmmakers with their efforts have been invaluable to me. Never think of it as me. Never think invaluable to efforts have been with their lmmakers

you’ll never know if you don’t actually start doing it, screwing it up, and getting better you’ll never know if you don’t actually or DVD can teach you nearly as much as actually at it. No professor, course, book, doing it. Straight up. Guerrilla. hitting the streets with a camera and learning process begins the moment you commit to a project and hit the record learning process begins the moment every project I’ve shot, and that is to make it suck button. I’ve had one simple goal on you go from sucky to mediocre to good and maybe, just maybe, if you eat less . . . time prayers, someone will call your work “great.” But your guerrilla vitamins and say your learn. Don’t worry that you don’t know everything learn. Don’t worry that you don’t you’re not as good (you never will). Don’t worry that Don’t wait until as that other kid (you will be later). just a tool). you can afford a better camera (it’s probably will). Don’t worry that it’s gonna suck (it around you and just shut up and do it! The real Stop BS-ing yourself and everyone Doing whether you study all or none of It doesn’t matter fi the previous resources actually make like Nike and going to have to it for crew and you have some experience under your belt, you will actually be getting belt, you will actually be getting have some experience under your for crew and you paid Check your local fi positions for observation. Mandy.com or Craig’s List for fi and Web sites like and feel out people who you can later recruit to work on your own projects. I’ve I’ve own projects. on your to work recruit can later you people who feel out and “for worked on a project but I’ve never times over, no money a hundred worked for fellow while helping contacts I’ve acquired skills, and life. The knowledge, free” in my fi but for free, d d n i . 5 3 9 0 8 K - 1 0 0 h cch001-K80935.indd 5 BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

WHY MAKE A DOCUMENTARY?

ALBERT MAYSLES, DIRECTOR/DP (Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter, Salesman, Lalee’s Kin, etc.)

Very simply put one of the great needs—maybe certainly one of the greatest needs in our world—is for us to know one another, to know what’s really going on in the world around us and to feel a commonality of need and purpose with other people. People of different walks of life, other nations, other ethnic backgrounds, economic statuses, different philosophies, and religions . . . We need to fi nd a common bond with the rest of humanity and the documentary allows us to do that. I think it’s the most effec- tive way of connecting with another person’s life. You fi lm somebody in a particu- lar situation that is the same or different from that of the viewer, and that viewer feels a connection with that person and that person’s experience—an engage- ment with the life around that person, who is the viewer. And it’s what we need. As I think of it, it’s a documentary fi lmmaker’s way of making a better world.

THE SHUT UP AND SHOOT DOCUMENTARY GUIDE If you go into documentary fi lmmaking, you are making a connection with life

6 itself. And you have an opportunity to inform people in such a connective fashion. You know the word “entertainment” is an interesting one. A documentary is an entertainment, but not as a diversion, which is the fi rst defi nition in entertain- ment, but in engaging. You’re engaging that person by making a good documen- tary and that’s a wonderful form of entertainment.

I’ve always had a great deal of confi dence in the value and even in the eventual popularity of documentary as a form of fi lmmaking . . . Also, I’ve felt that eventu- ally just as we say, “the truth will out,” so there will be a very strong trend toward nonfi ction, away from fi ction, because the nonfi ction has already within it a source of truth that is diffi cult for fi ction to match. And so, that’s what’s happen- ing now. There was a movement in the direction of documentary. I just hope that that movement fl ourishes and becomes stronger and stronger as people make good documentaries and we don’t rely on so-called “reality television” and that way of recording reality in a way that’s really kind of documentary, but not really.

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7 0 0 2 / 6 2 / 66/26/2007 5:22:50 PM Proper ✔ preparation performance. Determine prevents a poor rst in order to ✔ the goal of your doc fi in the right direction. focus your preproduction . Just say the lmmaking. preproduction when it’s time to dence time. Proper preparation only rst questions you should ask ghting to expose the exploitation of DOC PREPRODUCTION perhaps rst and 6. Write production plan production 6. Write crew 7. Hire 1. and develop goal(s) Brainstorm ideas story 2. Research subjects interview 3. Choose package equipment 4. Choose budget 5. Make The primary purpose is for you to get a Basic Steps of Documentary Preproduction of Documentary Basic Steps squirrel fi rodents to a prime time news audience. people don’t know the fascinating story behind the people who started it all. people don’t know the fascinating story behind the people who started and preserve the story of the founders for future generations. 7

gear everything else toward that goal. These are some of the fi yourself, because your ultimate goal will affect many of your decisions during preproduction. • I am documenting the underground culture of • clear grasp of what it is you want to do, then • I want to make a documentary about the birth of modern video games, because most • video project about the history of my church to inform new members I am making a questions: What’s the focus? Why are you making this project? What story do you questions: What’s the focus? Why explored? What information do you hope to convey want to tell? What topics will be your topic are most compelling? Are there new to your viewers? What aspects of short, ask yourself what story do you want to tell angles to explore on your topic? In make a statement such as: and why? You should to be able to shoot, particularly if you’re new to fi shoot, particularly if you’re new to and never forget it. tongue-twister to the right three times Documentary Goal a documentary feature, short, news story, reality Regardless of whether you’re making you should always start with the same basic show, or even shooting a wedding, preparation, otherwise known as do and double- Carefully planning out what you will ensure that you get it checking your equipment will help right the fi will also greatly boost your confi Introduction with extensive A good shoot begins long before production d d n i . 5 3 9 0 8 K - 1 0 0 h cch001-K80935.indd 7 cch001-K80935.indd 8 h 0 0

1 8 THE SHUT UP AND SHOOT DOCUMENTARY GUIDE - K 8 0 9 3 5 . i n d d using searchenginessuchasGoogle,Yahoo,orDogpile.Ifyouhaven’talready for documentariesthantheInternet. is nosinglegreater,cheaper,ormoreconvenientsourceof subjects. Ifyoudon’tspendalotoftimeontheWeb,needtostart.Theresimply newspapers tobeginresearchingyourtopic,thentrackdownpotentialinterview Use theInternet,personalcontacts,tradeorganizations,books,magazines,and approaches tobemined? previous worksexhaustthesubjectoraretherestill newangles,stories,and to thematerialinpast.Trygaugewhatwas successful andwhy.Didthese what fi on threediversetopicsdependingwhereyoudecidetolook. examine. Thechartbelowillustratesjustsomeoftheinformationyoucouldeasilyfi brainstorm andclarifyexactlywhataspect(s)ofthebroadertopicyouwantto determined yourgoalorthefocusofdocumentary,thisprocesswillhelpyou

8 News WebSites SKATEBOARDING POLITICS DEATH PENALTY

Personal Web Sites

Blogs and Podcasts

Trade/Professional Organizations

perspective Once youpickatopic,canbeginlookingupinformationonthattopicby Also checka lms andbooksalreadyexistonthetopicwhatapproacheshavebeentaken BRAINSTORMING YOURIDEA major identify potentialthemes, characters, ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Products Recentevents Photos/video Majorskaters Tricksandtips Mostpopularskaters Fanperspective Fanperspective Tricksandtips Popularproducts Upcomingevents Nwdvlpet pltclsac opinion politicalstance Newdevelopments Proskater ✔ publiclibraryandsiteslikeAmazon.comorNetfl Use theInternettohelpyou and storiestopursue. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Recentevents Majorfi gures Photos/video Upcomingevents Publicopinion Activistmovements Upcomingevents Latestrumors Insiderinfo Publicopinion Organizations’ Newinitiatives Upcomingevents starting point ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Statistics Upcomingexecutions Photos/video Pro/conactivists Protests Essays Publicopinions InmatePOVs AdvocatePOVs Lawenforcement Statistics ix.com tosee information nd 66/26/2007 5:22:51 PM / 2 6 / 2 0 0 7

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7 0 0 2 / 6 2 / 66/26/2007 5:22:52 PM you dive in. If you before will begin to emerge. Think will begin to emerge. stories ideas or questions will you examine ideas or questions new nd yourself wasting countless hours and budget nd yourself Research and study your topic beforehand to determine which ✔ aspects are most worth shooting. ne exactly what your documentary should and should not cover. ne exactly what your documentary lmmakers who THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH OF THE IMPORTANCE I know fellow fi Research is simply forming the answer to these questions Research is simply forming the answer By mentally separating the normal from the extraordinary in your observations, the normal from the extraordinary By mentally separating 9

characters . . . no story. All they have is some bits and pieces of interesting footage that don’t add up to Jack. (And you know his last name!) have spent months shooting hours of have spent months shooting hours video of some subject only to discover in the end that the material has no useful or coherent narrative thread. There is no focus, no compelling new info, no real skip this vital step, you may easily fi skip this vital step, you may easily events that will never see the light of day. The dollars pursuing people, themes, and of time, the more focused and successful your better you know your story ahead efforts will be. about how these will play onscreen. Has the general public seen these stories and will play onscreen. Has the general about how these Is there enough compelling what angle were they presented? people before? From an audience’s interest? What material to hold in your doc? approach. Once you’ve done your preliminary “brainstorming” and research you’ll be and research you’ll be done your preliminary “brainstorming” approach. Once you’ve ready to further defi and what’s routine and boring. interesting and worth shooting you will know what’s themes, and, most important, Potential characters, It’s important that you try to keep an open mind during this phase of preproduction. phase of preproduction. mind during this to keep an open that you try It’s important on an before settling you could take potential directions to gather all the You want d d n i . 5 3 9 0 8 K - 1 0 0 h cch001-K80935.indd 9 BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

RESEARCH AND FACT CHECKING

SAFIYA MCCLINTON, PRODUCER (Diamonds: The Price of Ice) and Assoc. Prod. (Brown vs. Board of Ed.)

The main thing with researching documentary is to not approach it like you did your senior English paper. Don’t just stay on the Internet and think that those are sources that are reli- able, because many times they’re not . . . How do you present something and say, “This is offi cial. This is true?” Now you might have one professor at the university of such and such in Iowa and he says this is the case and this is how it went down. You can’t stay with that one man’s approach to it. You can present it, but you defi nitely have to show a balanced picture.

The best way to do research is to just take a camcorder and go to as many people as you have access to and really just interview them. First person primary sources are the best way to make sure that your information is valid and is truly coming from the horse’s mouth.

In addition to that, just make sure if they [offer] statistics you can back up those THE SHUT UP AND SHOOT DOCUMENTARY GUIDE statistics. If someone says, “35% of the people . . . blah, blah, blah,” you can go

10 and dig up that information in journals, in newspapers . . . If they’re saying that 35% of women who have this problem are XYZ, then go fi nd that, because many times people know that their authority and their expertise will make it so they can say anything and you’re not going to research it. So you really just have to follow up with reliable sources.

You just have to look at the standards in particular periodicals or any type of media, any type of additional media . . . you really have to look at their standards for journalistic excellence or fact fi nding. People can be very convincing in their accounts . . . and you’re listening to this story thinking, “Man, this is amazing! This is gold!” And you just have to make sure that the gold that you have is not fool’s gold.

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7 0 0 2 / 6 2 / 66/26/2007 5:22:55 PM lmmaker), characters real (about a fi Choose ✔ your topic. interview subjects knowledgeable about who are compelling and (about a NYC tour guide/poet) are (about a NYC tour American Movie . lm left at all. studies The Cruise

character . The only difference is that docs have . The only difference lm, if you’d even have a fi lmmaking fi

INTERVIEW SUBJECTS INTERVIEW Candid and forthcoming Able to speak coherently about topic Unique perspective Knowledgeable about topic Passionate about topic A recognized expert Clear viewpoint (about a comic strip artist), and (about a comic strip nished piece. You may have plenty of

narrative ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ While your project may not be a character study, the people you ultimately choose While your project may not be a character Don’t get it twisted. You can’t just point your camera at someone interesting and Don’t get it twisted. You can’t just A compelling character can really make a project. In fact, many of the most can really make a project. A compelling character If you can check off three or more of the The Ideal Character/Interview Subject The Ideal Character/Interview 1 1

nd another subject or cut that segment from

your subjects communicate and express themselves verbally, the more articulate and your subjects communicate and express what else makes for a good interview subject? interesting your piece will be. So make a good character study doc. You still need to manage structure, pacing, story make a good character study doc. as you would for any other doc, but the most development, and approach the same be the character(s) at the center of it all. important core element will always crucial to the success of your doc. The better to speak on your topic are still equally all notable documentary character studies. All of these docs are built around the character studies. All of these all notable documentary These docs would be entirely of a compelling central character. unique perspective You can’t separate the two and without these colorful individuals. different creations fi still have the same instead of character actors. instead of character are successful documentaries Crumb limited. Research and choose wisely. character, it only means you’ve wasted your tape, time, and resources and you’ll have to fi your fi videotape, but time and resources are always above, you’ve probably got a decent candidate on your hands. If you crap out and choose a poor is to The people you select to appear onscreen will ultimately make or break your or break your will ultimately make appear onscreen you select to The people casting productions what is to documentary subjects Choosing interview documentary. d d n i . 5 3 9 0 8 K - 1 0 0 h cch001-K80935.indd 11 cch001-K80935.indd 12 h 0 0

1 12 THE SHUT UP AND SHOOT DOCUMENTARY GUIDE - K 8 0 9 3 5 . i n d d speak foritselfwithoutany screen narration orwillyouhireanactor?Orforegoentirelyanduse elements willyouuse?Forexample,thesubjectofyourdocumentaryread to howyouchoosetellthestoryonscreen.Whattone,storytellingtechniques,and with thesamesubjectmatter,is The onethingthatseparatesdocumentariesfromeachother,especiallythosedealing invent newwaystotellyourstory. following ormore.Mixandmatch,research, your approach.Itmayincludeanyofthe never heardbefore.Yourstorytellingstyle focus, andauniquevoicethattheworldhas before, butyouhaveyourownperspective, new yours canbemadecompellinganduniquewitha pregnancy orcorporatepollution(oftenusingmuchofthesamesourcematerial), imagination. EventhoughtherehavebeencountlessdocumentariesonTupacorteen fi questions willformyourdoc’s doc beshot“naturally”withnoartifi include ananimatedsegment?Willyour rest ofyourfootage?Areyougoingto be stylizedtodistinguishthemfromthe ments inyourpiece?Ifso,howwillthey ( ( the documentarylikeMichaelMoore embellishment?

lmmakers approachedtheirsubject. Thepossibilitiesareasendlessyour

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1 2 What’s YourApproach? Think itout.Experiment.Lookatotherdocumentariesandanalyzehowdifferent Will youbeanonscreencharacterin ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ approach

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CONCEPT AND STORYTELLING

SAM POLLARD, PRODUCER/EDITOR (4 Little Girls, Jim Brown All-American, Eyes on the Prize II, When the Levees Broke, etc.)

As a producer, part of my job is to fi gure out what the material is, which is all in my head. So, now I have to translate all these ideas from my head to communicate to a cameraperson and a sound person to shoot that stuff . . . Re- ally, the ideas, the concepts are all in my brain, as a producer, and I have to make them become real when someone goes out to shoot the material . . .

The key thing as a documentary producer is to develop the concept. To fi nd the subject is number one. Then after you fi nd the subject, what’s the concept? PREPRODUCTION What’s the theme that this subject is going to help you tell? The third thing is, how to tell the story. What is the story and how to tell it?

So, for example, I’m leaving on Tuesday to go to Minnesota to shoot on a pig farm, with a lady and her husband. The lady’s a singer and the husband’s a farmer. So, I have to fi gure out what the story is. The story is how they met, their lives on the farm, the pros and cons of her singing career, and being married to 13 this farmer who has this very big farm. So, that’s the story I’m gonna tell. I have to fi gure out what to visualize to help tell that story. Okay, so I’m gonna go out and shoot the pig farmer early in the morning feeding the pigs, sunrise, the waving fi elds, planting corn, planting soybeans. Then parallel, back at the house, the wife is rehearsing, practicing her singing, playing the piano, and warbling to the mirror.

Then, maybe there’s a scene with the husband and the wife together out in the fi elds; then, an interview with both of them in the house; then, single interviews with each individual so I can get their own particular, personal backstories. It’s good to shoot stills, if they have scrapbooks, pictures of them together and them separately . . . , so I’m thinking about the story and how to visualize it.

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