Working on Documentary

[cgyantra]

Hi guys, me n my friend are just planning for a documentory on pilgrim at XXX place near us.
Just wanted to know what should we think abt, before we r actually getting in. Like,

What can we do now, if we are starting shooting after 6 months? (coz tht pilgrims starts in Jun. )
Which cam we should go for? (No budget:shrug:)
What tech specifications we should think abt?
How we should plan it means, shooting directly or we should prepare storyboard n if yes, how it should be?
Should we think abt music when shooting? ,coz we r not narrating, we will just put slow music with it.

I hope you guys got me n going to ans my queries. Thanks.:thumbsup:

Naren.


naren u must be having a camera or and an eye......
there is no such requirement of infrastructure to make documenties...
arrange a 3ccd camera or borrow on rent for the day to test or try
learn about W.B. and N.Filter thats all for the capture...
rest ur eye will do if you have a aesthetic vision

[RelaxoRy]

I'm making a doco in china next year. I plan on buying the latest HDV camera, along with tripods, fleckys, lights, and a range of lenses. I have a workflow at the moment and also a finance plan in mind.

I am in the researching/script portion of my doco whereby I spend entire days at the state library in sydney reading up on everything to do with the region (Xinjiang). This is because I not only want to shoot the doco I will be writing a script for, but also location and stock footage which will have a resale value if done properly. This makes it feasible when approaching a company for finance, and perhaps more people who can help me.

I started reading how the very very old docos were made, back when 35mm film was it. Everything from paid actors, fly on the wall stuff, to lions in africa with david atomberough (sp?).

The treatment you deceide before some sort of script or storyboard is made, as it will drastically effect your shots. Byu treatment I mean is there a commentator, use of colour, seasonal, interviews, subtitles, interviewer, audio sountracks. I put reference docos and movies for the feel I want to achieve and I work my script around that.

And by script, I mean a loose setting guide, location, optimal weather, etc, possible dialogue or very descriptive shots. Doing a rekki to the location beforehand and taking pictures helps this along. Then its back to research to see if the script is obtainable. This should iron out any problems you might have setting the audience and goal of the doco in concrete.

Whilst a old-fashioned conventional approach, it is thorough. It enforces patience and quality results.

Hi guys, me n my friend are just planning for a documentory on pilgrim at XXX place near us.
Just wanted to know what should we think abt, before we r actually getting in. Like,

What can we do now, if we are starting shooting after 6 months? (coz tht pilgrims starts in Jun. )
Which cam we should go for? (No budget:shrug:)
What tech specifications we should think abt?
How we should plan it means, shooting directly or we should prepare storyboard n if yes, how it should be?
Should we think abt music when shooting? ,coz we r not narrating, we will just put slow music with it.

I hope you guys got me n going to ans my queries. Thanks.:thumbsup:

Naren.

[Vaco]

A thing I consider important is to film as much as you can, especially if you will not be in control of the situation or not be able to have a second take. One camera can still be enough, but when possible you want to film things from different angles, and get plenty of cutaway photage to help you keep the docs pace up when your editing it.

[RelaxoRy]

Yes I agree. Two cameras, or more if possible would be ideal. If it is you and a friend, each with a camera is probably the ideal situation.

A thing I consider important is to film as much as you can, especially if you will not be in control of the situation or not be able to have a second take. One camera can still be enough, but when possible you want to film things from different angles, and get plenty of cutaway photage to help you keep the docs pace up when your editing it.

[naren]

Thanks a lot cgyantra, RelaxoRy, vaco.

cgyantra: Hey I got 3dd cam SONY PD170. I am goin to try it. You r talkin about white balance right? I didnt get N filter. Pls can u explain it? (If you dont mind). Thanks a lot.


RelaxoRy: Hey, first, good luck for your doco. I am waiting for it.You are in researching/script portion of your Doco. Can you give me some idea about scripting if i am goin to make poetic
Doco. which will allow the audience to see the world with new eyes, sometimes by rearranging or enhancing what we can normally see, sometimes magnifying our view or editing images in extraordinary rhythms. If i am goin to shoot one pilgrim center n very attractive moments, enthu., rituals so many interesting things during pilgrim. So, I want to know what should mention in script or which way i should think. Because i am goin to shoot things, are going to happen in that period and I also dont know what kind of and how many shots or moments i am goin to shoot. I cannt think about seq before shoot.

What u think. Thanks anyway.

Vaco: I am tryin to get another cam also. U suggested very valid point. Thanks.

[RelaxoRy]

Hi there Naren!

As this is my first documentary script, I am discovering it as I am going myself. What I have discovered though is to get everything down in a rough, then start revising everything. Get everything down first, then think of delivery and vocabulary, along with accompanying vision to make the read more poetic.

One documentary you might be interested in is called "Pawaqqatsi" (Northsouth in the US)
[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095895/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxxPXBhd2FxcWF0c2l8bXg9MjB8bG09NTAwfGh0bWw9MQ__;fc=1;ft=2;fm=1]
It has some stunning footage of people, pilgrims, workers mainly. From wideangle to close-up zooms, following parts of the body (feet, heads, back), then deep pans following subject, then trailing off slightly to find another subject. It deals with mass crowds in camera space, and then symmetrical shots of a single subject. The soundtrack matches the rhythms of the worker.

It shows the attention to detail some shots need, including slowing it down until you can notice some of the frames. I think with a modern touch (which Godfrey Reggio was trying to avoid) you may be in the realms of what you are looking for.

Another is "Baraka" by Director Ron Fricke. The scenes are very cultural based. People in their own setting during a ritual or celebration in their own cultural style. It is also correographed to music which basically ends up as a powerfull backdrop to the rather extraudinary pictures. It follows similar ideas into tesselated imagery. Whether to get whole crowds in or focus on the evenness of the shadows instead, giving sense of order and scale. It's pretty cool, but mostly just beautful pictures.

Which both of the above movies rely heavily upon as there is no commentary. I suggest where the picture can say what you have written in your script, it should be left alone. If it is left in, it could be more television Discovery Channel type of documentary, where the audience can flick between channels unless something is going on.

Food for thought I guess :) But first things first, work on your treatment, this will effect your script heavily!

Thanks a lot cgyantra, RelaxoRy, vaco.
RelaxoRy: Hey, first, good luck for your doco. I am waiting for it.You are in researching/script portion of your Doco. Can you give me some idea about scripting if i am goin to make poetic
Doco. which will allow the audience to see the world with new eyes, sometimes by rearranging or enhancing what we can normally see, sometimes magnifying our view or editing images in extraordinary rhythms. If i am goin to shoot one pilgrim center n very attractive moments, enthu., rituals so many interesting things during pilgrim. So, I want to know what should mention in script or which way i should think. Because i am goin to shoot things, are going to happen in that period and I also dont know what kind of and how many shots or moments i am goin to shoot. I cannt think about seq before shoot.

What u think. Thanks anyway.

Vaco: I am tryin to get another cam also. U suggested very valid point. Thanks.

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