PRODUCTION 2.1 - Prep Task
PREPARATORY TASKS (Xmas Holidays):
1)Access to your sources
Make sure you have someone to interview who has a story you can tell. Talk to them clearly about what it is you are doing and ensure they are happy to tell their story on camera. Set up a date when you both have time to shoot the film - this should ideally be between the 18th and 31at of January and definitely no later! Make sure you also have access to locations you wish to film in. Plan for a whole day as you do not want to be rushed.
2) Finding your story
In order to plan your film, you will need to ensure you have a strong understanding of the story. The story is what keeps viewers watching and what will leave a lasting impression and impact on the audience.
Structuring the story, how you tell the story, is called narrative! You should write down what you feel are the main points of the story and what you think the audience needs to know to understand the story. Then you can think about the best way to tell the story. What often makes narrative work is a device called an 'enigma', this is a part of the story that makes the audience asks questions that they then carry on watching in order to get the answer too. For example, are you going to start with the end and hope the audience sticks around to find out how it happened, or are you going to start at the beginning of giving away a small sneak peek at what might happen? Perhaps the character is intriguing and you will reveal them first o maybe a location or an item or prop will set the scene ?
You should write down your story on you blog and explain how you are going to structure the narrative including your hook or enigma.
Over the holidays you might listen to this podcast on the art of storytelling:
3) Researching documentary film techniques
As part of your preparation, and before you start planning, you should watch a range of documentaries to see how different filmmakers use techniques. Look at both the way interviews are set us as well as how other footage is used.
You should choose at least one documentary film that uses interviews from the website short of the week to write an extended analysis of. Try to respond to the following questions:
How has the interview been shot (framing, lighting, costume, set, editing)?
What other footage and assets have been used to tell the story?
How has the story been told (narrative structure)? What information is revealed and when?
How have sound and music been used to enhance the storytelling?
The film s we have looked at in class include "Dear, Dreamer" and Born to be Mild. You can write up an analysis for these if you like.
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