This week I began the pre-production phase for my mini documentary.

Reading & Writing

To begin my research on the production of my mini-doc, I began by reading the chapters about lighting and “getting it done” from Tom Schroeppel’s The Bare Bones Course for Film and Video.

Lighting is something that sets apart an ammeter from a professional when it comes to the visuals in a film or video. In the past I have gone without it, but I recently purchased two LEDs (plus my bouncer) for a basic 4-light setup. This 4-light setup consists of:

• Key light: the main light which is 45 degrees to either side of the subject
• Fill light: on the opposite side of the key; used to fill in shadows (but leave enough to imply depth)
• Backlight: set behind the subject towards the camera to make an outline separating the subject from the background
• Background light: a soft light facing the background to add some depth

More common types of interior lights include focusing quartz lights, which are much like spotlights, broads, which are wider and softer, and softlights, which are broads that have a built-in bounce. All of these lights can (and the first two should) be adjusted to be softer and avoid hot spots by using a diffuser or bouncing it off the ceiling or floor.

If you are filming outside, it is best to shoot when the sun is under 45 degrees from the horizon – otherwise there can be harsh and odd shadows cast from the overhead sun. It is also a good idea to bring a portable light or reflector to fill in the shadows that may be cast so that your subject doesn’t have to stare directly into the sun.

Planning a shoot is vital to making the day go smoothly. It is best to approach a shoot knowing exactly what you want to end up with and the exact shots and locations for each shot. For bigger projects, using a slate can help the organization when filming tremendously.

Research to Inform

The first example of a documentary that tells a story very well and in a fun way is The Last Week of High School in Gary, Indiana (2016). This is a part of a documentary series where the journalist, Thomas Morton, dives into the lives of the people they are sharing the stories of. While I am usually not a huge fan of narration in documentary (I am a diehard believer in show, don’t tell) but in this case his stand-ups and voiceovers give some valuable insight to what he was experiencing. This video was not only able to share the story of him re-living some nostalgia from high school, but gave an honest look at the anxieties and hopes of graduating seniors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6R3mtZhkw0

The Last Taboo (2019) is a little bit of a mixed bag for me. I think that the way that the interviews from the three separate women are intertwined is interesting, but I think it doesn’t quite hit that mark of addressing the issue that they wanted to address as to why they are judged more for their decision than non-custodial fathers would be. While their personal experiences were interesting to hear, it would have been interesting to hear what other people thought of their decision to see if and how they are truly being judged. Even including some archival footage or stats about mothers v fathers with custody would have set that question in the mind of the viewers a bit more accurately.

Filming wise, this short is great. The lighting, clarity, and composition on the sit-down interviews and b-roll was wonderful to look at. At times, however, I feel like they may have over-used b-roll. Sometimes it is best to sit in the emotions of the person you are interviewing. Another small aspect of the editing that threw me off was the use of the 1940’s and 1950’s footage. I think it fit in some places, but at times it made it confusing since two of the three women are millennials. It could have been hinting at the fact that not much has changed, but if that was the case I think they needed to make it a little more clear. Having imagery from modern-day ads or media would convince me more as a viewer that the idea that single mothers should always have custody is actually something that is still present.

Francis Bacon: A Brush with Violence (2017) is a great example of the concept I was mentioning earlier – there was no need for stand-ups or narration since the interviews of the many artists and acquaintances of Bacon paired with some wonderful editing made for a perfectly clear and linear story of Bacon’s life and legacy. Along with the wonderful storytelling done by cutting the interviews together, the use of archival footage of Bacon himself and his paintings were great additions. The audio from the interviews also stood out to me for how deep and dynamic it sounded – they must have had a great mixer.

My final pick is quite different from the other videos I chose, but I think that this and all of the videos like these are excellent at telling the stories of the too many homeless people living in America. There is no editing – just a dude asking a person about their experiences and the person opening up to him about them. I honestly think that this series is great as it is – it goes to show how simply stopping and listening can open your eyes. The only thing that I would modify is the audio. It seems like they may have a shotgun or something on their DSLR, which isn’t optimal for these outdoor interviews with wind and people in the background.

Create: Documentary Pre-Production Plan

As I mentioned from my reading – planning is super important if you want a pain-free shoot! For this particular project I went a little light on the script since the story will mostly depend on where the interview goes. Instead of a script I listed a shot list and interview questions, but both of these lists will be expanded up as I conduct the interview and generate ideas with Juliet.