Need to learn how to make better Digital images? Our DV Camera & Lighting Bootcamp is this Saturday June 25, 10am-7pm $95 Click on the link at the bottom of the newsletter for more info and registration.

This Wednesday Night we begin our Dynamic Documentary Story structure workshop, June 22 & 29 7-10pm. The Seminar is led by Taggart Siegel is an award winning National PBS Director, his film "The Real Dirt on Farmer John", just won best Bay Area Doc at the SF Intl. Film Festival. The film also won the Audience Award at Slamdance, and will be broadcast on PBS. Visit the link at the Bottom of the page for more info on the Real Dirt. I will be be helping to facilitate the seminar, and hope to see you there.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact DVworkshops at (415) 810-5934.

On the right is a photo of me at Hewitt Associates in Chicago. I am directing employees and contractors in the re-creation of an incident that could occur at any Data center.

Use real people, employees of the company if possible. I find most professional corporate video acting to be stiff and unbelievable....I know there are good actors out there...but they cost a lot of money...in house actors are free, and they also add credibilty and facilitate the "Buy-in" from fellow employees who will watch the DVD.

A good way to move away from narration is to create a dramatization of an incident or workplace issue. Use real people to play their actual jobs in the film.

I recently was contracted by Lubrizol in Texas to make a DVD that provides an overview of the requirments of a refinery worker. To make this effecive, I teamed up with their in-house training department ( Mike King and Mike Scones ) and ran around the Refinery ( Thats me with the Hard Hat in the photo) interviewing workers.

We first identified the THEMES we wanted to cover. We came up with the following: The nature of refinery production work, Shift work ( Nights & Days), Rewards of the Job, and tolerence in the workplace. Then went out and asked "open ended questions" developed around these themes. For example, " Can you contrast working Shift work vs. a 9-5 job?".

Never ask a question that can be answered with a "yes", or "no".....<b>ask contrast and compare questions and questions that will elicit a longer response. Then Build your questions from the person's answers, repeat the last three words they said. For example, the worker answers the question by saying, " Shift work is hard and not made for everyone"....then I would ask a follow-up question..." Not made for everyone?".

You can use interviews in dramatizations..to help cut down on the need for narration...you can conduct "Fake" interviews with executives about the dramatization or interview the people in the scene. Just like reality TV, have them describe the scene they just acted in, but pretend it was real. You can coach them and tell them how to answer. Keep it simple....these are just quick 10- 20 second interview "Bites" used to help set up the story and comment on the correct behaviors.

One of the most popular pages in our FREE on- line DV handbook is the article on Interview techniques, Camera, Audio and even a release form for your subjects to sign. Click on the link below

In summary

• Sit down and have a creatve meeting with the client
• Get the Budget estimate down early
• Get 50% of the budget as a deposit
• Use Real People from the organization
• Create Dramatizations
• Insert "Interative" elements to invlove the viewer
• Don't make your actors memorize too many lines
• Keep dialogue quick and real & Buy Lunch for everyone
• Always Summarize, write it on the screen
• Use Interviews

This workshop combines the technical with the critical. Screening documentaries, and creating one at the same time...students both learning and participating. Hands-on camera & lighting, in the field exercises, exciting San Francisco neighborhood to shoot in. The last part of the week includes Final Cut Pro HD editing in the mornings, and shooting in the afternoons. Friday and Saturday are heavy duty editing days. Every Student is provided with their own computer. Space is limited and the workshop is filling up. Click on the link below for more info.

Interested in a few quick Interview techniques? Need some ideas on what microphones to buy? Shooting a lot of computer screens? Need some ideas on story structure? Visit our on-line DV handbook, free articles and past DVworkshops.com newsletters.