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ATTENTION readers in LOS ANGELES.
We are thinking of Teaching a
2-Day DVcamera & Lighting Bootcampin
Los Angeles March 3 & 4. Is
there an Interest? Please email
us by REPLYING to this email if you
would like to attend this
workshop ..cost $295
Ranen will be screening his
Newest Documentaries on Wednesday
March 7 in Venice , California.
Please feel free to come by,
admission is free, and it received
"Pick-of-the-week" from Los Angles
Magazine.
Here is link with address and info.
Here is updated information on
the Five Elements of documentary
production. These are helpful guides
in trying to capture documentary
footage.....Link
to our website at DVworkshops in San
Francisco, California
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1) Interviews |
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Frame the person using
negative space, have them
fill roughly 1/3 of the
screen, on the left or
right side. Make sure
their "Gaze" is into the
Negative space.
Leave room behind the
subject, never interview
someone right in front of a
wall. Leave 4-15 feet
between the subject and the
wall, you will notice
the person's shadow
disappear from the wall.
Watch out for reflections in
people's glasses ,turn them
away from facing the window
to solve the problem.
The Background
influences the way the
person is perceived.
When I walk in to shoot an
interview, the first thing I
do is look for a background
that will reveal something
about my subject.
Build your questions from
people's answers.
repeat their last few words,
ask "open ended
questions" ( ones that can
not be answered with a "Yes"
or "No". For example,
"Can you describe?", or
"tell me about this...".
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2) Cutaways |
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Cutaways: These are
"Stand-alone" shots, similar
to still photography.
Shoot tons of
Cutaways, and you life will
be easier in the editing
room.. Cutaways
can be store signs, close
ups of ashtrays, a clock on
the wall, people's faces, a
candle, a shot of a highway.
I always get shots of the
exteriors of every place
I film, and some
neighborhood shots. I try
and treat my cutaways like
still photographs. This
is the time you can squeeze
some visual poetry out of
documentary. Always keep
your eyes open for little
"shots" that evoke something
about the truth of the
situation you are
filming. Hold your shots
still..don't move the
camera....you will make it
"move" in the editing
process by cutting many of
these together.
Record 8-12 seconds for each
shot.
There are three basic
types of Cutaways that I
suggest you always search
for.
- Story Telling
Shots- Images of
"Welcome to " signs,
exterior shots of houses
where interviews were
filmed, Images of your
character entering and
leaving a building, Wide
shots of Cities or towns
from ontop of a hill or
large building. These
will allow you to tell
your story with out
always having to use a
narrator ..That's
why I call them story
telling Cutaways.
- Emotional
Cutaways- Since film
has the unique ability
to make people feel...the
way to construct
emotional sequences is
to first film shots that
have emotional content
built into them. For
example a solitary
man sitting on a park
bench...two people
walking hand in hand...A
close up of a hand while
they are praying...shot
of a candle ....incense
burning...people
hugging...
- General Coverage-
These are very
important..if you are
filming a race car
contest...you had better
get shots of people
watching the
race...cheering...the
hot dog stand...people
lined up to get
in...Ushers tearing
ticket stubs at the
entrance
(close-ups)...people
cooking out in the
middle of the
raceway...a close op of
flags, loudspeakers and
race track signage. You
will need all of
these....get lot's of
general coverage shots
or you will be sorry.
- GET CLOSE UPS-
The theory of film
editing includes the
definition of what makes
a good edit (Visual not
content). Theory is
that you can not edit
together two wide shots
filmed from the same
angle, same for
medium shots...you
need to insert a couple
of Close ups between
these shots in order
not to make the edit
appear as a "Jump
Cut"...of course people
break this rule ( French
filmmaker Goodard), but
I highly recommend
covering yourself by
filming lots of Close
ups.
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3) "Chill Footage" |
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Chill Footage: (otherwise
known as Cinema verite or
Live Action) This is the
only video school that
teaches the theory of "Chill
Footage". It is the
hardest thing to do..just
sit back and "Chill" and
film what ever is going on
with your subjects. DO NOT
TALK or interact with them...do
not be impatient...the
moment will come when your
characteer reveals him or
herself on film, and you
will rolling when it occurs.
If you are psychic, you
can predict when this moment
is going to happen, and save
money on tape...Don't
worry..."The moment" will
happen, you just gotta keep
shooting. tell your
subjects to "Pretend I am
not here".
There are three basic
elements of Character,
and Cinema Verite (Chill
footage's real name)
is helpful in revealing the
EMOTIONAL part of your
character. You see it
in the way they try and get
what they want from
those around them...it is
called the MODE/NEED.
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Process Footage |
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Process Footage: This
is when you film the making
of your documentary.
Think of it like combing the
Behind The Scenes
footage of your film with
the Documentary itself.You
can be on-camera ( like
the guy in Super Size Me or
Michael Moore)...perhaps
we just hear your off-screen
voice, with a glimpse of you
thru- out the film. If
you need shots of you on
location, give the camera to
a "civilian" for a few
minutes .
Nick Broomfield is a
documentary filmmaker that
uses a lot of Process
footage. Rent Hedi
Fliess, Hollywood Madam, or
his best , but hard to find
documentary
"The Leader, his Driver, and
his Wife". Werner
Herzog also makes great
films in this style,
"Little Dieter needs to fly"
is worth renting to see how
his style is differnet from
Michael Moore's. A great
example of Process footage
"The Gleamers and I"..by
Agnes Varda,,(pictured
above) she is an awesome
filmmaker. Film the
Making of your film,
shoot when you are walking
up to someone's door (for
real, don't fake it). Film
The Process.
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Summary |
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Five Elements of Documentary
are: Interviews...
Cutaways... Chill Footage...
Process Footage...
Archive... and you should
also be thinking about Music
and graphics for your edit.
Keep these in your mind,
then you will have focus and
meaning in your documentary
filmmaking approach.
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Final Cut Pro HD DVD $49.95
2 DVD set |
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This is the
perfect way to
get into Final
Cut Pro editing.
Just watch this
fun,and easy to
follow 2-set
DVD. Chapters
include, Basic
set-up and
trouble
shooting,
Editing, the
Trim Window,
Text and Image +
wire frame and
more. Instructor
is award winning
director and
editor Aron
Ranen. He is
also an
instructor at
the
International
Film and Video
Workshops in
Rockport, Maine,
the SF Film Arts
Foundation and
SF DVworkshops.
$49.95 USD
Please Click here to
view sample Video
clips from this
Training DVD
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The Five elements of
Documentary
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While making your
Documentary, get
CLOSE-UPS, you will need
them! Here are Five
Elements of Documentary that
every director can use as a
guide.: 1) Interviews.
2) Cutaways 3)
Chill Footage. 4)
Process Footage. 5)
Archive material. Of
course you should always
think about music and
Graphics.
Link to DVworkshops Calendar
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