First Documentary

[bernadettemarie]

Hey guys, I'm new to this forum, and found you guys because I am looking into working on a documentary in the next few weeks. The subject is he Punk Music Venue that I live in. So, quite frankly everything is pretty simple to shoot. I am in school so, I also have everything available to me right now equipment wise. I'll be using a DVX100, and the stuff I have shot already looks pretty decent.

I'm just curious what the best outline is for a documentary. The venue is closing at the end of June, and so I want this documentary to commemorate everything about it.

The only issue I have run into so far is sound, but I didn't have any mics handy at the time. So, I figure I need to get out some sort of microphones.

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Dreadylocks]

Don't worry about an outline if you are on a time crunch. Just shoot shoot shoot and figure it out in post. I'm sure in the process of shooting you'll get lots of ideas so just keep a good journal

 

[Cracker Funk]

Don't worry about an outline if you are on a time crunch. Just shoot shoot shoot and figure it out in post. I'm sure in the process of shooting you'll get lots of ideas so just keep a good journal

I respectfully strongly disagree. I think pre-production is of the utmost importance in documentary making. I think you'll get better results if you know what you need to shoot.

Me, personally, I've never really used an outline, per se. I like to give myself a checklist. I do as much research as I can, and brainstorm as much as possible, what sort of narrative I'd like this story to take. What are you trying to say? What is your focus? What interview questions do you need to ask to get what you are focusing on, and what sort of imagery do you need?

Needless to say, when production starts, you'll find yourself surprised by a number of things you didn't anticipate during pre-production, and your narrative will likely shift. You'll begin asking new questions, and gathering new imagery that you hadn't thought of, but you'll still be glad that you've got the organization of a checklist of essential shots and questions that need to be asked.

I hope that helps.

Oh, yeah, and as far as mic is concerned -- I don't know your budget, but I recommend a boom mic. A good one will cost a pretty penny, but I've shot pieces on a mic that I purchased for $30 on ebay. Obviously, the sound quality is not good, but it's still better than using the camera's mic. Audiotechnica ATR55.

EDIT: Also, I agree that you want a DP -- eventually. In my opinion, you should be your own DP on your first projects. Yes, you're going to tell him what you want, then he'll go get it, but you shouldn't be completely blind to what he or she is doing. A director should at least have a grasp of the basics, and what better way to learn than to do it yourself?