DOCUMENTRY Editing

Thoughts on DOCUMENTRY Editing

Transcribe your footage before you start your edit

Do a paper edit, is very useful to know what goes where and one is not editing from memory

While editing do an assembly without going into the details, as it will stop you from moving things around later

Make sure you have a good beginning and a good ending

Interview teq’s

Make your subjects include part of the question into there answer

Get them to give examples of how things happened

HOW is the key word?

Never be operating the camera if you are conducting the interview

AFTER THE EDIT IS OVER:

Ask friend / people who you trust

1. Where is the climax, it should be at 2/3 rd. of the movie

2 is tension building up, there should be a arc in the film,

Not going up and down as a wave

3. If the film focused on one story or is it veering off

E.g.: start the film about a cycle ride with jack, but it veers off to jack relation with his church

4. Restructuring: does your content need to be moved around so best material is used?

5. Film should have single ending (not that it seems to end, and then again It takes off and keeps containing)

producing documentries - styles

Different Interview styles:

1. Are they on camera or off camera

2. Into the Camera (as if speaking to the audience)

3. Real (you can see the person

4. Obscure – the person is in the shadow.

5. Talking heads (in the situation, sit down interviews)

6. Talking to the interviewer

7. If interviewer is in the movie – or is the interviewer alone

8. Question in or out?

Have the interviewer in the middle of the frame when he is looking into the lens

Or saving frame because others will join his on sides as the shot continues.

Pull the person away from the wall, NOT against the wall, try to add the environment.

Think about sound, always a good idea to shoot twice at different locations with different actions. 1 calm and 1 with ambiance.

Detail the situation

Then shoot

Then Edit

Always be sure you have 3 – 5 shots for a scene at least.

Ideally do not be operating camera when directing. Have eye contact with your subject as much as possible.

Operate camera only if you are in the fly in a wall scenario where you are not asking questions, in that situation also better to operate sound rather then Camera.

Different styles: the fog of war – use of jump cuts / canted framing, character shifted in position between shots

Forgotten dad – different interview style to tell the story, keeps one engaged, and creates an environment where one wants to know more.

THE con - by Morgan spurlock

Is investigative, personal style where he is involved shown as a character, info is shared by conversation

1000 Journals - using talking heads and showing situations that they are talking about.