I had several issues with my last shoot, the most significant problem I came by was due to health and safety. This involved gaining permission to use a location for shooting a scene that needed a match to be struck by the central character. Though this seems so trivial, if anything were to go wrong - such as the fire alarm being triggered - this would have caused a lot of disruption to the production process and to the people around the location we were filming. I got around this problem by changing some of the script so instead of a match being lit, the character would find and use a mobile phone to illuminate the way. I didn't actually end up shooting this scene, so it was little matter whether I changed it or not; even so, this was a vital learning curve which showed me that it is very important to prepare to change your shoot to accommodate for any potential risks, hazards and complications that can arise due to what was permissible on location.
Some other points for discussion that may translate into this project were:
- Casting: In documentaries, people are personally involved with the subject matter and so you must be sensitive and aware that they are not gaining anything from being incorporated in your film. Whereas in a drama, your contributors will be gaining something from being in the production.
- Planning: Always have a backup plan - similarly with my health and safety issue, it s important to have a 'plan B' in case you are unable to shoot anything.
- Timing is also incredibly important to ensure that everything is filmed efficiently.
- With documentaries especially, you must not commit to a plan before asking whether or not something is possible. For example, planning an interview with somebody that may not be available on a particular day.
- You should meet your talent/contributors before you shoot rather than just commuting via email as this will allow you to grasp a sense of what they are like and how they will react to being on film.
We then discussed what sort of things we need to research and prepare for in the build up to our shoot:
- Test the credibility of your story so that you can begin to develop the script, rough schedule and budget.
- It is essential to understand the potential of your idea and what the audience will see.
- Research relevant online sites, journals and publications to grasp a better understanding of the wider topic and background to the story you are going to tell.
- Establish your key contacts
- Look after them, make them feel important and keep them up-to-date and informed throughout the entire production process.
- Don't make contact with anyone without first knowing and understanding the bigger picture.
- Prepare some basic questions to ask your contacts:
- Name / Age / Contact details / Availability / Potential locations / Potential sequences / Parental consent if necessary / Relevant permissions regarding the vulnerability of the contributor
- Familiarise yourself with any relevant information before even considering shooting the film:
- Any relevant legislation and regulations that relate to the subject matter you are covering.
- Are there any organisations or experts that could provide an insight into the topic?
- Existing research: up-to-date and if possible, unpublished - this will give the information we present an extra edge and sense of exclusivity.
- Look into any relevant case studies and any previous TV or archive coverage.
- Try to find people who best illustrate the story you are trying to tell, and people who are good at conveying this story through their speech.
- Factual films require a 'journalist's nose':
- What is your angle? / What is new and makes your film worth commissioning? / What is your unique selling point?
When filming a documentary, you must bare in mind ethics and representation to ensure that what you are filming provides a sensitive and fair portrayal of the subject matter and those involved in the film.
Representation typically refers to issues relating to:
When we produce our documentaries, it is very important that we should deal with representation fairly, and to treat everybody involved with respect. They do not have to be involved, so doing this will ensure they stay on board and you do not lose credibility as a documentary filmmaker. You are the driving force of the film in a directorial and editorial sense, but be mindful of who else has a vested interest in your film - contributors, producers, sponsors etc.
Louis reflected on his approach to documenting the life of Jimmy Savile in When Louis Met Jimmy, particularly how Savile became to engrossed in the documentary and how close they became during the process. As a result of this friendly relationship developing, it can be argued that Louis lost some of the credibility and impartiality of the documentary, as he had a more positive bias toward someone that was hiding his true motives and effectively putting on a show for the camera.
- Disability
- Income / Class
- Values / Culture
- Ethnicity/ Race
- Religion
- Sexuality / Gender
- Issues, e.g. Crime
- Tokenism
- Youth, Middle and Old Age
There are a number of different organisations that deal with issues of representation in the media to ensure that people are treated fairly and represented honestly; to avoid stereotyping and enforcing prejudices:
- OFCOM
- Press Complaints Commission
- Pressure Groups
- Broadcasters will also have their own guidelines
When we produce our documentaries, it is very important that we should deal with representation fairly, and to treat everybody involved with respect. They do not have to be involved, so doing this will ensure they stay on board and you do not lose credibility as a documentary filmmaker. You are the driving force of the film in a directorial and editorial sense, but be mindful of who else has a vested interest in your film - contributors, producers, sponsors etc.
When shooting for locations, we should consider:
- Aesthetics
- Practicalities
- Relevance
- Permissions / Access
- Shot and Story-telling Possibilities
- Finances
- Any Filming Opportunities / Events
As we look into the people we want to use for our case studies, we must meet them in person in a safe environment. We should be prepared by bringing our I.D. contact details, any key questions we need to ask them, and we should take notes on them as well. Consent forms should be signed before filming takes place so to avoid any complications from what may arise during the interview. On a similar note, you should only gain permission for 'major' contributors, so people that are involved on a speaking capacity with any significant screen time. As a courtesy, we should also place signs around the filming location to inform people that there is filming taking place.
It is vital that we keep contributors informed and willing to participate in filming, so we should be willing to negotiate - but do not make promises that cannot be kept. Approaching with "is this a good time to talk?", "are you free?", or "when would you be free to talk?" is ideal as our contributors will not be expecting a call to participate in a documentary - start by telling people that you are reaching out to them for research purposes.
Maintain good record-keeping, behave as you would with a potential employer and remain impartial so to build a good rapport. Most importantly, you must remember to be professional: friendly, but not friends. We watched and discussed Louis Theroux's documentary in which he revisited his original film on Jimmy Saville, prior to Operation Yewtree and the revelations about his paedophilia and sexual assaults, and we considered how important it is to not become too friendly with your contributors in the most extreme example.
Louis reflected on his approach to documenting the life of Jimmy Savile in When Louis Met Jimmy, particularly how Savile became to engrossed in the documentary and how close they became during the process. As a result of this friendly relationship developing, it can be argued that Louis lost some of the credibility and impartiality of the documentary, as he had a more positive bias toward someone that was hiding his true motives and effectively putting on a show for the camera.
As I mentioned, this is a very extreme example of how professionalism and impartiality is important to highlight the credibility of a documentary piece, but it does go to show how people can manipulate a seemingly factual output to hide true intent. When it comes to making our own documentaries, it is important to come across as friendly but to remain professional and impartial.
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