#76 Wk56 Cinematic Storytelling

Lots of loose tangents of thought this week. I'm continuing the refining process for my documentary proposal. We didn't spend much time talking about scriptwriting since it was covered in previous modules. You can review previous episodes for more information about that practice. Check out the Grim Reader podcast (be aware that this link will open iTunes) for quick, but insightful advice about preparing your script.

Here a link once more to some video that I produced on my company's website.

Some of the topics this week are about creating a proposal; a written document that describes the film's goals and outlines production responsibilities. Others topics are more personal, illuminative. Such as,

You, the client and the film - always choose the film first. There's always going to be conflict, and the client is going to think they can add just one more thing, or they'll insist you act on a really bad idea. Instead of coming back with what you, IYHO as a "professional" would do and further alienate the relationship, take the middle ground. Come in on the side of the film. When you advocate what's best for the film, you demonstrate that you care about the product. That gains you a lot of respect and keeps the focus off what individuals want.

I've included some ideas about interviewing people. Lots of places on the web give advice about interviewing people. I like to listen to podcasts on the subject, they give me insight into different approaches and as well as something to compare my own skills against.

Relax and ask a lot of questions. Listen to the person and instead of running down a bullet list of unrelated questions. Tie each answer to the following question, or ask them a question that expands what they're saying. Find subtle ways to direct the speaker along paths you want to explore, so it feels as though they are a part of the conversation.

It continues to surprise me how willing people can be to talk if you demonstrate you're interested.

A brief note about the minimum for producing video for the web. Don't go too bare bones in production or post if it's going to reflect poorly on the client.

Finally, I'm going to NAB. It's a great training conference and a chance to see the latest and greatest hardware and software for digital film and video. I'd love to meet up, if anyone listening is going to be there. If you're not, you can send in requests for information I can report on. Let me know either way.

I posted a couple shows last year, #21 and #22. I plan on posting a show each day this year.

#58 Wk42 PreProduction

This is the first week of the PreProduction Module. This is the class where we learn how things work, how to really make a film. I know I sound kind of bummed out by all the details raining down on us, but that was me speaking from the gut level. After so many weeks of practical classes, the change to straight classroom instruction was a shock, and the depth of the information was overwhelming. This stuff is dense and deep, but also greatly appreciated.

J.P. Ouellette is our instructor, a director, producer and a great storyteller. His knowledge of the planning process that goes into preparing and shooting a film is outstanding. This is the first time in the program we've gotten any amount of this information and while at first it seemed formidable, we're easing into a comfortable learning position. It makes us realize how big a responsibility it is to make a movie. It also makes the process more real and more attainable.

PreProduction - What is it? It's all the planning that goes into a movie before you shout action. Budgeting, casting, scheduling, contracts, rentals, location scouting, storyboarding, shot lists and more. It's a lot to get through in 3 weeks, but at our current rate, we'll hear it all.

In episode #41, I listed a number of Screenplay sites Here's two more links with lists of additional sites, TopTenLinks and Lew Hunter. You can learn a lot about scriptwriting by reading scripts. Remember that every type of production, TV, movie and so on, has their own preferred format for scripts, and those are always evolving. It's a good idea, if you write, to check up on blogs that talk about scriptwriting.

Copyright issues are really important and because I'm way out of my depth in this area, I only mention it in passing. You will find a lot of interesting info in David Battino's podcast on public domain music in episode #16 of his podcast at O'Reilly.com. Anyone involved in producing a movie should take the time to learn more about copyright restrictions so you don't end up losing time or money in court.

Production Note - In the beginning I spoke about the audio settings for this and last episode. I also boosted the amplitude to raise the volume of the quieter parts. Thanks to Dennis for helping me understand the compression process. I know it was a struggle, but I did get a lot of what you were saying.