book

The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide, 2nd Edition

by Anthony Q. Artis

March 2014

Beginner to intermediate

369 pages

11h 33m

English

Routledge

Read now

Unlock full access

• Learning the Filmmaking ProcessFilm BooksDVD ExtrasPodcastsWorkshopsOnline Learning SitesInstructional DVDsWeb SitesMagazinesCrewingDoing• Been There, Done That: Why Make a Documentary?–Albert Maysles• Doc PreproductionDocumentary GoalGETTING THE IDEA• Brainstorming Your Idea• The Importance of Research• Been There, Done That: Research and Fact Checking—Safiya Songhai• Interview Subjects• Types of Documentaries• Approach and Storytelling• Been There, Done That: Concept and Storytelling—Sam Pollard• The Production PlanGETTING THE MONEY• Been There, Done That: How to Raise Money–Michelle Coe• Budgeting Your DocBudgeting FormsBudgeting SoftwareEstimating Costs• Hot Tip: 4 Common Budgeting Mistakes• Been There, Done That: Raising the M-O-N-E-Y–Rose Rosenblatt & Marion Lipschutz• Hot Tip: 10 Ways to Lower Your Budget• Where to Find Prices• Budgeting–A Final Word• Been There, Done That: Crafting a Successful Crowd-Funding Campaign–Mike Attie & Meghan O’HaraGETTING THE GEAR• Choosing an Equipment Package• Been There, Done That: Choosing a Camera for Your Project—Cliff Charles• A Quick Lesson in Video TechPixels and ResolutionProgressive vs. InterlacedFrame RateHDV Image SizeResolution• What to Look for in a CameraManual ControlsXLR Audio InputsBig SensorsPeakingInterchangeable LensesServo Zoom LensSlow Motion4K SensorTime-lapse• The Guide to the Camera Guide• Documentary Camera Guide• Why DSLR Cameras are Lame• Why DSLR Cameras are Da Bomb• DSLR Workarounds and Fixes• Anatomy of a DSLR Franken Rig• Hot Tip: A Quick Look at Lenses• Understanding Camera Crop FactorsFactoring In Crop Factors• Comparative Sensor Sizes and Crop Factors• The Problem with 4K• Buying vs. RentingA Quick ComparisonHow to DecideBuying a Used Video Camera• The Down and Dirty Camera Creed• Hot Tip: Smartphone Cameras• Hot Tip: Educational Equipment Access• Doc Equipment Packages• Before You ShootGETTING THE CREW• The Doc Crew• Good Crew, Bad Crew• Been There, Done That: The Producer–Director Relationship—Christina Dehaven• Assembling a Crew• Been There, Done That: Before You Hire a Professional Crew–Cybel Martin• The Crew Meeting• Feeding the CrewMealsFood StrategiesCraft ServicesTaking Care of the Vegetarians• Hot Tip: 5 Down and Dirty Food Ideas
MANAGING LOCATIONS• Shooting on LocationMaking Arrangements with Your SubjectsInterview Locations• Location Management 101• Sensitive Location Overview• PR Reps and Media LiaisonsDealing with PR Reps and Other Media LiaisonsDoc Location EthicsThe Exception to the RuleLOCATION LOGISTICS• Been There, Done That: Travelling with Equipment Internationally–Stjepan Alaupovic• Hot Tip: How Not to Get Your Camera Jacked• Been There, Done That: Being Prepared for Remote Locations–Alrick Brown and Micah Schaffer• Transportation Considerations• Hot Tip: 5 Tips for Traveling with Equipment• Hot Tip: Stealth Shooting Tactics 101OTHER LOCATION ISSUES• Location Releases and Insurance• Insurance Issues• Hot Tip: Shooting in Da ’Hood
IMAGE BASICS• Basics of Image Control• FocusHallmark of the ProsOvercoming Common Focus HazardsFocus AssistPeakingSunlight and LCD ScreensLow Light• ExposureLight Is GoodAperture and F-Stops• Zebra Stripes and GainYour Friend the Zebra StripesHistogramUsing Gain to Boost Exposure• Color Temperature• White BalanceWhen to White BalanceWhite Balance Special EffectsMixed Sun and Indoor Lighting• Hot Tip: Working with the Sun• Shutter Speed BasicsMotion and Shutter Speed• Shutter Speed and MovementBEYOND THE BASICS• Hot Tip: Creating a “Film Look”• Manual vs. Auto FunctionsUse Manual Controls• When to Use Auto FunctionsAuto Zoom vs. Manual ZoomSurprises and PanicsRun-and-Gun Shooting• Been There, Done That: Capturing Truth–Albert Maysles• Using the Zoom ControlIntroduction: Who’s Zooming Who?Pushing in• Handheld Secrets of the ProsForget the Tripod and Go HandheldHandheld Editing Considerations• Handheld Camera PositionsOTHER CAMERA CONSIDERATIONS• Using Tripods• Set Recording Protocol• Color BarsWhy You Should Use Color BarsHow to Adjust NTSC Color Bars• Been There, Done That: The Technical vs. the Creative and In-camera vs. Post–Cliff Charles• The ABCs of Production Value• Hot Tip: Cleaning Your Lens
SAFETY AND TOOLS• Hot Tip: 10 Ways to Practice Safe Sets• Electricity and SafetyElectricity ConsiderationsSafety Considerations• Lighting Safety Tip Sheet• How Not to Blow a Circuit• Lighting Tools of the Trade3- AND 4-POINT LIGHTING• Interview Lighting SetupsLearning and Mastering the Craft• The Key LightSetting Up Your Key Light• Hair Light and BacklightHair LightBackground LightThe Cookie Effect• The Fill LightFill Light Alternatives• Controlling Light Intensity• Down and Dirty DV Gel Guide• Anatomy of an Interview Kit• Hot Tip: 3 Tips for Shooting in Low Light• Miscellaneous Lighting Tips• Setting Up Lights in 5 Easy Steps• Lighting CookbookPractical Lighting Setup4-Point Lighting SetupSimple Lighting SetupWindow Lighting SetupAnonymous Lighting Setup2-Subject Light SetupNight Exterior Lighting SetupTV Monitor Lighting SetupBlacklight Setup
SOUND TOOLS OF THE TRADE• Basic Sound Package• Intermediate Sound Package• Microphones–Boom Mics• 8 Quick Tips for Better Booming• Good Boom, Bad Boom• Booming Technique• Microphones–Lavs and HandheldsLavalier MicsHandheld MicsWireless Mics• Mounting a Lav MicHandling SubjectsRECORDING TECHNIQUES• Hot Tip: 2 Subjects, but only 1 Lav Mic• The Right Mic for the Job• Recording Sound LevelsRiding LevelsWhere Should Your Needle Peak?Analog vs Digital Peaking MetersExceptions to the General RulesWhy Are There Two Different Digital Standards?• Hot Tip: Two Mics are Always Better than One• Why Use a Mixer?• Using a Field Mixer• Other Mixer FeaturesLimiterLo-Cut FilterPanTone GeneratorSlate Mic• Hot Tip: Down and Dirty “Wireless”• 5 Sound Rules to Live By• Location Sound RecordingDon’t Just Look, Listen to Your Location• Location Sound HazardsOTHER SOUND TYPE STUFF• Down and Dirty DV Cable Guide• Miscellaneous Sound TipsBreakaway CablesCoiling CablesHiding Mics• How to Use Sound BlanketsShooting in Rooms with EchoHow to Eggroll a Sound Blanket
WHAT IT LOOK LIKE?• Composition BasicsThe Rule of ThirdsLook RoomHead RoomSevered Body Parts• Composition TricksHiding Undesirable BackgroundsCheating Backgrounds• Lens Focal Length• Telephoto and Wide-Angle Lenses• Don’t Just Tell ’Em, Show ’EmThe Audience Wants to See Your StoryPOV Shots Put the Audience There• The Visual Language of DocsCover Your Scene (and Your Butt)Establishing Shots• Been There, Done That: Pre-Visualizing Your Scenes–Mike Attie & Meghan O’HaraWide Shots (WS)Medium Shots (MS)Close Ups (CU)1-Shots2-ShotsOver the Shoulder ShotsReaction/Reverse ShotsDutch AnglesDolly ShotsDolly and Slider MovesTilt UpTilt DownDramatic ZoomsCutaways• Storytelling and CutawaysHow to Shoot CutawaysMORE VISUAL STORYTELLING TOOLS• Your B-Roll Is Your “A” Roll• Hot Tip: The Dark Art of Bedroom B-Roll• Been There, Done That: Doc Storytelling with Animation–John Canemaker• Depth of Field DemystifiedRacking Focus• Hot Tip: Shallow Depth of Field• 10 Tips for Shooting Live Events
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW• All About InterviewsGet Yourself Together• Final PreparationsEquipment PrepTravel• Arriving at LocationSetup TimeWarm ’Em Up• Choosing Interview BackgroundsStorytelling Through FramingUsing Props and Cheating FurnitureUsing Depth and Busy Backgrounds• Hot Tip: Easy Do-It-Yourself BackdropsMAKING THEM LOOK GOOD• Positioning and EyelineSubject PositioningInterviewer Positioning and Eyeline• How Do I Look?Clothing• Video Clothing Issues• Fixing Faces• Hot Tip: Easy Powder MakeupWORKING WITH SUBJECTS• Talent ReleasesGet a Signed Talent Release FormGetting Releases from Major FiguresVerbal Releases• Been There, Done That: Fair Subject Portrayal and Releases–Albert Maysles• Briefing Your Subject• Instructing Subjects• Hot Tip: Keepin’ It “Real”• Been There, Done That: When Subjects Want to Walk–Rose Rosenblatt & Marion Lipschutz
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS• Asking Questions and Responding• Form of Questions• Logical Order of QuestionsINTERVIEW TECHNIQUES• Been There, Done That: Interviewing Resistant Subjects–Safiya Songhai• Hot Tip: How to Work a Press Conference• Interview Preparation and Warm UpBrainstorm and Write Out Your QuestionsWarm ’Em Up• Listening Skills• Responding to Your Subject• Been There, Done That: The Thin Line of Exploitation–Sam Pollard• The Soapbox QuestionThe Double Bonus Soapbox Question• Hot Tip: Interviewing Celebrities• Monitoring Technical IssuesInterrupting Your Interview to Solve ProblemsUsing a Monitor and HeadphonesOther Things to Look Out For• Interview Hazards• Hot Tip: 5 Ways to Do a Remote Interview• The Wrap OutBefore You Call a “Wrap”Thank Everyone & ProfuselyPacking Up
PREPARING TO EDIT• The Post-Production ProcessIt’s All About Post• Viewing & Taking NotesViewing All Your FootageTaking Notes• Logging FootageWhy We LogOrganizing Your ShotsLogging Directly in Your NLEScene DetectLearning to “Log In Camera”The Log Sheet• TranscriptsGetting a Grip on Your DocGetting Transcripts MadeAnatomy of a Documentary TranscriptWhat Transcripts Do and Don’t Tell You• Making a Paper EditDecision-making in EditingEDITING ISSUES• Putting Together an Editing SystemComputerHard DrivesMonitorKeyboard Overlays• Been There, Done That: Working with Editors–Sam Pollard• Who Should Edit Your Film?• Been There, Done That: Working with Editors & Remotely–Mike Attie & Meghan O’Hara• Stock Footage and Photos• Been There, Done That: 7 Commandments of Archival Footage–Rick Prelinger• How to Fix It in Post: Covering Up Common Mistakes–Greg Payton1. Fixing Soft-Focused Shots2. Extending Shots That Aren’t Long Enough3. Fixing a Boom Mic in the Frame4. Faking Camera Coverage by Reframing a Shot5. Fixing Bad White Balance6. Fixing Low Resolution Video and Stills7. What do I do if my Audio is Out of Sync?8. Fixing Coughs, “Ums”, and “Ahs”9. Reducing Wind Noise10. Fixing Over and Underexposed ShotsGETTING IT OUT THERE• Film Festival Strategy• Been There, Done That: Passion, Business & Filmmaking–Adrian Belic• 7 Ways to Work a Film Festival• Been There, Done That: How to Hustle at Sundance–Rebekah Sindoris and Christie Pesicka• Been There, Done That: Words of Wisdom for Young Filmmakers–Cliff Charles

Overview

So you want to make a documentary, but think you don't have a lot of time, money, or experience? It's time to get down and dirty! Down and dirty is a filmmaking mindset. It's the mentality that forces you to be creative with your resources. It's about doing more with less. Get started NOW with this book and DVD set, a one-stop shop written by a guerrilla filmmaker, for guerrilla filmmakers. You will learn how to make your project better, faster, and cheaper. The pages are crammed with 500 full-color pictures, tips from the pros, resources, checklists and charts, making it easy to find what you need fast.

The DVD includes:
* Video and audio tutorials, useful forms, and interviews with leading documentary filmmakers like Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens), Sam Pollard (4 Little Girls), and others
* 50+ Crazy Phat Bonus pages with jump start charts, online resources, releases, storyboards, checklists, equipment guides, and shooting procedures

Here's just a small sampling of what's inside the book:
* Putting together a crew
* Choosing a camera
* New HDV and 24P cameras
* Shooting in rough neighborhoods
* Interview skills and techniques
* 10 ways to lower your budget
* Common production forms