To Do This Week
DUE: Compositing, Effects and/or AI Assignment
Do: Work on Profiles
Blog Prompt : The challenge with any documentary is capturing the “visual evidence” for a meaningful narrative made out of fragments of video. Search for a scene in Devil’s Playground (below) that has visual evidence for the central question of the documentary: Amish or English? Describe the visual evidence. Is it effective? Might parts of the scene be staged? How can you tell? What other scenes stand out for you (use screen grabs) and why? How does visual evidence help with the storytelling? Are there times when the visual evidence is in conflict with the need to tell an engaging story?
In Class
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- Mid-term grades…
- Montage assignments…
- Discuss Devil’s Playground > Visual Evidence
- Job/ Hobby Profiles
- Recording and editing interviews – dos and don’ts
- Past student profiles
Notes
Devil’s Playground > Visual Evidence
Start – theme montage:
Amish Montage
The next morning:
Baseball Montage:
Party > Emma
Meth:
Metaphor not evidence…
Last Act…
Interview (A roll) + Visual Evidence (B roll)
Prep/Research:
- talk to your subject without the camera, find the story
- use the interview to support, not replace, visual evidence
Plan the Story:
- make an outline of the story: hook, intro, complication, climax, resolution
- make a shot list of the visual evidence you need
- make a list of questions for the interviewee. remember, no simple yes/no questions
Camera Setup:
- find a good location with decent visuals, good lighting for the subject and minimal or no background noise
- use a tripod or keep it still if you have the camera on a monopod
- change camera angle/zoom between questions for shot variety, but keep to a standard medium shot (leave enough head room)
- follow rule of thirds for framing (leave some space on the side interviewee is angled toward)
- pay attention to the background (give a sense of place)
Mic Setup:
- get external mic close to the subject. three feet is ideal (or aim directional mic)
- test your levels
- remember to push record!
- no bumps, ticks or hisses near mic
- do not let subject hold mic
- here is the manual for the Zoom H1
Lighting:
- find a good key light to fall at an angle on the subject’s face. near a window or lamp, for example. try to avoid overhead of fluorescent lighting
- With a basic DIY light set up, have a Key Light and Fill Light at a slightly higher angle than the subject. And then, if you have another light, use it for the Background Light. See Lighting on the Fly
- never shoot a subject in front of a window!
- “bounce” lighting off the walls for fill and backlighting, or use reflectors
- avoid heavy shadows
- down-and-dirty-lighting-kit
The Interview:
- start with getting full name (perhaps spelling) and other relevant info (position, title, job)
- let people talk. keep silent for a few moments after a question has been answered. when you are silent, interviewees will fill the void with something perhaps more authentic
Visual Evidence (B roll):
- do not direct actions, follow and anticipate
- don’t move the camera off the talking subject when they are showing/pointing to something. you can get the shot later
- look for visual evidence at location of interview, capture “telling” details
- vary the camera angles and positions: long, medium, close-up, over-shoulder, close on hands, cutaways, establishing shots
- ask questions while shooting visual evidence
- listen and be attentive to your subject
Previous Student Job Profiles:
Alternative method:
In-Class Exercise
In pairs, interview each other about being a student at WSU. How did you end up attending WSU? What are you studying? etc.
Profile Project (10%):
no more than 2 minutes
Rough Cut Due TBA / Final Cut Due TBA
In this project, you will create a 1-2 minute profile of a person at their job or doing their hobby, like gardening or painting. What does this person do at their job or hobby? What is the activity? How often do they do it? What experience are they getting? What experience did they need before getting the job or starting on the hobby? If the person works at home, how do they manage home life and their work? How might you tie the job or hobby to larger questions about work or creative activity?
The two areas of focus in this assignment are 1) moving with the camera and 2) conducting an interview, but you should, of course, pay attention to framing, sound, continuity editing and/or montage. Choose a subject that does not spend the day sitting in front of a computer, even though most jobs do include some of this.
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- First, have a pre-interview discussion with your subject. Find out some things about them and their job.
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- Prepare a story outline, interview questions and a shot list for visual evidence.
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- Then set up a time/place with your subject and conduct a sit-down interview at a good location for lighting and sound recording.
- After the interview, get the visual evidence you need by following the person at work or, even better, as they work on a particular project. Continue to ask questions while following the subject with the camera. You may find that the answers are more interesting than in the sit-down interview.
- Be sure to include titles and credits. And music if you want.