Nooby - Need Ideas

mattphilipenko

mattphilipenko

New member
Hello All,

My name is Matt Philipenko. I will be traveling to Uganda, Africa in NOV/2007 to shhot a documentary. I just want to know if anyone has tips or ideas for me. This will be my first documentary. I have shot weddings in the past but this is a new venture for me. Any hints, tips, or ideas would be greatly appreciated. I shoot with a DVX100A.

Thanks and God Bless
 
Take with you a good lav mic. Even if your video is bad, a doc lives and dies on being able to understand what's being said. You could always go shoot B-roll to overlay, but make sure your audio is good.
 
Do you know the story you're trying to tell?

Know the message you're trying to get across the entire time.

Oh, and have good audio. :)
 
1. Ditto above.

2. Practice, practice, practice.

3. Look at dozens of documentaries before your trip.
a. First, pay attention to the story - what are the messages?
b. Now turn off the audio - watch the camera work carefully.
c. Now close your eyes - carefully listen only to the audio.
Consider how a., b., and c. support the overall message

4. Share your planned message with your subject/s, potential target audience, and funding organization - get their buy-in.

5. Have backup plans when things can and will go wrong. What if your camera breaks or a bag gets stolen?

6. Take tons of B-roll cutaway shots - you can never have too much filler material. Of course, you need to know the message/theme in #3 above in order to do this effectively.

7. Like you do with your weddings, carefully log/mark your tapes and guard them with your life.

8. Ensure your gear works overseas (voltages, can get batteries locally, etc)

9. Story board the documentary before you leave; create a shot list and check-off shots during the trip. Of course, like your wedding video where your focus is on the 25 critical shots, always be on the lookout for bonus material.

10. Revalidate/test all your gear before the trip.

I'm sure I've missed lots of important details like bringing equipment sales receipts to the Embassy before the trip to avoid playing duty on owned equipment, proper packaging (what to check-in/carry-on), etc, but if you're up to speed on the above, you'll be off to a good start.

Regards, Michael
 
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