Idea for practice documentaries

graywolf

graywolf

Well-known member
I have been thinking of doing some short self-interviews, or monologues, mostly for practice.

Being an old fart, I often talk about "the old days". I have noticed that some folks seem quite interested. So I was thinking of doing a series of them about 10 minutes long. People do lose interest when you drone on for a hour, but maybe a half-dozen shorts would work. And then maybe compile them into a dvd.

The main advantage is that the "talent" will be available when I am ready to shoot.

The local library has a bunch of interview videos of WWII vet's done by the local cable channel. Compared to those, I am ready for Hollywood (and, I don't think I am very good at this stuff).

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So first question, does that sound viable?

Next question, Would it be better to figure out a setup that works and use it for all the shorts (continuity)? Or, to use a different set up for each one?
 
What are these monologues/interviews about?
Will you have an outline script to work to so you cover all the points succinctly?
it's easy to waffle.

You could do them all from the same, familiar, setting as a set style or move them, or some of them, to various appropriate locations.
If you are filming you who is monitoring the sound (& picture)?
 
You guys never heard of YouTube? Tons of farts young and old doing this. The audience would be people who liked listening to old farts. There probably aren't more than two or three million out there. Note, the attention span of the typical YouTube viewer is measured in microseconds. I'd keep the rants/monologues/self interviews short and post frequently. Can you remind me, what is a "DVD"?
 
Target audience? Folks who like to hear what it was like in the "old days". Most likely via Youtube.

What would they be about? After some thought, I realized that not many people are interested in my bio. So these would be about what it was like back in the 1950's as a kid, the 1960's, the 1970's. What we did, what things cost, how we traveled, etc.

Would they be planned out in advance? Yes.

Who is monitoring sound and picture? Come one now, have you guys never filmed yourself?

What is a DVD? Something libraries lend out so kids can entertain themselves scratching them up.

This project would be primarily a low pressure learning gig. Things can be redone until I get them right. Editing is really where I need the practice. Since the setup, equipment, and talent is right there, if a clip does not work it can be redone very easily. While not high end stuff, I envision the end result as being smooth and professional looking.
 
Graywolf, YouTube is a whole new ballgame, and for some people a way of life. It's an opportunity to tell your story in a way that didn't exist last century. The important thing is to tell your story and not let a quest for production values get in the way or displace your main objective. You have the resources now, so don't put it off. To keep you on track set a regular schedule for uploads, say weekly 5 minute episodes. You also might want to tell people what's happening in your life right now, not just in the past. You'll get better at it as you go along. Post your channel link when you get going.
 
David W. Jones said:
Back in my day we didn't have video cameras. We hand painted pictures on the cave walls. And we like it. :Drogar-Shock(DBG):
Click to expand...

but it was a bit like watching paint dry :-)


To the OP I would plan out a short series of these monologs and see if there are any props, photos, location shots you might want to edit in. Then you will get some structure and can lead your audience on a journey. Many soaps have a story per episode and a longer theme or story that spans the series of say 6 episodes. Also remember that these old WW2 people they have interviewed will be edited interviews to fit the narrative of the program.

As you said at the start what was "just normal life" is a different planet to the youngsters today. It is worth recording even the "mundane" things from 60 years ago. Especually when you look at the pace of change in life in the last 1/2 century.
 
Everyone should record their personal history. In fact, there is a little industry based around the activity. After you finish yours consider turning the camera around and record others. See: personalhistorians.org
 
Well, I continue to plan the first of these. Been looking on the web for photos to use (old family photos were lost in a house fire years ago).

And I have come up with an interesting conundrum. One of the photos I want to use is, I am pretty sure, an old newspaper photo. However, the blog guy has it marked over with "copyright his.blog". He also says it is to much trouble to provide copies of the photos, so don't ask (paraphrasing here). Interesting thing is I actually think it is of the ship my father was first mate on about the time the photo was taken (1950). Anyway the question is how can he claim copyright on something like that?

Next and maybe a more important question is where can I get copies of original historic photos? Most things posted on the web are small low resolution images. I kind of believe things like the above mentioned photo have probably been donated to a historical library of some sort. How do I research things like that?

How do I get copies (I live out in the boonedocks) without spending too much money?

And, should this post be in its own thread? Maybe "Sourcing Historic Photos".
 
graywolf said:
And I have come up with an interesting conundrum. One of the photos I want to use is, I am pretty sure, an old newspaper photo. However, the blog guy has it marked over with "copyright his.blog". He also says it is to much trouble to provide copies of the photos, so don't ask (paraphrasing here). Interesting thing is I actually think it is of the ship my father was first mate on about the time the photo was taken (1950). Anyway the question is how can he claim copyright on something like that?
Click to expand...

It's quite simple and standard copyright law... the photographer owns the copyright of the image he produced. If you use it without permission it is breach of copyright. Much the same as copying videos, CD's etc.
 
I am 99% sure he is not the photographer. I am pretty sure it was originally a Detroit Free Press Photo. I am wondering how he can claim copyright on something like that.

I admit that there is a slight chance he bought the copyright from the photographer or the photographer's family. If his site was not so unfriendly sounding and dishonest looking, I would simply email a question about obtaining permission to use the photo. I certainly am not going to use it with his copyright notice handwritten across it. I think the guy probably collects old photos, but having bought a copy, does not convey copyright.

I have no intention of using photos with out permission and proper credits. I have been a photographer most of my life, I do know about copyrights.

Sourcing reasonably current photos is no mystery to me. But I am not too sure where to look for historic photos that are not likely to be government stuff.
 
  1. Open two browser windows, one on the left, one on the right. In the left window, open that photo. In the right window, open Google Images (https://images.google.com/). Drag the photo from the left into the right window. Google Images will sense that you're dragging over a photo and suddenly show a small box to drag it into. Be sure to plant the photo in the box. Google will then "search by image." It might find other versions of that photo.

  2. In Google Images, instead of searching by photo, just search by keywords, like the name of that ship. You can also use this to find pictures of other things in your documentaries, of course. A nice feature is that Google Images can hone it down to pictures that are licensed for reuse. At the top, click Search Tools, and click Usage Rights.

  3. Try the Internet Archive. It has millions of pictures, videos, audio recordings, books, etc.

  4. Try the New York Public Library's online Digital Collections. It has over half a billion public-domain images.

  5. Try LIFE magazine's photo archive, hosted by Google.
 
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Thanks combatentropy, unfortunately the only images I find come from that site. The great lakes auto freighters ran from about 1920 to the mid-1950's, but there probably were only 10-12 of the specialized boats, so not a widely know industry. In fact the wiki on roll-on/roll-off shipping does not even mention them.

While I am not going to be able to use it I guess I can post a link to the photo in question: http://theoldmotor.com/?p=61860

There is also a large hatch on the side of the boat where the below deck cars were driven in. 3 decks of them, if I remember correctly. That is definately the dock where my father's boat loaded, whether that would be his in the photo or not I have no way of knowing. However, I felt the photo would be ideal as an aside when talking about visiting him when he was in port.
 
You could try phoning him and see how far you get. Noting ventured nothing gained.

AFAIKS it is the only copy of that image that multiple search engine throw up.
 
I could probably provide his site with some interesting info about that photo, but I figure turn about is fair play. He is not interested in helping his readers, so I am not interested in helping him.
 
Being a lazy old fart, things are going slow on this.

I know most of you would have had something as simple as this is intended to be done in a week. I have decided to use my living room as the set, but have not even gotten it picked up yet. I still have to convert my thinking here to a written plan and at least outline my talk. I intend for this one to cover from 1949 when we moved to Detroit to about 1955. Most of the old days were in that period, changes after that were not so obvious.

I have decided that I will use that photo in a working version, not to be published, as well as some others. Then try to get permissions and better than web copies of them for the final version.

I do not know where the time goes, I seem to do almost nothing, but before I know it it is 2 or 3 in the morning and I need to go to bed. Of course I no longer need to be at work 7 in the morning, so get more sleep than I did when I was a lot younger. There was a time I kept a "to do" list, it got to be 8 pages long and was rather depressing before I threw it away.
 
Good luck to you and post a link of your first video to this link. (partly for deed back and party because some may want to subscribe to your series.)
 
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