مستند

مستند ساز خوب باید بداند چگونه گوش بدهد، ببیند و با مهارت حقایقش را طوری بیان کند که بسیار متقاعد کننده و تاثیرگذار باشد.

I learned how to listen, capture, and craft a compelling story. From technical proficiency, which included using camera, sound gear, and our linear edit bays to visual storytelling that believed in capturing the moment.

DOCUMENTARY PROJECT PROPOSAL HELPER

DOCUMENTARY PROJECT PROPOSAL HELPER

Adapted from Directing the Documentary by Michael Rabiger

Working title

Director:

Camera:

Sound:

Editor:

Others:

WORKING HYPOTHESIS AND INTERPRETATION.

What are your persuasions about the world you are going to show in your film, the main “statement” that you want to emerge out of the film’s dialectics? Write a hypothesis statement incorporating this wording:

In life, I believe that:

My film will show this in action by exploring (situation):

The main conflict is between:

Ultimately, I want the audience to feel and to understand that:

TOPIC

Write a concise paragraph about:

a) Your film’s subject (person, group, environment, social issue etc.)

b) The necessary background information the audience must have to understand and to be interested in the enclosed world you intend to present. Be sure to show how this information will emerge.

ACTION SEQUENCES

Write a brief paragraph for each intended sequence that shows an activity. (A sequence is usually delineated by being in one location, one chunk of time, or an assembly of materials to show one topic). Incorporate the following:

a) What the activity is and what conflict it evidences

b) A metaphor to explain its sub textual meaning

c) The expected structure of events

d) What the sequence should contribute to the whole film and to the hypothesis

e) What facts the audience must gather from watching it

f) What key, emblematic imagery you hope to capture

MAIN CHARACTERS

Write a brief paragraph about each of your main characters. For each include:

a) Who (name, relationship to others in film and so on)

b) Where (where does this person fit in the scheme of things?)

c) What (what is this character’s role, what makes the character(s) interesting, worthy of special attention and significant? What is this character trying to do or to get at?)

CONFLICT

What is at issue in this film? Consider:

a) Who wants what of whom?

b) What conflicting principles do the characters stand for?

c) Does your film put different principles in opposition (of opinion, of view, of vision and so forth)?

d) How will we see one force finally meet with the other? (The “confrontation”--very important)

e) What range of possible developments do you see emerging from this confrontation?

AUDIENCE BIASES

To make a documentary means not only using conflicting “evidence” to put forward your subject’s dialectics, it also means knowing what stereotypes or expectations carried by your audience your film must deliberately set out to alter.

a) Biases (may be positive or negative)

b) What alternative views, facts or ideas does the audience need to understand

c) What evidence will you show to get the audience to see those different truths

ON-CAMERA INTERVIEWS

For each interview, list:

a) Name, role in life, metaphoric role in film’s dramatic structure

b) Main elements your interview will seek to establish

STRUCTURE

Write a brief paragraph on how you hope to structure your film. When you are doing this, consider:

a) How will you will handle the progression of time in the film

b) How and at what point information important to story development will appear

c) What you intend as the climactic sequence and where this should go

d) How this relates to other sequences in terms of the action rising toward the film’s projected “crisis” or emotional apex and the falling action after it

e) Sequences or interviews you intend to use as parallel storytelling

FORM AND STYLE

Any special considerations in shooting or editing style that might further your film’s content. Here you might comment on narrative lighting, camera handling, type and amount of intercutting, juxtaposition of scenes, parallel storytelling and the like.

RESOULUTION

Write a brief paragraph about how you imagine your film will end and what you would like the ending to accomplish for the audience. Comparing any intended ending with the film’s beginning also exposes what must accomplish as a story to get there. The ending is your last word to the audience and has a disproportionate influence on what the film will mean.

BUDGET

LOGISTICS

Briefly address any obvious problems of feasibility, practicality and so on.

DOCUMENTARY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Elements:

Working Hypotheses

Lines of Inquiry

Points of View

Dramatic Possibilities

1. Film statement

Formally declares that the producer is making a proposal and suggests a working title. It briefly indicates the length, defines the subject matter and audience. (Short paragraph of two to three lines).

2. Background and need

Briefly reviews information necessary to acquaint the proposal audience to the subject, lets the reader see why the topic is interesting and why such a film is needed. (This could be two to six paragraphs).

3. Approach, form and style

This explains how the producer will carry out the idea. Where is the drama? Where is the conflict? Where are the emotions and character development? This is the section for the producer to indicate structure. This is potentially risky without full-blown research or “casting”. Nonetheless, it is the most important element in explaining how the producer works. This is not the place to indicate huge amounts of research. Research is needed, in fact extensive research might be needed but research is not a film. The producer at this stage is helping the reader visualize the film. (Two to six paragraphs).

4. Shooting schedule

A time-line. This is actually an optional item that may be included when a specific event is impending; however, most funders want to know when production will start and when the film will be completed. (One to two line paragraph).

5. Budget

Budgets at the proposal stage are simple and in outline form. The producer should be familiar with the funding source in order to assure the budget is appropriate for the source.

6. Audience, distribution and marketing

A filmmaker must know her audience before a film can find distribution. This part of the proposal is a little tricky, particularly for personal documentaries and for those filmmakers who primarily make films for themselves. The proposal reader wants to know how the film will get to your defined audience. If the project is commercial, the reader will want to know how funding will be recouped. In some proposals this element is optional. (two to eight paragraphs).

7. Filmmaker’s bio and letters of support

This can and should include key players. Bios should be brief. These can be included as attachments.

8. Additional elements

Attachments that would be helpful in explaining or illustrating any of the above elements.

Production Stages

1. The proposal

2. Script development

The idea and its development

Discussion with sponsors and/or funding agencies

Preliminary research

Writing the proposal

Discussion of proposal

Agreement on budget

Research

Writing the shooting script

Acceptance and modification of the script

3. Preproduction (based on script and cards)

4. Filming

5. Editing

The visual edit based on the revised editing script

Editing sound and laying narration from approved narration script

6. Final lab work or on-line edit

Writing Stages

1. The idea (a few paragraphs)

2. The pitch (one page suitable for oral or written delivery)

3. The proposal (three to ten pages)

4. The shooting script

5. The editing script

6. The narration script

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvarna.files.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F07%2Ffilm-template.doc&ei=Xbk4TPTKM8yTkAXI2u2hAw&usg=AFQjCNEj1cNLwfxpYwsqZNdomwDzD7jk4w&sig2=5B2aR14p5JjGkoGz_O4kfA

Directed Storytelling Questions Template

Anastassia Drofa | Jason Cornwell | Madhu Prabaker

Process

1. When was the last time you decided to make something you hadn't made

before? Tell me about that.

2. What prompted you to make the decision?

3. Was there an occasion? What? Why?

4. Who were you cooking for? Why?

a. How did their preferences come into play in your decision?

5. Where did you get the recipe? Why?

6. Did you consider any other sources? Why/why not?

7. What did you choose?

a. Why did you choose that in particular?

b. Did you consider anything else?

c. How did you know you could handle it? Were you confident?

8. Walk me through the process step by step? (Ask why/when/how throughout)

Reflection

1. What was the most difficult irritating part this process? How did you overcome

this?

2. What did you enjoy most about the experience?

3. What did you do with the recipe? Why?

Personality

1. Why do you like cooking? What about it do you enjoy?

2. Would you consider cooking a hobby?

3. How does your personality come through in either the act of cooking, or in

your choice of recipes?

Offline Recipe Transfer

1. Have you ever called a relative for a recipe, or used somebody else’s recipe?

2. Walk me though that step by step?

3. How did you explain to them what you wanted?

4. How was the information conveyed?

5. What kind of advice did you get from them?

6. Do you feel like you learned anything from the experience?

7. What did you do with the information?

Documentary Film/Treatment Assignment

A documentary isn’t like a narrative form where you can carefully scrutinize every detail during the scripting process. When you film a documentary, most times there is a degree of uncertainty of how it will turn out because you never know what people will exactly say in an interview or what you will get on film. BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU GO OFF AND START SHOOTING WITH OUT PREPARATION.

Just like a narrative film, you will need to tell a story. The story has to have:

· Drama/conflict/change

· A beginning/middle/end

· A hook that draws the audience in the first few minutes/seconds

· Exposition where the audience learns background information required to understand the story/subject

· The a catalytic event/call to action where the audience plunges into the drama of the story

· Rising excitement as we draw closer to the conclusion

· A climax where we have all the information and the dramatic element is resolved

· Resolution where any loose ends are tied up

Just like a narrative film you want to make sure you have a plan for shooting and a schedule.

Although a documentary doesn’t always have a script, (some do) it at least has a treatment.

A treatment is a plan for how the film will work with enough flexibility to account for the uncertainty of working with reality.

A treatment has:

· A purpose or objective

· A target audience

· A subject(s)

· A point of view about the subject(s)

· A story outline discussing the hook, exposition, catalytic moment, a climax and resolution

· A time outline estimating minutes spent on the above

· A list of who will be filmed/interviewed

· A list of events that will be filmed

· A list of potential open-ended questions for interviewees and the expected answers

The Assignment:

Everyone in the class must create a 2-page typed treatment (double spaced, about 300 words) using the elements of the form supplied. The subject should be under ten minutes of screen time.

The treatment will be evaluated on:

· Complete: Are all the questions on the form answered?

· Comprehensive: Is there enough detail for the reader to understand the project you are proposing?

· Compelling: Is the reader impressed with your preparation for the film? Does it seem doable?

The treatment is due:

When the treatments are turned in, students will form new (or old) groups to produce one of their treatments.

The approximate timeline is shooting for 7 class days and editing for 7 class days.

Everyone in a group participating in the filming must have turned in a treatment.

Treatment

Answer at least one of the questions from each numbered group below. Use several complete sentences. Explain any part of your answer that is not obvious to a reader that knows nothing about the subject. A reader should not need to answer any further questions.

1. Who is the audience for the film? Who will watch it?

2. Why will your audience want to watch your film?

3. What is the subject of the documentary? What is it about? Who is it about?

4. Is there a conflict in the story? What is it? OR Is there a change in the story? What is it?

5. What is the point of view you will be showing about the subject?

6. What is your hook? Why will someone continue watching your film after one minute?

7. What happens in the beginning of the film? What is the expositional information?

8. What happens in the middle of the film? How does the story build to a climax?

9. What happens in the end?

10. What new information can the audience take away after the end of the film?

11. How many minutes to you guess the beginning, middle and end will be on screen, each?

12. List the events/locations where you will film.

13. What will you film at each of the events/locations?

14. List the people or types of people you will interview?

15. List at least six open-ended questions for people on your list?

16. List several b-roll shots you will need.