The How and Why
I’m always looking to learn something new or for new experiences, so when a friend told me about a documentary class that was being offered via Facebook in my town, I was intrigued. It cost $180 (?) and one day of my time, but I felt it was not a high cost either in time or money to get a glimpse of the process of making a documentary.
Two other students joined me that day. One was seriously interested in making documentaries on his own, the other was looking for techniques to up her Instagram. I was just maybe learning something I could use to improve the videos I periodically share on our YouTube channel. You know, make better stuff for y’all, our gentle readers.
Is This For Real?
I was a bit skeptical about the class, pretty much all the way up to when we met. I frequently read about folks getting scammed on Facebook. So, I checked out Jon’s prior work as a documentarian and spoke with him twice at length before forking over a partial payment for the class. I was relieved when the day of the class finally arrived, and we got to it.
It seems Jon is travelling the globe, looking for interesting stories, funding his lifestyle by offering classes and producing short documentaries to build out his own body of work. Not a bad way to live, given he enjoys it.
Choosing A Subject
Although Jon asked us for story ideas, he seemed pretty set on interviewing a Russian expat entrepreneur, Nera, a lady who started making macrame art and then expanded into a clothing line she sells at a shop in town. In general, groundwork ahead of the class day involves ensuring you have people with interesting things to say who are willing to talk to you and/or access to interesting or relevant locations for film footage.
Jon spent a fair amount of time beforehand meeting with her to get background to ensure there was enough meat for a film and to prepare her and minimize anxiety over being interviewed. Even so, you never know how things will turn out until you get started.
Class Starts
We spent our first hour+ going over documentary film production techniques and equipment. We covered focal length, exposure, shutter speed, film speed, filters, battery management, tripod usage, microphones, audio levels, etc. Most of these things were set and forget for most applications.
We also talked about some possible places to film background footage. Surprisingly, to me, we didn’t do a storyboard. Although we discussed the background of our subject, it was only to think about what questions we might want to ask. The choice was to let the initial interview responses inform later questions.
Equipment
There were four basic components we used: a Sony FX30 digital camera (with extra batteries and memory cards and a remote), a small external microphone, a full-size tripod, and a “speed bag”.
We didn’t use a dedicated video camera but rather a high-end SLR. The video it took was quite good, and the size made it quite versatile. Having experienced taking video from my digital camera, I can tell you the external mic was a must. The quality is so much better, and the size made it so you barely noticed.
The tripod was certainly stable, but definitely a bit of a boat anchor. The three students took turns carrying it around. I see the benefit for image stability when filming longer segments. The real surprise was the Cinesaddle “speed bag”, which is basically a sturdy camera bag with a shoulder strap. Jon showed us a technique where you rest the bag on your hip and the camera on the bag to do the filming. It was surprisingly stable and versatile. I would definitely invest in this option and a mic if I started doing more filming.
Shooting B-Roll
B-Roll is the background video you often see in TV shows and documentaries. Typically, it is used to space out parts of an interview or story to allow the viewer to process what they have just been told. It is also used with voiceovers, possibly even of the same interview. Watching someone talk for 20 straight minutes can be draining. Looking at a nature or street scene during the interview can lessen the sensory load and it can support the storyline with relevant images.
After we left the classroom (a conference room in a remote-work office), we spent about two hours wandering around town looking for B-roll opportunities. Some street scenes, vendors, buildings, trees, flowers, signs, the local soccer pitch. We wanted a variety that could be used when splicing together the final film.
The Interview
After shooting B-Roll and grabbing lunch, we finally met up with Nera at her home/studio for the interview. Jon had already been there to scout it out as a suitable location for the shoot. Knowing we were coming, she had prepared the base of a piece of macrame art she was working on. That allowed us to interview her while she worked on the piece, so she didn’t come across strictly as a talking head. It also allowed us to film her at her craft, which made interesting background as well.
The other students and I took turns holding the camera, the mic, and asking questions. In addition to the interview, we grabbed some B-Roll in the house and got some background audio from the room. Apparently, it’s important to use the audio when you have parts of the film where there is no talking or music. It turns out that our brain expects visuals to have sound. So not having the audio feels like something is missing. We also took background audio when we were shooting the B-Roll earlier in town.
Going About Town and the Beach
Next, we headed over to the shop carrying Nera’s clothing, which she described as “Festival Wear”. Um, ok. She showed us some pieces and described them for us. I could certainly see the appeal, but macrame was never really my speed.
Finally, we headed to the beach to get some obligatory “paradise” footage with Nera walking on the beach and a few more interview questions. As time went on, she had become more relaxed and less self-conscious, so her answers were more natural. The light was fading, so it was a good time to stop filming.
Editing the Film
But we weren’t done! After a full day of filming we headed back to the classroom to view some of the hours of footage we had. Jon loaded it all on his MacBook and launched Davinci Resolve, a powerful, free video editing tool. He then proceeded to grab bits of video, separating them from their audio and splicing the video and audio segments together.
In the space of an hour, he produced a few minutes of film, interlacing an interview, video background, and audio background. The software was clearly very powerful, and he used it deftly. It was fascinating to watch him compose the segment. He used strategic pauses in audio and video to help the viewer get drawn in and stay with the story. These were techniques that were completely new to me yet made so much sense once revealed.
Putting It All Together
https://youtu.be/QRUxbU74iBkThere was far too much content to review that evening. The other students and I left the task of creating the documentary from the content we had amassed to Jon. It took Jon about a week to get back to us. You can see the final product below. Be sure to watch for my name in the credits!
Final Thoughts
Although it was a long day, I really appreciated the experience and would recommend it for anyone interested. I learned so much about the process, equipment, software and techniques for documentary film making. I hope I can use some of them in the future to improve my own videos.
One big take away was to let an interview take you where it will. Be open to new things you hear along the way. Near the end, I said to Nera she must be happy that she found her new home, as had I. She corrected me, Playa is not her new home, it’s just another stop along the way for her.
What documentary would you like to make?
