FREE Film School – Assignment 3: Process Documentary

In the last assignment, FREE Film School pupils had to complete a task called “completed action”. That task is all about shooting and editing, but focused on filming actions which are “completed” from one shot to the next. The next assignment is similar to that, but you will be working in a documentary situation.

In other words, you won’t have control over the action this time. There will be no directing of your subject. Instead, you must film an activity as it happens, as you would in a documentary.

Process Documentary examples

I’m sure you can think up a load of ideas on your own. But here are some examples to show you what kind of task this is.

a delivery driver delivering packages to houses.

a builder or worker fixing something in the house

a baker baking bread.

an office meeting

a coach leading a team sport session

And so on. Now, the first thing is to pick a subject and the second is to get permission to film them. As you can see, it can be any activity, so you can choose something you have access to.

Out of your comfort zone

This task will probably require you to step out of your comfort zone a bit. My own personal experience is that for many years I would have been too shy to approach anyone except close friends and family. This is one major character flaw which held me back from being a filmmaker until my 40s.

This is probably why I ended up being a screenwriter and a sound recordist. These 2 activities are perfect for social recluses like me (and here I am writing again). But to fulfill my dream as a filmmaker I knew at some point I would have to confront this fear.

The reason I write this is I suspect I’m not alone in facing this major obstacle. Some people are confident, can just walk up to strangers in the street and chat away. I’m not one of those people.

When we look at the videos shared online, on YouTube and other places, there’s an awful lot of content featuring hills and sunsets and streets in cities. Rarely do filmmakers feature people doing things in their videos. But I can assure you, people engaged in some kind of activity is a far more interesting subject than yet another perfectly exposed landscape.

Stories are about people

Why do so many filmmakers share videos without human stories in them? It might be social fear or it might be they just want to play with their camera and don’t care what the subject is. But if you’re serious about being a filmmaker you’ll simply have to film people at some point.

Make a plan

Right, so you’ve found your subject and they’ve agreed to let you film them for a few hours. But don’t just turn up and start filming. Plan ahead and work out your strategy first.

When documentaries are made professionally, the filmmakers script everything first. They have a very clear idea of the images they hope to capture. With documentary the filmmakers have to work with an ongoing situation, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need to be prepared.

Make a shot list and tick it off as you go. That way you will more likely have everything you need when you come to edit.

Get close ups

One of the signs of a well made process documentary is the inclusion of close ups. While beginning filmmakers often film all the action in wide shots, more experienced pros will get in close and intimate.

Show the expressions of people faces, especially the main subject. Show hands doing the important work. Show anything else in close up that you think the audience will find interesting.

Having close ups also gives you a lot of flexibility when editing. If you need to cut from one angle to another, or reduce the length of the sequence, often cutting to a close up first makes it easier to get to the next shot.

Investigate the process

Again, our social awareness can stop us from filming close ups. Just like walking up to stranger feels intrusive, likewise filming close ups can too (if you’re not used to it).

Remember, being a documentary filmmaker is like being a detective. This means not being too shy to look under the carpet for the murder weapon. A documentary is an investigation and, like with a detective, your motivating factor must be insatiable curiosity.

While this assignment is still just an exercise in shooting and editing, it will still help you make a better film if you approach it this way. On the other hand, if you see this as more of a chore to complete on your way to being a filmmaker, you’ll be missing an opportunity.

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