Hey all,I have been in the middle east for a while deployed as a reservist.I left thinking I could make a cool doc. but now that I have tried to get started Im lost and dont really have any kind of vision of anything,just kinda blank.Some time ago it was recomended to do a letters from home approach and that sounds like a good idea.What I have to go with right now is helicopters over head,fighters,desert landscape stuff and colonel john doe in front of the camera,"My name is...I joined the service because......I want to say hi to my wife and........in bublescrew emarald city kentucky"Any sugjestions would be great!Footage is a real pain because Im really not supposed to be doing it and Im working with a field constructed tripod or not at all.Any Ideas?Tips?Thank you guys!!!!
reservist deployed making 1rst documentary
- Thread starter airbayforce
- Start date
Shoot lots of footage and find the story in there later. If you have a specific thing you're looking for in a doc, you may miss the real story in it. Although, having a story in mind will help you target your footage, just don't get too married to it, let the story unfold as it will.
If you're doing interviews, ask short concise questions that encourage the interviewees to do more than just answer yes or no. Let them continue to talk more, you can coax sincerity out of interviews by getting them past their initial camera shyness.
Make sure the camera is not their center of attention, you should set it on a tripod or high table and let it roll while you sit to the side of it and have them look at you rather than the camera. Out of sight, out of mind. This way, they talk to you rather than having the stress of entertaining an audience (the camera).
If you're doing interviews, ask short concise questions that encourage the interviewees to do more than just answer yes or no. Let them continue to talk more, you can coax sincerity out of interviews by getting them past their initial camera shyness.
Make sure the camera is not their center of attention, you should set it on a tripod or high table and let it roll while you sit to the side of it and have them look at you rather than the camera. Out of sight, out of mind. This way, they talk to you rather than having the stress of entertaining an audience (the camera).
Military.com
filmy
Thanks for the sacrifice you're making... I really appreciate it. You might want to check out some of the videos at Military.com --they might lead you to some kind of an idea... I just recently watched a music video someone made and it was hilarious... Keep thinking about it... Talk to some of your friends... You'll come up with something.airbayforce said:
filmy
First, be safe while shooting.
Sounds like you're looking for a voice or point of view. Ask yourself what you want to say and then start interviewing people with questions that get you to that point of view. If you want to show the day-to-day life of a grunt or why the soldier fight, think of questions that will get that said.
General rules on shooting:
- When shooting, take your time and count to at least 5 while shooting a shot
- Don't over use your zoom
- Use a tripod when you can
- Get plenty of cut aways, like close ups of hands, equipment, etc... (I like the example of somebody on a computer, get a wide shot of them with the computer, then a close up of the their hands on the keyboard and close up of their face and you have three shots. You can do this with almost any action.)
Thanks for your service.
Scott
Sounds like you're looking for a voice or point of view. Ask yourself what you want to say and then start interviewing people with questions that get you to that point of view. If you want to show the day-to-day life of a grunt or why the soldier fight, think of questions that will get that said.
General rules on shooting:
- When shooting, take your time and count to at least 5 while shooting a shot
- Don't over use your zoom
- Use a tripod when you can
- Get plenty of cut aways, like close ups of hands, equipment, etc... (I like the example of somebody on a computer, get a wide shot of them with the computer, then a close up of the their hands on the keyboard and close up of their face and you have three shots. You can do this with almost any action.)
Thanks for your service.
Scott
Be Careful!
When shooting military documentaries AND being in the military, you can run into extreme risk. Make sure you have the right permissions by your chain of command. Be careful of what you shoot. The military might regard what you shoot differently than you and can take just the littlest comment, scene, or message and slam it right back at you. I've seen it happen, and the consequences are fierce. Not to say that you can't film, just make sure that you get all the right WRITTEN permissions necessary. Also, remember OPSEC! I'm not gun-ho in the military, but don't let secure information get out. Good Luck
- fellow Military Member
When shooting military documentaries AND being in the military, you can run into extreme risk. Make sure you have the right permissions by your chain of command. Be careful of what you shoot. The military might regard what you shoot differently than you and can take just the littlest comment, scene, or message and slam it right back at you. I've seen it happen, and the consequences are fierce. Not to say that you can't film, just make sure that you get all the right WRITTEN permissions necessary. Also, remember OPSEC! I'm not gun-ho in the military, but don't let secure information get out. Good Luck
- fellow Military Member
Thanks fellows,think Im best off going with "let it unfold as it may".A pointer like the three shots from a computer desk is extremely helpful.I would have never thought of that with my newbie brain.Thanks again I will keep checking back!