How do I do this?

T

TheDigits

I have set upon to film a amateur documentary. The main subject is different locations in people's lifes and especially the faces of people. This means that I need to get people agree to get their faces filmed, most likely in their natural habitat like the workplace, at home or similar locations. I have experience and knowledge in how to use my camera, filming and post-production. I have been out in the field before, doing small jobs or as a hobby, but never something like this. Where I will be forced to contact strangers, who has never met me, and ask them to invite me into their lifes and film their faces, only to leave soon after.

I need some tips and knowledge, from people who has experience with this. So I feel I must explain a bit more detailed of what I plan to film.
I live in a small country where I want to film different aspects of the people's lifes, so the viewer gets to see all the different places, that they are not presented with on a daily basis. I want to present subjects, in forms of scenes. There will be no synchronous sounds in the film, only added soundtracks to enhance the scenes. Imagine a amateur attempt at the film, "Baraka" or "Samsara". I do not need interviews or anything. All I need is some short footage of them staring into the camera, which consist of close-ups, half-near and supertotals.

To give you a better understanding here is 2 of the subjects I want to cover:

1. Time
First I want to present the viewer with youth and birth. So this means I have to film parents who has a newborn and some who has young kids. Then I want to move over to early adulthood (16-25yrs) and film a group that goes out at night to visit the pubs, clubs and that lifestyle. Then a group that is religious, or not fond of the partylife, and see what they spend their youth on. To end this subject I need to film the elderly. I need to film them at the nursing home to show the increase in elders ending up alone in my country.

2. Crime and Religion
Here I want to present the docile, but very visible crime in my country. I need to film drug abuse too. While I will have easy acces to these groups I find it hard that they will agree to be filmed. Criminals of course have to hide identity, and drug abusers most likely will not want to be exposed like that. How do I tell a person I need to film him, due to him living the life he does? Then I need to film religion. I want to film priests and churches of Christianity and imans and mosques of Islam, as they are the two major religions in my country. Here I actually think I am lucky, as a good friend of mine is muslim, and he might be able to introduce me.

There are many other subjects, such as sex, work, human consumtions and nature, yet the question are the same. I need to know how to introduce myself to strangers and find some sort of deal, where I am allowed to film them.

If anyone has experience in this field, your help is much appreciated.
 
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I did a similar kind of project last year,with my college mates. You have to be able to talk with people you don't know.They should know ,they are in on the film and such.When i am shooting a celebrity or a politician or a re-known figure, i always make sure i have a singed paper of acceptance from those people. Not everyone cares about the legal stuffs,but make sure you stay safe.
 
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Yes I think that is the best way to go. I am used to meet new people, but that is often as a job or something similar arranged, yet this time it is me who needs something of them. The tip of signing a paper is very good, as I want to be as honest as possible.

Did you approach the strangers and discuss your business and then arranged a new date for shooting? What if you need to shoot right away?
 
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For my documentary ,i had a run and gun kind of shooting,mostly. I never planned things prior to shoots.As i wanted my documentary to be genuine , i preferred that way.I would just go to the location and ask them the favor. I'l tell them that , i am making a documentary and i am planning to screen it on so and so festivals,channels etc etc . In my case, the acceptance was 6 out of 10. The Four people just said no !. Then i'd had to rely on the 6, those who admitted to participate in my documentary. But when i need to shoot inside offices and schools, i had to make prior inquiries and admissions.I shoot around 4 to 5 hours of footage each day and out off these would discard around a 2 hours of shots for one reason or another.So getting the real shots, is a tricky thing.I would recommend to carry a secondary camera.

Technically, that piece of paper is a release form as mad hatter pointed out. In my case ,i only used it with renowned figures not the entire people who come in my documentary. It was just a simple acknowledgement letter that, he/she confirm to act in my doc and are fully aw are of their doings.Their opinions and acts are their own and i won't have any responsibility over that,etc etc . I also inform the authority (Police) , if i am shooting in very crowded or hefty traffic locations.That is always helpful,since you are backed up by the officials.

For the quick tips, always try to shoot in auto focus.You also need a long zoom to capture the action up close.
Also you might to refer to this page to know more about doing run and gun shooting successfully.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_filmmaking
 
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Thanks for the tips Filmer, they are very useful. It was my plan to do it this way, but hearing it from someone who has actually done it helpful. If someone says no, there is always another that might agree. Also the release form is something I want to remember. Thanks all for the help.

If anyone else has done this before, please post you story. It really helps and such to just read of your experiences.
 
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TheDigits said:
Thanks for the tips Filmer, they are very useful. It was my plan to do it this way, but hearing it from someone who has actually done it helpful. If someone says no, there is always another that might agree. Also the release form is something I want to remember. Thanks all for the help.

If anyone else has done this before, please post you story. It really helps and such to just read of your experiences.
Click to expand...

yeah someone emailed me and asked if i would be in theirs. i said yes. it was simple.
 
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sfoster said:
yeah someone emailed me and asked if i would be in theirs. i said yes. it was simple.
Click to expand...

Yeah that is a pretty simple way and seems like the best. I had the idea but was never really sure. I have already planned out locations that I want to visist, so its either send them an email or ask them in person ^^ People I meet on the go I'll just have to explain my doing as fast and understandable as possible. TY
 
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Filmer said:
Technically, that piece of paper is a release form as mad hatter pointed out. In my case ,i only used it with renowned figures not the entire people who come in my documentary...
Click to expand...

You really ought to get release forms signed by everybody. Should somebody decide after the fact that they don't want to be in your film, you may have to cut the shots they are in, or perhaps frame them out, or blur their faces. Each of those options is less than desirable.
 
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mad_hatter said:
You really ought to get release forms signed by everybody. Should somebody decide after the fact that they don't want to be in your film, you may have to cut the shots they are in, or perhaps frame them out, or blur their faces. Each of those options is less than desirable.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that tip and its very True. I was actually talking about, the people who come in the frame.May be they have a 5 second long close up shot.But i never used any release forms with them.In fact i collected acknowledgement form from every person who has at least a single dialogue in my documentary.
 
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