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Jamaica,

 

This is what I would do if I were you (I've set docs up that didn't go to be shot for different reasons, but I've been working on it and if people here think I'm talking crap, they will let us know) :

 

- make a full inquiry on your subject. Meet specialists, victims, witnesses etc. "cast" them. Have them writing you letters promising they would agree to work with you if the film is made.

 

- try to build a continuity. Of course you won't be able to write a screenplay like for fiction films, but you should be able to build the whole film "on paper" : sequences, edting project, major content and people's purpose etc.

 

- Find the sets you want to shoot : places for different shots, hospitals, peoples'houses, places for interviews etc.

 

- try to find somebody taking the risk of producing your doc.

 

- estimate the cost of the whole production in different configurations, lets say one dvcam option, one SD digibeta option, one HD option, one super 16 option (I think you should forget about 35 on such a project). This person should help you out on this.

 

- try to earn money support from different founds that would be interested in the project

 

- At one point you'll have to take a decision of shooting or not with the budget you find or not. I would say at some point it's better to forget about a project than trying to do it and waste your time and energy if it doesn't seem to be possible to do it.

 

In this case, and event can make the project born again later, but leave it on a side if it doesn't work. It's important to give you a dead line like 1 year ahead may be or something so.

 

Then, you will have learn a lot when you get to this point, and you will know why you shoot it in one or another format or don't shoot it at all.

 

Have you seen "supersize me" ? Don't know what video format it was shot with, but it sounds to me your project could be based on the same kind of structure.

 

As many here said, the choice of the format is not your point number 1. You'll find it out doing the "developpment" job.

 

Good luck anyway !

 

 

Oh thanx, thanx, thanx. this is great advice.

some i've already done, and others i plan to do.

 

it's interesting that i see (write a script) advice from time to time because that's the very first thing i did even before seeking advice or buying a book. of course it has evolved since then.

I visualized the scenes and imagine the people I'd be interviewing and highlighting along with some visual evidence and footage from other media(i'll of course need to seek consent...)

no. it will be nothing like 'supersize me'. it might be a cross between micheal moore's 'roger and me' and some real interesting scenarios and people. I want it to be both an expose and scientifically informative to people.

 

It will be very controvercial, not intentionally, but because of the subject matter and the exploration into what I've observed over the years. i think it's very important and i am very intent on making it.

 

as a start, i plan on volunteering at a women's center or somplace where i can reach some women. i just thought of it this morning while reading barry hampe's book. i'll do a search on google for some centers near me.

 

anyway, thank you for being serious and up front with me on the subject of making a documentary.

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Guest Trevor Swaim

anything CAN be blown up for a theatrical release. so you should stop worring about that. the dvx is a great camera, i shot my first feature on one, i love it. but for a doc i would probably shoot with a sony pd-170 for various technichal reasons.

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anything CAN be blown up for a theatrical release. so you should stop worring about that.  the dvx is a great camera, i shot my first feature on one, i love it. but for a doc i would probably shoot with a sony pd-170 for various technichal reasons.

i googled the cameras suggested. thanx, but video is not an option.

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Hi Laurent.a,

 

one of the books I'm reading suggests that a documentarian have good knowledge of all aspects of documentary production.

I was thinking of taking a course or volunteering as an apprentice at a tv station somewhere. which do you think may be a better choice?

I want to be very well prepared.

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the guy at Panevision told me that Fahrenheit 9/11 was shot on 16mm and blown up to 35mm, you say otherwise...

He suggested I go HD because it will produce good quality for way cheaper than film. He told that 'spy kids' was shot on HD and they blew it up to film.

 

 

Just a tip, IMDB usually lists a film's technical specs. In Fahrenheit 9/11's case, here's the link http://imdb.com/title/tt0361596/technical.

 

As a side note, this is my first post - but it's been great just reading the forum - you can learn a lot from just going through the various forums. My advice is to read through the forums (e.g. if you want to film out about 16mm, read the 16mm forum).

 

I understand your desire to get the best possible image for your doc but consider this. I'm taking an intro to filmmaking course right now and I shot a test reel with a Bolex H16 (16mm camera) got it back -- some of it looked good and most of it looks downright horrible. Whether film or video, my point is this -- anything worth doing takes time and lots of study. I know how it is to have this story that you're bursting at the seams to tell. However, to do it well takes knowledge, skill and practice -- all of which requires time.

 

Lastly, the one thing with film is that you can't tell until after it's developed and you project it. Assuming you can get same-day developing (I live in NYC so I can get film in by 10am and back by 4pm), you're still talking hours before you see your footage. If you only have your interviewee for a couple hours and you NEED to get it right, you won't be able to check right away like you can with video.

 

Just my 2 newbie cents.

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Just a tip, IMDB usually lists a film's technical specs. In Fahrenheit 9/11's case, here's the link http://imdb.com/title/tt0361596/technical.

 

As a side note, this is my first post - but it's been great just reading the forum - you can learn a lot from just going through the various forums. My advice is to read through the forums (e.g. if you want to film out about 16mm, read the 16mm forum).

 

I understand your desire to get the best possible image for your doc but consider this. I'm taking an intro to filmmaking course right now and I shot a test reel with a Bolex H16 (16mm camera) got it back -- some of it looked good and most of it looks downright horrible. Whether film or video, my point is this -- anything worth doing takes time and lots of study. I know how it is to have this story that you're bursting at the seams to tell. However, to do it well takes knowledge, skill and practice -- all of which requires time.

 

Lastly, the one thing with film is that you can't tell until after it's developed and you project it. Assuming you can get same-day developing (I live in NYC so I can get film in by 10am and back by 4pm), you're still talking hours before you see your footage. If you only have your interviewee for a couple hours and you NEED to get it right, you won't be able to check right away like you can with video.

 

Just my 2 newbie cents.

The book by barry hampe suggests that without proper lighting picture quality is almost nil. He repeats it almost everywhere in the book so it wont be lost on me.

 

He however emphasise that one needs to go for the best equipment one can get, along with the best technical personnel one can get, because the better the original end product, the better the generational copies.

This guy has years of documentary experience behind him and I'm taking his advice.

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