CSSQRD Productions

Given that I work well with Colleen and Sei-Kai and vice versa, we decided to merge together as a group on this project and future ones and have named our production group CSSQRD. We feel it sounds professional and represents us well as a team. We hope to create a number of amazing pieces under this production name.

Email :cssqrdproductions@gmail.com

Canterbury Cathedral

About three weeks ago, we were given the opportunity to run a test shoot at the Canterbury Cathedral as this also was under the documentary brief as a prospective client. The workshop was basically a run through of what a real life filming situation would be like - from filling up risk assessment forms to setting up cameras and tripods and asking for permission to film on location. Personally, I'm glad we did this workshop as it gave us an insight into our filming techniques and styles. It also gave us a realistic view of what documentary filming will be like for our project. That day we learnt a lot about shot transitioning, when dealing with different exposures. A lot of our glitches on the day were issues we would need to know about for our documentary and filming as well. Now we are informed and know the right thing to do in such situations we can avoid hazards and filming issues and get right on with it. On the day I'd like to say we took responsibility for all roles i.e. Director, cameraman, sound designer/operator and producer.
The editing process was great. I personally love editing so for me it was a breeze. I wasn't fond of the sony cameras until I saw the footage we produced and I'm quite confident now in using it for our documentary Wonder woman. When our work was reviewed our tutor was particularly impressed with our still shots, Pace of footage and the editing. I hope to use these techniques for our documentary as well.

What is an Interview? - Workshop with Peter William Lloyd

An interview can be defined as a discussion or consultation between two people as a means of extracting useful information for a given purpose. In this post, I will be reflecting on our workshop with Peter and research about interview content.

There are various kinds of interviews but the most common is a two person shot. Peter Williamson Lloyd is a renowned camera man and came to share with us a few of his techniques to ensure us quick, easy and usable footage.

THREE EASY RULES FOR INTERVIEW FILMING

The 180 degree rule is imperative when filming an interview. Considering that there will be more than one person in frame at a time you need to ensure you are on the right side of the line to avoid characters glancing awkwardly into empty spaces.

Always cover your jump cuts with a cutaway (footage used to hide awful cuts and edits). Although frowned upon out of preference a shot of the hands is always convenient or a cut to their shadow on the wall when trying to conceal identity.

Back to back shots between the Interviewer and Interviewee must be filmed on opposite sides of the frame to keep the eye contact between both characters on screen.

MINIMUM COVER - The ability to shoot a two person conversation/interview quickly and efficiently.

In addition to this minimum cover filming technique, we worked on our sound and lighting. As a group we had to determine what would be appropriate for lighting when working on a two person shoot. Given that lighting isn't necessarily my strong suit, I learnt quite a lot about three point lighting and the role of each light in this system. The image below briefly pin points the use of each light in the three point lighting system. From all I learnt in the workshop, I don't really have much of a preference. I can work ideally now in artificial lighting and natural alike.

After discussing lighting, we got to experiment more with our sound during the latter part of our workshop. We went outside to film a short clip of two people talking and had to figure out our lighting sound, angles, shots and also edit the footage within thirty minutes. All in all it was a great exercise. We learnt to work under pressure and produce something substantial for viewers. In addition to these key tips, I did a little research and wider reading to help broaden my knowledge.
What makes a good interviewer?
- expertise, charisma, relevance, confidence, understanding, articulacy etc.

The following can be considered as components that contribute to good interviewing in documentary filmmaking - beside each is a brief description:

A set up sequence - Helps to establish the setting, character and subject matter)
Actuality sequences - Footage of actual events or actions taking place without prior planning
Interviewer - Voice of God, Physical presence, Biased narrator? This sets the tone of the documentary.
A nice set up for the interview - Helps the character feel comfortable and is pleasing to the eye for viewers.

The following are concerns you must keep updated on:
Consent forms
Release forms
Half hour setting up time
correct spellings of names etc for captions on footage
Watch shots as they're being directed
Non Sync wide cutaways are always a good idea!
Legal constraints to consider when filming
Reaction shots from the interviewee (Creates a sense of communication and understanding)
Vary your shot sizes
Interviews should last at the most, 2 minutes at a time.

Introduction to factual programming and the documentary genre

Factual programming can be referred to as anything that falls under non-fiction filming. There are also many subdivisions in the documentary genre as the the truth is told from perspective. 

A documentary is:

- A programme that relays information across to a viewing audience

- An artistic representation of actuality/reality

- Informing about the world in an entertaining form. 

The following can be considered as genres in documentary style films/programmes:

- Fact-Ent 

- Docu-Soap

- Reality TV

- Social affairs 

- Scientific 

- Historical 

One must always put into consideration their target audience when developing ideas for the documentary and do the research. What is distinctive on television? What's everyone watching? What's in? Look for demand and create to satisfy need. In addition, more attention should be paid to content. You should be able to sell your idea/programme based on the subject matter alone. 

Things to consider when creating your DOC Idea: 

Who is your film for? 

Remain impartial/unbiased

Accurate information 

Audience behaviour and expectation

Channel demographic

Multi platform viewing

Time

Access

Perspective

Documentaries started to surface in Britain in the late 1930's with productions like Listen to Britain and Coal Face. Little Britain was referred to as authentic truth by it's spectators. With no commentary/Scripting, it was the first artistic piece to display life in it's actual self in Britain.

The first ever form of documentary film was started by the Lumiere Brothers who first made a camera in 1895 that could only hold 50 feet of film stock hence making their films very short. Although actuality programmes have been around for some time they emerged as we know them today in 1922 with Robert Flaherty's Nanook of the North. It was the first feature film of it's time to present actuality in an artistic and entertaining form. A fellow pioneer of the documentary genre Grierson directed nightmail in 1936. It was a documentary focused on the train transporting mail from London to Edinburgh. Twenty odd years later, and the documentary genre has seen drastic, new and exciting changes. In the 50s/60s, a new movement recognised as direct cinema took the united states by storm. It was a new style that gave the impression that events happened as they were without the interference of a camera man or crew. Handheld filming also became popular within this time frame as it gave a feeling of spontaneity to the footage. At this time in France, Cinema Verité was emerging as well, this filming style aimed to be as realistic as possible by keeping everything natural. I.e. lighting, sounds, locations etc. Cinema Verité favoured handheld filming as it created the realistic feel especially for physical movements in front of the camera.