clackity-clack

Still have to schedule with Geo to view footage...but I am working on the script - specifically on how to open the film. It has to be quick and concise and get the story out in a way that is enticing to the veiwer.

Right now, I'm hedging my bets a little and plan on using some of the one-on-one interviews (quick edits) as a jumping off place. Followed by folks randomly (overlapped narration over titles/stills) reading off questions from actual quizzo events.

The lessons I've learned from working on SKALD stories is really coming in handy. In that competition, you only have 7 minutes to tell a complete story. It's a constant battle to edit (and re-edit) to clarify and condense the story. You don't want (or have time for) a lot of "drag" in a film this short. You need to cherry pick and highlight the details that make the story vibrant, fun and interesting. The more I hone the script now, the less time we'll waste in editing (the most time-consumming work to be done.)

In the meantime, I thought I'd attached this short little vid that Geo made right after we got back. This is one of the reasons why we had trouble shooting in the RV. It was like riding a rollercoaster at times (especially in that back bedroom.) Most docs that have RVs in them, I'm finding that in almost all cases, the solution was to shoot when the RV was at rest. Wish I had known that before the trip!

Shooting for those films took place after they were done driving for the day or had stopped/parked for sightseeing/lunch/etc. Which makes me wish that we had done a little more of that at the gas-up/rest stops. We didn't want to add to our 16 hr travel time (and to be honest, the DSP folks were still getting used to having a camera on them. )

One reason most doc have hours and hours of footage - is that it takes a long time for folks to relax and be themselves in front of a camera. Thanks to machinations of Mr. Aston Kuchner and the gentlemen of JACKASS, nowadays, everyone is concerned of being "punked" or looking the fool on video.

I'm not calling out who's "surfing" in back. We all pretty much looked that miserable when we were back there trying to get some shut-eye.

In other news, Ravin was asking about a title for this film so he could put it in his liner notes for his forthcoming CD. I've been dashing my brain, but I still think it's too soon to settle on one. Much like a nickname, I think it will present itself when the time is right.

homework

To get my brain in gear for editing and pacing, I'm currently watching documentaries like they were going out of style. Which is fantastic, because I love them. Even crappily made ones...mainly, because I spend the time figuring out why it's crappy.

Is the subject matter? The editing? The way the shot is framed? The pacing? Is the narrative too plodding and repetitive?

I'm the kind of gal that learns way more from the mistakes I've made than by my successes. So, watching a great documentary, sometimes it's harder to keen why it's a successful film. But a poorly executed documentary, you can figure out what to avoid (when possible) and how to fix mistakes.

For example, I already know that all of the video we've shot at Quizzo night and The Riddle can't be used with the sound on it. Mainly because both were set in bars which played a lot of loud music. Music I don't have the rights to...nor have the budget to acquire. So I know that those shots will have to be overlaid with narration, edited with other sequences that have usable sound, or covered by incidental music.

It may turn out that the video we shot in the RV doesn't have great sound due to the engine and a/c noise. Again, that may have to be "covered" or at the very least, captioned.

Poor sound will kill you faster than a boring subject matter. Word.


Anyway, I'm knee-deep in my homework, bellied up to the bar watching films I haven't seen in years and lots of new ones as well.

Specifically, I'm focusing on films that have one or more of the following elements or themes:
1. Road Trip
2. Underground/Offbeat Group Conventions
3. Obsessions
4. Friends working towards common goal
5. The "Big Stupid Idea"


Examples of films I've been watching or have queued up are:
Pop and Me (1)
Where Are We? (1)
American Movie (3, 4, 5)
Trekkies (2)
Crumb (3)
King of Kong (3)
Supersize Me (1, 5)
Mad Hot Ballroom (2, 4)
The Young and the Dead (5)
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (3)
This is Nowhere (1)
Growin' A Beard (4, 5)
The Journey (1)
Air Guitar Nation (2, 3)
30 Days (v.2)

For the record, I think most of these are great documentaries...I'm not focused on watching poor ones, I'm just not ruling them out.


I've seen a few other movies that I haven't listed here that would fit the bill like, Unconventional, Spellbound, and Word Play. I might re-rent those at some point. I'm steering clear of any mocumentaries for the time being.

If the .05 people who read this want to suggest a doc for veiwing, please post it in the comments! Much appreciated...

back in the saddle

Apologies to the .05 people who might be following this blog. After the trip to Atlantic City I was traveling much of the rest of June for work and then immediately went into intensive rehearsals for a play that just opened last week.

It is (finally) a new day, which means that I'm ready to turn my attention back towards the documentary.


I still need to schedule time with our cameraman, Geo, to look at the footage we currently have of the trip and see what's useable - sound and picture-wise. Hopefully, that will happen within the next couple of weeks. (He travels quite a bit himself and I've been completely swamped up 'til now.)

Our still photographer, Kristine, sent me proof sheets from the trip. I plan for the film to be a mix of video and stills with narration (and original music.) She got some great shots! (although I'm having trouble loading them here...curse my luddite ways.)

In other utterly fantastic news, my man Dave Lykins emailed me the original song he wrote with the documentary in mind. It's called Come Along and it couldn't be a better fit for this project. It's more spectacular than I had ever imagined it could be (and I had my standards up pretty high.) Having the original music is going to give up a huge leg up on how we edit the peice, so I'm extremely grateful that he's finished it and that it sounds so phenomenal!

With a song stuck happily in my head and with contact sheets to peruse, I'm thrilled to report that the quizzo doc slowly takes it next step towards fruition!


Stumbling, baby steps...but steps none-the-less!