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...