proudblog

The Ghost bike, of course, is a symbol of finality, a memorium - it is most certainly "an ending".

I've been thinking about sequences and how we as documentary makers create stories out of seemingly endless hours of rushes.  In the old days of film we thought a decent shooting ratio was twenty-to-one, this meant that you used about a minute for every twenty shot.  As a "film" maker in those days one became acutely aware of the shooting ratio because a roll of sixteen millimetre film plus processing cost a lot of money and only lasted ten minutes. These days a forty-minute Digi-beta tape doesn't cost very much and directors have the luxury of forgetting about the "off" button.  But how do we get the right material to make sequences and create many options for  beginnings, middles and ends when it comes to the edit?

Here are some tips:

Every shot you take should have a beginning, middle and end.

The interview material you get should contain the potential for beginnings, middles and ends.

Sometimes the environment surrounding your subject contains symbolic messages that can assume greater importance than might appear at first.  Keep looking and record things that might be useful in the edit.

Create opportunities for the editor to make a film out of your rushes - look for suspense - look for beauty - keep the camera moving - don't be afraid not to move the camera.

Keep asking questions, be spontaneous............to be continued