This is the most important question , the answer is when you make documentary you Get to learn

1. Planning

2. Working as team

3. Dubbing

4. Camera Handling

5. Editing

And it gives your first movie which you can see and show to Dad!!!

Its easier than any other types of  movie , short film or anything , because you don’t need someone to act out the scenes for you (its really challenging)  , you just have to ask little favors from others , and ask them what they think and just shoot that .

I will just share what we learn in these five things from our Documentary making, so that if you are shooting your first documentary this will definitely help you.

I) Planning

This is  the first and most important part , where you try to see your final outcome.

Here are 9 things that we learned from Planning

1. It starts from Topic of Documentary . And its most essential  part ,

And don’t let only one person decide what will be the topic,  choose the topic that excites all the team , if out of 4 , 3 likes the topic and one don’t , that remaining gonna cause problem , not knowingly but he will.

Trust me on this , he will definitely sleep in major phase of Editing . (I’m joking actually anything can happen someone might loose interest someone might gain)

But its always great if all you love the topic , because it’s the only thing that will keep you alive in EDITING stage.

In EDITING there would be some moments where all brains will be shut down, I’m not exaggerating.

That’s why you have to choose the topic you love and not just one you like.

2.Always decide the length of Documentary,  that will tell you while planning that how many shots and there length they suppose to have.

3. when you will have the topic , sit all the team together and list all possible shots you will love to and you will need to take.  Be more flexible , look at your list and see how much of them are pretty rare shots , don’t count on them. That’s why list more shots that have possibility of getting easily.

If you are listing shots like A specific bird seating on the something specific (monkey , tiger), how in the world you gonna make it unless your are GOD ..

List the shots that are easily available and more appropriate to the topic.

4. If your shooting something that does not depend on  natural , atmospheric events , you can create good storyboard , like

if you are visiting the Fort or something specific , when you choose the topic Rain , you cant seem to make storyboard and you have list of scenes which seems pretty rare , if you found someone who have made his first documentary on Rain  without stealing  somebody’s scenes , say him you are awesome Dude …

so storyboard will give the clear idea that how your final documentary will be .

5. Now  check the battery of your camera , how many hours it runs ?

Can you take two or more batteries , and please don’t use two different cams as it will cause problems in editing , and it will increase the complexity.

Also check the storage capacity of your camera

6. Now if  for some shots or may be for all shoot you have got only one chance , like going away  for many kms , or sometimes it just the place has only 2 or 3 hours , or you have got the permission for only 2 hours ,

You have to think of all possible options that can go wrong and make pre adjustments, don’t assume that it wont happen or you will figure out how .

7. Always remember , what you planned doesn’t happen 51% of time , I just made up the percentage , but What were you thought most of the times wont happen, you can take it positively too.

That’s why its important to take care of what can go wrong , what to do for that.

Planning saves so many times but not always , but believe me its so much fun , to shoot that you cant control.(There will be times when your camera suddenly wont save anything though it has all free disk)

8. If you are planning for the first time , decide small length of documentary like 7 or 8 mins , you may  laugh but believe me buddy you will learn the importance of 1 milisec in Editing

9. If you choose the topic that is in your city and in 10 to 15  kms radius of your home , it will save you from many  problems. Like It will free you from your storage and battery  problems of your camera,

the best advice I would like to give about the topic is that choose something rare but easily available , or choose something common but show all the uncommon and  totally different  aspects.

(You might want  to read these articles :)

Creating 1st Documentary

Making of Documentary-Part 1

Making of Documentary-Part 2

Making of Documentary-Part 3

Take care of These Points

“We are committed to CANI! ” click here

Thank You.

Kiran

(Here are the article links for easy access:)

Creating 1st Documentary

Making of Documentary-Part 1

Making of Documentary-Part 2

Making of Documentary-Part 3

Take care of These Points (This Article)

“We are committed to CANI! ” click here

Here we go….

1.   Keep back up of all content. Not only at start but also, in between, after doing considerable work with details of state. i.e. what that backup contains. Also, some conventions must be initially declared which helps to work in team.

2.   Observe each and every shot carefully with your team members. Note down the details in every shot. Each shot details must contain length and quality of shot, imporatance of shot content, camera shakes, acceptability of shot, relation to main theme etc.

3.   Discard the shots having very poor scores. But be open to use the small parts of shot if necessary.

4.   Take away all the selected shots to the next process.

5.   Arrange them in order by which the documentary will precede.

6.   Divide them in number of sequences. Don’t make too many or too less sequences. Generally, all the sequences have same length. Again, this is also a generalization. Not hard and fast rule.

7.   Take an overview of documentary by playing the sequences in order. This will help to change the flow of documentary by changing the postion of shots.

8.   Now, take Sequence 1, Shot 1.

Cut down the part of shot which is not needed and finally get polished shot. Repeat the same for all the shots. This will give ready Sequence 1.

9.   Follow the same for all the sequences.

10.  Again play the documentary sequences and spot the shots those will need some effects like fast forward, blackout etc.
11.  Again give effect to all those shots from all sequences.
12.  Now, virtually documentary video is ready.
13.  Join all the shots in each sequence.Joining may need effects keep your eye on it.
14.  Right now, we have number of clips equal to the number of sequences. Join them
Here is complete documentary video.
15.  Write a script according to video content and length of total video. Script must be in parts. Finalize the script.
16.  Dub the script according in parts.
17.  When total script is dubbed, adjust the voice according to video position. i.e. insert silence. Video must have relation with voice.
18.  After doing this voice track is complete.
19.  Select background music. Adjust its length with video by reuse of track or try multiple tracks.
20.  At this position we must have 3 things. Video, Voice track and Background track.
Background music track must have sound level of 50% to 60% as that of voice track. But both must have same length.
Video must be silent and its length must be slightly longer than voice or background track.(few seconds long).
ATTACH THEM ALL!
21.  Now, make complete welcome video and end video with sound. Join them to main documentary without hurting the middle main content. This can also be done in initial phases by considering welcome video as sequence 0 and end video as sequence last.

That’s All!
Documentary is Ready! (Serve that with jam!).

Thank You.

Kiran

(Here are the article links for easy access:)

Creating 1st Documentary

Making of Documentary-Part 1

Making of Documentary-Part 2

Making of Documentary-Part 3 (this Article)

Take care of These Points

“We are committed to CANI! ” click here

This is time when you are working on the field, wandering like crazy, hunting for best shots!

Here is Process Chart for this phase:

• Keep the shot list in hand and cut down the shots you captured satisfactorily.
• Try to be at best position, at perfect time to capture incredible shot. Though, this is point where luck matters but at least be ready when luck raise hand for you. Don’t miss that opportunity.
• Sequential check list is definitely  very helpful but don’t be rigid with the checklist. Unknowingly nature gives you the gift. Be free to accept it.
• Hit down the maximum number of shots on the checklist.

And….

Here ends the 2nd phase.

This SHOOTING phase seems smaller here. But, if you have not done your homework then you may find yourself just wandering around a lot and getting very less or no valuable material.

In short, You must know your outcome, then only there are chances to hit down your target!

Thank You.

Kiran

(Here are the article links for easy access:)

Creating 1st Documentary

Making of Documentary-Part 1

Making of Documentary-Part 2 (this Article)

Making of Documentary-Part 3

Take care of These Points

“We are committed to CANI! ” click here

Here we go….

• Most confusing task- Decide the Subject for Documentary. Commit on its length and decide ‘theme or form‘ of documentary. Example: Our subject was Rain, length about 10 mins and theme was Poetic.

Main Theme or Forms of Documentary:

1. Linear Narrative Form which is also known as Classical Hollywood Storytelling.
2. Discussive Narrative Form which gives priority to Information, Facts and Logic.
3. Episodic Narrative Form which (I haven’t understand yet!).
4. Poetic Narrative Form which is built up around the Visual-Poetic Association.

• Refer some similar or helpful documentary of some standard value, such as on Discovery channel.
• Make the expected Shot list including specific details expected in each shot. Example: Shot is ‘Wet Dog‘ or ‘young kid with umbrella‘ or ‘water ponds‘.
• Shot list must contain too many shots. For 10 min long documentary, we had managed to brainstorm about 35 to 40 shots.
• Comment about the duration of shots and their availability. Also, note the specific time if it is need of some shot. Example: Fog shooting must be done in early morning and Sunset in evening.
• Make a Generalized shot list sequence by which shoot will precede, including details about time.
• I think, this much homework is OK for PRESHOOT phase. But this is not perfect list, so it may grow further.

Thank You.

Kiran

(Here are the article links for easy access:)

Creating 1st Documentary

Making of Documentary-Part 1 (this Article)

Making of Documentary-Part 2

Making of Documentary-Part 3

Take care of These Points

“We are committed to CANI! ” click here

Last year, we (which includes 3 people) had created our 1st documentary. We had no idea about anything related to Documentary. Even, when Mahesh had raised subject of documentary, I was feeling something like DOKKyuMentRy (Why For?!). Then all of us agreed and all those things bla..blaa…blaaah.

We had some searches regarding ‘Making  Documentary’, on internet, got some ideas, some keypoints etc. We worked as per the plan we had created, on that material and finally reached to the output where all of us were satisfied with. (Which means completed that documentary!).

After completing that work, we had done a long list of tasks, that could be used as a flow process chart for making documentary, which was based on our experience of making one! The intention was to avoid the same mistakes and the unexpected problems (!).

Now, I am going to present you the same process flow chart.

One more thing- When we came up with this list, we were unknown from technical terms. Also, we had assumed some terms for some phenomena…..like x in equation. I am trying to correct the things from list, but no doubt it is not perfect (Technically it should not be!). That is why experience is important. More you do it, better answer you come up with!

My purpose to produce this Flow Process Chart is to give you some reference, so that at least you can avoid the mistakes or pitfalls we faced with!

You must be knowing this quote:

Experience is the name we give to our mistakes.  Some people only live, some people live and learn, Wise people learn from their own mistakes, Wiser people learn from other peoples’ mistakes.

Our Lives are not long enough to learn only from our own mistakes.

-  Unknown to me but must be wiser or better

Here you go for Flow Process Chart (rather I must say Algorithm!):

Creating 1st Documentary (This Article)

Making of Documentary-Part 1

Making of Documentary-Part 2

Making of Documentary-Part 3

Take Care of These Points

Thank You.

Kiran.

“We are committed to CANI! ” click here