How to be a Documentary Filmmaker
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Who’s better to take advice from than the dean of documentary filmmakers?
Earlier this year I made a post about documentary films, and one of those films was High School by filmmaker Frederick Wiseman. The other day FreshDV had a post about the Film School audio podcast, which had an interview with the very man himself!
Below are notes that I took from the interview. I’ve basically paraphrased the conversations that took place.
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Frederick Wiseman is known for capturing the unscripted action of real people.
What got you started?
It was something I was always interested in, and it was before film schools were around. The way to learn was to simply start. I started on a production and went from there. I studied movies a lot. In making documentaries you have to follow the action and follow your instincts, and get it at best as you can.
You seem to know which people to capture…
Certain people have a certain charm. A lot of the characters come out in the editing and it’s there that one decides what sequences to take and leave out. Most of these documentaries are anywhere from 80-100 hrs of footage and it goes from there.
Do you enjoy the shooting or editing?
Both are enjoyable. Its in the editing that you make or break the film. You can have great material and screw it up in the editing or you can have mediocre material and make it better in the editing.
When you’re in the editing, do you have a process?
- I watch all the footage every night after the shoot in silent
- Then the footage is shipped back to the editing room where the assistants sync the sound and picture.
- Each sequence is organized and numbered to know what was shot, and where it was shot. When getting back to the studio all the sequences are reviewd and notes are taken. This takes about 3-4 weeks.
- After wards editing begins and I work with all the sequences that I like. I makes a goodies list that might make it into the final film, and then those goodies are editing into some sort of usable form. This process takes about 7-8 months.
- At the end of those months the material is organized into the first assembly of the dramatic structure which is 30-40 minutes longer than the final film
- After that the internal rhythm of sequences and the rhythm between the sequences is found. The hard work is finding the dramatic structure which tells the story.
When in shooting do you find the story?
During the shooting things are too fast to think of point of view. The focus is to capture as much as one can that is relevant.
Are you with a small number of people, and how do you keep your focus?
The job is to make the movie, not make new friends. During the shooting don’t try to make the impression that you will have a new best friend because that isn’t the case. At the same time you are dependent on the people to work with, so pay attention to the people you are working with.
How big is the crew?
Camera man, director, and someone who changes the film magazine. Occasionally there is someone to help with an extra hand.
How has technology change helped?
Technology hasn’t changed much. It has to do with how the equipment is operated. Digital technology isn’t as good when it comes to how the image looks when compared to film.
Do you enjoy with color or black & white?
Both are good. I also like black & white. There are some cases in which you need color. There is a technical aspect. The color negative is faster than the black&white negative and has dictated in times what to use.
What catches your eye in terms of subejct?
the only criteria that I have is it has to do with American Life and Institutions. I like making movies about the institutions with the characteristics of American life. What goes on in there is a reflection in general with the concerns of the society.
You have a deal with PBS?
I was with channel 13 for a number of years, but now its on a film by film basis. Part of the money comes from PBS and in part comes from foundations. Over 40 years 25% of th money has come from PBS or a source in public TV. The rest has come from foundations that have had interest in the subject matter or documentary films.
Its difficult to get a copy of the films you’ve made…
They haven’t been released before because no commercial DVD distribution companies made a decent offer. Zipporah Films will be relasing them. They will be released individually through the website.
Are you working on a project now?
I’m directing and performing in a play by Samuel Beckett called Happy Days.
Do you have a subject in mind for a documentary?
I’ll probably will shoot another one this spring or summer, but I’ve been busy with this play.
One of the biggest challenges of any independent filmmaker is finding the funds to pay for the making of the film. Equipment many times can cost a whole lot of money. What does the independent filmmaker do when they cannot afford that $3,000 camera crane? He/she makes one themselves!
