Assignment: Documentary Style Portrait

You received a handout in class that details this assignment. This post is ADDITIONAL information, reminders, and examples to help you think through this assignment.

REMINDER:

RESERVE YOUR EQ at least 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE! Email your eq reserves.

Your email should include the following:

TCF 312

Your Name

Pickup Date:

Return Date:

Detailed list of EQ desired (BE SPECIFIC!)

ASSIGNMENT EXAMPLES:

Please know that this is not one way to do this project. It is about you, as the director, conceiving an idea, developing a visual strategy (shot list, style of filming and editing, etc), working with a camera operator/DP, and editing together this video.

When you watch the following examples, consider:

• THE "GIFT" OF THE STORY - what is the director trying to say? What do you think is the filmmaker's message, moral, lessor or aim? What do you take from his/her piece? 

• AESTHETICS/STYLE/FORM -  How is the story told visually?What how are technical elements such as handheld or tripod (still/moving), color, camera work, framing, composition, shot to shot relationship, pacing, music/soundtrack, etc... being deployed to work in service of the media message?

• "DOC" STYLE doesn't mean that it has to be real or a documentary at all. Think about style/form as "realistic" or appearing to be "real," if this makes sense. 

• STRUCTURE - Is there a structuring track such as an interview (or voice-over) or a piece of music, that the piece is edited to? 

Some (hopefully) inspiring examples:

Uptopia #3

D-Nice's "Experiencing the Dream"

Brian B+ Cross "KEEPINTOKYO" and "TEEBS"

Noisemaker Media's:
Spanish Harlem Hop Park Jam
True School Park Jam Series 2010 Trailer

pouringdown.tv - "of all the things that can happen" and "the skies uptown"

And my FAVORITE(!), the Intro/Title Sequence to DEXTER:
http://youtu.be/ESicykvHUyk

EXAMPLES, LOOSELY ORGANIZED BY CATEGORY:

Here are examples of a portrait of a PERSON:
But please note: they use "talking head" interviews, which this assignment discourages. Instead, I urge you to use only tiny bits of interviews (if and only if it is necessary), and use the edited interview audio as a STRUCTURING TRACK (which is acceptable and encouraged).

  
Harlem Elvis from John X. Carey on Vimeo.

Kickflip from I Am Los Angeles on Vimeo.

Maxwell The Barber (Short Documentary) from Stephen Potter on Vimeo.

Here are examples of a portrait of a PLACE:

Look Up at the Stars, Portugal! from Matthew Brown (Matty Brown) on Vimeo.

Utopia, Part 3: The World's Largest Shopping Mall


Here are examples of a portrait of a PERSON and/in a PLACE:

  
Shelter from the Storm from John X. Carey on Vimeo.

The Guardian from Carly Palmour on Vimeo.

Here is an example of a portrait of an event:

D-Nice Presents: Experiencing The Dream from D-Nice on Vimeo.

2012 True School Park Jam Series Trailer from Noisemaker Media on Vimeo.


Here are a few examples of past 312 projects:

Portait of a Place from Jana Patton on Vimeo.

TCF 312 Portrait of a Place from Henry Busby on Vimeo.


The 15th Lake from Xavier Burgin on Vimeo.