Film a Short Documentary by Yourself: One-person Crew Filmmaking

1. Introduction: Hello, everyone. And welcome to this course My name's Lucia Drago. Sh and I'm a documentary storyteller. I been doing this for about 20 plus years. I have many awards and recognitions, and most recently I was nominated for three New York Me's. So in this course, I'll be teaching you how I approach documentary storytelling. How I choose my topics, my characters, how a shoot, edit what equipment I use, how interview the people with a person that is the subject of my documentary. I'm very excited for the course and thank you so much for being here. 2. Finding Documentary ideas 1: Let's talk now about how to choose the stories that you want to tell their two ways that I normally approach my documentaries. One is based on a topic, and the other one is based on a character. So the first way is based on a topic. For example, if I want a tell a story in that is about a topic that I'm passionate about so you can choose anything. It can be a global issue. It can be your city. It can be your state or it can be your community. There's no right and wrong. The most important is to be passionate about the topic. For example, if you choose the topic own veterans, you want to do a story on veterans. But that s is of they they brought topic. Once you start the research, maybe you can see Oh, you know what I like to focus on women veterans, right? Okay, so that's narrowing down. You can go even for the homeless women veterans. That's we narrow down. And that will be much easier later to choose your subject or subjects that you wanna interview and that can be done. You can ask friends, you can post on Facebook and ask the or wherever your communities and you can ask, You know, I want to do a story on a homeless women veterans. Do you know someone who might know someone who might know someone you know? He doesn't have to be firsthand. Check the newspapers online and just Google and see who is in your area. Because if you are not willing to fly cross country, that might not be something that you, somebody that you want approach. So that is the first way that I approach my documentaries is by topic, and in the next video we'll talk about the second way, how you can choose your story, starting with your character. 3. Finding Documentary ideas 2: Let's talk about the second way of choosing your story, and that's through your character. So first you have a character in mind. You have somebody in mind already that you want to do a story around him or her, and you can find that person in many different ways. That can be a neighbor, someone from your community, somebody that you follow or you can glassware ripped through a newspaper. And that's how a do it. Many times I read the local newspaper. And then if there is someone that picks my interest in a story that I want to find more about, I would set aside, cut it and then maybe google it and see more if I can find online if there will be a good fit. So, for example, ever in an article, it was about the Chris during Christmas time in a homeless shelter. A woman was serving food and she was volunteering, and she was a human trafficking survivor. Now I am passionate about human trafficking I did 12 years ago featuring human trafficking , and I'm very passionate about a topic so that picnic my interest because she was in my area in the borough that I live in. She was from New York City and she was a human trafficking survivor and she volunteered. So that was just the first thing that grabbed me. I didn't know anything about her. I had no idea what her stories and I assumed if they mentioned that she was a human trafficking survivor, that you'd be willing to share her story because with survivors, sometimes, you know, many times they're not ready to talk about public about their trauma. And, of course, us filmmakers, we have to respect that. And so I said that aside and later on, I go go to her. I could not find a contact. So, um, I went to Facebook and I found her organization there and contacted her that way. Now, sometimes that's not, uh, that's not an option. For example, someone. If it's under H, you might not find anything online. Um, or just some people are not active on social media, so you can't really find them. The best way to do is when you see the article, there will be a journalist, the writer, the author of the article, and normally they would put their twitter handle or the email. Sometimes they put a phone number, but most often is une male and or Twitter handle, and you can just go on Google the name. Normally you would find their contacts, and I've done this many, many times. Journalists are very, very willing to share information off the people that they wrote an article about, and so I would contact them. And I'll tell them, You know, I love the article, and, uh, I'm happy that someone is writing about this topic or this person because I'm very passionate about just a few words that would show the order that you're really passionate about thing. You're just not some creep that wants toe. Get access to the person that they were writing about because, you know, sometimes people can get defensive. But if you just be honest and you share why you wanna the contact information most of the times they'll be just willing to connect you with and just say that you wanted to do toe, approach them, maybe possibly to do a documentary on them or to interview them. So when you find the contact, that's when your process starts and we'll talk about in the next video 4. Reaching out to your subject: reaching out to your subject. So you already have in mind you already. Who you gonna be interviewing? Who you gonna be doing the documentary about? You have their contact, and now you're ready to contact them. That can be through Facebook. That can be three mile or Instagram. Either way doesn't matter. The approach is the same. So what I normally do, it's I do not write long e mails. I just write a quick note and I say, Hi, my name's which a drug? A sham producer and documentary producer in the way I'm producer of the SYRIZA or I'm a documentary storytelling. And I read about your story in this publication, and I really find your story compelling. And you just have to fill in the blank and see What do you find compelling about their story? Why they their story in that particular person inspired you to reach out. So I, for example, with human trafficking I approached Shandra and I said, You know, my name is what your drug, Roche, I am Ah, producer. And 12 years ago I did a feature on human trafficking. I'm absolutely passionate, passionate about the topic. I come from Bulgaria and former communist country and human trafficking was extremely, um, usual at that time years ago when the Communist collapse on. And I'm really interested in possibly doing a story or possibly tailing your story in my next documentary, I'm not sure. And I hope that interests you. Oh, you can see. I'm not sure if that would work, but they love the opportunity toe hope on the phone and talk a little a little bit about it now why do that? So if you know the person and your most certain that's the person you want to interview, Daddy's your subject of your documented by all means. Just tell them I love to do a story on your love toe feature in my documentary will be the topic of my documentary. Either way, however, if someone you don't know like I did not know her and I knew her story so important, I did not know the depths of her story, but I did not know how she'll be on camera and throughout my experience, anti with a lot of people, and I can tell you that sometimes on paper, people are like have this incredible stories and they're really open. Oh, not open to share, But you read about them, and you have this good idea of what it is about their story that you like. But you place them, you put them in front of a camera and they just freeze or they just are not willing to share. Um, it is just a personality. It's nothing. Right or wrong again is just something that we're wired differently. So some people are just better, Um, when they write or when they talk to a microphone, but not a video camera to a reporter, but not to someone who would interview them on camera. So I would refrain from promising them that you want them for your documentary unless you're 100% sure. But you can say, you know I would. Really, I I'm starting to do a documentary on human trafficking, and I'm looking for someone who can be the subject for that documentary. I'm not sure that's going to work, but I would love to open the call on a quick call and talk about it will be open to the so in the next few days. My schedule's pretty flexible. Just let me know you know you can and make it more conversational. Doesn't have to be anything for more, because sometimes people, you know taken back and that's how I approach. It's on when they say, Yeah, sure, you know, I'll be open to talk with you. You hope in the call. And while you're on the call, you can just ask them questions and we'll talk about prepping that this is sort of, Ah, pre interview and they supreme table for someone that you know. And you 100% sure. And this preinterview other sort of overlap overlaps with the person that you're not sure if you want interview and we'll talk about this in the next video. 5. Pre-interviewing process: you're set already a time and day that you want a printed to the person and build hope on the call. It's a good idea to tell them. You know, the conversation would take about 30 minutes so they can plan better, so they don't feel like you're taking way too long or they didn't schedule properly. So you just the current does it? Tell them you know it's gonna be taking like, 32 an hour while you on the cold start with a small talk eso you can break the eyes, stay away from heavy topics like politics and religion and and then start digging deeper into their story. So tell me, can you share with me your story? And then once they start telling you if you have questions, you know, take a note, don't interrupt them, take a note and then ask them, you know, is that any topic or subject that is often limits and you do not wish to share. That is very important because sometimes you read online about them or you just want to ask them something and you do that during the interview and they find it inappropriate of what I will do it Always. Always ask our Dana topics off limits. And let's see, this is something that you really wanted to talk about. You know, probably there will not be a good fit for your documentary. Um, I did a story on Collect Smith, who was the first NFL player, woman NFL coach and through the I did not know her. I just wanted to interview her because she was the first female NFL coach during the printing. On the phone call, I discovered that she actually is very passionate about giving back to the tour her community and teaching young girls to play football also shows passionate about domestic violence and also about sexual harassment victims. And she was raped multiple times. And she she asked me to talk about it during the interview because she's very passionate about sharing her story so other women would come out and share their story. Oh, deal with their story, you know, she wanted she wanted to do that. So from that interview about, you know, uh, first female football coach, NFL football coach, it became something more deeper. But then you have to see how would that fit into your story, because sometimes you might have to do to separate shows depending on your show, depending on what the what. The focus is because you cannot focus on all these things you can touch or something and dig deeper on another one. But the printer is the process that you have to go through and ask all these questions. If she they'll Ari to record the phone conversation, do that, but first always ask permission. So instead of taking notes, you're fully focused on printed viewing them and printing. I don't mean you to prepare questions and ask them because you want also, while you interview them and you start rolling. You want also that spon spontaneous things that you discover at that time, you know, And um So, for example, with Colored I knew she was right, but I did not know it's multiple times. So she said she wants to talk about that topic. But I did not dig deeper in the preinterview. So when we started rolling, I asked her, and she said multiple times, so it was very spontaneous. The follow up questions and that is the process that you go through with the person that you don't know 6. Prepping your subject: this is the preinterview process. And on the pre interview, you will indeed and explain to them and tell them you know, we'll set a date in a time. And what's gonna happen is our needs at least 456 hours, one hour. You know, all depends if you ah willing we can shoot in your place or and it again. It all depends what you're looking for. So, for example, with human trafficking for me, it was not important to be in her place for me was not important to be her office. Uh, I wanted to make something work creative. And I told her, You know, I will find location and I'll let you know. So for me was not important. However, when we did the LGBT Q. The story of the transgender woman Lorena it was very important to have bureau in her home . I did not want to integrate. Her date was not necessary. Um, although we could have. But it was not necessary because I knew I will not use a lot from the interview. Used the sound, but not a lot from her. I'll have more bureau. So you know. But if it's important to be in their home. You just have to tell them and you and just tell them You know, I would love to shoot in your home. It will take four hours or five hours with the set up in Breaking Down and the interview process out bureau. I will do the interview, and then we'll take zero a few, doing things at the house in the house and just walk them through the process. What is going to take because people don't know In the next video, we'll talk about the location, and all the implications will come with a location, scout or different looking shot. 7. Location: Let's talk about location. So sometimes you would go and you don't know the location. We don't have the luxury to go and see the location first. In that case, ask as many questions as possible. So I would ask is their natural light What kind of windows do you have? I facing south, North, East, west. You know, if they know, is it? Sunny is bright. How big is the room? I mean, ideally, you would go and see it because you would want to know if it's a small room. I mean, then depends what lands issue you wanna use, what lenses you have. But if it's a small room, you know, um, depending on the lens you want to use, it might not work with you on that shallow depth of field. What? Look, look, you're looking for. So if the room is not an option new my wanna, you know, get a Airbnb or go to your local public TV, and then you can bring maybe a studio there or ask a friend that if it can use their location, it all depends. But the more you know about your location, the much easier it will be. So check the location. Tell them to send you for us, maybe, or do a short video in. Just send it to you so you can just see the lighting conditions. Because that will determine what kind of a lighting you would bring. What kind of lenses? And you just have to be ready for it also, you know, if there's construction site next What? I mean, is it quiet? Is it loud? So it's good to know those things. Sometimes when we go on a shoot, we don't have that luxury. I just go and then check the room and then here, they don't know is this so I would choose maybe to use a different mike and not the mind that I have. But those are important details to know. And if you can goto the location, I would suggest you do it. And you just listen to background noise. Uh, we have the sun is coming. Does it come through the window? Indepent when you're shooting that is very important by the curtains are the things that you can move around. Do they allow you doubt? How big is it? So all these things are very, very important 8. Approaching the story: Let's talk now about how to approach your story. What I mean by that is the visual aspect of your story. So when you already chose the topic or a person or subject that you want the interview into the documentary around their story, I usually have already in my mind, um, what the look will be, how I wanted shod. We do. I want it like a slow motion. What kind of shots do I want? And you want to start with thinking like how you want approach the story and that would help you with late on with locations or how many days you would estimate to shoot something . How many hours? Sometimes when I go and interview someone, they just give me a few hours and I don't have the luxury of a lot of hours, and that might be the case. I mean, depending who the person is. If it's someone who is busy or he cost like few hours in New York City or in your area, you have to be very quick. So you gotta know what to expect and what to approach first and what to handle first. So I would start with the visual Kei. How I wanted. Do I want them to be on camera giving the interview? Do I want just their voice? And I don't wanna have that, you know, talking head throughout the whole video. Do I want into get them on the goal? Let's say their share for they're doing something. You might just want them while they're doing something is more instructional, so you have to know. And again, that brings me back to the point of what do you want? What is the end result? So give example with Made in Queens, the short documentary for the Love Off rocks that was nominated for New York Emmy. I had in mind a category specifically with that a result. The category was lifestyle, so I did not want a lot of instructional stuff, so I didn't want to go through how he does what he does For me, it was more important who he's as a person and why he does what him that So he's why, why he's still doing something, that it's disappearing art. Does he see it as art? What is what is his why why he wakes up in the morning and that's what he does. So that was behind now. I shot an episode of Made in Queens completely switching gears to more instructional because I wanted to get towards instructional category in the Army. So I interviewed a podcast podcast. Okay, not about gas pottery maker. And she talked a lot about, um Why should ask what she doesn't. But mostly she talked about how she's doing it. So she walked us through the process off how you set up the claim, how you do it and how you bake it, and one temperature and how you glaze it. So it's more like instructional. Let's say you want approach New York Times the open page in submit a video. I would suggest you go and watch almost all the videos and you have an idea off. How is it structured? How is it edited? What is it? Global top topping that topping. Okay, I think I'm hungry. Is it the global topic that it's also relevant toe community, is it? So you have to really have an idea of what you want to achieve, So that is the way to approach. And then you will start thinking, OK, what kind of shots I want and what kind of visuals. What is going to have voiceover. That voice of God isn't going to have photos if it's biography by one photos? Or do you want actors to reenact the scenes? What is it that you want? And it's not again right and wrong. This comes with finding your style. And the more you do it, the more you be able to find your style. Um, off what documentaries you like to do, but in the beginning is good to have an idea what you 9. Equipment: Camera, Lenses : best camera to use is the one you have. So do not hold yourself back or wait to start just because you wish to have ah four ki camera or camera that someone else recommended Or, you know, there a lot of documentaries that I have seen shot on a phone. Um I mean, the important thing is to start, and for me, always the important thing is the story. Sometimes people overlook the look And just because the story is amazing so please do not get discourage. If you have pointing shoot camera or a phone, start using it and start shooting more and more so you can find your style. So you can see Would you like what you don't like And later on, depending on that you see Oh, you know what I like a slow motion. Oh, I loved to be able to do for K, and and that would depends. Okay, Which camera lie like this lenses. And on that will depend what camera you want. You know, you might want something small that this muralists camera and so don't overwhelm yourself with equipment. In the beginning, that is my point. So I use Sony out 1st 7000 And at the moment I'm shooting this video and I use seven or two , and that has four K keep up capability. I don't shoot four K. Sometimes I sometimes I do, But mostly don't, um, I do. You slow motion. I love, uh, you know, shots with slow motion, especially for craftsmanship, and or it is. And musicians, It just I lobbed out. It's my style and I love it. I love using 50 millimeters, and that is my absolute favorite lanes. I use it all the time. And of course, that depends on the room, and that's why it's very important to scout the room and see your distance in how much room you have. But I love shooting with a 50 millimeter. Um, and I also always, always have one Zoom lands. I have a professional tripod, Dottie's Miller and is heavy, but I do tend to use it a lot 10. Equipment: Audio: Let's talk about old you. There are a lot of ways that you can use odio now you can use the road mike that I use on top of the camera, and you can connect it directly to the camera, depending on your camera. So, for example, my Sony, out for 6000 did not have plucked for a microphone for external microphone. So out. Always record my odio on the task, um, that I'm recording at the moment this video, I would just point the tasks come and get it really close to the person and use it that way . Or you can plug to the task x o r. And then connect a wireless or wired lobelia or a boom mike or, um, any other Mike. But you can use it like that. It is pretty good. The sound It all again depends on your location and how you're shooting. So if you are shooting hand held or the person is walking and talking, you know, sometimes they use wireless level ear. Sometimes I use the boom mic, the sanitizer and the sun hi to pretty much picks up everything. So sometimes, like a lot of times I do not like using it. I know it's an amazing mike and it just incredible sound, but it picks up everything. So if you're walking and you're following your subject and the floor, it's squeaking. Or if there's a construction going on on outside, that mike would pick up everything. Even if you change the direction, I find it easier to use it when I'm in a more controlled environment. Let's see a TV studio that it's quiet and normally for other interviews that it's not the ideal situation. I would use wireless level ear and have them walk and talk, and you just have the freedom, you know, hide. It'll not not hiding, but, you know, put it over close. But be careful with jewellery and hair. You have to monitor the older all the time. When you're shooting, you always have to have plugged in, you know, headphones or had gearbox and monitored older all the time because otherwise you're gonna run into problems 11. Equipment: Lights: Let's talk about lighting right now, so I have access to a lot of equipment, and lighting is not an issue. However, when I go on location by myself, I do not want a Kerry and sometimes depends on your situation. You might not have a car, so try to use natural light as much as possible. If you have that option, just be careful, you know, with a song, or if it's a cloudy day that sometimes like cloudy and signing the color and the light changes that it's not a good situation to use the natural life, then maybe, you know, go further. Close the windows, covered the windows and use a light. There are a lot of options with small led lights, but it's good. Always toe have a to least one light and one reflector. If you cannot carry more, it don't have access to more. Sometimes what I used to do is have on the camera a small L e d light that has feel terrorists. Normally we do that when we didn't like new segments, but you can use for interview if you're following the person and it's pretty dark in the room, you can absolutely use that light. Those lights A really, really nice. They're very small. They have filters, a lot of a lot of functions. 12. Shot-list: in this video. Let's talk about the shot list you already have. Let's say an idea of how you want it, what you want. I would suggest always, always, always start with the interview and I'll tell you why. Because people get tired or sometimes they get anymore Jessica. And that happened while I was interviewing a police. Um, I forgot his rank, but he got a phone call and also happened when I was interviewing Ah, Sister Margaret, who? She's a not for profit. She does not for profit organization, but she had to go and close the deal in an hour, and that was something solemn. So I had to get the interview and the bureau in an hour. But if that's not the extreme that that that's extreme, but people get tired and interviewed is very overwhelming for a lot of people, I would not suggest you doing interview more than 40 minutes. It just sometimes we I've gone into usedto an hour, but the person was talking and sharing their story, and it just I did not interrupt them because I don't want to interrupt them. However, normal people would get really tired, so get your interview first and then do, or the bureau and everything. So start with the hardest. I didn't go to the you know, if you're doing it, if you can shoot whatever it's in that location. So let's say, Do they interview in their home? You want to shoot in their home, every bureau that you can think off their home, where they're doing at home, then go outside and then should everything else get establishing shots Or you can take you establishing shots before you're right in their home? That's a good idea to go. Let's an hour before and just scout the location and see Oh, I might want them after to do this or go to this daily. That would be a good fit, are sitting in this coffee shop or in this bench and just look in the sky and then have that shop walk around. You know, it's always good to see and scout the location before, before you shoot with a person and not go with them. And then look oh, you don't want try the okay, Stay in there. Okay, None of that sounds good. Let's try there. That's not a good option. It's always better to do it before. So start with the hardest interview. Go then to the next thing that is in that location, the Bureau of Dove Location, and then go up in the shot list. You can say close up off her during danger or medium shot of the interview Second camera If you have one for extreme close up or handheld during the interview, depending how much you want to use the interview, then you can say you can write. It doesn't have to be spread she to know that I can write my shot list on a sticky note, and I put it in my binder or just in my pocket. Hey, doesn't have to be all that, you know, structure it. Which it a structure. But it is the wrong word. Write it and just OK. Afterwards. Let's say you have okay. Them sitting on the window, white shot, sitting on the window, extreme close up or them sewing the carpet, white shot and then extreme with a macro lens or any shots that you see and you want. And I'll suggest you do want wider and one tighter little with them sewing. You want wider with them doing the action, seeing them sewing, and then you go tighter and then maybe go extreme close up of the hand. It all depends How you see with your style is but but oh, as much as you want And the way you see the story, don't overdo it Sometimes if you know okay, I possibly probably will not use the white shot of them sewing. But I want the medium and extreme close up so just scratched up because it takes time. And, you know, the lighting conditions change. They change all the time when you're shooting with the morning in the afternoon. So you don't have sometimes that luxury to go over and over with different shots and just give the basics off. What do you want that will give you the vision that you have in your head? Write it down and that's your shop 13. Interview Questions : Let's talk about the interview questions many times The people that I would interview, they ask me, advanced for the questions. And what I say is I don't have questions prepared, but I do have topics, and I'll share with you the topics and just sample general questions. However, once we start the interview, I will bounce off my questions based on what you're sharing, and I have a pretty good idea from the print TV if you've done it, a good job on the preinterview. If you've dug deeper, you would pretty much know their story. So you would know what you want to cover. So I'll have, like 56 topics, not topics like a different than my story. But let's say Okay, I want to talk about their childhood. Why they started. Why? Who? When they were. They orders them where they like painting. What did they do? Where did they grow up? So just general topics that I want to cover. But those topics have to cover the journey, then what you want to do. It's on each topic. Have to sample questions. Your questions have to be open ended questions, So the open ended questions or something that they were explains. So I would ask her, you know, walk me through that moment off you walking out of that stage door or whatever you call stadium door. Uh, and that is an open ended question. Also, another thing to remember is to tell your subject that your questions are not going to be on camera. And sometimes you see the commander is that, um, there's no interview were, however, halfway through you hear their voice because they included that question because the subject the person responded with yes or no or a number that did not make sense to the question. So they had to include the question. So I always tell them toe paraphrase your question and tell them my question is not going to be on camera. People are not going to hear me. The viewer. We only hear your answers, so you have to paraphrase the question and give them example. So, for example, if I ask you, where did you grow up? I grew up in New York City so people would know and again open questions explained to them , to paraphrase the question and whenever you interview them, if something they say that a question comes up right? Take a note. Mental note or I just hand right? No, because mental notes are hard to remember, because after this is something else, you have something else in mind to ask them. So just take a quick note. Another thing when you interview them is to be careful with the nodding, and I've learned that watching a masterclass with Bob Woodward and depending on your topic , if it's something that you don't agree with, but you don't have to not going back to the questions. That is how I prepare my questions. I would send him the topic and just sample questions. Always when interviewed up in the ant, I'll ask them, Is there something that you want to share? That you feel like we didn't go over deeper or something that you want to say that you did not mention and many times they're things that they would make? Sure, Sometimes they would just want to get over with interview And don't not eso it all depends . So that is how, he said of the questions 14. Filming your Interview: I would suggest into two days before the shoot Daito, contact the foursome and just give them a heads up and tell them, you know, for Wednesday I just want to give you a little bit of details and I bring down. Although you did that in the pre interview, just tell them, OK, I'll becoming at 11. Sharp. I don't need 30 minutes to an hour to set up. I will not needed during that time. You know, unless you know you have tow, they have to sit down and you check the light. But, you know, in the beginning probably won't need them so they can do their own thing, and they can just rest. Andi, tell him you know, 12 will start and hopefully done with the interview by one, and then we'll start doing some beer. Oh, and then we'll go out in the neighborhood and have you walk around or whatever it's you have on your shot list. Now, when you go in, don't just start setting up, have a small talk and just talk about what happened in between the time that you email them first. And now you know, just share anything just small talk because people are nervous and people will just freeze . And especially if you don't know the person that most of the times, that's how you do it. I do documentaries with people that I don't know. Sometimes I never met them before the shoot. So I have to, you know, have a little small talk, and I don't have sometimes crew to set up. So I have to set up. If I have a crew, I'll have a small talk while the crew sets up. But if you don't have that luxury, you know, have a little small talk. Give yourself 10 minutes and just tell them, Um, OK, so I don't need, let's say, 40 minutes to set up and then I'll call you so you can sit down and then we'll go on and set up the lighting. But give me 30 minutes, for example. You can do your own thing on, and I One thing I forgot to mention it is very important. Is the clothing depending way you shooting? How he should in the email that you send them two days in advance before the show. You can tell them, you know, don't wear thin stripes or large patterns, or depending also on who the person is. But still, some things are not good for camera like thin stripes. And, um, you know, just take it. Tell them stay away. If you're shooting, agrees, screen Absolutely no green. You know, tell them no green, nothing green in your clothes. Also, stars make up. You know, tell them you can wear a little makeup, nothing shiny and also with you. Always bring those sheets that absorb the oil. Because for men and for women, those are really good. Because people, while you interview people you know, tend to get shy or nervous and stressed out, and then they get sweat. So you have that shine on their face, you can wipe it, um, again, depending on what you're going for. So you arrived at the interview, do a little small talk you set up dainty. But now we start, um, to talk toe. Now we start the interview. If this are talking about something that its new or you want to dig deeper, don't interrupt them. When you interrupt them, you will break that flow. And sometimes you're not going to get that emotional. Um interview that you're looking for. So, for example, when we interviewed, um, Shandra for the human trafficking, she went on and on her interview without me interrupting her was 45 minutes. I did not interrupt her once, and later on she told me that she appreciated that because with other reporters, they interrupted all the time. So the other interviews that I watched of her, they were more like, straight to the point, what happened? Factual. And, um, what is she doing now? And that's it. But there was nothing of that raw emotion like, what was she going through? What was her thought process? Because that's what we want to know. I mean, that's what I'm interested in the story of Down, up, like how U s a survivor, how you go from this dark place. Now you've rise up and you start helping other people. I mean, that is what drives me and drives my stories. That's what is interesting to me. So if you interrupt the person, they're not going to go to that place. Now. If you go to that place and if somebody gets emotional, do not interrupt. I know it's human nature. You know. And that took me many, many, many interviews. If somebody would start to cry when they get emotional, I was just like, Okay, let's get a T show. And you know No, don't do that because it's I know some people think, or you might be selfish. No, it's not selfish. Let them go through that emotion, and then they will go out of it. But that's what you want. The viewer, um, to go through the journey with them and sometimes what will happen is laid on the hotel. You know what? Can you just not include up how that happened? Somebody shared something on camera that they felt comfortable with me sharing, But then they did not want the world to know. So I had to respect that. I mean, um, for me and, uh, you have to decide for you. For me, being ethical, honest and courteous to the other is one of the most important things. So if somebody tells me, please do not share that I'm not that hungry for a story or for viral videos. I don't care about that. So I'm not going to share for me the relation in the connection with that person. What is the most important thing, however, having someone emotional on camera that has nothing to do with breaking the trust or anything? It's just they're going through their motion. Let them have their moment and move on. Do not interrupt. Move on out to the next. 15. Editing : Okay, Now we have all the footage you shot. Everything you have, you as the cards. You have one card or two cards, depending. If you shut the audio separately immediately after I'm done, I go to my computer and I am poured them immediately because people get destructed. And then I have so many is the card. Sometimes I have backup cards in my wallet. I don't have space Where to Name them sometimes, so I just immediately upload them. So once you're done shooting, you have your is the card that has your video and audio together, or you my half your sound shut separately, recorded separately. So you might have to as the cards. What I will do is before import them, play him in my court reader in the computer, and then I'll rename it. So I would rename, um, main interview. Then our I'll say human trafficking interview, human trafficking, bureau street, human trafficking, house shots, bureau, anything that would indicate location or date. If you gonna shoot under spam a few days, you might wanna rename it with days and location. Anything that would indicate and and help you remind. What is this about because if you have a long documentary, uh, that will be a challenge. I'll do the same with the sound. I would just say Human trafficking sound. I'm not going to rename every every clip. When I start editing, I will have visual or radio, an idea how I wanted. However, I'm really open to exploring new formats, and I've done va Gillian four months off editing and pretty much now I know how I like to tell my story. Now we do, Commander. Today's always, um, in my opinion, in some other documentary filmmakers, too. But the 1st 2nd and third act, just like in fiction on and for me that is just the way we tell stories that how we perceive information and always don't take too long toe lead the viewer to the main idea off your story. Because otherwise they will be confused. What is this about? And they just get bored, especially nowadays that there's so much noise out there. I like to bring them really close in the first act to the second act to the story. So again I'll have for second and third act. If it's a heavy story, I like to take them out to the light right after I'm done with the dark side of the story. I do not leave people there, so I'm not end on a dark note. Pretty much I like to take them out of it. Also, I've done sometimes edit on Ah, just like a news article. I'll have the hook, the punch line in the beginning, and then I'll have my opening. And then I will start from 8 to 0. So I already gave them the K or the L in the beginning, the punchline. And then, uh, if they want to continue watching, they would just go through the steps. I'm not sure why I do that. I think over the years I found found that that was just the way I was anything and I loved it. And not only that, but that's how I like watching things. Uh, when I was reading even Arctic coasts or even sometimes different short documentaries. If I hear in the beginning what it's about and I like it, then I continue watching so or something grabs you, and you want to find out. Oh, my God. What way? What was gonna happen now and then you hooked toe watch. Um, most often I had it like that. But there times, of course, that I would just start from A to Z. I do not want to give that in the beginning on, and that you'll find over the years it will be your style. Now again, how you find your editing style is by doing, and sometimes I would eat it one piece to three different ways and just go to three different openings and closings. And then I'll see you know how I think it's better. And the other thing when you edit is that you get so used to the footage that you need fresh pair of eyes and I'll suggest to have someone who is close to you or whose opinion you trust. And you can give them the the cut and tell them, you know, do you understand what is going on? Do you have an idea or are you confused? Are you bored like what? What is it? And just ask them open in the questions to find out uh, what is their opinion? And it's just not not like opinion. Oh, I love it. But if they say I love it. That's great. But ask them why. What did you think? Worked? What did you think? Did not work? Just always have somebody who can view it and give a fresh pair of ice. But again, do it. Do it, do it! 16. Music: Now let's talk a little bit about music, so music you can have a composer composed the music, which is very expensive. You can option rights for famous song that's also very expensive. But again it depends. And you can use a lot of websites. I use old your blocks or M Vado together. Couple right free music. Sometimes with that, though, is you can use the music, but when you put it on YouTube, the composer can monetize it. So you just get a message from YouTube saying that the composer's monetizing and you're not going to get penalized or anything. You have the right to use the music. You paid for it, but they were just monitor. So depending on again, also depending on the publication, depending on what the end go ISS, you might want to hire someone to compose it for you, or you might want to buy the music. It all depends, but there are a lot of options out there to use music when you start anything with the music again, it is about the style you might want music problem, the whole video. You might want just to emphasize emotional give emotional flare or to change the beat and a topic and a subject or something that to break the one and two and three acts. It all depends. You will find your style again. Experiment, put the music different music and just experiment with it and see again. What do you like? Because music and make or break a documentary, a film project and is very, very important again. If you have someone, show it to them with, like two different cuts with two different musics, and you would see which one works now. One thing to keep in mind is the story have to make sense only visually and only with the sound. So it's a good idea toe Watch your documentary without the South and see if would that make sense if people get it because it's a visual medium also, then what I do is I just played in my headphones and I turned around and I don't even look at the computer, and that way it helps me to discover beads or I need more space here. Need more space there. Um, I need a little bit of silence. Your brushes here slow it down, so it just for that tempo it's really good toe only. Listen in 17. Final thoughts: that is the end of the course. I'm so glad that you joined the course, and I hope that, uh, if you take a few things from this course first would be It's all about the story. Don't get bogged down in the details off every little thing. But focus on the story and everything else will fall into place because if the story it's not there, even if you have amazing, beautiful video, it's not going to go. Is that going to achieve the results that you want? And it's not going to connect with the viewer, So just do it. And by doing, you will find your style. You will find what topics you want to cover, what stories you want to tell. And it took me many, many years. I've done almost every topic that I can think off on every format that I can think of. I don it. But what I do right now is think true to myself because I know what now I want what topics I want to tell, and I'm just focused on that. But that comes with practice and with a lot of ruined videos. So you're not alone. I know that we all the mistakes and from those mistakes we learn there was always something unexpected that you have to deal with. And the way you learn to deal with those things is trying, trying your best in being flexible. So when something would go wrong, find another way to do it. But don't give up and again Always, always, always remember. It's about the story. I wish you good luck and Golden should get going.