Last week Aaron, Mark, and I spent a few days at the 10th annual SIDLIT conference. I picked up a lot of great 
information and over the next few days I’ll share a few summaries of what I found to be most useful. We’ve been going for a few years now and always enjoy the presenters, attendees, and great topics. It’s also completely free!
Bob Epp shared some great information in his session, Effective Video Storytelling. He picked up many of his tips at the Travel Channel’s video academy. If you are interested in attending, Johnson County Community College will host this workshop in January 2010.
Most documentaries follow what is called a Five Shot method. Try to gather the follow shots when filming:
1. Close up of the hands – What is the person doing?
2. Close up of the face – Who is this person?
3. Wide shot – Where is the action happening?
4. Over the shoulder – This allows you to gain perspective from the subject.
5. From the side – This gives your audience some variety.
Don’t zoom! If you need to be closer to the subject, then move your body and the camera closer. Shoot video as a series of stills — which is the same way we look at things with our eyes (not panning and zooming). Count and hold 10 seconds for each shot. This will allow you more freedom when editing. If the presenter points at an object and starts explaining, do not move your camera away. You can film the object later and edit it in. Also if you need to move the camera, do it quickly and precisely. Don’t creep from shot to shot. You can edit this transition later to be clean.
Try to predict what it is that your audience wants to know. You need to create questions and then answer them. The audience knows only what you tell them — shoot to inform.
So, what do you need to ask them?
1. Who are you?
2. What are you doing?
3. When did you first realize…?
4. Where are we? – Ask this every time you change locations.
5. Why are you doing what you’re doing?
6. So what? – Why do I (and the audience) care?
Remember that small stories make the best stories. Scope out your location and watch it for a while to see what is happening. Then find your characters. You want to work with compelling personalities.
How to write the script:
- Make a list of all the events you shot.
- Decide what question you have placed in the viewer’s mind and then answer it.
- Enter into a dialog with your audience, don’t drive important information down their throats. The facts should unfold later throughout the film.
- Dont shoot to the script. Let it evolve naturally.
- Narration should take you from one point to the other.
Last, but definitely not least: The Killer Shot. When editing your footage, always start with your best shot. You have about 10 seconds to engage your viewers and you want to grab their attention and keep it. If you put the good stuff at the end they might not see it.
