Blog post #5--documentary storytelling

I've been tasked with "portrait" projects before, this one stands out among those for a number of reason. Honestly, I can say it is more beneficial than previous ones I have engaged in--not discounting those. As prospective filmmakers, when have our idea, we all want to touch the camera and adjust it to our exact specifications. However, when you're actually out there working on the project the dynamic of that changes. This project addressed that kind of challenge. If you become a director, it is crucial that you work extensively with your Director of Photography. The most important detail in that working relationship is communication. We challenged to do so in this assignment. I can say, my experience differed from the rest of the class in that I did not have DP. That was just one road block in the process. The inclement weather also did not aid in my plans. I originally had an entirely different story planned out, but things kept breaking down. This is something that can happen; you just deal with it. Two things that I took away from this exercise: plan so throughly that when the inevitable mishaps come--and they will that's a guarantee--you can take them and still be able to recover. I believe my original idea fell flat in that regard. The second, you must be able to keep going. I was frustrated that I couldn't get the original idea to pan out. I had to alter my idea and put something together on in an even smaller time frame, but I did it. I made sure to finish the assignment. Issues will occur, move on, do the work. Also, working a both DP and Director might be fitting for some individuals but not me. Splitting the tasks can dilute the effectiveness of your story, if not worse, prevent it from having any kind of true development at all. I caught myself without the shots I wanted when editing because while serving as a DP at the same time, my interests would interfere with what I as a director wanted to tell. It wasn't good to say the least. In the end, it may be hard to relinquish that control. Your gut instinct in both creative positions may tell you to do something one way, but you have to be open to communicate your ideas effectively. Building that teamwork and level of communication is key to telling the story. When director and DP are on the same page, the both can focus on their job, and do what's best to tell the story.