Keep shooting your doc shorts.

Just yesterday I started my own blog as a place to post my work, talk about my projects, and share tips and knowledge with others out there. It’s great to know that passion and practice is still enough to get somewhere, even in today’s competitive market. I can only hope that someday my blog will be graced with the likes of that day’s Chris Nolan or Tarantino or whoever. Very, very cool.

Speaking of mentors, I’d love to chat more about your current projects. I’d also love to hear your take on what I’m working on. Thanks for the great post!

As I suspected, it seems there’s no ‘trick’ to getting subjects. Your idea of showing your past work on the iPhone is a helpful suggestion, and once I’ve got some work under my belt (and an iPhone), I’ll be sure to employ it!

I had wondered if you (and other film-makers) get releases from your subjects, and I’m sure that can be a delicate matter for some people. In some of Philip Bloom’s videos, he talks to dozens of people, and I would imagine getting releases from each of them would become cumbersome, and inhibit spontaneity in the ‘creative process’… But I guess you can’t just start filming strangers and hope for the best!

You have a real talent for this. I’ve seen feature length films where the characters were not as fleshed-out and sympathetic as in your shorts. By the end, I felt I knew (and cared) about each of your subjects… even Ron’s admission that it was ‘all about the money’ made him more honest and engaging. And that final shot of Pat in the store window was fantastic… memorable.

I really hope you’ll do more in this series. You can be assured you’ll have an audience of at least one! Again, thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

Cheers!

Robert

As for putting people at ease, I’m still learning that one! I usually try to (with this series anyway) film people in their natural environment where they’d be the most comfortable anyway. Part of the reason I started this series is because I found it very difficult to ask people to be filmed – and yet people are and their stories are what I’m most interested in, narratively speaking. The “hunting” metaphors come quickly to mind and I didn’t want to be perceived as a filmmaker out for the kill, or on the prowl to find something to “shoot.” I guess you could say I’ve digitally hung my “kills” on the wall here, but I like to let the pieces speak for themselves.

As for methods – I usually introduce myself and tell them exactly what I’m doing and ask if they’d be interested in being involved. I get a lot of “no thanks” responses. If someone is too eager, then I might question their motive for being involved. Everyone that I’ve filmed thus far has said “oh, I don’t know, what will it involve and who will see it?” This is great because I can have a genuine conversation with them about what I do and why I think their story would be a great contribution to the ongoing series. It sometimes takes some coaxing, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. People are pretty vulnerable in the interview setting and I take the trust they put in me very seriously. For Lilah, I showed her previous work (from my iphone) so she could get a feel for exactly what I do. At the end of the day, I’ve found what works best for me is to build a relationship of trust from the very beginning.

I also ask them to sign a release. People are always willing, and I usually go through the release with them explaining why something is in there, etc. I haven’t had anyone not sign, but I’ve had a few people say they were uncomfortable with the idea but after our discussion they felt the release made sense.

I’ve tried to show my work to them as well, when I’m done. Gilbert has seen his piece, and I need to make time to stop by where I usually see Pat and Lilah. I don’t think I’ll ever see Ron again, but I did send him an email with a link.

I hope that answers some of your questions, and thanks again for stopping by!

As an aspiring filmmaker, I’ve found your posts describing your intent, technique and equipment to be very interesting and informative, so I hope you will not mind answering a question:

As a still photographer, I often have difficulty taking candid photos. The moment people see a camera, they either become guarded… or they begin to pose and preen for the camera. Whatever first attracted me to the shot is often lost the moment the camera comes out of the case!
Can you tell me what methods you employ to put your subjects at ease, and how you get their permission to be filmed? I realize it’s probably a silly question, and the correct response may be “You ask them nicely.”, but I thought you might have some insight on this matter, as your subjects seem quite open to being filmed and sharing their lives with a stranger.

I’ll be watching ‘Gilbert’ as soon as I’m done with this comment, and I look forward to seeing your future projects. You’ve got a new fan.

Best,

Robert