How to Shoot a Documentary - Tips & Tricks for Emotional Storytelling

Summary

In this documentary filmmaking series, Kris Carr shares insights and challenges from creating his latest documentary, 'Sir Effects,' with minimal budget and gear. He discusses the importance of matching subject and environment, utilizing natural lighting, and capturing candid moments for authenticity. Carr also emphasizes the significance of good audio over perfect visuals and demonstrates how to achieve professional results with basic equipment, including using an LED panel and a smartphone for interviews. He concludes with tips on sound recording and the impact of post-production on the final documentary's quality.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The video discusses the process of creating a documentary, focusing on shooting, lighting, and working with limited resources.
• 🚀 The speaker shares personal experience from making a documentary called 'Sir Effects' with minimal budget and gear.
• 🔍 The importance of getting into the right headspace and being open to the unexpected is highlighted for documentary filmmaking.
• 🖼️ The speaker emphasizes matching the subject's vibe with their environment and the way they are shot and lit.
• 📐 The use of leading lines and practicals in the scene for effective subject placement, even when breaking traditional rules.
• 🌟 The necessity of utilizing available light and a single LED panel for lighting when working with no budget.
• 📹 A recommendation for starting with wide shots and then zooming in for more intimate shots as the interview progresses.
• 🎙️ The significance of capturing only the subject's audio during interviews to avoid overlap and ensure clarity.
• 🔊 The speaker's preference for using a Rode SmartLav+ mic and a TRS converter for high-quality audio in interviews.
• 🎨 The transformative power of color grading in post-production to enhance the visual appeal of the documentary.
• 🧳 A caution against overpacking gear, which can slow down the filmmaking process and potentially cause missed opportunities.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is to share insights and tips on shooting a documentary, particularly with limited resources such as no budget, no crew, and minimal gear.

What is the documentary mentioned in the video called?

The documentary mentioned in the video is called 'Sir Effects'.

What tool does the speaker recommend for organizing projects and brainstorming?

The speaker recommends using Milano, which is also the sponsor of the video, for organizing projects and brainstorming.

How does the speaker approach the subject placement in documentary filming?

The speaker approaches subject placement by trying to match the subject's vibe with their environment and the way they are being filmed and lit, using elements like leading lines and practicals in the scene.

What is the significance of using leading lines in subject placement?

Leading lines are significant in subject placement as they help to guide the viewer's eye towards the subject, adding depth and interest to the shot.

What type of gear did the speaker primarily use for lighting in the documentary?

The speaker primarily used an iPhone 6 flashlight and a single LED panel for lighting in the documentary.

How does the speaker describe the process of interviewing subjects in a documentary?

The speaker describes the process as starting with a wide shot, then getting detail shots, and zooming in with a longer focal length as the conversation deepens, to create an intimate feel.

What is the importance of capturing audio clearly in documentary filmmaking?

Capturing clear audio is important because poor audio quality can detract from the viewer's experience, whereas good audio can compensate for less-than-perfect visuals.

What audio setup did the speaker use for the interviews in the documentary?

The speaker used a Rode Smartlav+ lapel microphone connected to a cell phone and a TRS converter, which was then attached to a Zoom H1n recorder.

How does the speaker approach sound design in post-production?

The speaker approaches sound design by reconstructing it entirely in post, using sounds from different libraries and capturing real sounds from the actual location when possible.

What advice does the speaker give regarding gear for documentary filmmaking?

The speaker advises against carrying too much gear as it can slow down the filmmaker and potentially cause the loss of key moments; instead, focus on mobility and capturing the moment.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Documentary Filmmaking Insights

The speaker, Christian, introduces the video series on documentary filmmaking, focusing on the brainstorming process, necessary components, and the mindset required for creating a documentary. He shares personal experiences and lessons learned from making his latest documentary, 'Sir Effects,' which was produced with minimal budget, crew, and equipment. Christian emphasizes the importance of using Milano, a project management tool, for organizing pre-production materials and brainstorming sessions, which has significantly improved his workflow and team collaboration.

05:02

🌆 Capturing Environment and Emotion

Christian discusses the filming process for documentaries, highlighting the importance of matching the subject's environment with their vibe and the storytelling approach. He uses the example of a retired racecar driver to illustrate how the subject's environment can enhance the narrative. The speaker stresses the significance of leading lines and practical lighting in scene composition, especially when working with limited resources. He also shares his technique of starting with wide shots and gradually zooming in to create intimacy and depth in the storytelling.

10:02

🎚️ Creative Lighting with Minimal Gear

The speaker describes his approach to lighting in documentary filmmaking, using only an LED panel and the natural light available in the scene. He explains how he used the LED panel as both a key light and a backlight, depending on the ambient light conditions. Christian also talks about the importance of audio quality over visual perfection, especially in documentary work, and shares his setup using a Rode SmartLav+ microphone connected to a mobile phone and a TRS converter for high-quality audio capture.

15:03

🔊 Audio Techniques and Post-Production

Christian emphasizes the importance of capturing good audio, even when working alone, and shares his method of using a simple microphone and recorder setup for interviews. He also discusses the process of capturing ambient sounds on location after shooting to enhance the authenticity of the documentary's sound design in post-production. The speaker mentions that he will follow up with a video on editing techniques to make low-budget documentaries look professional, and he thanks Milano for sponsoring the video and the audience for their support.

Keywords

💡Documentary

A documentary is a non-fictional film that documents reality, often involving interviews, historical accounts, or depictions of current events. In the video, the theme revolves around the process of creating a documentary, including brainstorming, filming, and editing, as the speaker shares personal experiences and tips for making a documentary with limited resources.

💡Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a creative process where ideas are generated in a group setting, often used in the early stages of project planning. The script mentions brainstorming as an essential part of the documentary-making process, where different pieces and concepts are considered before filming begins.

💡Pre-production

Pre-production refers to the phase of production that precedes the actual filming, including planning, scriptwriting, and organizing resources. The video discusses the importance of pre-production in documentary filmmaking, emphasizing the use of tools like Milano for organizing materials and planning.

💡Shooting

Shooting in filmmaking is the process of capturing footage with a camera. The script focuses on the practical aspects of shooting a documentary, such as setting up shots, using available light, and working with minimal equipment.

💡Lighting

Lighting is the process of controlling the appearance of a scene through the manipulation of light. The video script discusses the challenges of lighting in documentary filmmaking, especially when working with limited gear, and how to make the most of natural light and a single LED panel.

💡LED Panel

An LED panel is a type of lighting equipment used in video and film production to provide controlled light. In the script, the speaker mentions using a single LED panel as the primary light source for their documentary, highlighting its versatility and importance in achieving desired lighting effects.

💡Interview

An interview in a documentary is a conversation between the filmmaker and a subject, often used to gather personal insights or expert opinions. The video script describes techniques for conducting interviews, such as matching the subject's environment and vibe, and using different camera shots to convey the narrative.

💡Audio

Audio refers to the sound recording in a film or video production, which is crucial for conveying dialogue and atmosphere. The script emphasizes the importance of good audio quality in documentaries, even when working with limited equipment, and provides examples of how to achieve this using a smartphone and a portable recorder.

💡Post-production

Post-production is the phase of film production occurring after shooting is completed, including editing, sound design, and color grading. The video mentions post-production techniques such as relighting in After Effects to enhance the visual quality of the documentary and give it a professional look.

💡Run-and-gun filmmaking

Run-and-gun filmmaking is a style of production characterized by fast-paced shooting with minimal equipment and crew. The script advises against overburdening with gear in documentary filmmaking, advocating for the run-and-gun approach to maintain mobility and capture candid moments.

💡Mentorship Program

A mentorship program is a professional development initiative where experienced individuals guide and support less experienced ones. The video script mentions a mentorship program the speaker has launched, focusing on advanced techniques like relighting in After Effects, which is a part of the post-production process for documentaries.

Highlights

Introduction to the documentary filmmaking series focusing on the process of creating a documentary with limited resources.

Emphasizing the importance of getting into the right headspace for brainstorming and organizing documentary projects.

Recommendation of Milano as a project organization tool, highlighting its benefits for team collaboration and accessibility.

Discussion on filming techniques for documentaries, including matching the subject's vibe with their environment and the shooting style.

Importance of utilizing leading lines and practicals in scenes for effective documentary shots.

Approach to framing subjects in documentaries, including breaking traditional rules for impactful representation.

The process of starting interviews with wide shots and gradually zooming in for emotional depth.

The significance of formulating engaging questions to facilitate long and meaningful conversations in interviews.

Techniques for capturing audio without overlap to avoid editing nightmares.

Advice on continuously rolling the camera to capture candid moments post-interview.

Lighting strategies using minimal gear, such as an iPhone flashlight and a single LED panel.

The impact of color grading and relighting techniques in post-production to enhance the visual storytelling.

The misconception of needing excessive gear for documentary filmmaking and the benefits of mobility.

Emphasizing the importance of good audio over perfect visuals in documentary filmmaking.

Description of a simple and cost-effective audio setup using a Rode Smartlav+ and a TRS converter.

Tips for capturing non-dialogue sounds on location for authentic sound design in post-production.

An upcoming video on editing techniques to make low-budget documentaries appear high-budget and professional.

Invitation to support the channel through the purchase of a light effects pack for video editing.

Transcripts

hey what's up guys Christian you here

for Chris car welcome to the documentary

filmmaking series we talked about

brainstorming and thinking of different

pieces that you need and the type of

headspace that you need to get into

making a documentary but now it's time

to make one so I'm just gonna share a

little bit of what I learned and some of

the some of the obstacles and some of

the things I think are valuable from my

process of creating my latest

documentary which if you haven't seen

yet please go check it out it's called

sir effects well in this video we're

just gonna be focusing on the shooting

some lighting ideas and some of the

things that I had to do with no budget

no crew pretty much no gear except for

my camera and just one little LED panel

and I just want to talk a little bit

about that in this video so that

hopefully it can help you when you are

tackling your documentary project

[Music]

so before moving on to the rest of this

video I've been asked how I organize my

projects and what what I can do to sort

of get lookbooks together and what what

tools I use for that process that

brainstorming process and even what I

use to just kind of organize all the

pre-pro together well you're seeing it

on screen right now I use Milano and

they're also today's sponsor so I wanted

to give them a huge thanks for

supporting the channel but also I

genuinely wanted to recommend this to

you guys because I use this now for

every single project you're seeing an

example here for a upcoming short film

and I can't tell you how important it is

to have all of this material in one

place that by the way your team can also

access modify add to this has been a

game changer because I'm a very

unorganized person so this was the

perfect solution for me to visually put

together some game plans for projects it

can be especially crucial for planning

your documentary brainstorming and

putting all those pieces together and

it's what I use for Chris Carr for the

channel for the company that is how we

run everything and how we keep everyone

on tasks so really recommend Milano

check it out

alright let's talk about the actual

filming so you have your questions you

kind of know how you're gonna structure

this and you're being open to what the

world is going to throw at you so how do

you actually film how do you set up the

shots what's that process look like that

changes from filmmaker to filmmaker so

I'm just sharing what has worked with me

and how I work one of the ways that I

like to shoot is especially for

documentaries is to get familiar with

with the face and the environment that

they're in and I usually want to try to

match up the subject if we're talking

about you know a person sitting down for

an interview I want to match their vibe

with their environment and also with the

way that I'm shooting them and the way

that I'm lighting them so in this scene

for example we have this retired racecar

driver he was a legend and he started

collecting cars beneath his shop that he

now owns he actually has a huge garage

of all these antique cars that he

collects he shared a story that was

connected to a car that was there so it

made perfect sense

him to be in that space so again it

becomes a predicting game you need to

kind of get a feel for the person and

kind of get a sense of what they might

say and how that might fit in the story

and you need to be very conscious about

where you're placing them in how you're

placing them how you're placing them to

camera and so on now as far as placement

what I was really paying attention for

here whenever I was placing my subjects

or placing my camera to my subjects was

leading lines for the most part and also

what practicals I had to work with in my

scene as I mentioned already I didn't

have much lighting so this was

particularly important for me because I

really needed to make sure I was really

utilizing most of what the scene was

already giving me and then I could just

highlight something with my tiny LED

panel which was the only light I had and

when you're framing up the subjects in

this type of way don't just keep in mind

rules you know sometimes you can break

some some rules and and find what shot

can best represent your subjects and

what they're saying in that moment one

example here is I also got a shot near

the end of the interview when we're

getting to the more you know depressing

stuff I went to a 24 millimeter and I

just went all the way back to this sort

of hallway where he he kept saw these

these sort of rolled-up carpets and

pieces of fabrics and this almost gave

this dreadful feeling of this kind of

tunnel leading into darkness which

really represented his his feelings of

his own industry disappearing or mysamma

was a gentle

nor ingenue

you can enter

[Music]

now this is just my personal approach so

keep that in mind it's not a rule but

what I usually tend to do in these

scenes especially when interviewing

subjects was to start with a wide shot

and then get some detail shots and zoom

in with a a longer entire focal length

so for most of these interviews I only

had one camera so I had to switch lenses

but I always started wide and this is

just to you know make the viewer feel

comfortable with where they are at in

the world and also to to place the

subjects and to give an understanding of

their environment from there as the

conversation got deeper and you know

maybe as soon as I noticed that there

was some gaps or a little bit of

breathing room I would quickly switch

lenses which I had on hand and I use my

7200 and this was a very nice range to

you know needing to pull out if I need

something sort of medium and and then

just zoom really in if we hit maybe a

more sensitive or emotional part of the

story if that is what you choose to do

of course that all depends on your style

and what you're trying to do but a lot

of times and you've seen this a lot in

documentaries you want to get a little

bit closer this just because you can

feel a little bit closer to the person

if you are physically closer it just

becomes more intimate so that is

something that I recommend you guys

really keep in mind aside from the

questions and the lenses attached to it

lens choices lighting choices all of

that in general is part of the story

[Music]

you want to make sure that you're

formulating the questions in a way that

is engaging that can lead to a long

conversation sometimes one of the things

that helps is you know you could be

asking something and then maybe you

could give an example or multiple

examples so it's like what do you think

of this like do you think it's more of

this thing or maybe like that or not so

much what are your thoughts you know

when you formulate things that way it's

more of like you're you're engaging in a

conversation with the person you're not

just saying so if you think this is cool

no okay you got to create some form of a

back-and-forth and when you are having

that back-and-forth you need to make

sure that you are capturing just their

side of the audio and not your own so

make sure you're not getting any overlap

and of course this is not the case if

you are actually in the scene with the

person maybe you want to have more of a

conversation I'm talking about more of a

situation where you're behind the camera

you're prying questions out make sure

that the audio doesn't overlap because

that can be a nightmare to fix in the

editing

keep rolling keep rolling beyond the

takes roll as much as possible honestly

in documentaries of course

don't make it too overwhelming to the

point that it becomes impossible to

craft a story from it

later in the Edit but have more

breathing room than usual when it comes

to cutting your camera when it comes to

even starting recording because

sometimes you know there's a lot of

candid moments there's a lot of stuff

that happens even once the person thinks

that he is done being interviewed a lot

of truth can come out in those moments

and that can be really important to

capture so when it comes to lighting for

this whole documentary all I had was the

flashlight from the iPhone 6 at the time

and one LED panel it was from a pitcher

but it's like their very first LED panel

that I think they ever made but it still

worked

great still did everything that I needed

to do and that's all I had sometimes

this LED panel acted as a key light

sometimes as a backlight I would just

move around depending on how much

ambient level I had in my scene meaning

if the face was honestly readable enough

to camera and it wasn't too dark by just

what the practical light was giving me

and if that was the case if I had a

pretty solid exposure on the subject I

would throw that as a backlight or a way

to edge them or separate them from the

background if I had some nice ambience

like was in this case of this garage

over here where we see some nice

fluorescent tubes that are casting some

pretty even and soft ambience from the

top then in that case I just wanted to

really bring out a stronger key for the

subjects face this is where the editing

again can really help you out if you are

dealing with these type of restrictions

because this is what the scene looked

like before being graded and this is

what the scene looked like after it was

graded so pretty drastic difference and

you can start to see that something else

is going on it's not just a color grade

so this is something that we have

covered in the past multiple times it is

something that I am really focusing my

mentorship program that I just launched

with industry jump on so this is a huge

topic on its own we can unpack it in so

many different ways so if you are

interested in

these relighting techniques in After

Effects I really recommend you guys

check out the videos and the info cards

but this can be really powerful

essentially just a quick rundown of what

this is is a solid with colors that are

present in my scene or that I've tweaked

to kind of match my color palette and in

this case I really wanted to bring out

the greenish tint of the fluorescent

tubes that are around this garage

environment so that they can separate

the subject more from the background

because otherwise everything was kind of

falling flat didn't really like the vibe

and by creating this very simple layer

of this greenish color and also

decreasing a little bit the contrast you

create something that I think feels very

cinematic that creates that separation

that death that is very much needed

especially in a wide shot like this I

made the mistake recently you know until

a few years back of traveling with so

much gear I mean pretty much everything

I'm using here I would try to pack in a

bag and take on trains take on planes

and a lot of times you really don't need

that what happened

the next part will be going through a

cave that hopefully isn't flooded yet

[Music]

documentary filmmakers as run-and-gun

filmmakers even the gear can become a

huge limitation so you think you're

adding more gear you're buying new

lights you're buying multiple different

rigs of whatever you're doing and it you

think that might help and that might

speed up things but really it becomes an

impediment it slows you down it weighs

you down it takes a lot of energy out of

you it might even cause you to miss some

key moments documentaries are scary so I

get the feeling of like oh my god I need

all my gear because who knows what could

happen

but really think about what that means

and how much mobility that will take

away from you I'm sure you're probably

tired of hearing how the visuals don't

have to be perfect and great but if the

audio is bad that's how you lose people

and that is true especially when it

comes to documentaries that I said

before a lot of times we don't have the

luxury to bring all the gear in the

world that we want to shoot in the

perfect circumstances and that's just

because that's what the moment requires

you have to be there to capture it and

that's your priority and sometimes that

doesn't look perfect so that is where

you can have a little bit of room of

imperfection in the visuals when you

have really good audio now it's not

super difficult to get really good audio

the way I did it for the last

documentary for serape fix was having

this same exact setup four years later

Here I am with a live mic from a road

this is the rode smartlav+ and they work

great I plugged them in to my cell phone

at the time right now I'm using a TRS

converter still from rode it's just a

little piece that allows me to then

attach it to something like this like a

zoom h1 N and again this is also super

handy to have you should have it as an

indie filmmaker for documentaries this

can be a really

you can just slip into people's pockets

having multiple ones of these could be

cool and this set up honestly is great

the audio sounds pretty good of course

if you can get better lobs you can do

that

but you can really get away with a lot

with something as inexpensive as this

this is about a hundred bucks maybe less

and I think the same goes for the

recorder so again very simple setup I

used pretty much not even that I use

just the mic like I said with the phone

and that was my interview setup for

everyone and of course having a sound

guy there is always better having a boom

up is always better but you know if you

can't if you can't afford it if you

can't for whatever logistic reason if

you're flying to a remote location you

can't bring people with you don't think

that getting good audio just by yourself

is impossible this is a really nice

hands-off approach because aside from

you know checking if the recording and

monitoring it once in a while you can

just leave it on talent and you know

that you're getting good audio another

good way to do it is if you want to step

up your kit and get the wireless system

that Road offers that way you can even

monitor from the camera which to me

feels a little bit safer as far as all

the other sounds so non dialogue sounds

a lot of times I don't worry about it

too much because most the time I end up

reconstructing that entirely in post so

I create all the sound design by pulling

in the sounds from different libraries

different places and that can go a

certain way and it can be really fun to

recreate your your environment but of

course it is to your benefit

getting real sounds from the actual

location this doesn't have to be while

you're shooting this could even be after

you've wrapped you know whoever you're

interviewing and you're still in that

space you can then go around and kind of

capture certain sounds of that

environments recreate certain

interactions that were happening on

camera you know you can watch playback

and then say okay there's this type of

movement there's this type of

interaction let me go and grab that

stuff early and you can even run around

with just the recorder by using the mics

that it has get close to different

things that you know you're gonna need

in the Edit and that is always going to

be better by having the actual sound

from the place because it not only

sounds authentic but it is also a great

reference for you to actually

here what that space sounded like

whenever you're adding other sounds from

different libraries

I hope you found that useful and

interesting I will follow this up with

one more video on editing so definitely

don't miss that out because there's

gonna be some shots where there's a few

tricks where it wasn't just editing to

make all of this work and to make it

visually look high budget and

professional when really there was no

professional crew

so we've touch upon a little bit of this

in the shooting aspect but in the next

video we're really gonna dial it in into

the editing and seeing what tricks you

can do to elevate your documentary

project and real quick before I go I

know beginning some questions about how

people can support the channel and I

don't really have a way to do that yet I

took down patreon a while ago but I did

release a light effects pack so if

you're interested in the effects or just

spicing up your edit with some light

elements definitely check out that back

I'll link that also in the description

down below alright guys that is it thank

you so much for watching my name is kris

trini for Kris Carr and I'll see you

next time

huge thanks once again to milano for

sponsoring this video and for being such

an amazing tool and to you guys for

watching this video for supporting the

channel and watching the documentary sir

I'll be fix thank you guys so much

alright

[Music]

[Music]

you