Comments for Documentary Tips http://videomaker.com/community/blogs/docutips Shooting actuality for visual storytelling Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:17:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 Comment on Reality Shooters are Storytellers #1 by wp.richey@yahoo.com http://videomaker.com/community/blogs/docutips/2008/04/04/reality-shooters-are-storytellers/comment-page-2/#comment-65 wp.richey@yahoo.com Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:21:11 +0000 #comment-65 lots of great advice, thanks. lots of great advice, thanks.

]]> Comment on Reality Shooters are Storytellers #2 by Lasereye http://videomaker.com/community/blogs/docutips/2008/04/06/reality-shooters-are-storytellers-2/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Lasereye Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:50:38 +0000 http://videomaker.com/community/blogs/docutips/2008/04/06/reality-shooters-are-storytellers-2/#comment-59 Mainstream media is not reality TV. Everyone on those shows has learned how to work the camera from previous shows. They have learned they must do something outrageous to get attention and hopefully their moment of fame takes place and makes them a few bucks or launches them into a new career. It is hardly reality when you know you are being watched by a camera. You as the cameraman always tell the story from a subjective point of view. You choose what gets seen or not seen as soon as you turn the camera on. It's not reality unless you put the camera in the corner of a room and let it record with no editing. Now that is a true documentary film. You have reality in the room when people show up and they don't know a camera is watching! I think the biggest gift or talent a cameraman can have is the talent of being there but not being there. Where his equipment is small and compact where he melts into the environment over time - becoming a member of the group - where people trust, relax and become themselves - essentially - forgetting about the camera presence. Technical proficiency and camera technique are important but connecting at the human level is vital in capturing a real story with real human behavior, emotions and thought. Mainstream media is not reality TV. Everyone on those shows has learned how to work the camera from previous shows. They have learned they must do something outrageous to get attention and hopefully their moment of fame takes place and makes them a few bucks or launches them into a new career. It is hardly reality when you know you are being watched by a camera.

You as the cameraman always tell the story from a subjective point of view. You choose what gets seen or not seen as soon as you turn the camera on. It’s not reality unless you put the camera in the corner of a room and let it record with no editing. Now that is a true documentary film. You have reality in the room when people show up and they don’t know a camera is watching!

I think the biggest gift or talent a cameraman can have is the talent of being there but not being there. Where his equipment is small and compact where he melts into the environment over time - becoming a member of the group - where people trust, relax and become themselves - essentially - forgetting about the camera presence.

Technical proficiency and camera technique are important but connecting at the human level is vital in capturing a real story with real human behavior, emotions and thought.

]]> Comment on Reality Shooters are Storytellers #1 by tedkhanr http://videomaker.com/community/blogs/docutips/2008/04/04/reality-shooters-are-storytellers/comment-page-2/#comment-57 tedkhanr Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:21:34 +0000 #comment-57 Hi Peter, Your article here validates the kind of video doumentation or shooting that I have been doing for years. Thanks for articulating this mode of capturaing events in this forum. Ted Hi Peter,

Your article here validates the kind of video doumentation or shooting that I have been doing for years. Thanks for articulating this mode of capturaing events in this forum.

Ted

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