The Wonders of Choice

Today’s emerging film-makers have unprecedented opportunities to make their mark. Never before has there been such choice in terms of subject matter and the means at their disposal to craft a story that can inspire, inform, educate and alter our perceptions of the world around us. Many may start by making small personal video diaries, or short experimental films, but once the bug takes hold you will invariably want to make bigger and better films and look for ways to extend and develop your experience as your imagination takes you on a journey of self-discovery and selfexpression, and a moment of inspiration turns into a lifelong passion.

THE IMPACT OF THE DIGITAL AGE

There can be little doubt that our changing world has affected the way we communicate and document our lives, whether in the established areas of cinema and television, or through the new internet-based tools that offer a platform for our work which can be accessed by millions and transcends the borders of language and culture in a matter of seconds. There seems no limit, in fact, to where our creative energies can take us in the future and the possibilities we can explore, in a world that has become increasingly more informed and infinitely smaller, courtesy of technologies that have made our lives more instant, more compact and more accessible.

The advancement of audio visual technology

The digital age has not only transformed the way in which we make films but the way our work can be viewed, discussed, analysed and digested by the viewing audience and accessed through a choice of giant screens, conventional television sets, CD-ROM, DVD, computer hard drives or mobile telephones. The staggering advancement in audio visual technology has produced a mind-numbing array of lightweight, portable equipment that offers instant playback and can overcome almost any technical problems, leaving us free to express ourselves by whatever means we choose – that choice being enhanced as we review, manipulate and sculpture our rushes in one of the most creative environments of all, the digital edit suite, where programmes can be fashioned faster than ever before into personal mini-masterpieces.

The importance of creative integrity

But technology alone cannot produce powerful films that entertain audiences or take them on emotional roller-coaster journeys of discovery and revelation, for the ingredients needed to make such compelling works remain what they have always been –motivation, perspiration and craftsmanship. And these can only be achieved by perseverance and dedication, combined with a natural ability to tell a well-structured story that can penetrate our emotions, raise human consciousness and ask us to see theworld in a differentway, whilst having total respect for the audiences who rely on us to be honest and fair in our interpretation of events. No amount of technological artistic dressing can conceal the cracks in a badly conceived story that lacks direction, or focus, since the film-maker’s creative integrity and sense of responsibility will always be embedded at the very core of the work he or she produces.

EXCITING NEW CHALLENGES FOR FILM-MAKERS

And the challenges are greater than ever, because our constantly evolving world has created extraordinary changes in the forces of nature, in the way we interact in a multicultural society, adapt to the global threat of terror and portray those less fortunate who are coping with severe hardship and illness.We need to try to capture all of this whilst trying to spread our resources across infinite multi-platform possibilities.

In broadcast television alone, hundreds of channels swallow up programme content faster than we could ever have dreamed possible. Although the future may herald a new age of video-ondemand and user-generated content, the current reality for the majority of film-makers who are passionate about creating thought-provoking and professional work, is that films need to be financed and commissioned if they are to reach a responsive audience who want to be truly stimulated. The mounting choice presented to the viewing public, however, means that ultimately they will decide what they want to watch, when they want to watch it, and just how they will watch it – possibly the greatest challenge to those producers, directors and commissioners whose opinions have dominated our viewing habits for so long.

OVERCOMING RESTRICTIONS AND PRESSURES

But whilst the growth in broadcast channels has created choice for viewers and producers alike, it has also placed increasing restrictions and pressure on film-makers, who have their budgets and schedules continually squeezed, to the point where directors find they have to supply more inventive product on increasingly less resources, which means less set-up time, less filming time, and less time to piece their rushes together coherently in the edit suite. Such are the pressures that professional film-makers live with on a daily basis, whether they work in documentary or drama, yet many produce work of great significance and value because they understand how to make the system work best for them, in tandem with a natural aptitude for the task in hand, accumulated experience and a disciplined approach. Being properly organised, in fact, is often the key to success and thorough preparation the greatest single investment that you will ever make on a film, whether that film lasts one minute or two hours, is a mini drama or a documentary.

Shooting economically

The need to shoot economically is paramount, especially on documentary shoots where events may take an unexpected turn, or the forces of nature turn dramatically against you. Having a game plan, giving yourself options and being organised can help you overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles that threaten to wreck or severely hamper your project. In the following pages we will look at various ways in which you can adopt a number of working practices that will help you to achieve your objectives and keep you focused, so that you can produce a worthy and wellcrafted film with the least amount of compromise, if any.

DECIDING WHAT KIND OF FILM-MAKER YOU WANT TO BE

Before getting involved in such detail, it would be wise for you to determine what kind of film-maker you want to be. You might simply want to make a short two-minute item for distribution on the internet, or opt for making short films to show what you are capable of, or for submission to broadcast television, the latter offering a multitude of channels and a wide audience, though here, for the most part, you are at the behest of the personal preferences of a commissioning editor or executive producer.

Using any short films you have made to enter into film festivals or send to producers in order to gain a foothold in the industry is certainly a worthwhile game plan, and although working as an employee for a film company or a broadcaster may mean making films that are formulaic or fit into an available transmission slot, the experience gained is ultimately worth the effort. There are few who can aspire to be Nick Broomfields, Barbara Kopples or Michael Moores at their first attempts, so spending some time learning the ropes is a way to avoid poverty and help you decide when the time is right to strike out and make your mark.

How to make your film stand out from the crowd

How to make sure you (and your films) stand out from the crowd is obviously something you need to think seriously about, because whatever your skills and talents, film-making is a highly competitive industry. As we work our way through this book we will look at some of the available options you might favour. Much depends, of course, on whether you see film as a pure art form, or as a commercial prospect that embraces creative expression. Choice again is relevant as you evaluate your options.

- Will you take the more controlled, conventional route, or be totally spontaneous and reactionary – or will you employ a combination of styles and techniques, whether stylised, surreal or abstract, to tell your story?

- Will your film be purely observational, or will it be more subjective, constantly scratching beneath the sensory surface of the people you film?

- Will it keep to a chosen dramatic style, or cross the line between fiction and non-fiction?

- Will it tackle social issues, be provocative, entertaining, or take a humorous, satirical approach?

- Will it reflect to the viewer the known, or the unknown, or a combination of the two?

The short film revival

In considering these options, and many others we will look at later, it is clear that making a short film is not a simple matter of picking up a camera and creating an instant master work, so it’s well worth taking the time to consider how you feel you can best express yourself and why it’s important to explore the full range of possibilities. With such choice now available it’s not surprising that in recent years there has been a small explosion of video diaries and mini dramas, mostly accessed on the internet. Documentary has enjoyed a significant revival, with many broadcasters, including the Discovery, Biography and History channels, embracing documentary almost exclusively, and the growth of short and documentary film festivals worldwide has given thousands of film-makers a global opportunity to showcase their work.

CONSIDERING YOUR AUDIENCE’S EXPECTATIONS

In analysing your role as a film-maker it is also worth remembering that just as the grammar of film has become more refined over the years, so have audience expectations. Pace in both filmed action and editing, greater variety of camera angles, jump-cuts (the intentional omission of action within shots to make them physically ‘jump’ position on screen) and transitions between scenes that allow the viewer to ‘fill in’ some of the gaps, are just a few of the techniques that audiences have now become familiar with and they offer a raft of new challenges to future generations of directors, editors and technicians.

Keeping your message clear

This is not to suggest that films should become overtly experimental or employ techniques which risk alienating the vast majority of their audience, since the viewer’s basic need – to be informed with clarity, and entertained with a sense of fun – has changed little over the years, and although many of us want films that are thought-provoking and innovative, few of us would wish to sit in either an auditorium or our favourite armchair only to be blasted with meaningless imagery, an array of special effects, or be expected to understand the director’s cleverly disguised and profound message by attending therapy sessions for several weeks afterwards. In most instances less is definitely more, and simplicity the key to success.

We will always, however, need film-makers who will challenge our conventions, our doctrines, our politics, our social ethics, the way we live and the way we die, and whatever the methods and whatever the chosen style, the medium of film and video will continue to offer an exciting range of possibilities and alternatives to all who take up the challenge.