THOMAS FREEMAN
Assistant Director and Cinematographer
Job Role
As the cinematographer and assistant director, my roles heavily rely on the three production stages of the documentary. In pre-production, I will have to visit the environment to see what and how I will video the locations. I will also have to help pre-interview the subjects to see what they will talk about, giving us a foundation for the documentary, building a way to structure the rest of the documentary.
I would like to shoot the interviews on two cameras. The first would be the primary camera and would provide a mid-shot of the subject in an interview; the second would be on more of an angle providing a close up of the subject. For cutaways/external shots/B-roll, I’d like to shoot it primarily on some form of mounted camera, whether a tripod, dolly or Steadicam. This takes inspiration from David Fincher’s films Se7en (1995) and The Social Network (2010), as his limited use of handheld camera movement is extremely effective in its minimal use. This will also help create an atmosphere, like in Roma (2018). Being the AD will also require a lot of note taking and organisational skills. This will help in the long term of the project as I will have an understanding of where the project is up to.
PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS
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Camera Plans
The exact plan for shooting in and around The Cambridge isn't exactly planned. Where as other film crews will look at somewhere and decide how and what to shoot, I am looking more into the observational style in capturing bands and crowds in the moment. This will help create the recapture the atmosphere of The Cambridge in the finished product. We will have access to the area side stage and in front of the barrier, and so I will try to use this to the best of my abilities, as well as shoot the "iconic" pieces of history inside before the crowds show up.
Week 7 Reading
Organisation is a key part of production and post-production, as it increases the efficiency and tidiness of the project. This will have a positive effect on how the final and master cuts will turn out.
One example of this is from line numbering (2009), which helps the transcripts in the editing stages. It helps the editors find the best parts of the interviews to use quickly, as well as creates an awareness of organisation amongst the team.
Databases are another great way to organise material. In the group, we have sorted our video and audio footage into a system of folders which sort the material into archival, cutaways, interviews and interior/exterior shots. This helps a lot for when we are putting the prototype and rough cuts together.
Rabiger, M. (2009). Directing the Documentary [eBook]. Chapter 7, p. 485-491. Taylor and
Francis.
Films That Inspired Me This Week:
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Vertigo (1956)
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
The Nice Guys (2016)
The Neon Demon (2017)
Week 6 Reading
This week I looked at chapter 17 of Directing the Documentary (Rabiger, 2014), which explored the idea of perspective in documentary filmmaking. The reading brings forth lots of ideas into the way documentaries use empathy; and the way this creates tone and engagement in the shots. This means that, as a team, we will have to have a clear and guiding purpose for telling the narrative.
As the cinematographer though, I have to constantly know and feel how the audience would want to feel. This requires an intellectual and empathetic relation to the characters and story. To paraphrase the textbook: be fully mature in the embrace of other people, however different they are!
THIS WILL GIVE THE FILM IT’S HEART AND SOUL <3
The chapter also asked a lot of important questions about drama, which I think don’t have specific answers right now, but will when it comes to doing camera and shot plans. It is wise to think about:
Where does drama come from?
Who is the central subject/character in the scene?
Who does the audience want to emphasise with?
What is the overall story?
Rabiger, Michael. Directing the Documentary. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2014. Ebook
Library. Web. Accessed 4 Sep 2019.
Films That Inspired Me This Week
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly (2019)
Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)
Rope (1948)
Unsane (2018)
Week 4 Reading
Preparation is key when it comes to documentary production. Focusing your ideas ahead of time into what you should shoot is crucial so that you can look for particular material (2009), and as the cinematographer it is my role to plan what, where and how I should capture the mood, environment and aesthetic of the subject.
This is also evident in the proposal, as a great pitch for a project will send the idea that the documentary is well prepared and well made. This is helpful for selling and promoting the finished product.
It helps if the documentary asks a general question; then looks at asking: where is the conflict, who is the main character, how will I show the world, and more.
Rabiger, M. (2009). Directing the Documentary [eBook]. Chapter 4, p. 51-64. Taylor and
Francis.
Films That Inspired Me This Week:
The Godfather (1972)
The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
The Thing (1982)
District 9 (2009)
Week 3 Reading
“Research means immersing yourself in your subject so you can decide who and what you might film” (Rabiger, 2009, p. 121). I think when it comes to looking at research for The Cambridge, the best way to do it is to go into the field and experience the atmosphere first hand. What feelings does it give off? How does it look? How do we want to portray this venue?
Making a “working hypothesis” (Rabiger, 2009, p. 123) is the first vital step in making a film as it establishes your initial vision for how you want it to turn out. Visually, I want my doco to recreate the neon, smoky and grainy aesthetic that The Cambridge bestows, and so I’ll think about how I can incorporate slow motion moving shots (similar to We Are Poets (2015)), contrasting the light and dark in shots, and using a variety of filming techniques, like shooting on mobile, to help achieve this. It will definitely be worth taking video footage whenever I’m there to help look at this and the way I can possibly shoot different parts of The Cambridge.
Things to consider:
What is the principle concerning the subject?
How will I show actions by exploring situations?
Who are the characters (and their characteristics)?
What do we want to accomplish?
What is my main conflict?
How will I structure my film?
How do I want my audience to feel?
What do I want my audience to realise?
Rabiger, M. (2009). Directing the Documentary [eBook]. Chapter 7, p. 121-130. Taylor and Francis.
Films That Inspired Me This Week:
8 1/2 (1963)
Cloverfield (2008)
High Flying Bird (2019)
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
Intimate Lighting (1965)
Week 2 Reading
Story is all about the relations and emotions driving the characters into a series of events. Plot is about the “ideal hook” (Screen Australia, 2009) for the audience, as it provides intrigue into what comes next. In the finished film, they come together to become one element. The synopsis is around a page and tells the sequence of events in blocks. A treatment sets out the dramatic and cinematic stylistic ways the film is told. It is set in the present and doesn’t include dialogue, however the more complex the plot is, the more detail needed in the treatment. For a documentary, it will specify what type of footage will be used instead of focusing on the drama. (2009)
Screen Australia. (2009). What is a Synopsis? An Outline? A Treatment? pp. 1-12.
Films That Inspired me This Week:
The Dawn Wall (2017)
First Man (2018)
FYRE (2019)
Searching (2018)
Se7en (1995)
Roma (2018)
Week 1 Reading
When planning a documentary, the filmmaker needs to ask themselves important questions about the ‘why’ aspect of the documentary. Why am I making this documentary? Is this subject something I am interested in? Am I already opinionated in this area or field? Can I do justice to the subject? (2004). The story has to be intriguing to the audience, yet also filmable and feasible, and this comes from the subject primarily. This can also be achieved through the cinematography, as it helps “create a good mood” (2004, p. 136). The way that the ideas are told can affect and change the feelings and emotions of the audience. They can also have different perceptions through the documentary’s focus on either a “strong character” or a “strong subject” (Rabiger, 2004, p. 137)
Rabiger, M. (2004). Directing the Documentary (4th Ed.). pp. 128-139.
Films That Inspired me This Week:
Man on Wire (2008)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Arrival (2016)
The Social Network (2010)