| | Now that The Queen from Virginia: The Jackie Bong Wright Story is out and available for sale (www.doubleohthree.com in case you haven't picked up your copy yet. hint, hint), I thought that I would use this blog in 2008 to give a more behind-the-scenes look at independent documentary filmmaking. So, I'm going to write more entries on the actual filmmaking process this. You know, to pass along some of the things that I have learned or done to the future documentary filmmakers of America. (I probably did a bunch of things totally wrong, so the young kids can learn from my mistakes too.)
Pageant Tales: Vol. I - PRE-PRODUCTION aka I have no clue how to direct a documentary
When I first started The Queen from Virginia, I had no idea how to make a documentary, let alone a feature-length one. I had directed two short films prior, but they were only okay. (They would've been awesome if there was a different director.) Anyhow, I had no idea what a documentary should look like, so one of the first things I did as the director of The Queen from Virginia was to immerse myself in the documentary genre. In my mind, the only way to know what a documentary should look like was to watch as many documentaries as possible during our Pre-Production period. So, I got myself a Netflix subscription, bought a lot of popcorn, and watched the following feature documentaries:
1. American Movie, 2. Spellbound, 3. Daughter from Danang, 4. Capturing the Friedmans, 5. Sherman's March, 6. Buenta Vista Social Club, 7. The Fog of War, 8. Step Into Liquid, 9. Scratch, 10. Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision, 11. Pumping Iron, 12. Dysfunctional Family, 13. Roger & Me, 14. Unzipped, 15. Dogtown and Z-Boys, 16. Comedian, 17. Searching for Debra Winger, 18. An Evening with Kevin Smith 1, 19. An Evening with Kevin Smith 2, 20. Hearts and Minds, Mr. Death, 21. Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control, 22. Standing in the Shadows of Motown, 23. Be Good, Smile Pretty, 24. When We Were Kings, 25. Nanook of the North, 26. Super Size Me
Must See Films: I'm still disturbed to this day after seeing Capturing the Friedmans only one time. The Fog of War - Errol Morris is a great documentary filmmaker. All his films are good, but this is one of his most famous films (don't quote me on that). Pumping Iron - stars the Terminator himself, Gov. Arnold of CA. Just watch for that really.
Summary: If you're planning to make your own feature documentary, and have never done anything like it before, go rent a ton of documentaries first and watch them. It's like doing LSAT prep, but way more enjoyable.
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| | Posted 1/11/2008 5:22 AM - 141 Views - 10 eProps - 5 comments
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