I need to make a documentary on "Students role against tobacco, alcohol & drugs". It is a 2 minute video. Has anyone got any best ideas to make this topic into an effective documentary?
I think the best approach to making a documentary is to know who your audience is going to be and then not talk down to them. If the documentary is being made to be shown to students you need to keep it at their level. Since it is a short video, I'd try to keep a fast pace, but I'm guessing anything that has a lot of information to convey to an audience has to have a fast pace to do so. I really recommend you get a brainstorm going with people who know the issues and with people who will ultimately work with you on this. Think up of a visual style that you want to keep in the documentary. Do some research on short documentaries. There are a lot of videos on youtube that you can refer to I'm sure. It feels like I am rambling. I'll stop. Keep the pace up, be fresh, and don't talk down to the audience.
In a video montage, should the video follow the music or the opposite?
It depends. This is something that can be an artistic decision as much as a practical one.Music videos address this question in interesting ways. Sometimes the edits stay in sync with the beat, and sometimes they’ll focus on a story being told with the visuals that isn’t necessarily in sync with the music. Just cutting on the exact same beat in a measure can also get boring to watch, so editors will often shift sync from one rhythmic element to another periodically.Documentaries (which are more my area of expertise) can just lay a background track as ambience and only focus on where to start and end the music, or can be as intricate as a feature narrative project. Generally, because you don’t have control over the rhythm of how interviewees talk, the relationship tends to be a bit looser, but you can also edit interviews and b-roll to fit the overall progression of a piece of music. Too much matching to music might make the project feel overly manipulated and lose some of the essence of what the raw footage has captured, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. If you’re trying to work in this genre, it might be a good idea to look at different approaches from established filmmakers like Ken Burns, Michael Moore, Errol Morris, etc.Features will generally avoid “canned” (cheap royalty-free) music and will use custom compositions and/or popular songs. In the case of the former, the visuals are usually edited first, then the music is composed to match. In the case of the latter, the visuals tend to follow the song, although usually not as intensely as a music video. In both cases, the story is paramount, and often informs the choice of music more than the music informs the visuals.This is just a general overview of the most common techniques. Bottom line generally is: what works best to tell the story of the project both in the moment, and in the overall construction of the project? If you’re having trouble, try different approaches and see what works.
What's the difference between a photo montage, mosaic, or collage?
A photo montage is a photo essay. Originally, photos were cut up and pieced together to make a story. Sometimes the artist/photographer would take another photo in order to display the cut up photos as a whole. Of course today we can do this quickly and easily using digital cameras and software. A mosaic is generally made up of small pieces of tile, glass or other objects. Once the pieces are placed in a pleasing design, that can also be a story, grout is smeared into the places between pieces in order to get that sensation it is one, whole unit. A collage may consist of a variety of items from newspaper and book clippings to photographs and other found objects that are glued together to form a whole. All three methods thus have one goal: to create a unified image that conveys a message.
What are your thoughts on Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck?
I liked the movie. I was a baby when my dad would listen to Nirvana, so I grew up knowing who Kurt was. But I never knew about his addiction... It made me really sad to see a guy who had a passion for arts just let it all go down the drain. but its addiction right? a "disease" some people would say. It made me upset watching him strung out on H. He was a beautiful soul, but i think real life was too much for him. I also made my own assumption that Courtney was the reason he committed suicide. before he did, she "almost" cheated on him. sounds like enough to send a drug addict faster down the spiral of death. I think courtney and frances were his reason to live, and after that i think he changed his mind. forever 27, RIP Kurt Cobain.
How to write music in a screenplay?
I do not have the rights to the music or Bob's Short but amazing life, yet! I am planning for Will smith to be bob and go to the company with it and hopefully get it made! am writing this so I have something to show. So they can see why they should give me the rights, I know about the documentary coming and the movie by Rita Marley-NO Woman, No Cry. I have heard about this countless times, I have known since day one! I just want to know what to do with music, how do you put it in the movie? I am writing this to get Will Smith to use this a project with him going to HBO or Showtime to get them to make it, ever since seeing a scene from I AM LEGEND ON YOUTUBE, I have had concreter evidence as to why Will should be bob. That scene is... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTLXh_K5tZc&feature=related Once you see it you will agree! It is both funny, heart worming, sad, and true to bob! "LIGHT UP THE DARKNESS..."
A song that is played in most Vietnam war films usually when helicopter scenes are happening, help?
i know what you're looking for, i've been researching for this last week too... "Paint It, Black" is a song recorded by The Rolling Stones in 1966. It reached number one in both the U.S. and the UK charts. It was released as a single and on the U.S. version of the album, Aftermath. In recent years, the song has become associated with the Vietnam War due to its use in the ending credits of Full Metal Jacket and the opening credits of Tour of Duty. It was also used in 2004 in an episode-ending montage in the NBC television show American Dreams, when a major character went missing in Vietnam. Its other film appearances include For Love of the Game and the closing credits of 1997's The Devil's Advocate. The pilot of Nip/Tuck TV show also uses the Rolling Stone's version of the song. The song, as covered by Gob, was also featured in the film Stir of Echoes. The Gob cover also plays over the end credits of the 2004 mini-series of 'Salem's Lot. A French version of the song, recorded in 1966 by Marie Laforet, appears in the 2006 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and an alternative version appears on commercials for The Sopranos on A&E. "Paint It, Black" was also used in three video game titles. Conflict: Vietnam used the song during the opening sequence, while Twisted Metal: Black used the beginning of the song in the opening screen, then the whole song again in its end credits. A version of the karaoke game SingStar also features "Paint It Black". My dad was a vietnam vet and he once told me that this was really the hit song in military camps during their tumultous days!
What are the key differences between directing a film versus a music video?
Big difference. I've directed music videos for artists on major labels, TV and also a few features years ago.Generally, a music video done well is a commercial for an artist and I must fit the structure of the story into the song. While the structure of a song CAN fit dramatic structure, songs don't always do that. As one of my mentors told me, you can put just about any set of pictures to music and people buy it.Also, when we produced for artists, it was more like a TV commercial. I was more concerned with marketing the artists as a product, so I structured content to fit the marketing message. Smart artists use them to sell themselves.A feature or TV show, including good reality TV or documentaries.1) My first concern is structure. I want to be sure the end is supported by the beginning. A thing most amateur writers miss. If your ending is bad, it is because of your beginning.2) If you are doing a bigger budget film, every day you deal with the concerns of the bonding company. A huge pain in the ass. Low budget films, TV shows and music videos are handled like contract work.3) As a director, even with documentaries, I am keeping the actor or talent in the moment. I know where they fit in the structure or what their performance needs to be. I am always in touch with the through line of the story (that is true in music videos too, I am keeping the artist in the moment).4) On a feature or TV, I am very concerned about audio. I prefer natural audio if at all possible. The post audio, dialog, music and sfx are critical to having a move that feels full. Film is a visual medium to be sure, but you can have a poorly shot film, great story and great audio and somehow people forgive it. I am not downplaying the fact that picture is critical, but in the Internet age with fuzzy picture a low budget film streaming, YouTube will keep the audio playing smooth if the picture is choppy.5) Editing process is very different. In features & TV the post process is definitely different. I'd say more deliberate. I can get away with a lot more in a MV.Kinda tired. Maybe I'll come back to add more.