4.3 A filmmakers perspective

As discussed at the beginning of this Plan session, the emphasis of docutubes is the means (thinking and being creative) rather than the end (a high-quality documentary). A group of young people could make a very low standard docutube, from the point of its visual quality, but still benefit enormously from the intellectual and creative process of making it. However, obviously the better the film the more satisfaction young people will take from the whole experience. So, in Activity 6, you will hear the experience of a filmmaker who was involved in some of the pilot docutubes, and look again at some of the techniques which young people might consider when they are planning their films.

Activity 6

Timing: Allow about 10 minutes for this activity

Watch the film below of filmmaker Gail Block talking about some of the techniques which young people might plan to use. As you watch, write down some of the techniques which are mentioned.

Download this video clip.Video player: Video 4

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Transcript: Video 4

[MUSIC PLAYING]

GAIL BLOCK:

My advice for teachers and young people when they're trying to translate an abstract academic historical idea into something that you can film is to think very hard about what in the real world you can point that camera at. So, can you reconstruct a historical event? Or can you interview someone?

If you're going to interview someone, what questions would you like to ask them? Can you draw something on paper and create a little graphic sequence? Or are there any objects or buildings or places in your local area that really exemplify this idea?

A good idea for a three-minute film is actually quite simple. You don't want to cram a whole load of detail in there. I was always told you have to have something that you can write down on a post-it note. It also has to have a strong argument, a strong intellectual idea in the way that you would probably look for in an essay.

We are really interested in what the young people themselves have to say so it's not just, oh, we went out and we interviewed people to find out what they think. We would love to see a beginning, a middle, and an end. And at the end we would love to see a synthesis of what the young people themselves have decided about this matter.

When professionals make a film we have quite a long time to do it and that's not a luxury that your young people are ever going to have. So it's really important not to set too high expectations. They're not going to make a Hollywood movie. And actually that's not the point. The point is for them to be able to express their ideas, so they should be thinking about what they really most want to say.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

End transcript: Video 4

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Discussion

As a practicing filmmaker, Gail takes a real-world approach, translating the performative, participatory and expository styles you’ve looked at into practical tools in a film practitioner’s toolbox: drama, interview, graphics, locations. She emphasises argument over technical finesse, and advises how much content you can fit into a short film.