The making of a documentary

Intro:

‘The making of a documentary – an unfinished documentary film’ is just a work of fiction. It has no connection with reality; rather it is loosely based on some cleaver story making and using realistic camera actions. Although the dialogues used in the film are real in the sense that there was no such scripts used in this film. On the basis of the situation a general outline of the plot is given based on which the actors improvised on their dialogues. The inspiration of such method of direction came from the directors like Spike Lee, Jim Wong, Jean- Luc Godard, Gus Van Sant, Judd Apatow and many more. Another method of scripting was also used in this film, where the actors were allowed to write their own part of script. Directors like Woody Allen, Ingmar Bergman, Stanley Kubrick, James Cameron, Orson Welles, Akira Kurosawa and many other used this type of scripting in their film making. So adapting such a style is purely because of inspiration and for learning purposes.

“I believe that every film in itself is like a chapter of a learning process that shall never end, and must not end”

Chapter 1: The Eye

The cinematography or the camera work in every film is like an eye of that film. Through it the world will see, observe and criticize. It provides a vision that helps the audience to understand that what the director or the story wants to convey. Hence it is the most important part of any film making. In this case the camera acts as a person or as a follower, who follows every incident that takes place in the film. The audience must take it slowly as a part of the film or story telling. As decided, most of the shots were hand held, so as to provide a feel of realism. There were night shots without light as to utilize the ‘night vision’ option which in recent time has brought a new wave in digital film making. Film making has always been under different experimentations. In case of my work, it’s the same. The making of a documentary (TMD, in short) purely exists because of the idea of experimentation. The entire film in itself is an experiment. Secondly the process of filming it which includes both pre & post production involve many experimentations. For example, as told earlier, the scripting styles, the cinematography, the lighting and even the over all feel and look of the entire film. One of the main targets of the film will be to fool the viewers & make them believe that the videos they are watching, is in its truest form and they are real video footages. Until the film ends with the note of ‘fiction’. Hence the camera work must be in such way, that it fames the scenes in more realistic manner. Scenes of interviews close up discussions and some real type graphic scenes will make it look more realistic. Lesser use of decorated sets, costumes, makeup, foregrounds & backgrounds.

Most important, the view through the ‘eye’ must look like as if it’s showing a daily part of life instead of a fabricated one.

Chapter 2: The Concept & The Story

2.1 The Concept

The film shows the making of a documentary film, headed by four young lads. Among them one is the director with an assistant, and the other two are the camera persons. Staring their first journey as documentary film makers, they follow a very strange newspaper article regarding two boys, who went missing for many days without any trace. Later, while into the making of the documentary they come across some dramatic evidences which leads them to some dangerous circumstances under which the director and a camera person loses their life, and the other two commits suicide. The documentary remains unfinished.

To be continued....