Blog_13

Responses: As the "casting" assignment progressed this week, what considerations were at the front of your mind? What wheels were turning? 

The main thing that was at the front of my mind is who should I involve in this story to tell the best story. I could interview at least 10-20 people for this project, but it's deciding which people are going to tell the best stories and not be a waste of time and resources. Documentary filmmaking is very similar to narrative in that you are casting the best subjects for the roles that you know they can fill. Finding someone who can talk on camera and tell a story is very important. If you have a stale interviewee, it will not work well in your edit. 

Comments

  1. Ashley HatcherApril 11, 2023 at 8:37 AM

    I'll be making a documentary for my thesis and this is something that I haven't yet thought about so I'm glad you brought this point up. To speak to your thoughts - a potential solution could be some sort of pre-screening where you have a conversation with the potential subjects, maybe in person or maybe on the phone or over zoom - potentially just getting a feel for them. However, as mentioned previously in class, even then it's hard to tell how your subjects will react on camera. Another possibility could be figuring out whose stories are the most important to the story or message you are trying to create.

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  2. Reece PhillipsApril 11, 2023 at 12:00 PM

    Hey Dusty! Having a dull interviewee for your doc wouldn't be good at all. I think pre-screening, as Ashley mentioned would be a great method to find the best subjects.

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  3. Kim's MFA BlogApril 11, 2023 at 12:14 PM

    Wow...10-20 people? I was just hoping to have 3-5, but you're right. If I have a smaller amount, odds are that all (or at least some) of them won't be good on camera. I'm looking for "young at heart" centenarians, so those may be few and far between.

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  4. silvashanApril 11, 2023 at 12:27 PM

    Absolutely agree. Thinking about how you can work with your subject to help them engage the audience is so important. It's another form of editing to be aware of. The power to give voice to some and not to others. I always find that balancing act hard. I push to find ways that I can create the most diversity in perspectives while also create the most engaging story.

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