Moving Images, Understanding Media

230 Moving Images: Making Movies, Understanding Media

waving, or walking in a setting and manner that tend to be

particularly dull.

Today, one of the fi rst shots we think of when we imagine

a documentary is the close-up for an interview. However, it

is important to remember the lessons of the fi rst non-fi ction

moving images from cinematic history: we like to see events

and actions take place before us. Many young people creating

a documentary choose a topic and then seek out appropriate

people to interview about that subject. While interviews

can be appropriate and interesting, the value of witnessing

the successful progress of movement and action—whether

by people, living creatures, or the natural world—is quite

signifi cant.

Time Factors

Since non-fi ction fi lms deal with the reality of the world, one of

the most important factors aff ecting the subject matter of the

fi lm is time. If the events of the motion picture are unfolding

during production, this can aff ect the work of the fi lmmakers

profoundly. Sometimes it can compel a need to produce

images aggressively and rapidly, or it can mean following

the subjects of the motion picture for a substantial period of

time. Th ese factors all involve a concept that is dealt with by

both documentary and fi ction fi lmmakers: coverage.

Coverage is the collection of individual shots recorded during production

of a fi lm. Th e term “coverage” is used to indicate that the scene has been

properly covered by the various shots. Consequently, there will be enough

diff erent angles and compositions to properly edit the footage into a satisfying

sequence. In fi ction fi lms, this is helped by shot lists and “lining the script,”

as you will explore in Chapter 8. In documentaries, this is achieved by the

expertise of the fi lmmakers who must shoot enough footage to edit the scene

successfully.

During a real-life event, particularly one with lots of action and unpredictable

events, getting coverage can be quite challenging. For example, this can

mean fi lming important shots of a key event and suffi cient cutaway footage

to allow for choices in editing. On the other hand, if the fi lmmakers are

pursuing a historical subject, or at least a topic that is not developing at

the time of fi lming, the forces concerning time are diff erent. In these cases,

there are other pressures to consider, such as research and the time-consuming

process of gathering and selecting archival footage.

For documentaries that are produced independently, the commitment

to a project can be considerable. Dayna Goldfi ne and Dan Geller, award-

winning documentary fi lmmakers, began the making of Ballets Russes in

2000 aft er a suggestion to fi lm a major reunion event of legendary dancers of

the Russian ballet in New Orleans that year. It was aft er initial interviews that

Figure 6-20 Filmmaker Adam Keker

documenting the dangerous work of gem

miners in Cambodia: There are many

unexploded shells in the area. (Courtesy

Invisible City Films)

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