Documentary post-production, workflow, and asset management

Well, we're approaching the time when we transition from production to post-production. If you're like most documentarians, you begin by reviewing what you had hoped to accomplish by this point in time. The real shock comes when you begin to compare your pre-production plan to the footage that you actually have "in the can." Once you've recovered from that, your next step is to make a new plan that involves turning what we've got into something that resembles a documentary. This process is not for the weak or easily discouraged.

If you're fortunate, you find moments of brilliance and unblinking truth in the audio and video that you gathered. Hopefully you've captured people and events in ways that are both authentic and fascinating. Your task, as editors, is to separate the good from the bad, the mundane from the extraordinary, and the distortions from the truth. There are trade-off involved. Keeping a 2-minute action sequence may require deleting that interview sequence that seemed to hold great promise. Going in one direction means that you can't pursue another path. You'll have to weigh the evidence and make judgments that keep the big picture...the story...always in focus.

As suggested by Rabiger, one of the first things that you should do, as a group, is to sit down for a marathon screening session. It may take 4-8 hours...maybe more if there is much discussion afterward. But try to do this as soon as possible after shooting is complete. With everyone present, watch the raw footage with a critical eye and a pad and pencil. Each group member should take careful notes (but don't pause the tape...it will take forever if you do). Then, after each tape or at the end, review your notes as a group. What did you see that you didn't see during shooting? What is still missing, Can you edit around the missing footage? Which characters emerged as the strongest or weakest? Has your "story" held up in the process, or does it need to be modified?

Another important step is to begin to digitize and organize your footage. The digitizing step is one more opportunity for you to become familiar with your footage. Take notes as to the source (tape number) where the footage is coming from. Make note of particularly useful b-roll or cut-aways that will be important. If audio is particularly strong or weak, make note of how it might be used or whether it may need to be "fixed" or "sweetened" in post. All non-linear editing programs (FCP, Avid, Premiere) allow for footage to be organized in bins. Use bins to collect footage that goes together. You might put clips that will be used in a particular segment in its own bin. Or perhaps you will put each interview into its own bin, and b-roll in another. Use a system that makes sense to you, and your editing assistant(s). Be methodical and careful. The more organized you are the more efficient you will be in editing. By the way, your tapes should be record-protected and stored in a safe, clean, cool place after digitizing. They are your backup, and may be needed later if redigitizing is required.

After the group screening, the editing script/outline should be written. Don't skimp here. Spend some time as a group deciding on segments to be included, the intended length of each, and their order. Only after you've done this should you begin to actually cut things together to see if they will work as imagined. If you will be using VO narration, write the first draft now. You may need to rewrite later, but writing narration now--(and even recording a rough take)--will help you with the timing and allow you to edit sequences with placeholder VO where needed.

Don't think you need to start editing at the beginning working towards the closing credits. You'll probably be much more effective if you start with one of the segments in the middle...perhaps the most important or the easiest one first. You might find that you can have 2 or 3 editors working simultaneously, each on his/her own section, then bringing them together to see how they flow. Take advantage of the multiple timelines/sequences in your editing program to build each segment in its own timeline. Also, duplicating the timeline allows you to try out different approaches to the same segment without destroying a previous version. Many long-form editors save their work and start over the next day with a newly dated version of the previous timeline. This way they have a record of their progress and they can easily "revert" if a particular editing session turns out to be a dead-end.

Everyone in the group should be actively involved in the post-production process. There's plenty to do, and no one person should have to do it all. One member of the team can be creating titles and graphics, another can be recording or selecting music, while others can be working on the project website, setting up the focus group screening, writing press releases, and creating the DVD menus.

Well, that should give you plenty to think about. This is where it really gets interesting!

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Check out this short doc (6 min, plus 1 minutes of credits) on YouTube. This film premiered at the 2008 SXSW conference and received critical acclaim (and 1.2M hits on YouTube).

Time to shoot!

Production...this is what many people consider the best part of the documentary life cycle. This is where you get to exercise your creative talents for shooting as you gather the audio and images that will tell your story. For some, pre-production is too much time in the office, and post-production is too much time locked up in an edit bay...but production is the in-between part where you get to be out and about, on location and getting your hands dirty. Your task over the next five weeks will be to get people to open up to you...on-camera and on-mic...and when they do, you've got to capture the essence of the moment in the best image and sound quality possible. This is no small task. Following are some thoughts about location production that may be helpful over the course of the next five weeks.

• Being comfortable with both your gear and your crew-mates will be of utmost importance. And the only way to become comfortable is by getting out there and doing it. Start with less critical shoots and build up to the ones that will only give you one shot to get it right.
• Make sure you know who is responsible for what when you're on location. Don't expect each other to read your mind...talk it out before you get to the shooting location. Work efficiently and as a team...that will give you credibility with your interviewees and shooting subjects. The opposite...confusion and bickering...will do just the opposite and undermine your project. You many need to have a heated discussion about your project...just don't do it in public.
  
• Try to have as many team members on the shoot as you can. Since you only have 3-4 crew members max, you'll never have too many hands while setting up or striking. During an intimate interview you might clear the room of all but two of you, but most of the time all three or four of you will be essential. If you're shooting with University gear, I expect at least two crew members on every shoot. This is for your personal protection as well as the safety and security of the gear.
• Become a lean, mean, documenting machine! Keep your eyes and ears open and never pass up an opportunity to get something in the can when you can. If you think, "we'll get that shot when we come back next week" you'll miss out on all kinds of opportunities. If the shot or soundbite presents itself, get it! For the Bishop Castle team, the peak of fall color is right now and will only last another week or so...less if a weather event comes through. The castle grounds will never look prettier than they do now so don't miss the opportunity. Swing State '08...this Friday will probably be the last time this fall that a Presidential candidate will be in Southern Colorado. Both teams: maximize your opportunities and minimize your liabilities!
• Know your story and shoot to the script outline. Yes, there needs to be room for serendipity and yes, your story will evolve as you go...but don't overlook the need to plan and follow the plan. Shoot with a purpose or you'll feel the pain when you get into the post-production phase.

And the last point I'll make today is to have fun. Yes, I know that may sound unrealistic with all the pressure and expectations that you may be feeling. But this really is an opportunity for you and your crew-mates to be creative and inventive and productive. Enjoy the moment and enjoy each other's company as you form relationships that may extend well pass this class and even into your professional life after school.