The key to making a great film, quite simply, is telling a good story. “imagine it!” is no different. However, there is a key difference in the process in which this film is being produced. We are not shooting and recording it… you are. So to help you - help us - make a great film, we have written up a few suggestions as to how you can tell your story in as interesting a fashion as possible. Follow these helpful hints and you might just end up in an internationally distributed, feature-length documentary film!
Every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end. That being the case, you need be creating content every step of the way...from the day the competition begins until the day the competition is finished. So don't forget to generate and upload content every day!
Just because the contest is over it's not time to stop recording and uploading. An epilogue is a great way to wrap up your story. Tell us how you feel after the winners are announced by interviewing yourself and your teammates or write it in your blog. It's a great chance to reflect on the process and provide us with 20-20 hindsight.
Interesting stories are full of drama. Here are a few tips on how to tap into the dramatic aspects of your story…
• Relationships are drama - Is everyone in agreement or is there tension amongst your team members? Don't be shy…tell it like it is!
• Surprise is drama - If something happens that you weren't expecting …document it!
• Time is drama - If you're running out of time, tell us how much stress you're feeling!
• Failure is drama - We're as interested in your failures as much as we are in your success. Tell us why and how your plan is working…or not!
Your story is essentially a diary of your team's experience… so be personal. And remember… it's just as important to tell us what you're thinking as it is to tell us what you're doing. The more honest you are, the better your diary/story is going to be.
This is a multi-media project. That means there are a variety of media tools you can use to tell your story…and we suggest that you use as many of them as possible. Video, audio, photographs and text can all be uploaded to your team's member page! So shoot it on your video camera or cell phone, send up a voice or text message, write it in your blog or go old-school and draw it and scan it! And if you do have any tangible objects (such as videotapes or printed materials) please keep them as we may contact you after the contest to borrow the original materials.
When recording your story, ask yourself these three simple questions…
“What does the audience need to know about my team's effort?”
“What does the audience want to know about my team's effort?”
“How can the audience participate in our journey?”
To fully comprehend your story, viewers will want to get to know you and your teammates and will want answers to a number of questions. Interviews are a fantastic way to get this information across to your audience. And please make sure the words are clear so we can use the footage! Here are some questions you should address in your interviews:
“Who are you?”
“Where are you?”
“What are you doing?”
“Why are you doing it?”
“How are you doing it?”
“What do you expect will be the result of your effort?”
“What is your strategy?”
“Is your strategy working?”
“What problems are you encountering?”
“How are you solving your problems?”
“Have you encountered any surprises?”
The most important thing is…
HAVE FUN! Show us your enthusiasm! Your energy is contagious!
Shoot Close-up. Video is low resolution so unless a wide shot is needed to illustrate an action or story point, shoot in close ups whenever possible.
Make sure faces are lit… silhouettes are for art films.
Make sure the audio is clear, especially in interviews. If we can't understand them… we can't use them.
If possible, let the camera record video for 3-5 seconds before and 3-5 seconds after the action you want to record. Our editors will like you better if you do.
When uploading, use the best quality possible!
Photographs are typically higher resolution than video so they can be shot wider than video. However, if the shot is about a person, fill the frame with that person. When uploading your pictures use the original file. Don't make the pictures smaller or lower resolution than the original image capture as we need the best quality image possible.
Here are a few properly framed image samples for reference. In other words…try not to cut the person's head off when you shoot them.
Tell us everything you want and don't leave out key information. It's better if the message is a little too long rather than a little too short. We'll fix it in editing.
Make sure voices are clear and understandable. And if possible, record in a quiet space. Trust us…if we can't understand it, we won't use it.
And last but not least, don't be shy…tell it like it is! Remember…drama is good
