Has anyone produced a "Self Filmed" doco, ie: where they are a presenter in a doco, filming themselves (using the flip out screen etc) or know of any examples of this type of doco?

I'm interested as i'd like to do something along these lines...

Not doc's per se, but for self filmed examples, check out my entries from DV Challenge #2 and DVC #4.

Mine too. Several of us in the DVChallenges are a one man operation. Check especially the current DVC4 entry. All me, sorry in advance... Any segments of "Secrets" with the man - self shot, composed, me on camera (again, sorry). Likewise with "Frame 37". Any shots of me are all self done.

Catch my shorts here:
http://www.surgetechservices.com/smchenry

Sean

check out "grizzly man" It won a bunch awards this year. The filmmaker actually lives with grizzly bears in alaska for a number of years and films it all himself. Him and his girlfriend get eaten by a bear. Its pretty much just him and the camera. amazing docu.. my new fav.

Grizzly Man was made by Werner Herzog. He's still alive and worked with a crew. But hte subject of the film did shoot a lot of video by himself (and get eaten by a bear).

I can think of some films that were shot by a single person (The Cruise by Bennett Miller was--I think). But besides the challenge docs, I can't think of any that got a general release that were shot and edited by a single person who was also the presenter. Would love to hear of some...

Jim

yeh i've been thinking of trying to do a self filmed doc... maybe about travelling to some location where i was a presenter also...

I saw a show on TV about Timothy Treadwell who shot the bear footage. I didn't think his idea of living with bears was a good one. It also left me with a negative impression of Treadwell. Of course it is TV, juxtapose the right clips together and you can create anything.

It's possible to shoot something with a cast and crew of one. It leaves a lot of work for one person. Any shots with yourself in them will probably be stiff if the camera is on a tripod.

you lose the one of the most important visual effects...the moving camera...no dolly, no tilting, no panning...your shots become really static....of yourself, you can do all that when you are shooting something else for the video
Q

Oh contraire' that is the beauty of this style of filmmaking (yes I consider a style all its own) besides the fact that the great Sidney Lument was known for keeping his camera static (and still telling a compelling story) if you are creative enough you can have lots and lots of moving shots in your "one person" film.

It's funny this post should reach me as I am in the final stages of launching an online film festival specifically for this type of film. It will be catered towards empowering children to be able to make movies regardless of their friend's participation, but all ages will be accepted.

It's called LONER FEST and the site will be up and running in less than a month!

It's tough and tedious but quite rewarding and there is absolutely no way anyone could claim that you are not the "author" of your work.

No actors or crew... Just one person: writer, producer, director, cameraman and star!

Email me if you have suggestions or interest

reelvisionfilms@gmail.com

Highest Regards,

Daniel Riser

My documentary "American Jouster" premiered at the Breckenridge Festival of Film in Colorado last September, and is being sold through an international catalogue.

It was shot, edited, and 'marketed' (such as it was) all single handedly. This was really a budget and logistics decision. Had I the money, I would have preferred to hire at the VERY least, a sound man. It's very difficult to shoot, keep track of the audio, AND conduct an interview all at the same time. You have to pay attention to the questions, think ahead to the next question while being open to pursue whatever course their answers may open, watch your framing and ride the sound all at once. NOT the ideal way to work, but it is challenging and ultimately, rewarding.

Probably the biggest challenge when conducting interviews, is giving the subject a sightline to address. If you don't want them talking directly to the lens, you have to give them a sightline to talk to while answering your questions. Some subjects will be fine looking 'at that chair over there' while they answer your questions. Some will feel silly, so you might need to put a warm body in the chair for them to talk to.

you lose the one of the most important visual effects...the moving camera...no dolly, no tilting, no panning...your shots become really static....of yourself, you can do all that when you are shooting something else for the video
Q

Oh don't give up so easily! Check my entry for DV#4, Alone For The Holidays, and you will see dolly shots and a tilt shot done without any others there. A little ingenuity goes a long way! :)

Mike

This is great that people are involved in this kind of filmmaking. That's why I want to have a venue for these films. I love reading stories of how different tricks were accomplished. Things that a crew takes for granted.

Benedict Allen has produced some interesting one man docs that have made it to broadcast in the UK

Check the link for details-

http://www.benedictallen.com/benedict-allen-videos-dvds.htm

J

Ross McElwee seemed to do a pretty good job with "Sherman's March". He wrote, directed, and shot the film. He did have help editing, though.

you beat me to the punch on McElwee, Joe. 'Sherman's March' is to me the gold standard for subjective-camera documentary. The bulk of the film is McElwee commenting while operating the cam, and in a few shots he puts it on sticks and gets in front for a bit (and yes he includes the take from starting the camera to walking back to the camera to turn it off!)

Subject matter may not hit everyone, but the technique is riveting. It may be hard to locate this one for rental though.

happy producing,

MRP

You should check out 'Survivorman' - http://www.survivorman.ca/

He's essentially this crazy canuck who gets dropped off in the middle of nowhere and has to survive for 7 days with pretty much nothing. He films all this himself and is often carrying 50+lbs of camera gear around in harsh conditions and he's not allowed to use any of it for survival.

I think the most interesting elements of his work are that sometimes he'll get a pretty crazy shot of him walking -way- off into the distance, or climbing up/down a sheer rockface. If you think about it, since this is self filmed, he's doing those things twice - once to put the camera in the right spot or collect it, and once to actually film it.

Well worth watching and the DVD set is great.

- Stevan

I saw that on TV the other day. He was climbing down a cliff and said something like "I had to do this twice, once to setup the camera, then for the shot".
He had a cheap camcorder that he broke apart to use the lens as a magnifying glass to start a fire...
Crazy man, but interesting! I couldn't stop watching.

Hello All!

I am currently in the process of taping my personal documentary of my battle with Severe Ulcerative Colitis. I will also feature those with a related disease called "Colon Cancer" which I am sure most of you know of!

The main purpose is to raise awareness and prevention.
I am only 28, have had it for 4 years and would never want anyone to go through what I have to go through on a daily basis.

In the doumentary, I will feature the following:

* My day to day struggle living with this ravaging illness and my journey back to optimum health by a change in my diet and lifestyle and habits.
* Various visits and travels to doctors along with interviews from them as well as taping various tests for progress like blood tests, emotional tests, etc..
* A weekly update/diary of my progress
* Various interviews and stories of others who have had or currently have these illnesses
* Informative pieces such as Symposiums and factual footage of these illneses

I figure that my challenge to change my lifestyle and dietary habits will be hard and that will be good footage and a good storyline and provide the emotional element. I can kinda give the viewer someone to root for! maybe?

I have never done anything remotely close to this type of video. I have mainly been a home video type until I got this idea and the documentary bug bit me hard! OUCH! in a good way! =)

I will be doing this as a 1 man crew with the exception of the occasional help with holding the camera by a friend or relative that will go with me to doctor visits and such.

The camera I will be using is my new Sony HDR-HC1 which I just bought for this purpose. It was the best camera I could afford and it is small enough to get into places I need to go.

I have he following amateur setup

*Sony HDR-HC1 HD Camera
*Beachtek DXA-2s XLR adapter (cause I know how important sound is!)
*Rode VideoMic mounted on the camera via a custom made cold shoe adapter that I am very proud of!
*Wired Lav mic
*3 batteries!
*tripod of course!!

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone has any opinions, suggestions and/or advice?


I hope it will eventually come out as good as I anticipate. However, given my lack of experience i don't expect a masterpiece. Just a good hearted informative doc.

I just want people to become aware of these illnesses and know that they can be prevented. I think some people just need to see first hand what we have to go through.

I'm sure it will be quite a while before this Documentary is completely finished because of my illness! Somedays I feel great and others I feel like crap!

Well, Wish me luck!

Thanks in advance

Good luck with both the project and your fight!

From my perspective, when I'm watching a doc with someone filming themselves, I find myself more attentive when the person changes framing from time to time, even something as simple as cutting back and forth between close and medium shots.

you lose the one of the most important visual effects...the moving camera...no dolly, no tilting, no panning...your shots become really static....of yourself, you can do all that when you are shooting something else for the video
Q

About 15 years ago, I read about a gadget called, "Cameraman", that used a self-targeting tripod motor-drive. The subject would wear a transmitter that it would detect and track with a camera. I never saw one and I don't know if they are still made. There may be some high-priced systems that do a similar thing.

About 15 years ago, I read about a gadget called, "Cameraman", that used a self-targeting tripod motor-drive. The subject would wear a transmitter that it would detect and track with a camera. I never saw one and I don't know if they are still made. There may be some high-priced systems that do a similar thing.

From Parkervision, I remember seeing them as well.

I do some self filiming at my day job, usually news anchor style, and I set up a monitor so I can see myself, check framing, lighting (that's the hardest part!) I also run the prompter (was a handy skill I picked up back in my days as a tv news boy).

I did produce a documentary where I did some on-camera "host" scenes, but didn't want to chance it, so i set the shot, and had my wife monitor to make sure I didn't go out of frame. ;)

Back in my tv days we had some guys who did news as a one man band, one guy used a light stand set to his height to gauge headroom and framing. The ND then got into reporter participation, and action in the stand ups, so the solo gig didn't last too long.

Personally I don't like that much camera movement. I prefer to have the action take place within the frame, but that's not to say I don't use some pans and zooms, but judiciously and with a purpose, to follow the action, or reveal something important.

My first doco. was self filmed. I used a glidcam and the DV sporster while walking and had the camera turned toward me (including a .7x lens) creating a dolly shot from my neckline up. I also attached the glidcam to a wheel chair. The wheelchair and I were on a slight incline and I put 10ft 2x4s inbetween the wheels of the wheel chair to keep if from turning and walked toward it at the same rate at which it rolled backwards (of course I had stop-blocks at the end).
I have also aquired a drainage thingy (for the love of me I can't remember the name of it...the thing that catches water running off your roof...lol) that was attached to a platform (it was used for sailboat racing from one of the local BSA troops in the area) and I attached my camera to those mini RC cars (3 to be exact & on the same Freq.) and let it run the 20ft while catching me and another person walking along-side and behind it. (I wish I kept a pic of it) The controller was easy enough to hide in my pocket.

I know there is a machine that attaches to your camera and will "track" you b/c of a transmitter you wear. I'll have to go find it now....I think it was at either marketek.com or B&H...hmmm

Hope this helps. Have fun!