Behind Closed Doors Introduction - At the end of unit 13 I want to have produced a short documentary on the dangers that surround Urban Exploring in regards to trespassing, buildings collapsing, I imagine my doc starting with voice over during the opening credits to give it some context vandalism, and coming face to face with those that aren’t exploring, but doing other and to introduce the subject of the film. I want to target the dangers of urban exploring from things recreationally (drugs, arson, squatters, etc.) A friend of mine who is an urban explorer has agreed to be part of my documentary, the point of view of explorers and the risks they take like safety in the buildings, the law, and and has volunteered to be interviewed. people vandalising. With this idea I have had to focus my research on how documentaries are made, finding out what shot types are commonly used, interviewing techniques, looking at I will be interviewing a friend of mine called Karl, who is an urban explorer and has his own existing products, the uses of voice over, and the kinds of footage I can use for a internet based company where he shares his videos. I will do an on location interview to that documentary (archive, actuality). the setting is relevant to the subject, and I might have two cameras set up to get a couple of different angles. For the interview I would like a mid shot of Karl and a close up shot too. At Both of these sections should be properly referenced. You might • this point I don’t know the primary location of the film as I need to find somewhere suitable, include short quotes or where you have key points make sure you that’s safe and not illegal to enter or be at. I would like to use voice over in my film so that I reference where that information is from. can give some context to the shots I use, and it’s also possibly that I’ll use archive footage too, like clips from Karl’s videos. Findings and Techniques: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_film_techniques It will be all on location at abandoned places, for this I will need to discuss with Karl where would be suitable, from there I can then decide on a location and think about shots I would Camera techniques - like, and questions and the location for my interview. Hand held - Examples of this would be when a news presenter travels abroad to get a first-hand Talk about the techniques from the presentation you will use… view of any events happening. In documentaries, a hand held shot would be used to capture an event as it’s occurring in the same way as a news channel would. With a hand held shot, it can appear to be wobbly because it doesn't have the same support underneath as it would with a tripod due to someone holding it. If I was to use a hand held shot I would ask my subject to stand in a position they are comfortable in and are unlikely to move from. Fixed camera - Generally to explain an event, an example of this would be the news or a Tony Robinson documentary. Actuality footage - When filming actuality footage it’s important to be on guard with your camera because it’s the type of shots where anything can happen unexpectedly, and you need to be ready to capture it. Archive footage - Is footage either from a film library or stock footage. A lot of the time in historical documentaries, archive footage is used to show an actual event from the past. A-roll - An example would be a news reporter looking into the camera and telling the audience the story from beginning to end. B-roll - When edited, the b-roll footage will show the location or subject of conversation a person is describing. Editing techniques – Organising folders - Being the most obvious starting point when the post production
process begins. This isn’t necessarily for documentary, but for any production because you can do without losing music, audio films, and footage, etc. Establishing the beginning, middle and end – In a documentary you can plan what you would like to happen, but a lot of the time, you could end up asking more questions than what you had written down in an interview, or something could happen when you’re on location, and there isn’t a shot list really other than the type of shot you want for your interview, depending on whether it’s a studio setting or an interview on location like mine. So although I do kind of know how my film will be pieced together, it’s highly likely that when I come to edit my footage, there could be bits that were unplanned, as I don’t know what the locations look like currently. Montage – Would be good for my film to show the audience around a location to express the dangers of it. Re-enactment – They are more suitable for historical documentaries to show the audience a factual reconstruction of past events. A filmmaker might use re-enactment to get the audience to feel empathy towards something because it’s like seeing an event live as if you were there. With archive footage you wouldn’t really get that kind of reaction because a lot of the time archive footage is from news reporters. Interviews – Interviews can be done in a studio like on a breakfast show, or have a blank background for documentary interviews, an on location formal interview like a film promotion, or an outside interview at the setting of your subject. At the two formal interviews you would have multiple cameras to give different angels and shot sizes, as well as a lighting set up to make the scene more aesthetically pleasing. All three can be used in a documentary, if your subject is a sensitive subject then sometimes it is more appropriate to have a blank studio setting so that the audience’s attention is only at the person on screen rather than on a distractions around them. In my film I will use an on location interview that is relevant to urban exploring. Because of this, I won’t have the use of artificial lighting as I will need to limit the amount of equipment I take as I will generally be travelling on foot. This means the lighting I will have the use of is natural light, so I will have to choose my interview location wisely. Voice-over – Voice over is commonly used in documentaries during a montage to explain something, be it past, present or future. I could use voice over in my documentary in the same way. Voice over gives the audience some context to what they are seeing, or are about to see on-screen. Exposition - This would be used at the beginning of the film, and could be a montage that is voiced over to introduce the film. And in my film specifically, there could be very upbeat music in the back ground to help set a mood. Music – There isn’t a specific type of music used in documentaries, as the pace of music and genre is by the choice of the filmmaker based on the mood of the scene that requires music. For my film I think I will use something up beat like house music.
Contexts - Cheap cuts documentary film festival is based in the UK, and are particularly interested in short docs that have been produced/directed by women and current social issues, my film fits with both of those criteria. I asked 100 people what they use to watch films. 16 of them said film festivals, 40 said online, 44 remaining said they either go to the cinema or they don’t watch films. So for my film I will look at submitting into film festivals like Cheap Cuts, and uploads platforms like VIMEO and YouTube. YouTube you can have unlimited storage for your videos and like on other social media platforms, you can tag topics so that when someone is searching for a video, they might stumble across your film. I think a film of my topic would have more success on Facebook because it’s easier to reach urban explorers on the forums, and they might encourage them to share it to their followers. An example of a forum would be like 28 Days Later, which has 44,739 members globally, and URBEX on Facebook that has over 20,000 members. The way to reach a none explorer audience would be to use hashtags, and tag words to the bio of the film, that way when people search for a video, my film might also be there to watch too. Your idea: The meaning of Urban Exploration - - “Urban exploration is the exploration of man-made structures, usually abandoned ruins or not usually seen components of the man-made environment. Photography and historical interest/documentation are heavily featured in the hobby and, although it may sometimes involve trespassing onto private property, this is not always the case.” Conclusion: Many members of the public believe that it’s all about vandalism, and graffiti, this is because when images of abandoned buildings are generally shown, be it on social media or newspapers, almost always, someone will have spray painted on the walls, and smashed windows, or in some cases like the Sheffield Ski Village, set fire to it. But it’s not the urban explorers that are doing the damage. As said in the description, their hobby is to document these ruins before they no longer stand due to collapsing or demolition. It’s other people that give urban exploring a bad name. It is local graffiti artists, gangs and youths that graffiti and/or vandalise. A lot of the time it’s the homeless or youths that have made entrances to buildings that allow urban explorers into these places too. Urban exploring is a global community, and all over the world they spread the same message. And that is, take only photos, leave only footprints.
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