Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Documentary Film: A Personal Autobiographical Storyline?

Am thinking a lot of how to tell this story best.

Should I tell the story from my point of view. Will that get the folks watching on my side? Will it set the dump story up better? Telling a personal story of not only Fred and the dump families but of my own history? A good idea? Not sure if this autobiographical story telling style with voice overs and footage of me (minus my face) will help or hurt.

Maybe if I introduce myself at the beginning of the film as the amateur I am it will help the viewer be more involved in the story. I watched "North by Northwest" again recently. In the movie Cary Grant is an ad man pushed into the world of spies/murder/manhunts/love and adventure. The fact he was an everyday dude guy gave the audience something they could identify with-cheer for. Maybe my inept beginner filmmaker security guard status can be used as a bonus somehow. The viewer can follow my simple Joe blow story, and place themselves in the picture just as Hitchcock used Cary Grant's character to pull the viewer in.

I do not want to use too much of me in this thing, but some snippets might help set up the story and fill in the blanks before getting to the really important stuff of Fred and the families. Maybe I could shoot it now and decide to use it or not use it later on. I might just leave all this ME STUFF on the editing floor later! :)). It might look better down there.

This autobiographical idea would give me some practical practice with the gear before I hit Thailand. I could do some shots working in the darkroom, video of my"Families of the Dump" prints, editing, do some voice overs (speaking honestly of my hopes and fears with seriousness and humor), heck even some non identifiable clips of me in my blue security guard outfit, lumbering about. Even if I do not use the footage, the practice I gain shooting-recording it would probably be beneficial.

Now if I just looked like Cary Grant :)) and had the story-film making skills of Mr. Hitchcock! This idea might actually work!