Hey everyone...

This is my first post... yay!

I was curious about a project I'm thinking about doing. This fall I'll be leaving for Japan for a year to participate in a study abroad program sponsored by my College. I'm a Film Studies major, and wanted to get at least a little credit while abroad doing some kind of film/field study... I suddenly realized I could kill two birds with one stone by creating a documentary that could count as field study, and as credit for a project in a documentary class I'm planning on taking when I get back.

However, since I haven't taken the documentary class yet, I have no idea how to go about creating a documentary or planning one out. My first thought was just shooting from the hip, and try to create something professional looking in post, but then I realized 1 years worth of shooting from the hip is going to be a gigantic headache to organize and create something feasible with. So I know I need some kind of game plan... something to build a foundation on, but I have no idea where to start.

Anyone here done a autobiographical type documentary? Any ideas on how I should plan this?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Pick up a copy of this book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0240805399/qid=1116122602/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-8179089-0621461?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Another good book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805044515/qid=1116128435/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-5411052-2602444?v=glance&s=books

Awesome, these look like exactly what I need! Thanks!

also, try and watch "sherman's march" by ross mcelwee, and any other of his stuff you can find. "david holzman's diary" by jim mcbride is good, though not an actual documentary. alan berliner http://www.alanberliner.com/ makes some good autobiographical stuff, like "nobody's business."

autobiographical stuff can be great or totally self indulgent. IMHO, the trick is figuring out ways that your personal stuff will resonate with a broader audience, as opposed to just having meaning for you. there's a very good book about subjective documentary, though it's more theory than production stuff. but if you're really interested in this type of stuff it's worth looking at.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0816634416/qid=1118700379/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-0321654-7399013?v=glance&s=books&n=507846