Documentary Contest Theme Announcement! at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > Special Interest Areas > Documentary Techniques

Documentary Techniques
-- Discuss issues facing documentary production.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old October 1st, 2008, 06:45 AM   #1
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Piper City, IL
Posts: 350
Documentary Contest Theme Announcement!

All right let's do it! Here's your theme:

"CHANGE"

It's wide open for your interpretation, be as creative as you can with it. Don't feel like you have to make this a political film - change is everywhere, not just in the headlines.

A couple of requirements to help push it a tiny bit:

1) Have at least one interview clip.
2) Include at least one shot off your sticks (handheld, dolly, crane, from a moving car, etc)
3) Include at least one clip or photograph that is found/archival.

And a twist just for fun: Include some reference to the current political race. It can be something said, something shown on the screen - any reference. Just remember this doesn't have to be a political film, so very subtle is fine. Just see if you can find a way to fit it in.


REMINDERS:

**If you have not signed up yet but you want to take part in this contest, signup will stay open until October 19th. You need to still sign up here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/documenta...up-thread.html
and make sure that you have something you can post for the progress update on October 19th.

Progress update on October 19th by midnight.

Final films due October 31st by midnight.

Length requirement: 5 minutes or less.

See the rest of the rules here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/documenta...up-thread.html
Philip Gioja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 19th, 2008, 12:45 PM   #2
Obstreperous Rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Marcos, TX
Posts: 27,366
Images: 513
My apologies for not having noticed this any earlier:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Philip Gioja View Post
And a twist just for fun: Include some reference to the current political race.
Just a DV Info Net policy reminder here, folks:

Political content of any form is strictly forbidden on this site, and this policy includes video submissions that are uploaded directly to DV Info Net or linked from DV Info Net. In other words, absolutely *no* political content of any kind is allowed on this site. Thanks for understanding,
__________________
CH

Search DV Info Net | 20 years of DVi | ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!
Chris Hurd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 19th, 2008, 01:27 PM   #3
Obstreperous Rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Marcos, TX
Posts: 27,366
Images: 513
So... if all of the submissions are indeed of a political nature, then probably the best course of action is to use Vimeo or YouTube to host the video and use their comments option to discuss them. As far as a forum goes, I don't know of any other major video production forum site like this one that would allow political content, but you could start a forum using free or inexpensive software. I think your best bet though -- fastest and easiest -- is to simply use the comments section at Vimeo or YouTube.
__________________
CH

Search DV Info Net | 20 years of DVi | ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!
Chris Hurd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 19th, 2008, 02:02 PM   #4
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Elk Grove CA
Posts: 6,838
Chris:

Chris Swanberg and I have been working on our Documentary submission for this contest.

I think we need to be clear about this. Is DVInfo not going to sponser this contest ?

I fully understand that you do not want to be associated with a political position taken by anyone on your site. I did not understand why this contest had been announced with a political reference requirement.

Our assumption was that a simple reference to the current race or political situation was or would be in background, because of the requirement, without taking a position. We certainly don't need references to any political race in the production. And frankly, I think the taking of overt political positions in a documentary turns the documentary into something else.

However, our documentary is about a deploying national guard blackhawk evac medic and his family and financial implications of the current enconomy on that family. To some, this might be considered political. Certainly, what they have gone through, and are going to go through, is politically related, no matter how you look at it.

So how does a documentary address anything without some reference to the current economic situation, which is in itself political ?

At this point, those of us who have already worked on the projects, do deserve a definitive pronouncement of your intentions, so we can adjust our expectations based on that.
__________________
Chris J. Barcellos
Chris Barcellos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 19th, 2008, 03:16 PM   #5
Obstreperous Rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Marcos, TX
Posts: 27,366
Images: 513
There's a great quote by the former U.S. Supreme Court judge Potter Stewart in reference to the question of how to define pornography. He said "I know it when I see it." I think the same distinction can be made for political content.

I also think that you answered it yourself -- it all comes down to how overtly political it is. In my opinion, a reference to the current economic situation is by itself not overtly political. However, a reference to the current political race could very well be.

Here's my definitive pronouncement of my intentions: if it's political, I'll have nothing to do with it, nor will I bring any of my resources to bear, including this site and its message boards and video hosting capability. You have to understand that I'm not stopping anyone from making something that's overtly political; all I'm saying is that I won't be involved in it (that is, this site won't be involved in it).

The subjects of politics, sexual issues and religion are the Kiss Of Death for any real-names online community and they've never been allowed here since we began back on Sept. 5th of 2001. Those issues are best pursued elsewhere, on anonymous sites that cater specifically to those interests. That this has become an eleventh-hour emergency for this particular contest is entirely my fault for not having followed the theme announcement as closely as I should have when it was first made a few weeks ago. You're welcome to let the slings and arrows fly at me for my oversight, but the ruling is firm: there will be no politics whatsoever on this forum as long as I own it. Sorry for any mess this creates, but it is relatively easy and quick to find video clip hosting and community discussion elsewhere on the web.
__________________
CH

Search DV Info Net | 20 years of DVi | ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!
Chris Hurd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 19th, 2008, 05:48 PM   #6
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Elk Grove CA
Posts: 6,838
Okay, that actually saves me the time of looking for some reference such a reference. Thanks for clarifying....
__________________
Chris J. Barcellos
Chris Barcellos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 21st, 2008, 01:00 PM   #7
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Piper City, IL
Posts: 350
Hey guys - I've been out of town this weekend and missed the beginning of the discussion with my theme announcement. I unfortunately wasn't aware of the DVInfo.net rules about political content before I announced my theme.

It'd be sad to tank the whole thing now that everyone's been working on their projects. My project has no real political view and it's possible that most everyone else's are also very non-political, but I left plenty of room either way so I could see this being an issue.

I don't have any intention of causing a board rebellion or trying to start my own board, and didn't mean to cause any trouble with this either.

So... not sure what to do, but hopefully I can come up with something. If you can make your 30-second clips completely apolitical, and just post some kind of link to them on the thread for that tonight, I'll try to come up with a plan for the final video submissions before it's time to do that. Maybe I can set up a secondary message board just this once to handle that this time around, and then if we do this again I'll be more careful with my theme idea.
Philip Gioja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 24th, 2008, 01:44 AM   #8
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Elk Grove CA
Posts: 6,838
This comes up in other challeges to. Do you count credits in the time limit. TheDVChallenge allows 30 seconds extra for credits.
__________________
Chris J. Barcellos
Chris Barcellos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 27th, 2008, 10:18 PM   #9
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Elk Grove CA
Posts: 6,838
What is status of plan for documentary upload ?
__________________
Chris J. Barcellos
Chris Barcellos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 28th, 2008, 11:34 AM   #10
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 66
Progress ?

Not much chatter here...
How is everyone doing? I have managed to put off much of my work and am now scrambling and burning midnight oil coming in to work on 4 hrs sleep etc. But I like the pressure....
I am having trouble dealing with last minute thoughts and ideas that are too late to work in and need to "stay the course" and stick to the script etc.

AFA the upload quandary, I am fine with what ever people want to do.
__________________
"...movies are never 'finished', only abandoned..."
-Stephen Spielberg
Ken Bates is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 28th, 2008, 03:37 PM   #11
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Elk Grove CA
Posts: 6,838
Chris Swanberg and I are wrapped, except for some credits, as I had asked question earlier about whether we could exentend time for credits, as has been done for the other challenges, to some extent.

Is there anybody out there ?? :)
__________________
Chris J. Barcellos
Chris Barcellos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 28th, 2008, 05:18 PM   #12
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Piper City, IL
Posts: 350
Sorry - missed the question the first time. Yeah, just keep the body of the film in the time limits - credits can extend over a bit. No hard and fast rule on that, just keep 'em reasonable.

If you stay in the time limit, you should still be able to use Vimeo/Youtube/Whatever. I have not heard back from Chris Hurd about whether or not we can post links here or if we have to do it elsewhere. I'll give you some final instructions on that shortly.

I'm struggling to get mine finished on time too (-: Hopefully I can pull it into something meaningful tonight or tomorrow...
Philip Gioja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 28th, 2008, 07:13 PM   #13
Obstreperous Rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Marcos, TX
Posts: 27,366
Images: 513
Sorry Philip, I've been out of town. You guys can post your links here.
__________________
CH

Search DV Info Net | 20 years of DVi | ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!
Chris Hurd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 28th, 2008, 08:40 PM   #14
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Burleson, TX
Posts: 131
Glad to know I'm not the only one struggling to finish....
Mike Watkins is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 29th, 2008, 08:01 AM   #15
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Piper City, IL
Posts: 350
Thanks Chris! Sorry for being such a pain (-;
Philip Gioja is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > Special Interest Areas > Documentary Techniques

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:42 AM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network