Documentary Filmmakers CANNOT Afford to Make This Mistake

[@BruceMoyle]

I would love to see how you do coverage on a sit-down interview with single or locked off cameras, etc. Getting reactions, hands, etc. I find that if you are setup with angles you don't want to break away from them for longform interview, therefore cannot get that coverage unless using a separate camera for it or asking the subject to do things after the face which could be super awkward and inauthentic.

[@austinmeyerfilms]

For almost all the doc projects I work on I do not get coverage like that during interviews. I don't film hands, etc. Having the wide and closeups typically give me enough variety in the interviews because most of my projects only show talking heads sparingly

[@timdanyo898]

I was hired to edit a documentary without enough b-roll. It was a nightmare. On my own projects when I shoot b-roll I'm always looking to vary it as much as possible. One location can provide multiple scenes. Let's say you're at a kid's park with father daughter. You've got all those pieces of playground equipment with each a scene. Maybe trails around the park? A POV shot of kid on the slide, the swings, the merry-go-round. The thing is many rush B-roll. They don't want to "bother" the subject. Nope! If at all possible B-roll should have a larger time block allotted. Every time I'm editing one of my films (especially client films) I use, in some way, almost every scene and location for B-roll and I always feel I should have gotten more!

[@warner6495]

I really wish more folks would talk about this sort of stuff in detail than just gear!

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Appreciate the additional context to what I shared in the video. Thanks for always adding value in the comments!

[@EpicCinematicAdventures]

Thank you so much for your valuable advice! I’m planning to work on a documentary soon, and your tips will definitely be a big help. I’ve just subscribed to your channel-looking forward to learning more from you. Cheers from Cinematic Adventures! 🎥✨

[@austinmeyerfilms]

So glad it was helpful! Good luck on your project. Cheers!

[@HumansAreTrashYaKnow]

So much great advice. This is a video I'll be watching multiple times.

[@austinmeyerfilms]

So glad you found it helpful!

[@antonblanke]

I‘m editing my first Documentary right now and I feel totally guilty of at least 50% of your points. 😂 Bookmarked it to look again BEFORE filming my next doc. Keep up the good work!

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Hahah, sorry I didn’t make it before you jumped into that project you’re editing! Good luck with it 🙏 thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Brian-Hansen]

Thanks, Austin. I love this. Kind of funny how none of these are actually about what camera to shoot on. Almost all the mistakes that ruin films are related to non technical issues.

[@austinmeyerfilms]

💯! Their is a technical side to our craft that is important, but I think these types of issues are the ones most people don’t even think about until they’ve already spent a bunch of time/money, and eventually get discouraged on the project and give up

[@Brian-Hansen]

@@austinmeyerfilms Agree. Most documentaries don't get finished because of these issues. Proper story structure and scene planning are very hard to learn. I definitely learned them the hard way!

[@AkimDirectorOfPhotography]

Great rock solid advices Austin. I would perhaps add : when a large audience identifies to the subject, and if the documentarian succeeds in touching audience emotion (positive and/or negative), he made a good/very well documentary. Akim

[@jacquesjordaan5552]

Viewing from South Africa; planning to make my first documentary about me and my grandpa's journey filming the African Black Oystercatcher. I found this video very useful. Thanks.

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Glad it was helpful! Good luck on your project 🙏

[@Adanedel666]

Hey, I have pretty much the same gear set and had my FX6 fail recently, I thought it was due to the third party batteries. Which ones do you use?

[@austinmeyerfilms]

I use the “Hawk-Woods BP-98UX 98Wh 14.4V Lithium-Ion Battery with 2 x D-Tap Ports”

[@anthonycroff7030]

This is some of the best doc advice being doled out on youtube! Thanks for your work!

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Thank you! So glad you’re getting value from the videos 🙏

[@jujujay]

hey dude. that was very helpful film and picked up a few good tips once again. I'm on a film shoot this week and hope to try some of your good tips. wish me luck as this film doc' comes close to an end.

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Awesome! Wishing you luck!

[@kmalfred]

When I first saw the thumbnail, I thought it said "Why Dogs Fail". Lol. Another jewel of a video Austin. Many thanks!!

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Dogs never fail!

[@bradyconner6085]

I was trying to explain some of these exact concepts to a coworker of mine who is not in the film making world. Now I can simply share this video with her. Thank you! Keep up the great work!💪

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Haha, I got your back

[@CalebGibbsAvenue]

So i plan on having a list of questions that should help the conversation flow. The plan is to shoot b roll after the talk. So i know what to shoot to bring out the scenes that are necessary to make it relatable. Otherwise, there's a lack of connection to the story. The story will be shot and unearthed as we go.

[@idletimeproductions4956]

This video is vey helpful for me. I am working on my first documentary and I have made most of these mistakes all ready. This film documents the lives of several African American octogenarians and depict the changes that they have witnessed in America. After my first interview, I recognized that interviewing an 80+ year old and getting concise answers is difficult. Watching this video suggests that I need to go back to the beginning and consider points that you have identified. Thanks.

[@austinmeyerfilms]

So glad this was helpful. Sounds like you have an interesting subject area. Keep going on it!

[@LouisLuzuka]

This paints the picture for me for telling stories visually, it’s not about only the b-roll and the action shots but also getting more than enough 😅 The coverage the room tone all the things I learned and forgot to capture everything 😢❤😂 oh well we live and learn 😮😊

[@LouisLuzuka]

What I meant is to have intention 😮

[@Tara-OBrien]

I have made all of these mistakes! 😆🤣😂 these are great tips - such a good resource and channel for newbie filmmakers!!

[@Tara-OBrien]

And anyone who hasn't booked a consultation call with Austin totally should - It has been SO helpful as a new filmmaker, well worth it!

[@austinmeyerfilms]

@ Thank you, Tara! Our calls have definitely inspired me to reflect and put a lot of these lessons down on paper. So thank you for being brave enough to create documentaries and share them with me!

[@FilmshooterOH]

Great stuff. When you are risking missing that critical moment, have you ever considered training somebody at the site how to shoot cellphone video as a back up? I have trained a couple of people on different projects to gather b-roll for a trip that I could not go on and they gave me a few usable shots. (Much of the footage wasn't great.)

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Yes! That’s a great way to go about it. I’m also trying to line up another local cinematographer or two who can be there if I am gone. Challenge on my project is that the moment is so sensitive that it is a little tricky to have a stranger pop in at that moment

[@JesseEdgar]

Just curious Austin, you mention the importance of getting quality recordings of the ambience. Im wondering why one would choose this over, say, recorded Foley from a stock website? What are the benefits and drawbacks of stock audio in sound design? Once again, incredibly informative video Austin! Thank you so much

[@austinmeyerfilms]

It comes down to specificity and time. By specificity I mean, getting the specific sound specific to your video clip. And by time I mean, if you remember to take 15 minutes to record ambient audio when you're in the field, then you don't have to spend hours searching stock websites to find the audio that matches your scene

[@JesseEdgar]

@austinmeyerfilms thanks for that detailed response Austin 🙂

[@FollowTheJohn]

I screened that doc. It is AMAZING.

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Which one?! Instruments of a Beating Heart or Boys State?

[@FollowTheJohn]

@@austinmeyerfilms Beating Heart.

[@MrScupperdog]

One of my favorite documentaries is "Spellbound" (about the 1999 National Spelling Bee). I realize now that one of the reasons it was so good was because it followed many of the principles you outlined ( I guess these fundamentals are not new). I met the director at a screening in Seattle and chatted with him a bit. I asked him how he financed the film, and he said "Mr. Mastercard and Mr. Visa".

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Spellbound is fantastic. A classic of the doc genre. Hahah, those funders

[@LouisLuzuka]

Hello friends ❤😊 much love from Vancouver Canada 🎉

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Hello hello! 🙌

[@roryonabike5863]

In December, I saw most of the films shortlisted for IDA awards via its streaming portal. I passed on Instruments of a Beating Heart, and grateful that Austin urged us to watch it. For those interested, it’s on the NYT KZbin channel. I agree that it may be nominated for an Academy Award, although I think the more interesting question is what the Academy does with No Other Land, which won the IDA award as best feature-length film. Apparently it still doesn’t have a U.S. distributor. I’d like to know why The Last Journey didn’t even make the final IDA shortlist. Are entertaining documentaries that are successful at the box office automatically disqualified? :)

[@austinmeyerfilms]

Thanks for the thoughtful comment. That's awesome that you checked out a lot of the awards nominated films in the IDA Portal. That is a great resource. I actually haven't seen No Other Land yet, but I am looking forward to seeing it. Would love to get the team behind that film on the channel to discuss the whole distribution process. I am so curious to learn what that is all about. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@PacificBlueFilm]

👍

[@sheikhsaab161]

I see Your Equipment at the Back Shelf. Isn't Dust a problem?

[@austinmeyerfilms]

I’ve never had a dust problem. I’m taking that gear out into the field constantly, so it’s not just sitting there. It’s also covered with curtains when I am not filming these videos