I was having a hard time writing about my first experience with Kristine Barsky (interview on May 8, 2008 at the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary in Ventura), perhaps because there were so many variables and factors that were changing and not constant during the entire experience. I was perhaps overwhelmed. Not only equipment set up, but scouting and lighting. It is very good that I showed up very early, and Kristine showed up a little late due to some traffic. It was of great misfortune that during that day, though the National Marine Sanctuaries said it would be fine to film, it ended up they were setting up for some art gallery behind us. Quite a bit of noise, but hopefully the audio has a good "hierarchy of noise" and that Kristine's voice echoes far beyond the people chattering.... It was my first series of interviews, so I can't exactly beat myself up about it. I started getting better with all this "default operation mode" when interviewing Kamron Sockolov.I started to realize that every film-documentary or "NARRATIVE-FRAMED DOCUMENTARY" (Kristine Barsky calls it pseudo-documentary, perhaps because I ask strange questions and that I impose a level of staged-narrative control of interviews as well as visual continuity exercises, I frame everything with my own "philosophical overtone," but Kristine was impressed. I did my part and was prepared). As I was saying, the narrative-framed documentaries I create I ultimatley will have TWO PHASES. PHASE 1 is OBSERVATION, SHAKEY CAMERA, SPONTANEOUS INTERVIEW, IN SITU. BECOMING COMFORTABLE WITH PEOPLE INVOLVED. PHASE 2 is CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT, REFLECTION OF EXPERIENCES, SIT DOWN WITH TRIPOD, ASKING CRUCIAL QUESTIONS TO GET THE SOUNDBITES I NEED FOR NARRATION.
Besides the graphic orientation of the interview setup, some other key points for advice: (1) SHOW UP EARLY, EARLY, EARLY. ONE HOUR TO HALF HOUR EARLY. (2) THIS GIVES YOU TIME TO SCOUT A LOCATION, TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT, SET UP EQUIPMENT, TEST AUDIO AND VISUALS. (3) SO BY THE TIME THE INTERVIEWEE COMES, EVERYTHING IS ALL SET UP!
Disclaimers for the Interviewee: (1) Be patient with me, please! I am a one-person crew! So I might have to cut with audio difficulties (2) If I ask you to repeat something, it is for the sake of soundbites and editing. But I want BOTH your long and short answer. (3) If there are any noise distractions (dogs barking, cars, airplanes), we will have to stop, and I'm sorry you may have to repeat stuff. (4) To repeat (1), please be patient with me!
It's fun being zen-film-maker (but I did go through withdrawal being a part of a large Goleta Beach production crew, spoiled, crutching on other people... start becoming some synergized coordinated film crew super-organism), because you become more intimate with the people you interview. Even the interviewees become film-makers and part of the crew! They get to hold the camera sometimes and move and use the equipment. They offer to help me! I even ask them advice for visual effects and how they would like to see the film look like. So, it's not just me. I think it's better than having a wall of unnecessary teckies surrounding me. It makes the whole set-up very impersonal. *Sigh*
One more comment! This is not an ERROL MORRIS film. People don't stare at the camera, usually. They are staring a little to the side towards the interviewer... Maybe the next film they will look at the camera like Errol Morris films.
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