Your camera operators, sound techs, gaffers, grips, make-up artists, etc will all work harder for you if they see a “lunch break” indicated on the schedule.  And while you don’t have to provide the food, it also goes a long way to providing good will.  If you are not going to pay for the meal, at least have water and snacks available.  Provide some healthy options like fruit and nuts though cookies seem to be very popular. 

A note to younger productions assistants and AP’s: McDonald’s does not count as a meal.  Your crew usually consists of grown adults whose stomachs can no longer tolerate fast food after a morning of grueling work.  If you must go the fast food route, Subway or pizza is your best bet.  If you have an early call time, you may want to provide some breakfast snacks as well.  Coffee carafes are a good idea too.  And if the crew works late, dinner is appropriate.

There are two types of lunch breaks – the “walk-away” and the “stay”.  The “walk-away” means that the crew will find food for themselves away from the shoot location.  They are then responsible for getting back to the set on time. The “stay” means that food is provided for them at the location.  The “stay” gives the producer more control over everyone’s time.  For a stay lunch, you can cater the meal, bring a menu to set and then order ahead (my favorite) or run out and buy a bunch of sandwiches or pizza right before lunch break.

While an hour lunch is nice, it is not always necessary or convenient. Most of us can eat a meal in ten minutes. But let’s face it, most people work better with a little breather. 

I’ve been on shoots where the client has asked the crew to work through lunch at which point I insist on at least a half hour break.  The bottom line is human beings need energy to function and food provides that energy.  Without time to gas up, the crew can become sluggish and inattentive.  So put food into your shoot planning and you’ll have a happy crew and the best possible footage.

A relative new comer to international soccer competitions, I recently asked my husband “whatever happened to the Colombian national team?”  I remember footage of their bright uniforms, colorful play and wild hair.  My questions were soon answered by the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary called The Two Escobars directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist.

The Two Escobars follows the rapid rise and demise of the Colombian national soccer team in the 80’s and 90’s through the lives of its hero – Andrés Escobar and its patron – Pablo Escobar.  This documentary has all the elements of classic story telling: complex characters, rags to riches stardom and good versus evil.  The interviews with former players, family members and politicians are compelling in both content and composition.  The archival footage is vast.  It almost seems as if the past footage was shot with the knowledge that this documentary would one day be produced.  Not once did I think “they don’t have anything to cover this with.”

Pablo Escobar is depicted as a modern day Robin Hood – a poor boy that made riches by becoming a drug lord but sharing his ill-begotten wealth with poor citizens from Colombia.  He reconstructed homes in a fire ravaged barrio and built soccer fields for neighborhoods and schools.  It was his sponsorship of one of the national teams that allowed them to jettisons them to the top ranks of world soccer.  While watching this film, I was rooting for him as much as I was rooting against him. 

Andrés Escobar was a member of that team.  He was uncomfortable with the drug connections but relished being a role model for young people.  He became the team captain and used his money and position to help at-risk youth.  At a time when Colombia was suffering from the highest murder rate in the world, he became a symbol of hope and achievement.  It was easy to root for Andrés.

When the demise of both Escobars unfolds, we understand why.  For Pablo, it wasn’t just the Colombian government with the help of the Americans that finally got the best of him.  He was killed by the only person who could kill him, a former friend and rival drug lord.  And it wasn’t just an angry fan that killed Andrés after his own-goal that knocked the Colombian team out of the world cup.  It was a thug from the same rival gang that killed Pablo – a thug with a mammoth machismo attitude and perhaps too much to drink. With the death of the two Escobars, Colombian soccer sunk back into oblivion even more quickly than it had risen.

In the end, The Two Escobars not only taught me about Colombian soccer and history but reminded me that there are at least three sides to every story, that good is not always all good and that evil is not always without morality. It is ultimately a sad story and supremely human.  Mostly, it pointed out that any death, but especially that of someone who held the hopes and dreams of his country, is just not good fodder for a joke.

First, figure out what type of footage will work for your project?  Do you need standard definition or high definition video?  Will you need long clips or short clips?  Are you looking for clean footage or something more graphical?   Next, consider how much time and money you are willing to spend to get the type of footage you want.

I suggest starting with internet search to pin-point the type of footage you need.  Keep in mind that it is often hard to find good footage for free. 

If I am looking for footage from a particular industry, I will may search specific companies or associations for that industry to see if they have any footage available. They often do and are willing to share it at no charge.  Just look under the “media” or “press” section of their websites or give them a call.  I get a lot of good airplane and travel footage that way. 

News outlets have some of the better B-roll though they can get pricey.  If you are looking for something a little more fair on the pricing side, try Gannett Video Enterprises (GVE).  They have 22 television stations in 19 markets. For a list of their markets visit http://gannett.com/web/tvstations.htm. They can fulfill many types of b-roll requests but are most commonly use as an archival resource. Their clients are usually folks who need B-roll for a specific story such as murder trials, severe weather, caught-on-tape, things like that.  Contact Jamie Romaezi at jromaezi@gannett.com or 703-854-7611. Tell them I sent you.

If you are looking to keep costs down try finding “public domain” or “royalty free” footage (meaning it is free to use)  Just take note that “public domain” or “royalty free” footage  often has a transfer or download fee.  Wikipedia has a nice list of public domain images – mostly photographs but some video footage as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Domain_Resource

 A number of United States government organizations provide stock video footage that is in the public domain.  On some, like the White House website, you can download directly from the site. Others, like the Census Bureau website, require you have order the videos which they will send to you free of charge.  Here is a very small sample of what you can find on U.S. government websites:

• White House images http://www.whitehouse.gov
• People filling out forms http://2010.census.gov/mediacenter
• NASA footage http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/hd
• Medical footage http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/stockshot.html#govimage

 The National Archives is a good place to look for older footage that is generally in the public domain (such as WWII, film shot by the military, Universal News reels, presidential speeches) if you are in the Washington, DC area or know someone in the DC area that can physically go search the Archives for you.  Most of the footage is free to use but there is a small transfer free. http://www.archives.gov/research/arc

I have recently stumbled upon Pond 5. It has a lot of shorter clips that individuals upload and then set the price.  They have HD footage, music and sound effects as well.  http://www.pond5.com

Here are some other recommendations that have come my way but that I haven’t tried yet.

• Public Domain comedy video has a lot of old school (black and white era) comedy video.  http://www.pdcomedy.com
• Videohive has a variety of B-roll footage and motion graphics.  http://videohive.net/
• Footagebank.com 
• Getty Images http://www.gettyimages.com/Footage
• http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php pretty cheap video and other images
• http://www.footage.net
• http://www.thoughtequity.com
• http://www.archive.org/details/prelinger

And remember, always be clear about the cost and rights of the footage before using it.  Some footage is priced per clip while others are priced per second.  Some video may have a cheap fee for broadcast but may cost considerable more for internet use.   When in doubt, call or email the footage holder with your questions.

I asked some of my production buddies for their most important dos and don’ts while in the field.  Here is what we came up with:

• Use a checklist to help keep track of what needs to get done.
• Label the tapes (with the date) as soon as you are done with each tape.
• Pay equal attention to the audio as you do the video.
• Turn off your cell phone while the cameras are on. You don’t want to be the one person whose phone rings or vibrates during the shoot.  Even phones on silent mode and affect audio quality.
• Always record “one more” for safety.  It is sometimes hard to tell if a take is good during the intensity of a shoot. An extra take will increase your changes for getting just what you need.
• Don’t forget bars and tone.  Yes, your editor really does use these things to help ensure that the color and sound of your footage is legal.
• Don’t forget room tone.  Your editor will love you.
• Bring water and healthy snacks.
• Put a lunch break in the schedule. Crews like to see that. Yes, schedules are tight but if your crew sees that you are considering their food and hydration needs, they will work that much harder for you.
• Be on time. Promptness is the first thing to consider if you want to be hired back again.
• Bring extra copies of every document.  Scripts, schedules, releases and log sheets often get lost in the shuffle.
• Bring pens.  You can never have enough.
• Come with more tapes or hard drive space than needed.
• Be prepared. The most important field work starts before you hit the field.
• Relax and have fun! This is TV not brain surgery.

Food Inc. is a good example of a documentary that takes sides without ramming an agenda down the viewers’ throats.  It set out to show how the food industry is controlled by a small amount of corporations who have sacrificed nutrition, safety and ethics when it comes to animals, workers, products, consumers and environment.  Food Inc. refrained from using fringe examples to make an extreme point.  Instead, the producers were able to find several people with the same story to support a stance.  For example, there were several different chicken and soybean famers to who were being squeezed by their one corporate client by sharecropping and mafia tactics.  “You want to sell chickens to us?  Then you must borrow money from us every year to make technical upgrades that you will never be able to pay off.”  The soybean farmers were routinely followed by undercover seed agents to make sure they were not “cleaning their own seeds.”

Food Inc. had its fair share of scary yet revealing moments.  I knew that live stock is often herded together in quarters that are inhumanely close.  But I was surprised to learn that cows are fed corn because it is cheap even though they can’t digest corn very well.   The results of undigested food can lead to E Coli.  The cows are fed corn because the crops are subsidized to such a low level that it costs pennies to feed the cows thereby allowing the beef corporations to make the biggest profits possible.  If you follow the trail of corn, it will take you to chicken breeding facilities, genetically modified foods and thug-like control over criticism of the industry and its products.  Remember the beef industry lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey?

An hour into the movie and I was feeling enlightened but was on my way to complete depression about the times in which we live.  That’s when Food Inc. threw me a glimmer of hope by way of the Stoneyfield Farm yogurt company.  I eat Stoneyfield.  I feed it to my kids.  What a relief to know that I have been supporting a company whose mandate it is to produce healthy food, ethically, that is good for the environment and is a capitalism success story. 

When the film ended, I was feeling that the very bumpy journey had been worth it.  I admit that I have a soft spot for socially conscious documentaries that invite the viewer to join the struggle with specific suggestions.  Food Inc. did not disappoint me.  After the images faded to black, a list of simple tips were offered.  Easy things like “read food labels” and “cook with your family” are simple but can have big affects on families as well as the food industry.  The next morning, my husband and I spent ten extra minutes in the grocery store attentively labels while conscientiously choosing our food.

Some people, like Stephanie Foerster Owner of StepFilms, says the question takes some consideration.  “If you are responsible for the footage upon conclusion of the shoot, then yes, a hard drive is a great investment. That said, if you are simply handing over the footage for post, I think it’s fair to request the client to provide their own drive before the shoot.”

There are a lot of hard drives out there and not all of them will work for every situation.  For instance, are you looking for a hard drive to simply store and transport footage?  If so, a small drive will work.  The most popular compact drive suggestion I got was for the 350gb LaCie.  I’m using this drive now (in fact it is packed up ready for my shoot today) and it seems both rugged and easy to use.  It doesn’t need a power cord because it runs off of the firewire cable. It costs about $100.  For Mac users, My Passport Studio has been recommended because it is small and very affordable.  Another recommendation is the $90 Smartdisk FireLite which holds about 80GB and fits in the palm of your hand.

But as Roland Hudson of Flipbook Productions points out, you will need something bigger and faster if you plan to edit from the drive.  Anything less than 1TB can make moving media on and off of the drive painstakingly slow.  The G-Raid mini, another highly recommended drive based on responses, runs about $300.

Bonnie Green, a Digital Assets Manager, warns not to store too much on one drive.  “I usually advocate digitizing your assets into a searchable database, then archiving physical assets in off-site storage. Never keep the two in the same location. Use the “what if” scenario in laying out your plan.  Also, using one hard drive for multiple clients may not be wise, as it only takes one corrupted file to ruin to the soup. Then, you’ve just screwed up your other clients’ stuff and made yourself look like a novice.”

The crowd was split on how “consumer” to go with these drives. Some felt that standard drives found at Best Buy to provide storage for a home computer wouldn’t suffice.  Others were excited about cheap and cheerful drives that could be bought for under 100-bucks.  Personally, I feel that is it worth a little extra to safeguard a client’s footage.

And last but not least, back up your footage!  Some producers use their drives as backups. Others store the footage on their computer.  It doesn’t really matter where you keep it just as long as you can get to that backed-up footage if needed.

I have nothing against San Francisco, but I am jet lagged, miss my family, had to change rooms at 2:30 in the morning because of water dripping from the ceiling onto my bed and, if I may be blunt, my gastronomic system is a little backed up.  None of this has put me in the mood to come up with pithy and energetic host script copy.  So what to do?

I’ve devised a few tactics over the years to help me continue writing even when I really don’t want to.  A deadline is a deadline. So it’s handy to have a cadre of tricks to help bust through that block when necessary.

• Dance to fast music – This is my number one, go-to block buster.  I put on one song with a driving beat, sing loudly and dance passionately.  For me, this is a shortcut to meeting my muse because I totally leave the writing behind for 5-minutes and come back refreshed and energized.
• Take a chore break – If I am at home, I find it helpful to work on rhythmic activities like washing dishes or folding clothes while my sub-conscious works on the work. I almost always come up with an exciting breakthrough this way.  If I am in an office, I might clean my desk or do some filing, anything to keep my hands busy but my mind free.
• Walk away from the writing – Get out and take a walk.  This is another way to get the blood pumping and the words flowing.
• Go over the top – Write wild and crazy, over the top stuff.  Try alliterations or some rapping and rhyming. It’s fun and you just might come up with ideas that make the final draft. 
• Check out a list of clichés – If I am having difficulty with a subject matter, I often look up a list of clichés on the internet.  Yes they are staid but they can also be entertaining. And even better yet, they can help me get a grasp on concepts in a focused and fun way.
• Get help – I have a couple of producer friends that I can call or email with a problem section and they help me work it out with a fresh eye.  I do the same for them. It’s kind of like having a writing elf.  And let’s face it, two heads are better than one.

In this particular San Francisco block, I’ve elected to write something else, something that I know would flow – this blog. It’s been fun and I’m feeling ramped up to continue the writing-for-hire.  If you have any other tricks let me know. I’ll post them and maybe try them next time. Happy writing!

Where did this labeling snobbery come from?  I lay the blame squarely at the foot of America’s Most Wanted.  I worked on the show early in my career and quickly learned the benefits of a well labeled tape.  At AMW, as at many places, the tapes moved between so quickly between so many people (producers, associate producers, shooters, transcribers, editors, production managers, etc.) that it was critical that all the pertinent information be placed on the label so that any person at anytime would know what was on that tape.  This point was driven home years later when I helped a production company sort through their archival tapes that were boxed and stored in a closet.  It was nearly impossible to tell what was what because the tapes were labeled with one word that meant nothing to anyone who was not there when the tape was shot.

Here is some basic tape information I like to include:

• Name of project, tape number, date
• Subject name, title, city
• Type of footage shot (interview, B-roll, stills)
• Technical specifications (frame rate and frame size)
• Audio info like what was recorded on each channel

If space allows, I’ll also include:

• Producer name
• Crew names
• Production company and telephone number (in case the tape gets lost in transit)

If I am working on a long shoot that will generate a lot of tapes, I pre-print labels with all the consistent information typed out.  I leave space to fill in information that will change from tape to tape like tape numbers and dates.

Now that I am supervising and executive producing more projects, I don’t go out into the field as much. But I do give a tape labeling demonstration every time I work with a new production staff after which I expect tape labels to come back full of significant information.

In most non-fiction productions, good B-roll is crucial to building a visually exciting and meaningful video.  I have been in the unfortunate position of getting into the edit suite and not have enough B-roll footage to cover the cuts. Or, not having enough to cover long, visually uninteresting interviews.  I’ve long since learned that whatever B-roll you think you may need, get it and then some. 

Before any shoot, I like to think about B-roll possibilities and list them out on the taping itinerary.  Locations scout helps tremendously. But even when a scout is not possible, a nice B-roll options list can be created from talking to the interview subjects and other people at the location.  I like to list out B-roll possibilities that directly speak to the subject at hand and then list out general shots that will work with the overall theme.  For example, if I am taping an interview about creating a family budget, I’ll specifically get a member of the family working on a spread or paying bills.  General B-roll might include family interaction like cooking together or walking the dog.  Now I have both specific and general shots that will cover whatever is mentioned in the script.  For a short 5-minute piece, I’ll get a minimum of 3 topic-specific and 3 generic activities.

As a producer, it is my job to communicate my B-roll wants and needs to the camera operator.  Freelance cameraman Matt Martin (www.mattmartin.tv) likes producers to give him as much information as possible about the projects as well as share any specific ideas prior to shooting.  That way, he can use the shoot time shooting rather than standing around trying to figure things out.  He likes to know the type of project, the length, the style and even the audience.  “If the piece is for a younger audience, I may use a lot of snap zooms and whip pans.  If it is long form, I may hold the shots longer.”  Matt likes to create a visual sequence by starting with an establishing shot, moving in to follow the action and then getting tight, detailed shots.  He also likes to know how much time will be covered by the B-roll.  “Needing 30 seconds of B-roll is very different from needing 3 minutes.”

Martin adds “A 30-second edit or b-roll cover time may need as many as ten shots to fill the time and tell the story. As a Director of Photography you can capture footage at 7-second intervals and have your producer covered if you have at least twelve clips in the camera. I try to cover my clients by putting heads and tails on the ends of each clip. This is done by adding 5 seconds of static (not moving the camera) at the beginning and ending of each shoot.  It’s very important and the editors will love you for it.”

Getting a variety of types of shots is important. I like to get different angles from bird’s eye to worm’s eye views.  If I am covering Marine Corps training, following the troops then letting them march out of frame can create the feeling of orderly movement.  A nice low angle of boots marching through the mud or an extreme close up of the Sergeant’s mouth barking orders with spittle flying all over can bring the audience into the moment. 

Sound is also important.  Many times, visual don’t make as much sense without the corresponding audio.  What’s a police car tearing down the street without the sound of screeching wheels?  A couple of common mistakes are forgetting to turn on the camera mic or talking while the camera is rolling.  In some cases, you may want to use a more power microphone to make sure you get strong, clean audio.

Now that the footage, including B-roll is shot, it is time to edit.  Having enough varied B-roll will help any edit run smoother.  As an editor, Gemal Woods (www.parktriangle.com), feels that you can never have too much B-roll.  “Get all the B-roll you can.” He says.  “You never know what the creative process will call for in an edit suite.”  After that, what he looks for in B-roll is project specific.  “If it’s long form, longer shots are good.  If I’m working on a promo piece, I’m looking for options over length. In that case, short impactful visuals work well.”  Woods, who is also a cameraman, believes some of the best B-roll is spontaneous and urges producers to leave enough time in the schedule to get those unplanned moments.

When you can’t get the B-roll yourself, you can always purchase some from archival footage houses or news outlets.  This is particularly helpful in demonstrating things that have happened in the past.  But whatever your project, spend some time before going into the edit suite to determine what you need and the best way to get it.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with Emmett on several projects and am impressed with his scope of work.  His television credits include producer, writer, editor and camera operator.  His work can be seen on such national networks as The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TV Land and public television.  Emmett is also a song writer/performer, photographer, concert producer and journalist.  his passion for media and the arts is clear to anyone that has worked with him.  Emmett, a vegetarian, even ate seal meat to connect with his subjects during a shoot in Alaska.  What I’ve found particularly striking is his commitment to his projects and his ability to keep a sense of humor about everything his does. 

As an independent producer, what type of productions do you produce/work on?
Mostly, I produce long and short form documentaries. Sometimes they’re ideas that I’ve come up with and sometimes I’ll partner with a non-profit organization to make a film about a topic that is important to them. For example, the film “Camp Twitch and Shout – The Movie”, which will be available online December 7, is a partnership between myself and the Tourette Syndrome Association of Georgia.

There are also a few online only projects that are in the works that are destined for YouTube or the Mission Man Media website, like a series of shorts about artists called “The Form Appears” and another series entitled “Everyone Has A Story”.

Finally, there are a few things I want to do that will be specifically for museums and galleries.

How do you find the projects that you work on?
It’s rare that I go out searching for stories to tell. Usually the stories just arrive serendipitously. For a documentary that will start production in January, the idea came from a conversation I had with a friend in a bar just a few months ago. There are an endless amount of stories out there that are waiting to be told, you just have to keep your ears open. I’m fortunate to be in some form of production on projects that will keep me busy through the first half of 2011.
 
How have you raised funds?
Every way possible. I’ve won grants, been funded by the organizations that I’ve partnered with, friends, family, the coin jar in my bedroom. Any way possible. I read somewhere that it takes 3 years on average to raise money for a documentary. You have to spread your fundraising wings as far and wide as possible.

I’m in the process of raising money now for a project in Africa and I’ve literally sent hundreds of emails, applied for grants all over the world and spoken with people on three continents trying to get it made.
 
Sometimes you work on freelance gigs for other people.  How do you feel about that? Do you limit the size and scope of freelance gigs?
Making documentaries is cyclical in that you make a film, then raise (beg) for money for your next one, so you have to earn money during that downtime in between projects. If I’m inbetween projects, I’ll preferably do some freelance writing or producing for television or for a company that needs something small, but I’ll do anything really to keep me out of an office.

BUT if someone from an office is reading this…and hiring on a temporary basis….
 
You often work as a one-man band producing, shooting and editing. Is there a lot of pressure to be responsible for every aspect of a project?
I really prefer working alone because I like the intimacy of just being one-on-one with the subject. I’ll often spend a few days just hanging out with whomever I want to interview before I even bring out a camera. I think if you are prepared ahead of time and really know your equipment it cuts down a lot on the possibilities of something going wrong. Of course, life would be easier with a crew as far as dealing with the equipment.  But for me, its worth the few times when I’ve forgotten briefly to turn on the audio or left something back at the hotel to continue to work independently. And the more you do it, the easier and more organized you become. The real key is a comfortable backpack and pants with lots of pockets. If you have those two things you’ll be fine.
 
Do you feel that there is a lot of room for creativity when producing a documentary?
The style of documentary that I like to do relies a lot on serendipity to be honest. I like to leave a lot of time to wait for things to happen.  Often, things are happening quickly and you are happy just to get the shot. While this style doesn’t lead itself to as much creativity as a fiction film, there is always a little room to put your own personal stamp on a film. It really takes sitting down before you start shooting and making a firm decision about the look and feel of your project.

I also think the most important aspect of making a documentary is the story and content. No matter the style, if you have those two things you can craft a strong project.
 
What is your favorite part about producing and why?
My favorite part is that moment that happens in most interviews where the subject finally lets their guard down and really opens up about whatever you are trying to get out of them. I really think everyone has a story and it’s my job to get it out of them. 
 
What is your favorite project to date and why?
I’m editing the first of a four-part series called “Native Past, American Present” about the efforts Native Americans are making to hold on to their history, culture, and identity. I recently spent a month in Alaska on the project and everything about it was special. Incredible people, important stories, and beautiful landscape. That’s been my favorite so far, and I plan on going back next fall to spend two months working on part two of my series. And while I’m there I’ll be working with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska to teach filmmaking to Native children.
 
How did you get started?
I’d worked in television for about ten years when I decided that I really preferred working for myself, or at least on projects I really believed in. One day I decided that’s what I would do. In hindsight, it might have been less complicated to ease into documentary filmmaking instead of jumping into it blindly, but I knew what I wanted and somewhat knew how to get there. So, I just announced that I was a filmmaker and it’s grown from there.
 
Any advice for those seeking to do what you do?
Just do it. Cameras are dirt cheap, editing software most likely comes with your computer, and its free to put your stuff up online. There are an infinite amount of stories to tell. There are really no excuses if it’s something you truly want to do.

 For more information about Emmett Williams and his work, please visithttp://www.emmettwilliams.com.