A (Bound to Be) Steep Learning Curve

Today I started researching into all the magic behind filming a documentary. There is SO much to learn about the tedious process that is film making. I spent well over two hours diving into the depths of the internet looking for the best equipment, tips, and tricks. Granted, my documentary will be very short. It will be more like a pair of two very well produced interviews. However, it is still important to me that the quality of them as good as possible in the allotted amount of time, and given my minimal budget. Alright, here goes: I learned that it's very important (just like a normal "movie") to have storyline, and a plot. Most of the websites I used recommended taking a decent chunk of time to draw out a story board. The key part here was that the planning stages can be just as important as the actual filming - in fact, they can be vital to the filming's success. So, I plan to brainstorm tomorrow using a graphic I printed out from one of the websites to lay out the order of the scenes and their content. In addition, I plan on watching a "point of view" documentary, "Return to Homs" this weekend as a form of research. I think it is crucial to see how others have done what I'm trying to do so that I can take pointers from the professionals. So that's content. Now on to the technical stuff- and there's a lot of it. Having a high quality camera is important, so I will be using my Nikon SLR camera that has an optional microphone attachment. I think Mr. Silverman will be an invaluable resource during the span of this project because of his vast knowledge of filmmaking. I learned a fun fact today about what the purpose is of a clapperboard (the thing people snap when they yell "action"). Apparently, the snap is so that the audio of the scene can be aligned with the moving picture because they're captured using two different recording devices. The job of a movie's sound mixer is to align the picture with the audio. So, I'd have to cut out camera audio and match the picture with the better sound. Lighting is important, dome lights are preferable if available. I learned I should never start a documentary with a picture, similar to an essay there has to be a "hook". When you're filming someone, you want to make sure they're in 3-quarter profile to make sure their face isn't in the middle because it looks weird. Also, I learned that it's better to put subtitles if you're asking an interview-ee a question instead of showing the person asking the question (me). I will be using Mr. Silverman's premier pro editing software because it is $50/month and his is free :). All in all a great day with lots more learning to do!