Hello,
So here is my situation: I'm an emerging filmaker,have made a few short documentaries, music videos, etc, all self-produced,now i am embarking on making a feature documentary film with a partner who is coming from a radio background.
We have both decided to be the producers,but I am wondering about the best way to define our roles.
I have more ideas about the need to think visually. I suggested he mainly write the story, like how he would narrate it and I will contribute around that framework contributing to the story development, I am helping with the film look and the layers of the story. He on the other hand has contacts and access to the people who will be the subjects in the documentary.. and will likely mostly be doing the interviews, but i also would like to be part of this process..
so my 1st question is, should we call this a co-directed and/or co-produced film?? Or what would be the best way to define our roles based on the situation I just describred?
My 2nd question is, I have put a call out for crew, mainly dop & sound at this point and have received a couple too good to be true (but true) responses, 1 in specific from a filmaker who's film i went to see this summer, responding to our ad offering his services as a DOP(even though its unpaid at this point) .. although this is great news, I am wondering about the dynamics of a less experienced filmaker taking on a super experienced filmmaker for a first time no budget film, I have not gone into detail with this filmaker about the subject of the documentary,(except to say it is about a deep social issue) and I am worried, would an established DOP/self producing filmaker really want to work on a noobie production?? And are there any risks involved in this, like what if he wanted to produce it instead? On one hand it would be beneficial since he's established, but what about our initiative to produce it under our company which we would like to establish too, would it be a good idea to suggest a co-production , with us 2 producers? How would we define these roles, or should we just see if he'd prefer to just be DOP for our film even though we're noobies...
Anyway hope this is not too confusing.. I am putting alot into making this work, but i guess I have anxieties that I may give up credit to myself where its due, by not defining myself correctly..
Thanks for listening, Your responses and experiences are deeply appreciated!
?filmie21
Here are my thoughts about handling that DOP/filmmaker. If your outreach ad has clearly defined the requirements (DOP, with/without equipment, working for free, etc), and if your own assessment of the guy's personality tells you that he likely won't be overreaching, overbearing personality, then you shouldn't have a problem. You are hiring him as the camera guy and that is what you expect him to do. He will be responsible for pointing the lens in the right direction, lighting the stuff the lens is pointed at, focusing the lens on it, and making sure that stuff is recorded onto the camera medium in the best possible manner. If you never discussed any possibility of adding any producing responsibilities, he should NOT expect to be called to perform them.
Now, since you yourself say that he has more experience, there is a strong possibility that he might be compelled to provide his own input in the course of the principal photography. It will be your decision how to deal with this, and there are two ways. One, you could solicit his feedback (judiciously, in order to avoid him taking over your movie), leveraging his experience to make your film better, by either asking him what he things of the shots, the script, the overall process, as well as individual scenes/shots you plan to shoot. Second way is to tactfully and politely try to limit his feedback to his specific role (photography), leaving you to deal with issues, problems and obstacles related to producing an directing the picture.
Having someone on your project with more experience than you can be either (or both) risky and beneficial. Which way it goes will largely depend on the personalities of the two of you (actually, three of you, if we include your co-producer friend). If this DoP filmmaker is a reasonable guy, you should be able to use his experience without him hijacking your film.
