Sheffield DocFest Podcast

Off screen, Britain’s institutions – from the NHS to the police - are increasingly facing a crisis of trust. Many have responded by inviting camera crews in to offer a closer insight into their inner workings resulting in hit shows such as Keeping Britain Alive, Britain Behind Bars and Coppers. Do such collaborations offer an important corrective to a cynical mistrust in institutions, or is there always a trade-off to be made by ‘embedded’ journalists for such access? Are they just free PR for a finely controlled ‘good news’ narrative, or a genuine commitment to transparency?

Direct download: Documenting_Institutions_2013.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 11:16am UTC

Interviews are a major weapon in the filmmaker's armoury. But how, when and where should they be deployed, how do you prepare, and how can you get to what you really want - the truth? In this session, four of the best filmmakers in the business - Bart Layton, Vanessa Engle, Olly Lambert and Richard Macer - give expert insight into the skill of interviewing. Drawing on clips of their own work - as well as others they admire - the session will give an insight into the secrets behind how some of the best interviews in documentaries have been bagged. To do so the tables will be turned on our four panellists, giving us a chance to see them in action - live on stage. In this session they will be both interviewer AND interviewee. Each will interview another filmmaker before swapping seats and sitting in the hot seat themselves. The subject matter: how to conduct an interview, of course. But will they get to the truth?
Ever found yourself in the back of a cab hurriedly writing down questions on the way to the master interview? Ever sat in an edit and wished you'd ask the killer question which now seems so obvious? Listen and learn from the masters and these things will surely never happen again - or your money back.*

*not really.

Direct download: Resized_Art_Of_Interview_2013.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 1:19pm UTC

How much do filmmakers really get paid? Where does the money go? Who gets it? By examining the financial models for filmmaking in both North America and Europe, the panel will reveal just how films get financed and who gets the money. What are the differences between territories and who benefits the most. The panelists will reveal the real budgets, cost reports and financing deals on their projects in order to understand what works, and how we can all work together to improve the transparency and effectiveness of the documentary funding system globally, so that filmmakers are paid fairly.

Direct download: Financing_Documentary_Films_2013.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 11:52am UTC

Nowadays, most filmmakers capture sound with on camera microphones. That’s great: it means just one person can make a film. But that leads to compromises. Whatever budget the Sheffield Inspiration Award winning Kim Longinotto (Sundance World Documentary Jury Prize for Rough Aunties 2008, Sheffield Doc/Fest Special Jury Award for Pink Saris 2010) has at her disposal, she always hires a sound recordist who is interested in doing observational documentary filmmaking. The results are consistently outstanding.
This in depth session explores the practicalities advantages and pitfalls of a shooter / director working with a recordist. What is the relationship between camera and sound? How to develop a silent rapport and a shorthand way of communicating? 
Direct download: Kim_Longinotto_2013.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 11:28am UTC

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