Documentary making - where o go for an established journalist

geeky

Hi there,

I've had a good read of the introductory threads - cheers mods - but would be interested in a few tips on my own situation.

Basically, I'm a reasonably accomplished magazine journalist. Chances are you wouldn't recognise my name but, if you buy cultural/current affairs titles in Ireland, you've probably read my work.

Right now, I'm doing more and more work on subjects that would benefit from adding a visual aspect to the reader experience - everything from wrestling to cross-dressing. People who read the articles are constantly asking why I don't make films of the subjects, and I honestly can't say why. I'd love to, but I always assumed that making documentaries was like marrying a rock star: wonderful, but not attainable.

I'd be keen to get people's thoughts on where a reasonably well-established journalist should go to start if they want to go into documentaries. Would I be wise to try and take a raft of technical courses, save up for equipment and do it myself? Or would I be better off partnering with someone on the technical end?

BlitzKrieg

Would I be wise to try and take a raft of technical courses, save up for equipment and do it myself? Or would I be better off partnering with someone on the technical end?

It would be better to get in touch with someone on the technical side of things.

Best thing for you to do if to put together a treatment and an outline of the piece you want to do, it would make someone who would work with you alot more comfortable if they knew that you had the contacts and contents all organised and they had just to handle the technical aspects.


Depending on your content you could get in touch with a number of production groups about working with you, then there are more then enough independents out there via crewqer, here and irishfilmmakersnetwork.

An ok start for the documentary side of things if you have 0 technical experiance might be DCTV (http://www.dctv.ie/main/?page_id=428) I worked with them through one of their partners for the last 3 years. They are community focused group so very much keep that in mind if you contact them. But if you get involved you will get the oppurtunity through them or a partner to apply for a BAI sound & vision round, which I was lucky enough to get in my 2nd year and thats a great oppurtunity.


Not much else I can say I have only done for the most part the technical side of small documentaries.

Xios

I'b be interested in helping, but it depends on the quality of work you'd want, and where you intend to distribute the video, if it's for rte or national broadcast, then you'd need a team of people, but if it's for a webblog or page, then you'll just need one other guy to hold the camera, but you'll also need an editing suite, there's plenty of free software out there for editing, but many of them are ****e tbh.

Check your private messages geeky,

geeky

Thanks for the replies, guys!