Production Guide - Global Lives Project
Contents
1. s Stil PROTOS seosesctseshsdssssscincesscctoatanteniocstnras C gt gt Video deliverables sssscsssssscssssesscsseeessneeessenee D gt gt Post production WOrkflOW csssssssecssseeeeseeees gt gt a guide to Editing the 24 Hour Video gt gt a guide to Editing the Short gt gt a guide to Delivering Your Media SAMPLE DOCUMENTS Shoot Debrief Essay Documenting your project While the experience is still fresh in your mind sit down and document your thoughts about what happened what it all means and who did what Please include these documents among all your deliverables Shoot debrief a k a director producer s statement Write down all of your observations about the day of the shoot and the preparations what went well what went wrong what you would do differently in hindsight When you re done with post production add to the statement summing everything up Tell us exactly how long the process took how you managed the tasks where the bottlenecks were and how this could be done more efficiently S Global Lives Project Production Guide Contextual essay Write an essay up to 2 000 words covering the subject s day life story and important local regional and national context issues that shape their life Include in your essay some information about The population of the country and city town village you visited Political economic characteristics of the region Hist2. G gt gt Swap out media cards and batteries 14 H gt gt Beware the ND filter Gain trap esessssssssscsseesesseeeeeen 14 I gt gt Have these useful items during the shoot 14 Pay attention to the wireless mic Ask your OSP to try not to fiddle with his her wireless mic because it compromises the sound recording Keep an eye on it and if it is moved readjust it during a down moment This will minimize audio editing in post production 3 Artistic guidelines Artistic choices during production are up to you and your team Camera angles and choices of who what to have in frame are up to you But GLP has 2 specific artistic guidelines that we use to maintain some consistency across projects and give viewers a specific kind of experience 1 Shoot with the long take approach in mind This is a camera perspective unbroken by editing When you assemble the full 24 hours of footage edits should only occur when necessary for production When changing footage cards tapes and or batteries you may need to switch to a second camera quickly Try to have your second camera in place to pick up visually where the first camera has left off Maintaining an unbroken perspective on the day is important to the experience of the viewer allowing viewers to have an unblinking eye on the day 2 Maintain an OSP perspective Keep your OSP within camera frame as much as possible It may be int
3. Production Uploading files or sending hard drive s Global Lives Project Address Global Lives Project 145 9th St Suite 102 1 After your 24 hour video is picture locked divide it into San Francisco CA 94103 48 30 minute clips naming your video files according to USA the rules described in Media Labels above Here are the basic steps to complete your project 2 Email production globallives org for the GLP Producers Metadata Template Complete the metadata Global shipping spreadsheet with clip descriptions and file names DHL 3 E mail the metadata spreadsheet to production FedEx globallives org for approval NEC Wendie Pipr ss Upon approval choose one of the following delivery options a Upload your final footage to Dropbox com following the instructions you ll receive from us once your metadata spreadsheet is approved It will be important to do this from a location with a very high speed Internet connection such as a university or large company b Ship the hard drive to us address below making sure to save a local copy on your own hard drive until you re notified that we received the shipment in satisfactory condition If there is space on the drive to include the raw capture files please send those as well Please budget for shipping the drives with insurance and use a reputable delivery company that can provide a tracking number
4. a purchasing officer for a Include as much concrete information as possible school including what is pictured and any relevant cultural historical context Photos will eventually become part of our photo database so think about search terms people might use to find your image Photograph by Chieko Kato www chiekokato com Captions must also include the full name of the photographer Stay out of the way of the OSP Minimize the number of crew members following the OSP around For example the still photographer does not need to be there all the time The fewer crew members in the immediate surroundings of the OSP the better Global Lives Project Production Guide IF Use a GPS logger A GPS loggeritracker is a simple yet important element of the shoot It will allow us to map the OSP s trajectory during her day and show which photos videos correspond to which locations Test the GPS logger as you test your camera Make sure that someone from each shift is able to verify that the GPS tracker is working properly Check the battery life and find out whether you will need to download data from it during the shoot Perform camera maintenance Double checking all key aspects of your camera throughout the shoot day is crucial In addition to the most critical maintenance changing camera batteries and SD cards you need to make sure that all settings are still correct on the camera check for accidental bu
5. and technical resources needed for this task a team of volunteers with access to consistent high speed internet Build partnerships In addition to assembling your crew we recommend that you build partnerships with local institutions universities NGOs translation companies community leaders media organizations These partnerships are extremely valuable for supporting filmmakers with post production translation technology access and showcasing films Global Lives Project Production Guide Create a fundraising plan Financial support from Global Lives Project is dependent on the availability of our funds Although crew members are expected to volunteer their time producers are expected to fund raise and or find additional resources through volunteers to offset expenses such as travel lodging and rental equipment Using crowd funding platforms If you would like to use a crowd funding platform like Kickstarter the Global Lives staff will help to promote your campaign through Facebook Twitter and our newsletter Identify shoot date amp locations Budget some time for getting to know your OSP prior to shooting the Life Story Interview and the 24 hour video We recommend that you organize a social event dinner etc In which you the crew and the OSP attend and get to know each other This will make for a better more intimate and comfortable environment while shooting For life story i
6. keep track of during the post production phase of your project Attention to detail is critical to keep the project from getting out of control and to make the finished product look the best it can be Ingesting media This refers to the process of importing different types of video audio or image files into a video editing program The process depends on your source media file based a k a tapeless or tape based The important thing is to get all your media in one place that s easily accessible so that you can create the 24 hour video as well as the short video about your subject See Editing the 24 hour video guide Media labels As you ingest media you will need to rename each file according to our guide It is crucial that files are named consistently accurately and according to standards so they will be consistent with all the other projects Please be sure to place alll the files in one folder as well See Editing the 24 hour video guide Audio finishing Sometimes called audio sweetening this involves reducing any noise and making the audio sound as pleasant as possible For the full 24 hour shoot this need only be done for situations where there are significant problems with audio levels that suddenly peak too high and could distract your audience You re basically making only minor sound adjustments to achieve a uniform playback experience See Editing the 24 hour video gu
7. lt Editing the Short Delivering Your Media gt gt This is the most involved part of the post production process even if it s not the most creative You are combining the various footage you shot during the 24 hour time frame into a seamless whole It s a big media management and asset storage exercise but it s a crucial part of your project s success CONTENTS gt gt SAMPLE DOCUMENTS Storage Needs Edit Log Media Ingest Assembling the Edit Edit Log Audio Finishing Color Correction Storage needs You will need a minimum 1 TB drive to store all your raw media assuming that you are shooting in HD on solid state media The video will require approximately 600 GB as each 32 GB card holds about 90 min of HD video at 35 Mbps less for cameras shooting 50 Mbps but more for cameras shooting 20 Mbps To ensure sufficient space for all of your captured footage scratch folder for color audio corrections and final exported footage you ll need closer to 2 TB Make sure that your audio video settings are configured for HD and the type of video that you collected 1080p24 is preferable If you do plan on cutting footage from different cameras together stick with one setting Make sure each SD card remains in its own single file even if your camera operator happened to stop the camera for any reason battery change etc during a shoot to avoid unwanted breaks Media ingest Ingest involves impor
8. translator to conduct the interview interesting background for your OSP and Northwestern The Life Story interview consider the time of day and location so that How to Conduct a Strong Interview Limit the number of people on set p there is good even and continuous light for the interview alternately use a lighting kit Having a large group on set for the interview can be intimidating for the OSP and can hinder the OSP from sharing critical aspects of Feel free to use a variety of shots wide shots their story medium shots and close ups during your interview You can also use more than one camera if you want Camera angles It s time to capture the raw footage Unlike most video productions a Global Lives Project video is shot continuously over a 24 hour period There s no editing There s also no second take Your camera operators and audio tech will be closely following and recording your OSP for 24 hours CONTENTS A gt gt Pay attention to the wireless Mic 12 B gt gt Artistic GUIGelIMeS ssessecssessnneeceseenssecseesnsnseceessnenseeees L2 C gt gt Take head shots of the OSP family fiends CAN CHOW esecsseseorsesssersenreossersnresrsersnreessersensessersenee LO D gt gt Caption photos on IOCAtION cssesssseeceseeeseeseeseeee 13 E gt gt Stay out of the way of the OSP secs L3 F gt gt Use a GPS 1oggetranneeseesssssssecssssenssesseesssnsceessssnsseesssnnseeserees L4
9. 02 jpg Release form globallivesproject_Jamila_Jad_2009_ara_Beirut_LB BA_release_form pdf You can now deliver your video See the section on Media Delivery Please be careful to preserve any placeholder zeroes in your filenames longname_photo_001 longname_photo_002 longname_photo_003 etc Ask us if you have any questions about these naming conventions See Archive org for more video naming and audio naming guidelines For other files you deliver release forms edit log clear ance report bios essay try to follow the same basic naming convention but put different words and extensions at the end of each For example longfilename_crew_essay txt doc pdf or html Global Lives Project Production Guide Pre Production gt gt Day of Production gt gt Post Production Assembling the edit achieving picture lock Once you have off loaded and stored all media from the camera make one 24 hour timeline in your edit software If you re using an older editing programs you may find that 12 hours is the limit for a timeline so you ll have to make two 12 hour timelines Lay the clips into the timelines in chronological order Adjoin the clips using one second fade to black dissolves You don t want to introduce any editorializing or fancy effects you are simply documenting the 24 hours of your on screen participant OSP like a fly on the wall Review all the footage Edit log Record in this document a
10. HHH Names are case sensitive Separate first middle and last names with an underscore e g Leonardo_da_Vinci City townlvillages are case sensitive When names of places have more than one part Separate each piece with an underscore e g Dar_es_Salaam Look up ISO 3166 2 country state codes wees HHEHHH HEHEHE Isa count up in time code with hours minutes and seconds Start at 000000 midnight and go to 235959 one minute before midnight the next day Even if your shoot started in the middle of the day be sure to organize files according to this structure so anyone can easily reference what is happening at what time of day This portion of the filename is relevant only for video files Examples of labeled media and deliverables 24 hour video first hour t 0 to t 00 59 59 globallivesproject_Jamila_ Jad_2009_ara_Beirut_LB BA 000000 005959 mov Life Story interview part 1 globallivesproject_Jamila_Jad_2009_ara_Beirut_LB BA 000000 001500_life_ story_parent_interview_part_l mov Short video globallivesproject_Jamila_Jad_2009_ara_Beirut_LB BA_short mov Oral release reel globallivesproject_Jamila_Jad_2009_ara_Beirut_LB BA_oral_release_reel mov Life Story parent interview photo 46 globallivesproject_Jamila_Jad_2009_ara_Beirut_LBBA_life_story_parent_ interview_photo_046 jpg Photo 2 Pre Production gt gt Day of Production gt gt Post Production globallivesproject_Jamila_Jad_2009_ara_Beirut_LB BA_0
11. MeS a esssssescsssecsersssesecessescessesersneseees 12 Take head shots of the On Screen Participant OSP family friends and CrEW csssssesssssseeee 13 Caption photos ON lOCATION cccsecssssseseessesesesseess 13 Stay out of the way of the OSP ssssssssssssss00000000 13 Use a GPS IOQgel sssssssssssssnsssssssnsssnssssnscsnssensseneenseenes 14 Perform camera MAINTENANCE esccssesccsesenseeceseeees 14 The ND filter gain trap sssssccssccssccssecssceseceeecseeeees 14 Useful items during the ShOOt cssscssscseeccneeeees 14 Documenting Your Proje ct sssssssscssccsssscsscssecsscneecseeees 15 Still PROTOS ecscsssccesssssccouscsssuonsccesnsencbascsennsassounsscssousectodsceessiastieonses 16 Video DelIVEFADISS ssccessccrsssssassscssscccesccesscarassensonscescestesassesuscess 17 Post production Work flow sssssssssssssssssecssesssssaeessessesaeeess 18 gt gt A guide to Editing the 24 hour VideO ssssssscssscsecsseeeseess 19 gt gt A guide to Editing the SHorte ssccicsccsscsssssacssssccatcccsscatssstecatsastseetye 22 gt gt A guide to Delivering Your M CiQ ssscssssssscssscssesnseecsseeees 23 The pre production stage is the essential period prior to shooting wherein all of the necessary elements for a successful shoot must be planned carefully As the producer you will coordinate key details such as the on screen participant shoot date and location
12. P per the GLP specifications Signs the production contract with Global Lives Project and typically receives the funds DIRECTOR Responsible for the look and feel of the video Often the producer will serve as director Guides the technical crew primarily camera operators and when necessary directs the OSP While crew members can work in shifts the director of a Global Lives shoot must be present during the entire 24 hour production 4 CAMERA OPERATORS Responsible for the camera work throughout the Life Story Interview and 24 hour shoot In addition to having one experienced camera operator shooting at all times you must have a backup camera operator BCO on location at all times The BCO should be proficient in operating the specific video camera and on hand for when the experienced operator needs a break Global Lives Project Production Guide Day of Production gt gt Post Production AUDIO ENGINEER Responsible for the type and placement of microphones the setting of levels and ultimately capturing clean audio PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Mainly responsible for off loading and duplicating media onto hard drives and ensuring camera batteries and mic batteries are always charged and available The PA is also responsible for securing permission and release forms STILL PHOTOGRAPHER Responsible for capturing high quality stills throughout the
13. Step out of your world J U L O fa O 2 l O Q 2 LT ANU AAAA NTS ILN 3 Pre Production Producing editing and translating a 24 hour continuous video is a wholly unique challenge You need to plan extensively as you choose your location and participant gather your crew and equipment shoot your video and prepare your video for exhibition and distribution This guide will help you understand all steps of the process from pre production to the final video It is intended for individuals who have a basic understanding of video production TABLE OF CONTENTS 10 Day of Production 15 Post Production Assemble your production Crew ssscssssssssssssssesssssseesssees 3 Key roles and responsibilities cssssescssssssescsssssecessens 4 Start planning for POst ProdUction sssssssssssens 5 Create a fundraising PIAMN ccssscsssccccccccccsssssssnsseeseseeesee 5 Identify shoot date and IOCATIONS cssssssessssecsssssssees 6 Contact local embassy for doc requirements 6 Obtain written and or oral reledse sesssesssesseesseees 7 Plan your SQUIPMENL sssssscssssssesssssssescssssseessssssssessssssessssens 7 Equipment Check list cssssssssccssssssssesssssssssssnsessscesssssssssseesesess 9 gt gt A guide to Life Story INterVvieW sscssscseecnesceeseneeeeees 10 Pay attention to the wireless MiC ssssssssssees 12 Artistic GUIde1I
14. al 24 hour film You can now deliver your video See the section on Media Delivery While you should strive at all times to depict everything that occurs during the 24 hour shoot please be sensitive to situations that might in retrospect make the OSP feel uncomfortable or actually compromise his or her safety later Examples drug use profanity or domestic intimidation If the OSP raises the subject consider omitting that portion of your footage Global Lives Project Production Guide Pre Production gt gt Day of Production gt gt Post Production CEUC CECH LUUNJA POOO EDITI IG THE SHORT OL ih ghd Ut Life Story Interview Editing the 24 Hour Video gt gt Editing the Short lt lt Delivering Your Media Guidelines on making a successful Global Lives Project short film gt gt Keep the duration between two to three minutes For your post production to be considered complete we ask that you keep it really short for the casual website visitors who will view it We welcome you to create some alternate shorts of varying lengths that can be shown to audiences with different interest levels and expectations such as gallery visitors 5 10 min or film festival moviegoers 15 20 min etc gt gt Be creative with your content Feel free to take it in any direction that makes sense for your subject After you edit the 24 hours of footage about your subject into a seamless whole
15. an your equipment Here are some tips on what to consider when choosing equipment Cameras Ideally you should use an HD camera that records directly to an SD memory card or hard drive You should have at least 2 HD video cameras during the day of the shoot preferably the same model Confirm that all camera operators are familiar with your chosen HD camera its presets button layout etc prior to shooting Download and print user manuals and have them on hand during the shoot If camera operators do not have experience with the camera schedule a training session that allows for handling the camera and viewing test footage on a monitor note HD cameras are notoriously difficult for operators specifically in the areas of focusing and low light performance It is important to give operators time to set program presets for the different parts of the shoot Pay close attention to the effects of slowshutter gain and iris controls Global Lives Project Production Guide Day of Production gt gt Post Production DSLRs DSLRs produce beautiful moving images but there are many technical challenges that come with shooting video with DSLRs as opposed to traditional HD cameras These challenges are amplified during a 24 hour shoot Here are several issues that DSLRs present and recommendations for proper DSLR shooting technique DSLR cameras are very light and for this reason they are not stable e
16. aphers can help out video camera operators directors can take still photography shifts etc Contact the country s embassy for doc requirements If you and your crew will be coming from another country you may want to contact the local embassy to find out what visas are available and or paperwork required to enter the country to shoot a documentary For example the Global Lives Lebanon crew had to obtain media passes to shoot in Lebanon In contrast the Kazakhstan crew entered the country on tourist visas Global Lives Project Production Guide Day of Production gt gt Post Production Obtain written and or oral release Everyone who appears on camera for more than a few seconds or can be singularly identified must give written or oral consent This does not include crowds or people shot in public places Oral release If subject is illiterate use an oral release In the case of an oral release you must have a third video camera since oral release footage must be separate from the 24 hour video and Life Story interview The oral release script which you will need to have translated into the local language is as follows Written release In addition to all people who appear on camera all crew members must sign a written release form The written release confirms that they are participating on a voluntary unpaid basis therefore oral releases are unacceptable for this purpose Pl
17. ct Production Guide Day of Production gt gt Post Production Volunteer crew If you are looking for volunteer crew mem bers try contacting film schools Post a call for filmmakers on websites ie Idealist org Lightstalkers Craigslist Docu links Send emails to your video production contacts to see if anyone is available or knows of others who may be interested in volunteering Specify up front that volunteers must pay for their own international transportation flights trains etc to and from the shoot location Key roles and responsibilities Depending on the size of your crew one person may perform more than one role i e the producer may also serve as the director the production assistant may serve as the still photographer etc These roles must be fulfilled in order to successfully produce your GLP video LIST OF ROLES Producer Director 4 Camera Operators Audio Engineer Production Assistant Still Photographer Community Liaison fixer Translation Coordinator Driver optional Interpreter optional Security Person optional PRODUCER Plans and oversees all logistical technical and budgetary aspects of the shoot Identifies OSP hires crew oversees budget and establishes shoot schedule and locations Coordinates equipment media drives batteries vehicle s and transport of crew Responsible for delivering the Life Story interview and 24 hour video to GL
18. day to document both the OSP and the production team at work These will be used for our promotional materials COMMUNITY LIAISON FIXER Responsible for liaising between production crew and residents of the community including the OSP Should know the area and be fluent in native language of the community as well as a lan guage spoken by all of the crew members TRANSLATION COORDINATOR Responsible for recruiting and coordinating a team of volunteers to transcribe translate and subtitle all footage in post production Depending on your shoot location you may also need to recruit a driver interpreter or security person Ideally your community liaison would serve one or all of these roles Once your crew is confirmed schedule a conference call Skype etc and or send an introductory email to the crew listing names roles and responsibilities and contact info for each person Encourage direct communication among crew members prior to the shoot Circulate a draft call sheet and PDF manuals of key equipment to be used especially the video camera C Start planning for post production Post production for a Global Lives shoot is one of the most challenging aspects so you should begin the process at the pre production stage Make sure your Translation Coordinator has a clear plan for how he or she will transcribe translate and review 28 hours of footage This includes both the human
19. eresting to adjust the frame to show what your OSP is looking at or their surroundings But when the OSP is off frame the viewer is for a short time not experiencing their existence Production Guide Pre Production gt gt Post Production Global Lives Project Take head shots of the OSP family friends and crew We need at least one really great photo of the OSP from almost every hour of the day These will go in Global Lives Project s promotional materials and on the website We need head shots of each crew member as well as family members and close friends colleagues of the OSP Also get some group photos of the family and the crew Head shot guidelines Head shots should retain a shallow depth of field for maximum impact An outdoor setting is ideal as it makes use of natural light avoids a staged appearance and puts the subject in context with his her surroundings Caption photos on location It will be much easier to write captions later if the photographer takes notes during the shoot The photographer should capture peoples first and last names these will KAI LIU 2008 Anren China need to correspond to release forms and Sometimes Kai visits nearby farms to buy fresh produce log names of places how long OSP l directly from farmers Here he s looking at some wosun spends in each place etc a Chinese cabbage Kai works two jobs as a manager of a convenient store and as
20. he event jal ol fo fo you shoot Life Story Interview outside Photography Digital SLR Batteries for DSLR Extra memory cards Laptop and hard disk to off loads photos Optional Steadicam Production van nice to have as a base for the shoot and a place to take a nap Portable light don t bring anything too big or intimidating Generator for locations without elec tricity Please make sure you keep receipts for all expenses associated with your shoot You will need to produce these to get the second payment For situations where receipts cannot be obtained ie informal economies please make notes of each transaction Global Lives Project Production Guide Day of Production gt gt Post Production a guide toy OOL KA KA LIFE STORY INTERVIEW PAIN UNY ia LE Mitt fk ft Die 7 A gt f ans Story int piew lt lt do i diting the 24 Hour Video editing the Short Dpliveting YourMedia 2 3 minute short you will create The Life Story interview is one of three videos you will produce and deliver as part of your Global Lives video production Unlike the 24 hour video in which your crew captures the On Screen Participant OSP spontaneously moving through daily life the Life Story Interview is your opportunity to sit down and interview the participant in a controlled environment It is also an important time for the OSP to become more comfortable with and natu
21. ide Color correction See Editing the 24 hour video guide Encoding and compression We use Archive org as our main video hosting and storage platform which encodes and compresses uploaded files automatically so you do not need to be concerned with this process yourself We also have an automated process for transferring videos from Archive org to YouTube and Dotsub which we use for all subtitling Media delivery After you finish your videos you will need to either upload the footage to Dropbox com or ship all of your footage on a hard drive to Global Lives so that we can deliver the files to Archive org See Delivering your video guide Transcribing translating and review Once the footage is uploaded to Archive org we will transfer it all to YouTube and Dotsub You are then responsible for coordinating alll transcription and subsequent translation of all three video deliverables Recognize that this is a mammoth task We strongly suggest that you recruit a team of transcribers who do not necessarily need to speak English to get all footage transcribed as quickly as possible See Translate your video guide Global Lives Project Production Guide Pre Production gt gt Day of Production gt gt Post Production a guide to EDITING THE A 24 HOUR VIDEO Wl td tde Md Mlidiilldddddlitiiiiildiile LLL itt Life Story Interview gt gt Editing the 24 Hour Video lt
22. life as traditional HD cameras either This means more cuts and more disturbing the continuity of the shoot For all these reasons it is wise to have a traditional HD camera on set as well whether as the main camera or as a backup Global Lives videos have traditionally been shot on HD cameras that did not have all these issues Since DSLRs produce astounding footage we look forward to seeing the videos produced by crews who overcome these challenges to create beautiful portraits of life around the world Audio setup We recommend a 2 channel mic setup with a directional mic shotgun mounted on the camera and a wireless lav mic attached to the OSP at all times If you are using an HD camera that only has a stereo mini audio input you can acquire an adapter that will allow you to have two XLR inputs Test your recording setup several times prior to recording Global Lives Project Production Guide Day of Production gt gt Post Production Equipment Checklist m fEl fo fo m Video Main video camera preferably 1080p 24fps Second video camera best if identical to main camera for use either in rotation or as backup Third video camera optional can be a small camcorder or phone camera for be hind the scenes oral release footage Tripod for sleeping hours and Life Story interview Extra batteries and external chargers for all cameras Estimate that batteries may last only 30 of
23. nough for handheld shooting Stabilize the DSLR whether with a tripod shoulder mount steadicam rig or another reliable contraption DSLR cameras do not have built in ND filters Stopping to put on or remove an ND filter is not desirable for a Global Lives shoot On the other hand ND filters are absolutely necessary for daylight shooting ND filters allow the cameraman to maintain an ideal aperture between f4 amp f11 without adjusting the shutter speed The shutter speed should almost always remain at 1 50 Using a 1 30 shutter speed in low light situations is fine but shutter soeeds higher than 1 50 are not appropriate for this style of shooting Regarding aperture keep in mind that the shallow depth of field that DSLRs allow can make keeping the subject in focus a challenge Cameramen should be confident in their focus pulling skills if they are going to shoot at low apertures Some DSLRs have been known to overheat Overheating can be very problematic for a 24 hour documentary shoot that requires constant filming Test the cameras extensively to get a sense of any overheating issues DSLRs cannot shoot for nearly as long as traditional HD cameras some of which allow multiple hours of continuous recording Most DSLRs have a 12 minute limit while some can shoot for up to 30 minutes This means constant camera switching and constant cuts in the continuous 24 film DSLRs also don t have as long of battery
24. nterview You will conduct the Life Story interview 1 3 days prior to shooting your 24 hour video Allocate 4 hours on camera to interview the OSP Shoot the interview in a quiet environment with little to no audio distraction For 24 hour video As much as possible determine where and what the on screen participant will be doing during every hour of the day Then plan your production schedule factor in transportation to and from shoot locations division of labor release forms and your plans for navigating ever changing lighting conditions Plan to shoot for 26 hours Throughout the day expect to lose minutes here and there You may run into a snafu or face unexpected environmental challenges and end up losing more than a few minutes But generally you will need to keep the camera rolling except for battery and SD cards changes or you will not be able to capture a realistic 24 hour time period after editing As such we strongly advise that you record 26 hours to ensure you capture 24 hours of usable uninterrupted footage Maximize resources Crew members can be recycled from shift to shift For example for a rural shoot four 6 hour shifts may be appropriate using each team twice Day of Production gt gt Post Production Make sure that you always have an awake and alert person behind the cameras video and still and someone close by to help out with whatever they need If necessary photogr
25. nything of interest or concern about the 24 hour video while keeping track of the time code so you or anyone else can find the exact relevant video segment later Items to record include people who come on screen and their release form numbers portions of the video that you black out major adjustments to audio and color and why etc Audio finishing Sometimes called audio sweetening this is where you reduce any noise and make the audio sound as pleasant as possible For the full 24 hour shoot this need only be done for situations where there are significant problems with audio levels that suddenly peak too high and could distract your audience You re basically making only minor sound adjustments to achieve a uniform playback experience Any audio sweetening should be noted in the edit log Color correction Given the various possibly uncontrolled lighting situations encountered during your shoot you may need to correct colors to match the footage shot by different operators or with different cameras throughout the day Any color correction should be noted in the edit log Below are some resources to help you understand the process depending on the tools you use and level of prior experience Adobe Premiere Pro Color correction and adjustment Premiere Pro Three way Color Corrector effect Apple Final Cut Studio Color correction Vimeo Introduction to color correction You are now picture locked This is the fin
26. ory of the region Demographic characteristics of the subject age income religion etc Description of family Crew list and bios With the essay you must also submit a final list of the crew members who participated their short bios up to 100 words each and their credits for the shoot camera operator director etc or whatever terms you like as these will be posted on our website as well B Still photos After the 24 hour shoot wraps review your still photographs and select 50 100 of the best images Write captions for your selected photos and include them with your other deliverables in the Producer s Metadata spreadsheet Include a portrait of the On Screen Participant their close family members and friends and every crew member who participated as we will be featuring these on our website and in exhibitions Please be sure to include their full names in the captions Make sure your subject portraits retain a shallow depth of field for maximum impact An outdoor setting is ideal as it makes use of natural light avoiding a staged appearance and making the subjects feel more connected to their surroundings Pre Production gt gt Day of Production gt gt Photo captions Captions should be written in complete sentences and include as much concrete information as possible including what is pictured and any relevant cultural historical context Photos will become part of our photo database so think ab
27. out search terms people might use to find your image Captions must also include the full name of the photographer along with the date and location of your shoot Global Lives Project Production Guide Pre Production gt Day of Production gt gt Video deliverables You will be responsible for creating various videos involving your OSP Unlike the 24 hour video in which your crew captures the OSP spontaneously moving through daily life the Life Story Interview is your opportunity to sit down and interview the participant in a controlled environment See Life Story interview guide The 24 hour video fulfills the Global Lives Project mission to build a video library of life experience that reshapes how we as both producers and viewers conceive of cultures nations and people outside of our own communities This video combines all the footage you shot during the 24 hour time frame into a seamless whole See Editing the 24 hour video guide 24 Hour Video Your short video can take many approaches In 2 3 minutes it should convey a sense of the 24 hour shoot and or give a teaser like feel of that day The short will be viewed by a wide variety of people so it should make a lasting impression See Editing the short guide Global Lives Project Production Guide Pre Production gt gt Day of Production gt gt Post production workflow There are several things to
28. ple See some recent examples of our shorts on the website and be inspired by what others have done before you Like the trailers previews of coming attractions for major motion pictures your short video should be attention grabbing and make people want to watch more You can learn from Hollywood trailers even though your short serves a different audience purpose and expectations Global Lives Project Production Guide Pre Production gt gt Day of Production gt gt Post Production a gUide to MMM UMMM MMM A DELIVERING ur MEDIA UMMM hhh Udddttdddr SG Vey _ ife Story Interview Editing the 24 Hour Videogag Bw Editing the Short f gt gt Delivering Your Media lt lt Archiving As a permanent electronic repository the Internet Archive documents the totality of your 24 hour shoot We will store all of your raw source footage still photographs recordings etc in the archive Because the size of this entire media is huge you will most likely need to ship a hard drive or two directly to us for secure storage and backup Supplementary Materials The supplementary materials involve selective portions of the entire project so that they are easily digestible by the ordinary public as well as media that adds context and richness to your shoot These include your short film the Life Story Interview the most interesting still photographs gt gt CONTENTS Archiving Supplementar
29. ral in front of the camera In addition to the video itself the Life Story interview will provide the basis for which you will write the contextual essay about the OSP Portions of the interview may be re purposed as part of the As with the 24 hour video the Life Story Interview will appear on the Global Lives website in its entirety and may be screened and exhibited in many forms across the globe Guidelines for conducting the interview Get to know your OSP prior to the interview Prepare questions in advance Find a calm quiet private place to conduct the interview Conduct the interview at least one day prior to your 24 hour video shoot Interviewer shall remain off camera during the interview though the OSP should look at him her not the camera Budget four hours to conduct the interview Prepare questions and your OSP When conducting a life story interview it s critical to have a set of prepared questions to guide the interview That said the questions are meant only as a starting point to structure a fuller more genuine conversation Pursue interesting topics as they arise and feel free to be creative and steer the interview in whichever way feels appropriate in the moment It should simply be a warm personal long conversation Before you begin remind your OSP that if they make a mistake they should start their sentence from the beginning They can take time to think about their answers and if there a
30. re any questions they don t want to answer they don t have to The OSP should answer in complete sentences One tip to accomplish this is to ask two questions at once for example What is your name and age These will make the interview flow better and make editing easier for the short Conversation topics include but are not limited to name age current home where born and where they grew up upbringing schooling education major challenges and accomplishments hobbies relationship status living situation travel religion lifestyle family partner s parents and children s names ages location work prior and current work experience hours schedule income role describe typical work day Global Lives Project Production Guide Day of Production gt gt Post Production Conduct interview in the OSP s native Conduct the interview in a quiet Some online resources for conducting a life language space story interview Normally the producer or director conducts Your interview space can be indoors or Museum of the Person Interviewer s Manual the interview although if he she does not outdoors but it should be in a private place Life Story Interview McAdams speak the OSP s native language it should and free of distraction and interruption i e Create your Life Story includes sample be done by your local liaison rather than a radio television people traffic Select an segments and questions
31. s crew logistics budgets and fund raising By the end of pre production you and your crew should be fully prepared and equipped for your Life Story interview and 24 hour shoot Your post production coordinator should be ready to ingest media immediately following the shoot CONTENTS A gt gt Assemble your production crew n3 B gt gt Key roles and responsibilities ssssssccsseseseseeeeee C gt gt Start Planning for Post ProductiOn sssssssessceeses 5 D gt gt Create a fundraising PLAM ssssssscssseeesssusssssccseseee 6 E gt gt Identify shoot date and location ecssssssssussssesee 6 F gt gt Contact local embassy for doc requirements 6 G gt gt Obtain written and or oral release H gt gt Plan your CQUIPMENK LQ essssssssssssessseseceseseseseeeseseseeeeeeeeee 7 SAMPLE DOCUMENTS Equipment Checklist Budget Spreadsheet Sample Questions for Life Story Interview A Assemble your production crew While crews vary in size a smaller crew is easier to manage costs less and is less obtrusive to the OSP We recommend 5 10 people Anything less increases stress and fatigue potentially jeopardizing the production s quality Who To best gain access to and the trust of the community and best capture the spirit of the region recruit locals or people with extensive experience in the region They must be culturally sensitive and aware of local customs and norms Global Lives Proje
32. ting different types of video audio or image files into a video editing program We strongly recommend that you use file based a k a tapeless source media not older tape based formats Get all your media in one place that s easily accessible so that you can create the 24 hour video as well as the short video about your subject Below are some resources to help you understand the process depending on the tools you use and level of prior experience Adobe Premiere Pro Importing assets from tapeless formats Apple Final Cut Studio Ingest methods based on media type Media labels It is crucial that you label your media assets pertaining to the 24 hour video Life Story and short properly Consistently named files will help others identify your files without having to ask you what s what Should an asset ever become separated from the others the filename should indicate what it s part of Because we will later select some of your images and use your essay for promotional purposes it s essential to document everything so that it can be properly identified later by someone unfamiliar with your project and the people involved Configure your video editing program to import files named correctly Global Lives Project Production Guide Final media should be labeled as follows globallivesproject_ Full Name _ Year Produced _ ISO 639 3 languagecode _ citylttownlvillage _ ISO 3166 2 country state code H
33. tton pushes or switch flips clean the lens change mic batteries and then get back in and keep shooting Pre Production gt gt Beware the ND filter gain trap Many of the shoots will be moving in and outside from light to dark spaces When a shooter is trying to simply keep up with the action she may forget the ND filter and gain settings that were adjusted for a different lighting situation Please be conscious of this Post Production Have these useful items during the shoot Aside from video and audio equipment make sure you have the following items on hand during the shoot oO Oooadada Stack of release forms Food and drink Call sheet Shoot schedule Cash 2 walkie talkies Post production involves substantial documentation about your project organizing your media assembling your edits delivering your media and also translation transcription and review You should not attempt this large task on your own Seek the support of a number of volunteers and preferably the support of an institution Start right away The longer you wait to begin the post production process the more difficult it will be to complete it note You must complete post production within a maximum of four months after the shoot The second installment of Global Lives Project funds will not be released until post production is complete CONTENTS A gt gt Documenting your Project B
34. what they are rated espe cially in hot climates 2 wireless mics main and backup 2 shotgun mics main and backup Extra batteries for mics Power extension cords and surge pro tectors splitters so that you can charge batteries as much as possible Extra laptop batteries Laptop and external media drive 2 media hard drives One for off loading footage and photos from memory cards the other for duplicat ing the media in case a hard drive fails which is a regular occurrence E E E E jo It s best to use a bus powered hard drive if you ll be operating in locations where you can t plug in the hard drive to electricity Memory cards The number of memory cards will depend on various factors includ ing the type of camera you are using on the shoot For example the Sony EX3 EX1 shoots HD video at 35mbps so you get about 112 min on 32GB cards A Canon C300 shoots HD video at 50mbps so you get about 82min on 32GB cards Consumer HD cameras shoot highly compressed HD and as a result can fit more footage on the cards Refer to the camera manufacturer s website or the user manual Miscellaneous GPS Logger USB cable and batteries Gaffer tape Safety pins Zip ties Food and drink for the crew Sandwiches energy bars caffein ated beverages etc Get food that won t make a mess and can be eaten and cleared away quickly Camera assistant pouch blower cleaner chamois etc O Reflector bounce card in t
35. y materials Metadata spreadsheet Hard drive folder structure Video format Still photos Uploading files or sending hard drive s behind the scenes footage etc All of these should be uploaded to Archive org or sent on hard drive to us directly Video format If you re using a professional grade camera saving your final edited video files in Apple ProRes 422 format ensures a high quality picture format that others can edit later if necessary However use good judgment don t make the output files larger than the original files produced by the camera If you are using a consumer grade camera for example output your video files using the same native format used by the camera If you are unsure try a general purpose high quality format such as high bit rate 5 7 mbps H 264 gt gt SAMPLE DOCUMENTS Delivering your media is relatively simple but requires some forethought There are two primary destinations for your deliverables the Internet Archive and the Global Lives Project website and others such as YouTube and Flickr Still photos When you are ready to submit the 50 100 photos and completed captions contact production globallives org for information about how to upload all photos to Dropbox com If you can t access Dropbox you can also include the photos on the hard drive s you mail to Global Lives Global Lives Project Production Guide Pre Production gt gt Day of Production gt gt Post
36. you will need to cut a short film or summary video based on that footage Shorts can take many approaches sometimes making an effort to convey the overall sense of the entire 24 hour shoot and sometimes giving a teaser like feel of the longer shoot The short will be viewed more than the full shoot so it should make an impression This short will be put on our website and promotional DVDs gt gt Do NOT show any credits or bumper in your short Although earlier shorts were inconsistent about this we now prefer that you just fade in from black at the beginning and fade out to black at the end You may include credits information crew members OSP all people who appear prominently on camera in a text file that you include with your other deliverables so that we can add them later when we upload your short to YouTube and other sites gt gt Ensure that the video can be displayed correctly in the 16 x 9 aspect ratio Also try your best to select a high quality preview image poster frame for your short we can later assign to the posted video This way our shorts page will maintain a professional look gt gt Use only music that comes from the recording itself Do not add any prerecorded music Important Output your short in Apple ProRes 422 format so that it can be integrated easily into longer similarly formatted videos in the future Also feel free to supply your edit software s project files Learn by exam
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