By Miriam Fayne. miriam@outsider.ie
Adventure filmmaking has grown in popularity over recent years, with film schools like Serac Adventure Film School and Emmy-award winning filmmaker Michael Brown thrusting it into the limelight of innovative and daring filmmaking. Here at Outsider we like to think we are on the cusp of big things to come and with the successful Wee Adventure Film Festival back again for the third year next February we want to get you ready with all the tips you need to know to capture that awe inspiring adventure film.
1.ORGANISATION: Probably the most obvious tip but as any great filmmaker knows one of the signally most important factors in creating a story that will not only capture the imagination but the emotions of the viewer (what makes people connect with the film). Preparation from pre to post production will be key whether ranging from making sure you pack not just for yourself on those wintry slopes but for your camera- if the camera gets damaged or wet the game is over, to planning what shots will work- its no good just hoping you will catch the shot you want but you need to think what shots work best (close ups, establishing shots, panning etc) and your capabilities. You need to make sure these shots will look good in the editing process and make sense to the story you are trying to tell- which leads us tour next tip.
2.VISUALISATION: “Vision is the art of seeing things invisible”- Jonathan Swift. Going out and just pointing the camera at people kayaking or mountain biking is fine but if you want to create a film that is memorable you need to be able to visualise the extraordinary out of the ordinary. The best way to focus is to create a storyboard so you can visualise the type of story you want to tell along with what shots will work best (you can then makes changes to the storyboard as you figure out what will work and what wont). Along with capturing incredible footage it will be the compelling story that will make your film stand out. Remember simplicity is the key here and it is going to be human quirks, tragedies, ambition and personalities that make your film, so organising a team or athlete whose journey you will follow in advance is a great idea as you will learn what makes them tick.
3.PATIENCE AND TENACITY: While being as prepared as you can is the best attitude to have you also need to remember you will be doing a lot of waiting around and keeping focused is essential-you don’t want to miss that athlete falling off his bike, two team members having a blazing row or the tear being shed when they don’t win. It is these moments that make your piece of film stand out it is easy to get disheartened or bored when it’s bucketing down so remember to keep your head as observation is as paramount as planning when actually on the shoot. So while waiting around make sure your head is in the game and your thinking of the end result.
4.POST PRODUCTION: You may not have a fancy editing suite or even Final Cut Pro but this should not stop you making sure you have a complete and finished piece of work. In editing just remember you need to take your time and maybe have a cup of coffee or two at hand. All your prep up to this point should make your life a little easier at this stage as you will have an idea of what’s going where. The editing may take you a while but at this stage you are refining your core story and making sure you are making the most out of the footage you have. Not only are you shaping your story but you must also be prepared to make tough decisions, as you have to cut that shot you just adored, as it just doesn’t fit (sometimes being brutal can pay off down the line). The editing process can often be the most exciting point, as this is where you see the story coming together so be patient with it and yourself. This is where you can let your creative juices flow and don’t be scared of trying something different (after all there is the undo button).
So there you have some basic tips that hopefully will get you up out of your aspiring directors chair and onto the mountains or even more at your dispose the urban sprawl for some BASE-jumping. Why limit your film future to those white studio walls but embrace this exhilarating, ground breaking and often breathtaking form of filmmaking?
The submission deadline for WAFF is the 30th November 2009 and the selected films will be screened on Friday 5th of February 2010 inThe Sugar Club. You can find lots more info on www.waff.ie
