Moving the camera and producing long features in African Stories II

As the African Stories project evolves, the television production teams working with DW Akademie are not only building on the skills they learned in the first series of training, but are now beginning to master new visual storytelling techniques for longer and more in-depth feature stories.

(Click on the Playlist above to watch the four feature stories produced during the workshop by the teams from NBC, MBC-TV, Muvi-TV and Multi TV.)

Following the recent workshop in Namibia, DW Akademie Project Manager André Surén talked to onMedia about how the African Stories team are training crews to produce stories in a reportage style that strives for more dynamic filming through moving the camera and following action.

How do you train camera operators to achieve this more dynamic style of reporting?

AS: Most of the camera operators that we train on African Stories already know how to do the basics such as filming a sequence in 5 shots.  So, the big challenge for them is to sort of forget a little bit about some of the things they have previously learned. It’s a different style of camera work. We try to explain to them that camera movement needs plenty of practice and we need to do some practical exercises with them. That gives them a chance to try this new style a couple of times. Then we analyze it and say to them, ‘Look here and there you have to go in more close to the face’ or ‘Here and there we have to take one step back to see more of the whole scene’. After a while they really realize that this is a totally new style of filming and they’re usually very surprised. And we’re talking about camera operators who have had a lot of experience – they really start to learn new things.

What sorts of practical exercises help them to achieve good camera movement to follow action?

AS:  For example, the first exercise we do is usually a very simple situation and straightforward to do. For instance someone enters a cafe, orders a coffee and then the waiter brings a bill and receives the money. At first it’s challenging for them to film. But after a while they begin to understand that ‘Okay I film there, then I go this way, then need another shot from the other side’ and so on. That’s easy, but it starts to get more difficult if the action is really going fast. For example, if people are meeting each other, greeting, chatting for a while and then they GO. And they realize ‘Wait a second this is really hard because I had everything in my mind to do this, and then that and then this over shoulder shot, and a shot to one face, and another into action, and a closeup close above the hands’ or whatever. And they see that action can go very fast and they have to react quickly, it can be a bit stressful and you need to do it very fast. But we advise them carefully and say ‘Look if you miss one shot that’s fine, go to the next one’. Just be cool, be calm and follow it. And if something really doesn’t work, then you can interrupt and can say, okay lets please do it again. [Watch an example of a camera operator practicing below]

Do camera operators get a bit flustered or stressed during the training?

AS: Before we go out on location and film we train them to be relaxed and calm and to have special camera settings that makes it more easy for them for to shoot a variety of shots. Usually this more of a wide angle and a longer depth of field that allows to them to keep what they need in focus. On our Sony Z7’s we set the iris to something like F5.0 or F5.6. These small technical and planning points are important and help them not to be so stressed on a shoot.  Of course, they have to observe the basics too – checking the location for available light, checking the sound and analyzing any variables in the location before that start filming. And, if the action goes very fast, we tell them to take it easy, slow down and concentrate on what’s important. After the second and third exercise they tend to start understanding the need to be calm and they have to follow their shots. If they miss something it’s not the end of the world. I work with each team during the first couple of practical exercises, and actually help direct their movements.

So are you actually physically guiding a camera operator to perform these moves?

AS:  Yes, if I see that there is a need for it I do it definitely. And all of the camera operators are usually very comfortable with this. For example, I could see that one camera operator was not really doing very good closeups, so I guided him carefully to go in closer and to then follow the action to get wider shots with smooth movements.

What is it about these types of long feature stories and reportage style that is really challenging the crews?

AS: Lots of things. The planning starts before going out on location for sure. The research, knowing whom to interview, what kind of locations you can expect even though they may look different. But we talk together with the producers and show them how to organize themselves, how to structure their story. If that works, then the film that they want to produce is in their minds already before going out shooting. Of course nothing is written in stone. If something changes on location, fine no problem. But if you’ve got a good story and production plan then it’s easy to change your own structure. The teams have all done this on previous courses. They know things like aiming to have a good strong first picture to open their story. Or, remembering what was the last shot in the previous location and then thinking carefully about the first shot in the next location. Yes it is challenging for them but in the end they really understand that if you have this detailed planning, you get everything, you won’t miss anything, and the editing is also much faster.

What tips would you have for camera operators who want to try to achieve this sort of technique ?

AS:  They can practice by trying to film simple situations and capture 5 shots on the move. So I would suggest to ask their friends if they could film them greeting each other, or sitting and talking or whatever. So you film the scene and the interaction.  Your movement might be say a long shot, a medium shot with a different angle, then you need a different angle and a close-up of the hands, and shots to show the interaction between the two of them. Then you might move to film just the faces only.  And you try to make all the movements very, very smooth. Then edit the shots together and see what your sequence looks like. Again, it comes down to planning and practice.

What about from the other side, for producers and reporters, who need to work with the camera to try and achieve that type of look, what advice do you have for them?

André Surén

AS:  Nothing works without teamwork. There was an interesting example during African Stories. One producer said: ‘I do not need anyone, I make the decision and they have to follow it’. And after African Stories he changed his mind completely, saying ‘Nothing works without teamwork’.  And this is really important.  You have to communicate your story idea with the camera operator. You have to explain the length of the film, who you intend to interview and the different locations. They must work closely together. And this is challenging for them from the beginning because they needed more time, more advance planning, talking and organizing, but in the end they will really understand that the post-production will be much more faster and everybody is happy afterwards because they got what they needed. Communication is very important for teamwork. During African Stories we want the camera operator, the reporter or producer and the editor all working together.