Documentary Filmmaking 101: Shooting Better B-Roll
This post is a continuation of an article I wrote last month, entitled “Documentary 101: Finding a Story.” Feel free to read that post for a little background.
When I conducted a brief documentary filmmaking class for three different groups of high school students, two questions came up again and again:
How do I find a good story?
How do I shoot more interesting b-roll?
I addressed the first question in last month’s post, so in this article I want to look at the second.
How can I make my documentary b-roll more interesting?
To help the students find creative solutions to their problems, I first set up a few different scenarios and then asked them to take a camera and cover the scene how they would normally. By watching them work, I gained a better sense of how to help them.
One thing I noticed again and again is that the students were always shooting from a distance at eye level, simply panning the camera back and forth to cover the action.
The first thing a documentary filmmaker needs in order to capture better b-roll is a full understanding of both the subject and the story you want to tell. This will help determine how you go about shooting your film. For example, if the story is about a lonely person struggling to find herself in the midst of a city and/or environment that is completely overwhelming and suffocating, you will need to capture visuals that represent that theme. If your documentary is about a bombastic amateur wrestler making his way up the regional ladder with goals of making it to the big time, you will need to frame that subject differently. Every shot can’t be captured from a distance at eye level with simple pans and zooms.
With that in mind, here are some practical ways to improve your documentary b-roll:
Wide and Tight - The first thing you need to do is get away from the habit of standing off at a distance and zooming in to frame up your action. Lock your lens at its widest focal length, then physically walk into the space and frame up your subjects accordingly. This will give your b-roll a more immediate, intimate feel, as it places the viewer right in the middle of the action. Which sounds more interesting to you: A) Standing on a nearby hill and zooming in to capture runners crossing the finish line of a Color Run? Or B) Getting low-angle, slow-motion shots while standing right in the middle of the event? Notice how more interesting it is when the camera is up close with the subjects:
Utilize Foreground - Let’s say you’re shooting two people who are having a conversation in a public place, like a park or city street. If you know the scene is about these two people being secretive about their conversation, consider shooting them from a distance. Then add a foreground element into the shot. This communicates two things to the audience: 1) These two people are so focused on their conversation that they are completely oblivious to all of the action around them. 2) The viewer is now in a voyeuristic position, observing from a distance, unable to hear exactly what’s being said. Placing an object in the foreground also helps to give your b-roll a sense of space.
Use Frame-Within-The-Frame - Composing your subject within a window or a doorway is an excellent way to draw a viewer’s attention. Consider the below example:
Find Unique Perspectives - If you want your b-roll to be more interesting, it will take a little work on your part. Don’t shoot everything at eye level. Again, if your project is centered on a bigger-than-life wrestler working his way through the amateur ranks, wide, low-angle shots might be your shot of choice. If you’re shooting a crowded city street, think about getting up in a nearby parking garage and shooting directly down on the crowd below. If you’re with your subject at the local laundromat, grab a shot from inside the dryer as he/she opens the door to remove clothes. Remember, we all see the world from the same vantage point every single day. Think about exposing your audience to a perspective they don’t ordinarily see.
Repeat the action - If you have a strong rapport with your subject, there’s no reason why you can’t ask him/her to repeat an action a second or third time, allowing you to get additional coverage of a scene. Maybe you’re covering a scene wherein two sisters are reunited for the first time after several years. After capturing the initial greeting and hug, you might step in and ask the sisters to repeat the action, so you can grab it from a different angle, or zoom in to get insert shots. Just because you didn’t capture the initial moment in the ideal way doesn’t mean you can’t direct the subjects a little bit.
It’s all in the details - Make sure you capture close-up and extreme close-up detail shots that you can use as inserts throughout your film. These shots can help you make a transition when editing a sequence together, or they can help the viewer get a sense of place and a sense of who your subject is.
What other advice do you have for aspiring documentarians? Leave your thoughts in the Comments section.