Documentary filming and editing techniques

This is my very first time making a documentary, as well as being a D.O.P, which i think i should to do more research on the filming techniques in the pre-production period, to avoid the careless maistakes during the real shooting. Especially for documentary this kind of film, which is best to catch the character's first expression/reaction and the event at the moment, i really hope i will not mess it up.

I Found this website about documentary filming and editing techniques online, it's actually just like a introductary of doco filming techniques, but i found it useful for me, as the doco beginner. Although It's a basic filming techniques lecture and with unusual robot-like narrorator voice (lol), but it kinda reminds me those little stuff that people usually forget to do during the shooting.


Something i better keep in mind during the real shooting!

1. establishing shot - to establish the story

2. the chase sequence - will easy to focus one a moving subject.

3.P.O.V. - Through the keyhole- is also another way to show a point of view

5.shot intelacting - enable the direction of the shot more interesting

6. Reverse Zoom - when zoom in without a tripot, it's not easy to ensure that the final zoom position will be focused centrally, so we can do zoom in during the shooting, and then reverse it during the post editing stage. (oh which is a good idea, i thought i'm the only silly one who couldnt do the zoom in shot well, lol)

7. Time Lapse

8. poor lighting - use the lighitng already existed in the location to construct the atmosphere of the location, eg. club
although the lighting wouldn't be bright enough to light up a person but it can still portray the profile of a person or a subject.

9. slow motion/freeze frame - to highlight a special moment of a event

10. Zoom detail - zoom to the little small detail stuff people normally won't notice

11. focal point switching