The Face of Time - POV - Aarhus Universitet

120 p.o.v. number 13 March 2002
Deciding what style of music (if any) you want in the film can be
very time consuming. Your choice of music plays an important part
in the overall impression of the film, and these discussions should
not be postponed until the editing phase. Music is an important
factor when it comes to creating a ‘mood’ in the film, and the wrong
choice of music can ruin the production. Discuss whether the music
should be supportive, controlling, disturbing, or contrapuntal in
relation to what is visually expressed. If you make a test film on
location, try out different types of music with the filmed material.
A storyboard might be useful even though you are making a
documentary. By making a storyboard (instead of improvising your
way through) you get a high degree of control. This ensures that the
project is realistic within the given time.
By using a storyboard you reduce the risk of lacking important shots
in the editing room. It is clear, however, that the storyboard of a
documentary cannot be as accurate as that of a fiction film (which
does not mean that it shouldn't be as detailed as possible): You
cannot plan the exact length of the different shots, at least not those
involving ‘real-life’ people. Try not to be too ambitious when it
comes to the number of stories that you want people to tell. Telling a
story often takes longer than you expect.
One of the fascinating aspects about filming reality is that it cannot
be controlled. Invariably, new possibilities will turn up along the
way. Thus, the storyboard should always be regarded as a