I recently attended the Introduction to Advanced Tools of Directing seminar, by Simon Philips. It was set up as part of the Directors Guild Trust and was held in the Mitchell Library, Glasgow.
The seminar was great. Extremely informative and beneficial. The crux of all problems was the reading and understanding of the script. It's something I can relate to at the moment.
As documentary doen't always have a rigid script to adhere to, it's sometimes difficult tyo spot the errors.
Simon gave a thorough description on how to identify and negotiate the errors on the scripts with writers and actors. It was a simple formula of what should you see and what should the course of action be for that 'something' that you/the actor/audience sees?
He gave an example that I found quite nice... He was discussing the process a blind (peripheral vision- still working today) director used versus the full sighted director. The basis was the male actor had cheated on his girlfriend and was to exit the room.
The director who could see shouted 'Cut!' and asked the man to repeat the scene, it wasn't quite right. That doesn't help anyone.
The blind director shouted 'Cut!' and said something was missing. She then asked the actor what he saw when he was acting out the scene. He said he felt guilty that he had cheated and wanted to leave immediately. From this answer she could then give him direction and get the scene they wanted.
That doesn't relate to documentary, though it's a vaild point that you can't dismiss things because they're not quite right.. you have to understand why!
With Simon's what you see and why have you seen it formula, I have been able to read my interview and create visuals in my head that would set up the scene for the text that follows. Although fabricated visuals, I feel they provoke thought and are completely relevant within the type of documentary I am trying to make.
In July they've got a masterclass down in London... I hope I can get a place!
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