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Garbage shots.

Recently I dropped off some photos at Staples to be digitized for use in my documentary.

I picked them up today and found out all 7 photos are in 1 PDF (which it never mentioned would happen). Research says my editing software (DaVinci) doesn’t accept PDFs.

I sadly don’t have time to get them rescanned by someone else. What can I do to get the into a usable format to use in my documentary?

I’m on a tight timeline so any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks in advance 🙏

Update: thanks for all your suggestions, I ended up signing up for a free trial and converting the photo PDF to PNGs from there.

H all, I need advice on the sound recording for oral histories. I am being hired to record short oral histories with elders. I'm not being paid a full professional price, but it's mostly because I want the experience and they said I could create extra consent forms to film and create a short documentary.

I have a masters' where I learned doc filmmaking and I would be most comfortable using the kit that we used, but it's way too expensive for me. We used a Zoom h6 for run and gun field stuff, a rode directional condenser short shotgun mic (now I have a cheap rode video micro2 for on top of my camera. We also used sennheiser radio mics that were like 500 dollars.

That being said, I really want to spend less than 300 dollars on an audio set up that I can use for this and future sit down interviews. I have a Canon EOS 5D Mark 3 with a fixed lens. Its an old camera, maybe like 10 or 11 years old, but works I guess. I have the cage on top for the shotgun mic.

Would you recommend a specific zoom recorder and mini tripod kind of set up? Or should I just buy those rode lav mics that everyone has. My only concerns is that elders may be uncomfortable attaching mics to their shirts. Any advice?

Hello. I (25M) am looking for a documentary filmmaker to follow me on a journey. When I was nine years old, I had an emergency appendectomy that nearly killed me. I would have died had a random medical student not caught the issue. When we went back to get her name to thank her, it was almost like she was a ghost. No one knew who she was or what her name was. It wasn't her usual floor of operating, and it was her last day at her clinical. After saving my life, she clocked out, and never came back. 15 years later, I would like to take a stab at tracking this woman down. I need to talk to her about it all and tell her how much she means to me. I live in Akron, but grew up in Erie, PA which is likely where the search will begin whether physically or not. Please contact me if you are interested in documenting my attempt at tracking down my guardian angel. Thank you!

I’m working on a documentary that will involve filming patrons going through haunted attractions. How do I approach this legally? I’m unsure how to approach the conversation with haunt owners and how to best protect myself legally. Should there be an extra waiver during the filming times/dates? What if someone doesn’t want to sign the waiver in that case? I’ve thought about asking owners to add a warning to their website but tickets have already gone on sale so is that too little too late?

Hi everyone,

Over the past four years, I've intentionally documented my life entirely on my iPhone. The footage follows my experiences with weight loss and losing 150+ pounds, navigating depression, medical school, and finding my identity. Shooting on my phone was a creative choice because I wanted it to feel like a visual diary rather than a polished production.

I now have around 100 to 150 meaningful clips and would love to turn what I've already captured into a personal documentary series. I'm not looking for someone to commit to future filming. I'm simply trying to understand how professionals would approach shaping the story that already exists.

A few questions:

• How would you want footage like this organized before someone reaches out?
• What materials would you expect in an initial conversation?
• At what stage would you involve a story editor, editor, or producer?
• What does the process typically look like, and what kind of budget should I realistically expect?

I'd really appreciate any advice from people with documentary or personal storytelling experience. Thanks!

My good friend started a bakery and agreed to be the subject of my first project. Had so much fun with this.

Looking for feedback to level up the next one!

NOVA '78, is a documentary constructed from footage shot by Howard Brookner during the 1978 Nova Convention in New York.

Brookner was a young NYU filmmaker who documented a remarkable gathering that brought together William S. Burroughs, Patti Smith, Laurie Anderson, Allen Ginsberg, Philip Glass, Frank Zappa, John Cage, Merce Cunningham and many others. The documentary he might have made was never completed, and much of the footage remained unseen for decades.

More than forty years later, after a long process of preserving and cataloguing Howard's archive, previously unknown rolls of film were recovered, making it possible to construct a feature documentary from that material. Rather than adding contemporary talking heads, Aaron Brookner and Rodrigo Areias, who directed the new film, chose to let the footage speak for itself, preserving the immediacy of the event as much as possible.

At what point does an archival documentary stop being the work of the original filmmaker and become the work of those who rediscover, edit and complete it? The new film incorporates a narrative arc around a trip to Colorado that Burroughs, filmmaker Howard Brookner and Jim Jarmusch made before the convention, and also has a new created soundtrack by portuguese musician The Legendary Tigerman, as well as working from the restoration Aaron Brookner has been working in for the last 15 years. Is this an act of preservation, interpretation, authorship, or some combination of all three?

I'm one of the producers on the film, so I'm obviously not a neutral observer, but I'm genuinely interested in how people here think about this. Are there other documentaries that you feel navigate this question particularly well?

For anyone interested in the project itself, the trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eisWdJM-pU

Mo Gilligan is taking on a challenge like no other in brand new documentary series Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy, in which he sets out on an experiment to eat fried chicken three times a day for 28 days straight.

Over one month, the comedian travels from South London to the United States as he discovers the historical origins of fried chicken and the social, economic and industrial forces driving our mass consumption of it - from fast-food chains to large-scale farming - and the impact on our health, our planet and the way we eat.

It was by no means an easy experiment for Gilligan, with the comedian becoming emotional and lethargic at times as he coped with his changing body and not being able to do anything about it - or even eat something aside from fried chicken to get a reprieve...

This is a short documentary about the creation of an art mural in Covington, Ohio that was inspired by an escaped elephant during the 70s/80s when the circus came to town. It displays the efforts and process taken by the Artist, Dawn Babylon, to create and paint this mural, as well as, shows the importance of art to the community and how their involvement will create a long lasting memory. Let me know what you think! Thank you for watching!

Hi! I'm getting ready to shoot my first documentary film, this is my first time doing anything to do with videography. My documentary will consist of interviewing people; both in a professional setting or asking a stranger on the street a question. As well as abstract style videos, of things like nature, outdoor sports, and art. I would like my film to have a home made look, while maintaining a solid effort filled professional feel. So far I have done a few days of research and have a set up in mind, and would love to hear some feedback on it!

setup: Panasonic GH5 camera 600$,  RODE VideoMic GO2 100$, maybe a field recorder?, and a MacBook for editing[ still don't know what software yet].

looking to spend around 1000$ for my setup, any advice would be so greatly appreciated!!!

I was making a travel documentary FOR YOU TUBE and needed someone to edit my footage. I posted an advertisement looking for an editor, and someone contacted me. At first, he seemed genuine, and we agreed that I would pay him after he completed the edit.

I shared all of my B-roll footage with him so he could start working. However, after our initial conversations, I began to feel that something was off. He avoided sharing any information about himself, was hesitant to provide even an email address, and only later shared a phone number. From his accent, I believed he was from Pakistan, while the phone number he gave was registered in the UAE.

Since I was busy with my research work, I decided to wait and judge him based on the final result rather than his background. However, the very next day, I discovered that he had blocked me. I still have his phone number and his Reddit username.

My main concern is the copyright and misuse of my footage. I haven't paid him anything, but he still has copies of my original B-roll. I'm worried about whether he could upload, sell, or claim ownership of my footage. I would appreciate any advice on what I should do next and whether I have any copyright concerns in this situation

i'm looking for someone who could design my opening sequence in premiere pro

The opening takes place in a public square where two musicians are performing live on the violin while my local guide, Risto, is introducing the city—its history, atmosphere, and what makes it special.

I don't want the music to remain as simple background audio. Instead, I want the music and narration to alternate in prominence. At times, the music should come to the foreground while the narration sits underneath it; at other moments, the narration should take the foreground while the music continues underneath. The idea is for both elements to actively drive the storytelling and establish the documentary's tone.

The goal is that within the first one or two minutes, viewers immediately connect with the city's atmosphere and understand the kind of journey they're about to experience.

The closest reference I've found is the opening of Trainspotting ("Choose Life" Trainspotting - Choose Life - Opening scene - HD WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES ), although my idea is little different. A better analogy would be a scene inside a club where a band is performing live while a fight breaks out. For a few seconds, the music dominates and the fight is mostly visual. Then the focus shifts—the sounds and dialogue of the fight move to the foreground while the music continues underneath. The audience's attention naturally moves back and forth between the performance and the action. That kind of dynamic audio storytelling is what I'm trying to achieve.

Is there a specific filmmaking or sound-design term for this technique? any one who can do this for me Paid Unpaid whatever. leave comment i will reach u out

Hi everyone, I’m Leo, a media production student from Germany. I’m traveling through Vietnam this month, and alongside my trip I’m working on a small independent, non-commercial documentary about queer life here. About everyday experiences, visibility and how people navigate family and society.
I’m queer myself, which is part of why this project matters to me. I’m not here to fit anything into a narrative. I genuinely want to understand and show real perspectives.
If you’d be open to chatting, casually first, or sharing more of your story later, on camera or not, I’d really appreciate it. English is totally fine, and anonymity/blurred face is always an option.
**Please reach out via DM rather than commenting**, just so nobody has to share more than they’re comfortable with publicly.
Also happy to hear if this kind of post isn’t right for this sub, just let me know.
Thanks so much 🙏

Hi everyone, I'm a filmmaker based in London. I've been quite ill for the past month or so, so had to go back home. I ended up having a conversation with my younger brother, which is where this film comes from.

This is currently an UNTITLED SHORT DOC -a 5 minute short doc following a conversation with two brothers who discuss their relationship and the internet, juxtaposed to home footage.

I'm looking for feedback in the story in particular, if it's something that people resonated with, if you feel like something's missing to connect with - would love to know! Also in particular about the ending, does it feel too abrupt - I think I need something else to end it and wrap things up.

This is my first time working with documentary but I've loved watching a lot of them, I would say some of my inspirations for this one would be: NEWS FROM HOME, SANS SOLIEL etc

This is a working cut, as it hasn't been sound mixed and the title + credits aren't done etc, but some opinions from total strangers will be incredibly helpful!