We had a brilliant response from film makers on the theme of Storytelling -
surprising, imaginative films that took the theme in very different
directions...I hope that some of you managed to watch their transmission on 3MW in January. Congratualtions to Clarrie Pope and Tanya Singh,
Richard Nockles, Brian Da Cal, and Anna Edwards.
So I'm now looking for
another batch of FourDocs for transmission this Summer, and thinking about
themes again. And the next one I'm setting you is 'My Family and Other
Animals'
I often feel that I'm allowed to experience a filmmaker's world
very directly on FourDocs so I'd really like to set the next focus on
your
immediate world and those closest to you...with of course a nod towards
the title of Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals.
There are
already some fantastic films on FourDocs which focus on those nearest and
dearest - Flora and Thieves, Vicky After Ted, Freedom Dance, Northern Jew and The Most Disgusting Thing, for example, are all wonderful films that plunge you
into a very compact world. Plus they all take different approaches to
documenting your nearest and dearest - sometimes, it works to simply sit your
characters in a chair and let them talk if they're really compelling, but often
as viewers we need to see more in order to find a way in - their everyday
objects, their hobbies, their pictures. Think of how to approach the topic in a
unique way - and use the 'animals' bit too if you think you can - a doc like A Diary in the life of a Farmer's Wife covers animals and family in a witty
style.
I hope that setting a theme is helpful. I don't want to try and
limit your scope or imagination, but I do want the films to have a coherence
when they transmit on C4 (even if it's very slight).
Remember, you can
rally against the parameters set or engage and embrace them depending on your
personal approach to being a documentary-maker - but as you can see by the ones
we chose for 3MW FourDocs strand in January, really I'm looking for films which
surprise and challenge, so please do approach the themes in this spirit.
Remember, the way you submit films to FourDocs has changed. You can find out more in the About FourDocs section.
The deadline for this opportunity is Monday 19th May 2008. And if you've got any questions, email Becca at fourdocs@channel4.com
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