FourDocs films provide a porthole into other people's lives. We want
to piece together what it's really like across the UK, from a host of
inside reporters - you! Where did you grow up? What's it like now?
How did it shape you as a person?
FourDocs is always stressing the notion of innovation in form. Well,
this time we want you to take the challenge to the next level, and make
a REALLY experimental documentary. Somewhere to start for inspiration
is Patrick Keiller's surrealist and political film London,
http://www.channel4.com/fourdocs/archive/london.html
which you can
watch on FourDocs for free. A series of tripod mounted shots and
accompanying narration from the never-seen Robinson, forces you to
imagine to the action. Chris Marker is another famous experimental
documentarian. His beautiful travel montage San Soleil blurs fact and
fiction with philosophical comments and a dreamy pace, as does . Guy
Maddin
(Canada's answer to David Lynch) has just made a docu-fantasia film
which is a "love/hate/goodbye letter to his hometown of Winnipeg".
Watch these films to give you ideas on how to create emotional and
artistic documentaries that push boundaries.
We
want to know who you are and why you're making this film, unless of
course anonymity is the point! Similarly, try to avoid talking heads,
unless you are turning them on their own heads for a certain effect.
Decide what you want to convey to the audience about your own home
town, be it love, bitterness, anguish, recalling an event or a carefree
period, before you work out the best style (or hybrid mix) to make it
in. Use
traditional observational footage, archive pictures, and animation, but
also or instead incorporate fragments of memories from any artifacts
you find, or clever ideas you have.
The deadline for this opportunity is
the end of August, and as well as getting your film played on Channel 4
and receiving £1500, there is another great prize in store
Play