Charity documentary production
Working as a documentary videographer, I produce, self-shoot and edit a wide range of short films. In this case study, I briefly explain the process behind the making of a short documentary.
Documentary commission
The Koestler Trust prison arts charity was celebrating its 50th anniversary year. As part of its celebrations, it was working with world-renowned artist Sarah Lucas. Sarah had agreed to curate the 50th ‘Art by Offenders’ exhibition. The Koestler Trust charity commissioned me as a documentary videographer to create a documentary film about the curating process.
Filming Sarah Lucas
I filmed Sarah as she spent a week curating the artworks that were to be installed in her exhibition, which was to be shown at the Festival Hall in London. Using a mixture of hand-held and tripod shots, I followed Sarah, documenting the process as she worked. With a radio microphone fitted while filming, I was able to ask Sarah questions as she worked.
Documentary editing
To edit this documentary, I first built a timeline of all the media, including Sarah speaking. Over time, I rearranged and edited her audio into the right structure to tell the story. As the edit started forming, I added the best cutaway shots to cover the vision edits.
Documentary videographer
This film explains the processes Sarah used to select the artworks for the final exhibition. Sarah made her selection from over eight thousand artworks submitted from prisons, secure institutions, and hospitals across the country. You can find out more about the Koester Trust charity via its website.
Filming Sarah and working with the Koestler team as a documentary videographer on this project was a great experience. After I was successful in delivering this project, the Koestler Trust re-commissioned me. If you would like any help with your documentary production, please get in touch.
