The wisdom of Jennifer Fox
I visited Nina and I's alma mater Edinburgh College of Art last week, to attend a masterclass hosted by the Scottish Documentary Institute.
The event was led by inspirational American film-maker
Jennifer Fox whose work includes 'Beirut'
and 'Flying:Confessions
of a Free Woman' and 'My Reincarnation'. Over a
thirty year independent career Jennifer had spent at times up to
twenty years on some projects!
I made a few notes that I'd like to share as they are indeed jewels
of wisdom:
- Locate your story purpose and stick to it
- Plot is a 'coathanger' for the thesis or 'story purpose'
- A shooting scene is a 'unified field' including you, the subject/s, any bystanders and all crew - ensure that you control all of it
- Time always works - if you film anything over enough time, a narrative will emerge
- An interview can be a scene if it's special enough