Re: my longform workflow

It's funny, I use both approaches as well, but in reverse. And I'm not sure really that the choice is necessarily between being authentic or not. I usually use Grinner's approach when I'm under a deadline. All useful footage straight to the timeline and I start throwing out what doesn't fit.

When I have more time, I'll use Mark's approach. I like to think about the footage I'm working with, what it's saying to me, then I start with those shots that I feel best capture the heart or essence of the story. Then I start fleshing it out from there.

As for manipulation, hey it's all manipulation, that's what we do :-) Slightly OT, back in my younger days I was taking a theatre directing class. During in-class rehearsals I used a television as part of my scene, but it was an elaborate ruse for the scene I was actually putting on (it was from Waiting for Godot). Prior to my scene I needed to get the TV (that wasn't going to be used, at least in the way the audience expected) and my professor offered to walk with me to get it (she had the keys). I felt kind of bad, her taking the effort to help me when it was somewhat of a con. So I told her, "you know, sometimes I feel really manipulative" and she said, in her really cool British accent, "but darling, you're a director, that's what you're suppose to do." Somehow I didn't feel so bad having her help me out... As for the scene, well I've done some good work and some work that I wish never saw the light of day. This turned out to be one of my better pieces and one of the few times I really experienced an epiphany from something I've done.




Boyd
"Go slow to go fast"