Scripts (story)

This question was proposed because I was depressed when my documentary teacher asked me to write a script before shooting. I became completely confused: how can a documentary have a script? Documentaries are all about real things, and there will be so many unforeseen circumstances, which is impossible for me to predict. Then the teacher explained the reason. Such scripts are different from movie scripts which take section, rather than lens as basic unit. Before shooting, one should decide what kind of scenes he wants to shoot, such as family, corporate, and event site, etc., and then estimate how much time each edited section will be presented on the screen. So there will be a basic content in the mind and you won’t forget it during shooting.

My theme is fishermen this time. I have decided two different countries for shooting: one is Britain, while the other is China. This work is mainly to record the life and work of fishermen. Chinese fishermen generally catch fish, while British catch crabs and lobsters. If there’s any possibility, I hope that I can go fishing with them. I need to record their preparations before setting sail, their fishing at sea, their daily life on board, as well as unloading scenes after returning. As for the outdoor scenes, I will take the fish-killing in fish market and the netting of fishermen at home. Of course, there is also local beautiful scenery. I will arrange two cameras in each country to be shot, for large scenes and close-ups respectively. I will also make two interviews with fishermen, where they will talk about various difficulties they experienced in many year’s fishing and about their happiness as well.

It is impossible to be purely objective for documentaries, which will inevitably carry the director’s subjective consciousness more or less. But there is one principle - to guarantee that the life is authentic and natural. Only based on this can a director find related materials from their own viewpoint. The director’s subjective viewpoint is expressed in the position of the machine, the viewing angle, the focal length selection, the camera movement, as well as recording and editing. What it demonstrates finally is not only life itself, more importantly, is the director’s attitude toward life via audiovisual language.

提出这个问题是因为我自己很郁闷，我的纪录片老师要我们在拍之前先写一个剧本，我当时就傻了，纪录片怎么能有剧本？纪录片不是都是真实发生的事情，突发的情况这么多，我怎么能预料得到。后来老师解释，这个剧本不像电影剧本，以镜头为单位，而是以场为单位，拍之前要想好我要去拍些什么场景，比如家，公司，活动现场等等，然后估摸一下每个场景剪出来呈现在银幕上会有多少分钟，这样会有一个基本的内容在脑中，就不会到时候拍起来忘了。
我这次的主题是渔民。拍摄地决定在两个不同国家，一是英国，二是中国。片子主要会记录渔民的生活和工作。中国渔民会捕捞一般的鱼类，英国渔民会捕捞螃蟹和龙虾。在有可能的基础上，我希望可以跟着他们出海捕鱼。我需要记录出海前他们的准备工作，在海上他们的捕鱼工作，他们在船上的日常生活，还有回来卸货的场景。外场景我会拍摄鱼市场内杀鱼的场景和渔民家人在就家中织网的场景。当然还有当地美丽的风景。每个国家拍摄地我都会安排两个摄像机。分别拍摄大场景和特写。我还会做两段对渔民的访谈。通过访谈讲述他们在多年的捕鱼工作中经历的种种困难和幸福感。
纪录片不可能做到纯客观，纪录片不可避免地带有导演的主观意识。但是有一个原则——必须保证生活的原汁原味。以此为前提，导演才能用自己的视点寻找相关的素材。导演的主观视点表现在架机器的位置，取景的角度，焦距的选择，摄影机的运动，再加上录音、剪辑。最后表现出的其实不只是生活本身，更重要的是它通过视听语言体现出导演对生活的态度。