November 9, 2010
by oheath
Over the weekend, a group of us from London, Birmingham, Manchester and Exeter got the opportunity to go to the Sheffield Doc/Fest, gaining access to this fantastic industry event! We arrived Friday morning and got stuck into all the activities, sessions and screenings on offer.
Some of the Digital Documenters team share their highlights of the festival below:
Joe- London
I saw quite a few different documentaries at the Sheffield 2010 Doc/Fest, but the one that really captured my attention was Life with Murder. This was a compelling documentary about a family whose son kills their daughter and they have to come to terms with accepting him back into their family. The film was shot beautifully and included incredible interviews, which left me and my colleagues discussing it for hours after it had finished.
Gabriella- London
I really enjoyed Shooting Blind which was the short film on England’s blind football team. It was something I wasnt aware of before and showed the team how they practice and how they must have a special ball with lots of beads inside so they can hear it. I think they covered the area with great sensitivity and showed an area of sport that not many people know about.
My favourite documentary was Scenes From a Teenage Killing. They premiered it at Doc/Fest and had only finished it on the thursday before! I felt the creators handled the subject matter with great sensitivity and successfully confronted many preconceptions about teenage killings, i.e. that they are gang related and involve guns or stabbings. The documentary showed of the 49 cases of teenage murder in 2009 that only one involved drugs and none appeared to be linked to gangs or organised crime. It also showed that cases like these do not just happen in London and covered cases across the country, backgrounds and type of attacks involved.
Olivia- London
I really enjoyed Robert Thirkell’s Story as it was humorous yet insightful. Robert Thirkell was responsible for Channel 4′s documentary in 2004 called, The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off. I remember being moved by the way he told a story so effectively and engagingly. It was tear-jerking and thought-provoking yet simultaneously quite inspiring and uplifting. This interview was good to understand Thirkell’s career and his passion for making documentaries.
Life with Murder really shocked me. Technically it was great and well edited, especially the structure of scenes and archive footage mixed with interviews. But I was amazed with the actual story, i.e., the confessions of Mason and the support by his parents. It would be great if a follow-up was made documenting his release from prison. Definitely controversial, but intriguing nonetheless as it evoked great debate and discussion.
Last but not least, I loved Scenes from a Teenage Killing. From the selection of different cases, to the varying viewpoints and overall construction- this piece was very emotional. I rated it a masterpiece for its sheer ability to capture varying emotions, as well as creating a deep sense of empathy between the teenagers who died, their family and friends, and the audience.
Uchenna- Manchester
Executive Decisions: Women Calling the Shots was an eye opener to know that executive producers (EPs) are more likely to work with a filmmaker taking a technical approach to present an idea rather than having an idea somewhere in their head. Thus a treatment, footage, and some cash are needed when bringing an idea forward. Being proactive as well as involving the EP in good time can almost certainly lead to a good film targeted to the right audience.
Sam- Exeter
Banksy’s Exit Through the Gift Shop was fantastic. It follows an eccentric man named Thierry Guetta as he follows street artists, capturing them at work until just following them isn’t enough and Thierry becomes a street artist himself under the name ” Mr. Brain Wash”. Funny, witty and generally entertaining, it had the whole room laughing. It was well put together and stayed interesting throughout up until the surprising ending and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The BBC Academy: Training for the Industry Shooting in 3D for TV workshop was great. As well as being talked through and sharing opinions on 3D TV, we all got to have a first-hand look at a professional 3D camera set-up; a consumer camera and some of the other equipment that you use with them. We got an inside look at how 3D works and some of the tests and projects that the BBC are having a play around with in 3D which all looked fantastic.
Frances- London
Donor Unknown was an amazing film all about a man who paid his rent by donating sperm three or even four times a week for many years. As you can imagine that’s A LOT of kids and the film followed these children as they met their half-siblings for the first time and then met their very eccentric father. Incredibly funny and endearing.
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