SAM CREAMER INTERVIEW (DOP RESEARCH)

Sam Creamer is one of our Tutors at TV Production. Sam has already shot 2 Feature Films and a number of Documentaries through the course with my tutor Helen Curston. I've been fortunate to work with Sam with 'The Making of Red and the Kingdom of Sound' which he was the DOP for and he's just recently completed 'Untold Stories: A History of Black People in Kent'.

Speaking to Sam, I asked for advice on being a DOP for a documentary and how he plans out the visuals, what he uses and how he decides on the visuals. He explained that he doesn't do any paperwork such as storyboards or shot lists, he will go off the script and breakdown the shots he needs from there and work with the Director to ensure he's getting the correct shots and it all works with the story.

Sam explained that when shooting an interview, he'll often shoot with one camera. Although many people will tell people to shoot with two to get the coverage, he explained that you can get the different coverage and shot variety with one camera simply by using the time in between the questions being asked to either change the shot by zooming in/out. However, Sam also explained that listening to the questions is the way to decide when to change shot and what shot to go to. If it's a personal question and the answer could be deep and meaningful, zoom in and get closer to the interviewee, if it's a question about the story or something which could have cutaways in then go to a wide or stay on the shot.

Sam said that if the question is very personal, for example with Tanya and our documentary, when she's asked about her being bullied, Sam suggested that's a good time to ask to cut filming and change lens's, not only to get a different look (for example with a Prime lens) but also it gives the interviewee a few more minutes to think through their answers and could lead to a better answer. This is if I have a camera with interchangeable lens's however.