Documenting fiction and reality

Documenting fiction and reality:
the researcher's role in audiovisual production
Jorge Franganillo
Dept.Library,InformationStudies&AudiovisualCommunication
University of Barcelona
http://franganillo.es
@franganillo

Summary
1. The researcher's role in
audiovisual production
2. Location scouting
3. Dealing with personal and oral sources
4. Finding (and licensing)
stock photos and archive footage
Documenting fiction and reality
Given the teaching and illustrative purpose of
the explanations in class of this presentation,
the author adheres to article 32 of the
Spanish Law on Intellectual Property in force,
regarding the partial use of foreign works
such as images, charts or other material
contained in it.

1
The researcher's role in
audiovisual production
 Working phases of production research
 Documenting a project
 Producing a report
 Correcting a script
 Using archive footage
contained in it.

The researcher's role in audiovisual production
 Documentation increases the quality of AV projects,
making them
— more credible, by means of fact checking
— more complete, for it has a complementary purpose
— more imaginative, for it has a preparatory, forward-looking
and creative purpose
— more profitable, since it helps reduce some production costs

 In the field of AV production there is usually a prior research
phase consisting of the search of
— texts (news, articles, laws, private journals, correspondence, etc.)
— spaces (locations, meaningful spaces, geographical locations, maps, etc.)
— people (witnesses, experts, advisors, «mediums»)
— images (photographs, illustrations, footage, etc.)

 AV creation requires heterogeneous information sources;
documentary sources are not enough.
 Production research has always been present in the making of
movies and informative productions.
 Researchers (production researcher, film researcher) are in charge of
— searching, summarizing, adapting and managing information for those in the
making of the film: screenwriters, artistic direction, costumes, hairdressing, etc.
— finding archival material to inspire the teams or to be inserted in the work in
progress, and manage the purchase and cession of rights

Production research: working phases
 In fiction productions, the germ of a
movie is the script, based on a particular
idea.
 The researcher should be incorporated
in the process from the very beginning of
the idea and script writing, but usually
joins the team in pre-production.
 Specific roles of production researchers:
— document a project
— correct the script
— find reliable sources
— find useful information on any media
— manage and adapt information
— analyse and preserve information

 Pre-production begins with the so-called package: screenplay, producer, director,
starring actors and funding. In exceptional cases, it was started without some part
of the package.
 Then the rest of the teams are incorporated: first team managers, then assistants.
 All of them are present in the filming, except those specific to the pre-production
stage.
 Only the director and editor are involved in post-production.
 The researcher will perform different tasks depending on the moment he/she joins
the production team.
←
Casablanca (1942)
started shooting
without a
completed script.
→
Scarlett was cast after
filming of Gone with
the wind (1939) began.

Documenting a project
 The researcher is needed when the plot reflects events that
occurred (or may have occurred) in real life, not only in historical
films or in movies «based on actual events».
 A report should be produced if a production reflects
— actual events
— artistic skills
— extraordinary objects
— laws and administrative formalities
— operations or medical consultations
— biographies
— ephemeris
 Reports should follow a clear and consistent structure to facilitate
consultation.

Producing reports
 Actual events: those facts must be «translated» and turned
into a script with dramatic force.
←
In The Imitation Game (2014),
when Alan Turing hires Joan
Clarke, she decides not to
show up because her parents
consider it inappropriate to
work where there are only
men. But Clarke was already
working on the project before
Turing arrived. Also, in
Bletchley Park, 75% of
workers were women, many
of them specialists like Clarke.

Producing reports
 Actual events: those facts must be «translated» and turned
into a script with dramatic force.
←
In A Beautiful Mind (2001),
when Dr. Nash enters the
Pentagon you can see the
48-star American flag you
would expect in a scene set
in 1956, with stars aligned
horizontally and vertically.

Producing reports
 Artistic skills: techniques, performers, history, currents,
trends, common mistakes
←
Towards the end of Black
Swan (2010), when Lily
congratulates Nina for her
performance, Lily has a
visible tattoo on her back.
However, no dance
company would allow a
dancer to act with naked
tattoos.

Producing reports
 Extraordinary objects: what they can do, what they can't, how
much they cost, what social class the owner comes from, etc.
←
In Minority Report (2002),
the protagonist obtains
information from a system of
crime prediction by means of
violent gestures on a 3D
interface. Although the effect
is more dramatic, the idea
contradicts two basic
principles of usability.
Keeping your arms in the air
while using a computer is
exhausting. Also, 2D
interfaces are better suited
for work than 3D.

Producing reports
 Laws: what laws deal with the issue, what can or can not be done, what can
happen to the protagonist for disobeying the law, legal implications of a given
fact, which authorities legislate on that particular issue, etc.
 Administrative transactions: steps the protagonist should take.
←
In The terminal (2004), the
protagonist is trapped at JFK
airport in New York for
bureaucratic issues that are at
the core of the story.

Producing reports
 Operations and medical consultations: the script should adequately
reflects the physical and psychological symptoms that patients may
suffer, not to offend a large group of affected viewers.
←
Defibrillators can only
restart heart activity if it's
uncoordinated
(fibrillation or
tachycardia). Even so,
several episodes of House
M.D. (2004–2012) show
doctors defibrillating
patients who have
suffered an asystole (lack
of any cardiac activity),
which can only be treated
with cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) and
adrenaline.

Producing reports
 Biographies (biopics and docudramas) and ephemeris (remarkable events):
if the account is not perfect, anachronisms and other mistakes can appear.
←
When Denniston
introduces Hugh
Alexander as British
chess champion, in The
Imitation Game (2014),
he adds: «Twice.» And
it's true, but in 1940,
when the scene takes
place, Alexander had
only won once; the
second time was in
1956.

Producing reports
 Content and formal aspects of the report:
— team that requested the information
— request date
— introduction
— summary
— historical background
— extended information
— alternatives
— information sources
— contradictions

Correcting the script
 It's a meticulous reading of the script (dialogues and
indications) to verify that it conforms to what the scriptwriter
and director want to convey.
 Not always what is told must conform to reality, often
complex and tedious.
←
In a court drama, the script
must conform to the law. In
Presumed Innocent (1990),
the prosecution explains to
the judge that he couldn't
find key evidence —the
glass found in the victim's
home—, which would not
happen in a real court in
the presence of the jury.

Documentaries
←
The series World
War 1 in Colour
(2003) draws from
dozens of
audiovisual sources
and, for the first
time, recasts the
footage in colour.
The need for archive footage

Commercials
←
These ads from Peugeot and Virgin
Trains show two splendid examples of
the so-called «Forrest Gump effect».

TV series
←
In the Spanish
series Cuéntame
cómo pasó (2001–
2017), archive
footage is used as a
reverse shot to
show what the
characters see.

Movies
←
Milk (2008) uses
archive footage
involve the
spectator in the
story.

 The digitization of AV archives has made many collections available on
the Internet:
— The film researcher can now search and manage images from their own workstation.
— Scriptwriters, producers and directors can view the images from the web.
— Rights management is streamlined.
— High-quality footage is ready to be used immediately.

2
Location scouting
 Pros and cons of outdoor locations
 Tips for location scouting
 Roles and work process in location scouting
 Film commissions
 The role of the tourism sector in audiovisual
production
 Information sources: weather forecast, GIS
applications, maps on current events
contained in it.

 Many productions require identifying filming locations and their setting.
 Locations convey vital visual information in a story, sometimes even
more than the script or the actors.
 Pros:
—Locations support what is told.
—They show architectures or landscapes
that are difficult to reproduce on a set.
 Cons:
—Away from the production
centre.
—Inclement weather.
—Daylight is very variable.
—Lack of infrastructure to
work with a certain comfort.
Location scouting

 Identifying locations simply means getting out and exploring.
 It is necessary to determine if the space responds to the needs
and if it has any limitations:
— ambient noise
— electricity
— parking
— bathrooms
— food
— water (not only for drinking)
— accesses
— lighting
 It is advisable to
— visit the location at the same time of day as the shooting is planned
— check how the weather might affect the place
Location scouting

 Finding locations involves several roles:
— location manager
— location manager assistant / local fixer (especially in TV business)
— location scout
Location scouting

 Film commissions are quasi-governmental, non-profit, public organizations
that attract motion media production crews (movies, TV and commercials).
— Filming in Croatia
— Barcelona-Catalunya Film Comission
— Association of Film Commissioners International
 They may grant general permits, which offer several advantages:
— The availability of space required is guaranteed.
— The film commission facilitates the formalities.
— General permits are free.
— They prevent the economic and logistical problems of shooting without permission.
Shooting permits and arrangements

Shooting at extra municipal areas
 Roads: normally through the ministry of public works and transport
(Servei Català de Trànsit).
 Airports: usually through an airport authority, each airport may have a
different manager.
 Trains and railway stations: generally managed by the railway operators
(Adif, TMB, FGC).
 Coastline and nature parks: normally managed by the local or regional
government (Diputació de Barcelona).
 Prisons: filming inside is usually not possible; film comissions may help
finding alternative locations or facilities that can serve as prisons.
 Religious centres: generally the local religious authority (archbishopric),
the Heritage delegate of the site or the priest at the church.

Location agencies
http://localizacionesbarcelona.com

Location agencies
http://20000lieux.com

Location agencies
http://scout911.com

Weather forecast
 Weather conditions can compromise the viability of a shooting
session (as it happened in The Man Who Killed Don Quixote).
 National public entity:
— DHMZ (Državni hidrometeorološki zavod):
Croatian meteorological and hydrological service
 Global information sources:
— AccuWeather
— BBC Weather
— The Weather Channel
Checking the weather

Tourist information
 There is a relationship between the AV
sector and tourism: the tourism industry
uses cinema as a promotional strategy
for tourist destinations. Examples:
— Tourism Ireland and HBO have partnered to
promote access to Game of Throne
locations.
— Direct Booker offers a walking tour to visit
the locations used for some memorable
scenes from Game of Thrones.
— The Barcelona City Council collaborates
with TV3 to facilitate the financing and
logistics of the filming of the TV series Cites.
— Disney has in Disneyland its own model of
cinematic tourism management.
Tourism and the AV industry: a symbiotic relationship

Tourist information
 Shooting commercials also promotes the zone's main attractions.
Tourism and the AV industry: a symbiotic relationship

Geographic information systems
 Information systems that exploits geo-referenced information to
represent a variety of phenomena.
– Geographic information systems (GIS): thematic cartography
– Croatia: State Geodetic Administration
Geographic information

Geo apps
 Google Maps
 Google Earth
 Mapbox
 OpenStreetMap
 Wikiloc

Maps on current news events
 National Geographic Maps
 Perry-Castañeda Library Map
Collection

Google Earth for exploring and planning

3
Personal and oral sources
 Dealing with witnesses
 Dealing with victims of traumatic events
 Dealing with experts
contained in it.

 Personal sources: People who best know about a fact, subject, tool or
skill.
 They may be
— witnesses: affected by an event, experienced directly or indirectly, or witnessed
— experts / advisors: researched on a topic or experience it on their everyday life

 Experts include aficionados and communities of them:
— Piel de Toro: antique cars
— Hippy.com: hippy movement
— Tolkien Society: study on the writer
— Migraine.com: migraine patients
— Scientists and philosophers
(foundations): Richard Dawkins,
Gustavo Bueno, Slavoj Žižek, etc.
— Groups in Facebook, Google+ and
other online communities

4
Finding (and licensing)
stock photos and archive footage
 Image banks: stock photo agencies,
free repositories
 Footage repositories: newsreels, public and
institutional archives, stock footage agencies,
free repositories
 Licenses
contained in it.

Image banks
They provide photographs and illustrations for social communication purposes:
AV productions, websites, news publications, advertising campaigns, etc.

Después del sueño (2007)
Image banks

Search engines are not enough
 Search engines don't (always) offer
— information on usage rights
— high-quality images
— old or historical images
— search criteria on form (orientation)
and content (number of people,
conceptual connotation, etc.)
 Images banks always offer
— access to high-quality collections
— advances search possibilities and
value-added information
— a clear legal and contractual
framework between the user and
the rights holders
Image banks

Image banks
 Commercial
— high-quality content
— exhaustive search possibilities
— aids to conceptualize projects
— legal issues resolved
 Open
— mixed-quality content
— less search possibilities
— zero cost
— some legal issues not resolved:
model authorization, restrictions on
commercial use, etc.

 Companies that supply photographs, often licensed for
specific uses, for a lower cost than what would be the case
for obtaining similar images by one's own means.
 Search is free, but previews are only available at low
resolution or with visible watermarks.
 Image banks and their collections are distinguished by
— market segmentation: editorial sector ↔ creative sector
— licence type: rights managed ↔ royalty free
— business model: macrostock ↔ microstock
Stock photo agencies

Market segmentation
 Creative sector: ideas and abstract concepts, not linked to a place or date,
good quality
— graphic design
— packaging, labeling
— advertising and public relations
— communication departments
— AV production
 Editorial sector: images about current events, linked to a place and date,
variable quality
— daily and non-daily newspapers
— publishers: books
— news production: news programs, reports and documentaries
 Long tail
— personal use: invitations, cards, webs, etc.
— corporations: brochures and company publications
— research: art, sociology, politics, history, etc.

Types of licenses
 The content of the images determines the restrictions of
use:
— copyright of the author and the stock agency
— images rights of people, brands and designs
 There are two types of commercial licenses:
— Royalty free (RF)
The image can be used an unlimited number of times in various
projects.
— Rights managed (RM)
Fees are calculated according to the use to be made of the image
(medium and number of copies).

 Rights managed licenses
may impose
— commercial limitations
— geographical limitations
 The copyright holder, for
their part, may have
imposed some other
restrictions.

 When a person appears on
the photo, a model release is
needed, except in news when
the person is in a public place.

Business models
 Macrostock offers specially
— wide collections
— several types of license
— photojournalism and historical photography
— images by renowned photographers
 Microstock offers
— limited collections
— only royalty-free licenses
— images aimed at the creative sector
— images by a wide range of photographers (even amateur)
— more affordable fees

http://gettyimages.es
Stock photo agencies: macrostock

http://magnumphotos.com
Stock photo agencies: macrostock

http://istockphoto.com
Stock photo agencies: microstock

http://shutterstock.com

http://dreamstime.com

 Microstock photography is appropriate for low-budget
productions.

 Image repositories fed by the community of users, who
want to share them publicly.
 The authors of the images may
— hold copyright: prevent distribution or reproduction
— give up some rights: allow some uses as long as credit is given
 Restrictions are expressed by the license, a statement of the
uses allowed or prevented by the author:
— copyright
— Creative Commons license
Free repositories

 Creative Commons license conditions:
Attribution (by)
All CC licenses require that others who use your work in any way must give you
credit the way you request, but not in a way that suggests you endorse them or
their use. If they want to use your work without giving you credit or for
endorsement purposes, they must get your permission first.
ShareAlike (sa)
You let others copy, distribute, display, perform, and modify your work, as long
as they distribute any modified work on the same terms. If they want to
distribute modified works under other terms, they must get your permission
first.
NonCommercial (nc)
You let others copy, distribute, display, perform, and (unless you have chosen
NoDerivatives) modify and use your work for any purpose other than
commercially unless they get your permission first.
NoDerivatives (nd)
You let others copy, distribute, display and perform only original copies of your
work. If they want to modify your work, they must get your permission first.
Free repositories

http://flickr.com
Free repositories

 Creative Commons licenses provide free images, but
efficiency, quality and legal reasons make it advisable
not to discard stock photo agencies for they:
— offer better search tools
— ensure exclusivity
— solve issues of rights
— grant model authorization
What solution should you choose?

 Many audiovisual archives have gone online, with new
features and tools:
— streaming
— storyboards and key frames
— search for similar clips
— download of low resolution copies
— creation of workspaces or personal shareable folders
— access to the applicable fees
— subscription to newsletters and RSS feeds
— participation in multiple search engines (e.g., Zap Request)
Footage repositories

http://britishpathe.com
Newsreels

http://bufvc.ac.uk/newsonscreen
Newsreels

http://archivioluce.com/archivio
Newsreels

http://wochenschau-archiv.de
Newsreels

http://gaumontpathearchives.com
Newsreels

http://filmhiradokonline.hu
Newsreels

http://library.sc.edu/mirc
Newsreels

http://cinema.ucla.edu
Newsreels

http://www.rtve.es/filmoteca/no-do
Newsreels

http://inatheque.ina.fr
Public and institutional archives

http://inamediapro.com

http://ina.fr

http://beeldengeluid.nl

http://loc.gov

http://bfi.org.uk

http://gettyimages.es/footage/bbcmotiongallery
Commercial archives

http://itnsource.com
Commercial archives

http://gettyimages.es/footage
Commercial archives

http://istockphoto.com/footage
Commercial archives

http://motionelements.com
Commercial archives

http://videos.pexels.com
Free repositories

http://videezy.com
Free repositories

http://free-hd-footage.com
Free repositories

http://footagecrate.com
Free repositories

http://ignitemotion.com
Free repositories

 Clips used in advertising.
Using stock footage

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