Hello, and welcome to the new FourDocs blog! Here we’re going to discuss all things documentary related, whether it be films watched on the web, television, cinema or at festivals, inspirational directors, new talent opportunities, gossip, current affairs or philosophy. This is a space for conversations about what documentaries should, could and can be like!
Luckily, living on the web we’re not hindered by the constraints of television formats, or traditional rules governing the production of high art forms or even topical subject matters. FourDocs instead celebrates factual filmmaking in all it’s diverse forms. We want to continue discovering and fostering filmmakers who want to re-imagine the creation of perfect short documentaries. And of course, perfect is totally subjective. Here at FourDocs we love raw, pulsating personal tales just as much as well structured stories shined up in the edit. Make a short doc your own way and send us your links please – we want to be surprised!
Comments
Love the new format 4Docs
I was surprised to find that it is required that films submitted should be shot in 4×3 aspect ratio, elsewhere on channel 4 16×9 seems to be recommended.
You can submit your films in 4×3 OR in 16×9. If your camera doesn’t shoot in true 16×9, it’s better to go with the native dimensions. Basic rule is don’t distort digitally.
Thanks for the clarification – my query was based on the advice in the Technical Tips section.
I’m missing the old site. It had more of a ‘power to the people’ feel. This new one seems cold and corporate. With the redesign, it seems that the aim of fourdocs is to harvest filmmakers for broadcast, whereas the old site was a place to show films, regardless if they were suited to broadcast or not.
What will happen to all the films from the old site? There are plenty of great films missing now. It seems a waste not to host them — almost anathema to documentary filmmaking.
Also, what’s happening about the 3MW competition? There seems to be no mention of it here.
Hi Paul – the new site does have a different feel to it, but the aim is totally not to harvest films for broadcast only. Now people send in links for their films, and they can be streamed on the site if they work well on the internet ,or put on television (our current 3MW competition is My Home Town), OR played in festivals. We have lots of £1000 bursaries to give filmmakers to help them finish short films for festivals, even if they are not appropriate for the site. I’m going to write more about each of these directions your films can go in this week.
Regarding the old films, some of the best are in the new player on this site, and more will be coming across. What we’re hoping is that we can curate doc playlists and make fourdocs more accessible to a wider audience. Have you checked out the playlists in the watch films section yet?
I’m actually liking the new look and feel. Much more “web 2.0″ and with some of the functionality you’d expect from a network site. BUT why oh why have you gone for the Brightcove player?! There’s no way to leave comments, the quality is a little ropey and interface clunky. Three words – Vimeo, Vimeo and Vimeo. Sorry, bit of a geeky post, Keep up the good work.
Hey Greg – thanks for the checking the site thoroughly and noticing it has been dragged into the new era of technology! Brightcove is a great high quality flash video player, but you’re totally right about it not allowing you to leave comments connected to the actual clip. The reason FourDocs is using it is basically because we sit on the Channel 4 domain, and that’s what they are going with (as is the Guardian and lots of other media companies.) When we add new films to the Brightcove player, we’ll also embed them in a blog post, along side a review of the film, and then you can leave comments below the entry. (Check out the interview I did with Chris Waitt to see how this looks.) Hopefully this system will encourage people to talk to each other about what they see on FourDocs, and for the the community to grow within the centralised blog. Vimeo is a great site for people to upload their films to initially and send us the link to though – have you seen anything really good there recently I should check out?
Hi,
I have just been watching some of the films on the site. What a fantastic collection, one especially stood out; A Blind Perspective by Matthew Marsh. What a brilliant idea and so well executed, it shows how thinking outside the box can create real innovative film making. Is there anything else by this director that I can see anywhere?
Does anyone know of a site that does what four docs used to? It totally inspired me to make documentaries and even though they did’nt get on tv, they were given a good/interesting review by an editor, now it seems its all competitions and you have to stick to rules and guidelines, we can’t all adhere to rules.
Hi Barry – the old site was really great at giving at everyone’s film some proper feedback, I totally agree. We found that most people were keen to get their films on 3MW, which is why we have moved in that direction. Starting today I am putting films up with reviews, but sadly we can no longer work in a model where we do that with every film. With regards to rules and competition, you can still make a film on whatever you want.
Hi all, just a quick question. I currently have a number of ideas which I and others believe would make great viewing for 3MW, and about a month or so ago I slipped on to a website which talked about getting funding to help make the ideas. (or at least one of them). Since then I have been planning out the ideas to see which one is strongest to put forward, as well as finding people who would be interested in helping create the work. My strongest idea involves links I have with the Ethiopian government and the UN army as well as UK based charities and companies.
Recently I decided to go back to the site to see how I pitch my idea and can no longer find it. All I find these days is this site and no mention of funding. Is there still funding to create a short ?
I know there is a place to point fourdocs to a film you have already made to see if they want to show it but i have just graduated from a fine art BA hons in film and video and don’t have the money to go back to Africa and shoot this myself. The site I looked at before mentioned £4000 per 3 min which would get me to where I need to go with the right equipment to make it. Any help would be appreciated
3 Minute Wonder is commissioned as a strand for the week, with one director making 4 x 3 minute films on the same theme. You get money upfront before you make the films, and can submit your proposals here:
http://www.channel4.com/corporate/4producers/commissioning/documentaries.html
However, it is EXTREMELY competitive. If you don’t have much experience, I recommend you make a short doc for FourDocs first, to show off your filmmaking talent. We give the best films to Kate Vogel, and if she likes your stuff she’ll set up a meeting with you. It’s a good way in …
Oh my.
All the Creative Commons support has been lost with the new site, along with a community support mechanism and asset sharing – the single most important aspect for a web service.
The whole purpose of Channel 4 is to invigorate and support the creative communities of the UK; FourDocs has turned it’s back on all this in favour for a Corporate Sponsor and top down editorial with carrot shaking to acquire more 3 minute wonders for TV.
I wish there was as much creative thinking in the running of the site as there is in the people who kindly GIVE you their art to talk about – which you profit upon – way more than the cash bursaries you offer to the lucky few.
Sorry, but you’ve lost out on a great opportunity, and possibly, a wider, richer thinking audience.
[...] Fourdocs – fourdocs = free form factual filmmaking Oh my. All the Creative Commons support has been lost with the new site, along with a community support mechanism and asset sharing – the single most important aspect for a web service. The whole purpose of Channel 4 is to invigorate and support the creative communities of the UK; FourDocs has turned it’s back on all this in favour for a Corporate Sponsor and top down editorial with carrot shaking to acquire more 3 minute wonders for TV. I wish there was as much creative thinking in the running of the site as there is in the people who kindly GIVE you their art to talk about – which you profit upon – way more than the cash bursaries you offer to the lucky few. Sorry, but you’ve lost out on a great opportunity, and possibly, a wider, richer thinking audience. (My comment, which they will moderate before publishing, shessh..) (tags: culture community channel4 sponsorship fourdocs disgrace clueless) [...]
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