Blog
Articles on filmmaking technique, production planning, and industry knowledge.
Showing 7 of 7 posts
How to Use Hyperfocal Distance in the Real World
A practical hyperfocal distance guide for filmmakers. Learn the formula, set focus without a lens scale, and know when the technique will fail.
How to Write a Film Grant Application That Gets Read
Learn how to structure a film grant application around artistic vision, access, feasibility, budget, audience, and the funder's published priorities.
Self-Shooting Documentary: DP-Director Workflow Changes
When the director is also the DP, technical decisions change. Learn sensor choice, lens selection, audio compromise, and how self-shooting affects post production.
Documentary Budgets vs. Narrative Film Budgets: Key Differences
Documentary budgets have longer shooting periods, variable shooting ratios, higher contingency, and inverted development-to-production cost ratios. Learn the differences and how to budget a documentary correctly.
How Much Data Does a Documentary Actually Generate? A Real-World Breakdown by Shoot Day
A data-driven breakdown of how much storage a documentary generates per shoot day, organized by camera format and shooting style - from solo BMPCC to multicam observational with Sony FX9 - covering raw acquisition, proxy, and backup overhead.
Zone Focusing for Filmmakers: How Street Photographers' Technique Translates to Run-and-Gun Video
Street photographers have used zone focusing for decades to capture decisive moments without a viewfinder. The same technique - pre-setting focus to a calculated zone rather than tracking a subject - is one of the most practical solutions for documentary, ENG, and solo-operator video work where manual focus-pulling is not possible.
Pulling Focus Without a Focus Puller: How Indie Films Manage DoF on Small Crews
A dedicated 1st AC pulling follow focus is the professional standard for a reason. When the budget or crew size makes that impossible, there are five practical focus strategies that indie and documentary productions use to keep shots sharp without a second set of hands on the lens.