Plans, pans, and six grand in the can

Abstract

Making an unscripted documentary (cinema verite) film is a kind of exploration into uncharted territory. It was my experience in making "Marv Cutler and the Little Prince of Rock" that preconceptions in shooting a scene were rarely realized. The footage returned by the lab, having been shot by me in a state of instant surprise, often had a puzzle quality which would then be reworked into a logical scene which was usually a restructuring, rather than a reporting of the event. Thus the film acquired a shape molded by feasibility, logistics, and accessibility in shooting. Conclusions are avoided; I strive instead for evocative scenes which suggest the complexity of real life.