Last week NOOR’s Pep Bonet and Nikon Netherlands kicked off a new series of one-day multimedia trainings with exciting lectures in Amsterdam for members of the Dutch press, ANP and NPS.
Being extremely fascinated by the fact that nowadays HDDSLR photo cameras also have the capability of shooting HD video, Pep crafted himself into shooting documentaries with DSLR cameras. This resulted in several short documentary films, including the award winning ‘Into the Shadows’, a pursuit into the lives of hundreds of thousands of Africans living in the inner city of Johannesburg.
Pep shared his experience and in-depth knowledge of all aspects that come with filmmaking, starting out with audiovisual presentations - where Pep and sound designer Jose Bautista put images and music together - to full length documentary making.
“In filmmaking you absolutely have to know, before you start, what the message is that you want to convey. More so than in photography, where playing around with the editing and building the story afterwards is much easier”, says Pep.
Pep stressed that in order to make a good production, many times you have to be independent. “To be independent in doing your own projects, means that you are free to express yourself. I believe that young creators now have the responsibility of challenging themselves with the actual technology that is available. I think it is important to confront yourself and be critical of your own work. Always put your goals further than you think you can achieve. You will end up learning more from mistakes then from things that went well. When time passes we all learn and change, but be realistic at the same time,” says Pep.
He also shared a lot of tips and tricks on technical accessories; some that are indispensable and some that you can leave out or could easily construct or adapt yourself.
Anja, one of the participants said that for her “the technical possibilities nowadays really feel like a liberation, more or less the same as with the move from analogue to digital. We have so much more possibilities to express ourselves.”
Pep showed some of his latest projects, like ‘Into the Shadows’ and ‘Forced’ and explained that for him it is still important to mix stills and footage. “I always use the photos as suggestions [Pep shared] to let the audience stop and think.”
Pep also made it clear that filmmaking is much more about teamwork. “Team up with the people that you want and need around you, and push them to make them feel what you are after.”
“I can't wait to focus myself on a certain subject. You were an inspiration!” said Piroschka, one of the participants.
The coming year, Pep will tour Europe for more one-day multimedia trainings in cooperation with local Nikon offices. If you want to know if Pep is conducting one near you, please contact the Pro Rep at the local Nikon office and/or contact NOOR to book Pep.
Images by Harvey Williams-Fairley.