Presented By: Center for Japanese Studies
CJS Thursday Noon Lecture Series | The Big House" Project: How and Why We Made the Documentary in Observational Method and Style
Kazuhiro Soda, Peabody Award-winning Filmmaker
Part of the Toyota Visiting Professor 30th Anniversary Special Lecture Series
NOTE: Join us for a screening of “The Big House” in the Modern Languages Building Auditorium 4 on Friday, September 14 at 4:40pm, sponsored by the University of Michigan Alumni Associate. Advance registration recommended: https://umalumni.force.com/s/lt-event?id=a1Q1a000008kSP4EAM
It was Professor Markus Nornes’ long time ambition to make a documentary on the Michigan Stadium, or the Big House. His idea was to create a class through which students would collaboratively make a feature length documentary in the observational style and method.
In the fall of 2016, three professors (Markus Nornes, Terri Sarris, and Kazuhiro Soda) taught 13 students for 7 hours a week for a semester. They were granted almost complete access to every corner of the Big House ––– from the field to the locker rooms to the gigantic kitchen to the VIP rooms. To minimize their preconception and to make new discoveries, they kept their pre-shoot research minimum and shot the film without much planning. The result is a 119-minute direct cinema style documentary, entitled "The Big House".
In this lecture, Kazuhiro Soda will explain his "10 commandments" of documentary filmmaking, and will discuss how and why they took the observational approach to make "The Big House".
"10 Commandments" of Observational Filmmaking
1 No research.
2 No meetings with subjects.
3 No scripts.
4 Roll the camera yourself.
5 Shoot as long as possible.
6 Cover small areas deeply.
7 Do not set up a theme or goal before editing.
8 No narration, title, or music.
9 Use long takes.
10 Pay for the production yourself.
Kazuhiro Soda is a Peabody Award-winning filmmaker. He served as a Toyota Visiting Professor at the Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan in 2016-2017. His films have been screened at such events as Berlin International Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, among others, winning numerous awards. His filmography includes "Campaign" (2007), "Mental" (2008), "Peace" (2010), "Theatre 1" (2012), "Theatre 2" (2012), "Campaign 2" (2013), "Oyster Factory" (2015), and "Inland Sea" (2018). He is also the author of nine books published in Japan.
If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this event, please reach out to bkinzer@umich.edu at least 2 weeks in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
NOTE: Join us for a screening of “The Big House” in the Modern Languages Building Auditorium 4 on Friday, September 14 at 4:40pm, sponsored by the University of Michigan Alumni Associate. Advance registration recommended: https://umalumni.force.com/s/lt-event?id=a1Q1a000008kSP4EAM
It was Professor Markus Nornes’ long time ambition to make a documentary on the Michigan Stadium, or the Big House. His idea was to create a class through which students would collaboratively make a feature length documentary in the observational style and method.
In the fall of 2016, three professors (Markus Nornes, Terri Sarris, and Kazuhiro Soda) taught 13 students for 7 hours a week for a semester. They were granted almost complete access to every corner of the Big House ––– from the field to the locker rooms to the gigantic kitchen to the VIP rooms. To minimize their preconception and to make new discoveries, they kept their pre-shoot research minimum and shot the film without much planning. The result is a 119-minute direct cinema style documentary, entitled "The Big House".
In this lecture, Kazuhiro Soda will explain his "10 commandments" of documentary filmmaking, and will discuss how and why they took the observational approach to make "The Big House".
"10 Commandments" of Observational Filmmaking
1 No research.
2 No meetings with subjects.
3 No scripts.
4 Roll the camera yourself.
5 Shoot as long as possible.
6 Cover small areas deeply.
7 Do not set up a theme or goal before editing.
8 No narration, title, or music.
9 Use long takes.
10 Pay for the production yourself.
Kazuhiro Soda is a Peabody Award-winning filmmaker. He served as a Toyota Visiting Professor at the Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan in 2016-2017. His films have been screened at such events as Berlin International Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, among others, winning numerous awards. His filmography includes "Campaign" (2007), "Mental" (2008), "Peace" (2010), "Theatre 1" (2012), "Theatre 2" (2012), "Campaign 2" (2013), "Oyster Factory" (2015), and "Inland Sea" (2018). He is also the author of nine books published in Japan.
If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this event, please reach out to bkinzer@umich.edu at least 2 weeks in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
Co-Sponsored By
Explore Similar Events
-
Loading Similar Events...
