We hope that wherever you are, you’re as well as can be during this tense and uncertain time. We are reaching out to get people involved in a new documentary project we’re currently launching.
We hope you can all get involved and we’re excited to see what we can produce, and how we can use this time in a positive way; bringing all of our stories together.
Please pass on the message and share the project with as many people as you can.
We’re making a short film about how people are spending their time at home, across different global locations, during varying periods of “lockdown”, in response to the global rise of Covid-19 cases.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
We’re asking you to record/film what you’re doing. We don’t want to miss the opportunity to document what’s happening and want you to show us what you’re doing, and what your concerns, fears and feelings are during this surreal time.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? (The mundane, the exciting and anything in between)
A day in your life during lockdown. E.g. daily routines (or lack of) such as: waking up (or first thing in the morning) the middle of the day, going to work/working at home (if you are), exercise, relaxing, what you’re doing for fun/passing the time, and going to bed.
Feel free to narrate what you’re recording, or not, and if you want to include other voices/ask people questions (family or flatmates). It’s also not necessary for you to appear in the video directly.
Your direct experience (if you have any) with virus, recovering or dealing with, looking after relatives or patients.
It’s totally up to you how you show us what your day is like, be creative!
Also if you’re celebrating any kind of special occasion e.g. birthday, an anniversary or anything else, be sure to include this.
If you are leaving the house to go to the shop or for a walk, you can include this, the idea is to show your experience of lockdown, therefore we want you to include any routines, activities or experiences that are shaping your lockdown life.
SOME IDEAS OF WHAT TO INCLUDE
(These are just a few ideas)
Making a cup of tea/coffee
Cooking
Celebrations
Conversations with partners/family/flatmates
Doing puzzles or playing games
Listening to music/playing musical instruments
Doing activities with children
Painting/drawing/writing/dressing up/making things
Doing karaoke
IMPORTANT THINGS TO INCLUDE
We want to represent the passing of time across countries and cities, towns, villages and rural areas all under lockdown, and these things will help us do that:
At different points in the day try and include video of clocks/watches/devices that display the time.
Throughout the day include what you can see outside from where you are, through the window or your view from a balcony/garden if you have one; especially if you can see the sun, the moon or even the stars.
Actions to signify time of day e.g. getting up in the morning, getting ready for the day, brushing teeth, going to bed.
QUESTIONS
At some point in your footage/audio, we would like you to answer these questions/instructions.
Important note: Please include a recording of you reading the questions aloud before answering them.
What do you miss the most?
Show us or tell us last message you sent? How do you feel about it?
Where is the first place you’ll go once the lockdown is lifted?
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure during lockdown?
What have you learnt about yourself?
Show us one thing in your house you couldn’t live without during lockdown and tell us why.
Does time feel different for you during lockdown? How?
HOW DO YOU RECORD THE FOOTAGE?
Use the best equipment you have, but also you don’t need to have a high tech camera, filming from your phone is fine.
Film in HD and 1080p if possible. We hope to receive a lot of footage, so it’s better if you don’t send very large files such as 4K, but still try to send the files in the best quality possible.
If filming with a phone, please hold the phone horizontally so that the footage fits with that shot on a camera.
If you’d prefer not to record video and/or only have the equipment to record audio, send us that too. For example, maybe you’ve written a poem and you can send us an audio recording, or even a song.
Try and break up your video into sections, you don’t need to be recording for very long periods of time, because it’s easier for you to send and for us to receive the files, when they’re smaller.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Different angles and shots. Although it’s great to see some selfie angle shots, we also want to see what you’re seeing, so remember to point the camera at what you’re doing/seeing as well.
Try and be creative with the shots you use, ask yourself, does everything look similar? If it does, think about different angles or perspectives you could include e.g. extreme close ups, wide angle shots, shots with movement, birds eye view or low angle. Change your position in the room/space, move around and experiment.
If you’re an aspiring filmmaker this is a perfect opportunity to get some practice and experience, show us what you can do with a camera.
HOW DO YOU NAME YOUR FILES?
Name each file before you send it according to time of day and the date E.g. Morning 1 getting up April 10, Morning 2 making a coffee, Morning 3 Reading an article, Afternoon 1 calling mum.
Please include your email and contact information with the files, in case we have any problems opening them, or need to ask you any questions.
HOW CAN YOU SEND US YOUR FOOTAGE?
Either:
Email the footage/send via Google drive (with a private link)
Via We transfer or similar media transfer platforms. https://wetransfer.com/
Upload them to Vimeo or Youtube and send us your password via email to download them.
[email protected]
In the subject of the email or the Wetransfer link, tell us who you are and where you are. E.g. Nina from Barcelona. (If you’d prefer to remain anonymous, this is fine, but please still tell us where you are).
IMPORTANT At the same time as sending your footage, send us an email to [email protected] giving consent for us to use your video in the final edit. Please include statement below with your name. If minors (under 18 years) are included please ask the parent or guardian to give consent.
“I give consent for all videos/recordings sent to the project Our Lockdown to be used by filmmakers Nina Palmier-Robertson and Aisling Yeoman in the creation of the film, Our Lockdown. The film may be entered into film festivals, cinema and/or screened on TV. I am 18 years or older”
Signed (your name)
The maximum you can send via Wetransfer is 2GB (if you don’t pay for an account) and google drive allows up to 10GB, so depending on how much you’re sending you might have to send the footage in sets.
If you’ve got any questions about any of this, send us an email.
WHAT WILL WE DO WITH YOUR FOOTAGE?
The idea is to make a documentary that works as a collaboration from all of our contributors, to show our experiences across multiple countries, during lockdown, based on what we receive from you.
We will be entering the film into film festivals and potentially for broadcast on UK TV in the summer of 2020. If there is any content you don’t feel comfortable submitting for this kind of use, please consider this before sending it.
Make sure you complete the consent form with your videos, available for download from the page .
We really look forward to receiving all your videos and we’re excited to get the project started!
Take care and have fun making the videos!
Nina and Ash
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