Transmission
Filming/documenting to learn and transmit skills, knowhow and practices
Content
TRANSMISSION
Intangible heritage’s viability can only be ensured if it is actively practised. Being at the heart of all safeguarding measures, transmission is nonetheless the most challenging one.
The transmission of many traditional crafts is being challenged by rapidly changing needs and contexts of contemporary society. Furthermore, various crafts are not taught in formal, or otherwise easily accessible forms of education, making it challenging for new practitioners to take up the craft.
Audiovisual documentation can help to bridge (generational) gaps in the transmission process, or even motivate people to start practising.
HOW TO: PARTICIPATORY FILMMAKING
For the purpose of transmission, the method of participatory filmmaking is particularly highlighted.
'Participatory filmmaking' is the most comprehensive of all recording methods to document living heritage in line with the participatory spirit of safeguarding.
Participation is as much an approach, as it is a basic value of working together with practitioners (CGI's). It is therefore important that every function is done in a participatory way.
Participatory filmmaking is especially recommended when transmission is aimed for. It allows practitioners to represent themselves to their fullest. It also allows the film maker to take the time to integrate detailed explanations and postures, and possibly even feelings related to the practice while recording. There are no time restrictions or aesthetic standards. It just provides the possibilities to bring together very detailed information in order for someone to replicate the same activity sometime in the future.
This method originates in the idea of people filming their own reality. It usually involves training practitioners and other people involved, to be able to use the camera and do basic editing of their filmed material.
TIP! New to filming? Take a look at our ‘Step by step guide for filming’ to get started!
Note!
If it’s not possible for practitioners use the cameras for themselves, for whatever reason (practical or other), other partners in the documentation process can assist in filming: e.g. persons involved from the wider heritage community, heritage professionals, videographers, cultural institutions and/ or researchers whom the practitioners trust and who can offer technical support, equipment and storage of materials.
This was the case for the Focus Crafts project in the pilot testing this function of documentation with a view to transmission. Due to lack of filming experience, lack of time for audio-visual training and practical problems (small rooms, too busy with those working on their craft and so on), it was decided that the videographer would film the process throughout, but in close collaboration with the craftsperson. This reflected the basic principles of the method of active involvement of practitioners in all stages of the audiovisual documentation (including distribution).
Nonetheless, we recommend trying the approach of participatory filmmaking whenever you have the opportunity.
VIDEOGRAPHER’S RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations are based on the Focus Craftership experience where a professional videographer closely collaborated with heritage professionals and practitioners.
Such an intensive, collaborative filming process implies many working hours and a solid budget.
But of course, if you are not in such an ideal situation, considering the time and/or budget available, you can adjust the recommendations to your own context and possibilities.
01 PREPRODUCTION
Find and map the crafters(hip)
- Meet with the practitioner(s) and list all steps in the working process of the craft.
- Discuss a realistic time schedule for the filming with the practitioner(s).
- Organise all the information in a spreadsheet. This will serve as the production planning document.
Plan field visits and collect information
- Plan a field visit to the workshop/location in order to see the practitioner(s) in practice.
- Analyse how and where each step is being done and how this impacts the setup of the film equipment.
- Investigate in what ways it would be possible for the practitioner(s) to film themselves. See if there are possibilities to mount fixed cameras and extra lights if needed.
- Make a test recording and edit it to evaluate the filming process.
- Test the whole workflow, from recording to editing, if you use a multi-camera setup.
Plan the filming
- Take time to think about how you will approach the sound. You can use a voice-over from the practitioner on the final edit or the practitioner can choose to explain the working process before or whilst working.
- Take time to think about how you will approach the editing and the final videos. You can choose to work with shorter videos according to the steps in the working process or to work with one long edit.
Note!
Be aware that it will take a lot of time for all parties to complete the whole trajectory of the practice or making process throughout the filming process. Make sure your budget covers the whole trajectory (be it low-budget or with a higher budget) and that there are no further obstacles before proceeding to production.
02 PRODUCTION
Before filming
- Make a filming schedule and follow it as strictly as possible, but leave a margin for unexpected situations.
- Discuss how the practitioners will work exactly and if there are repeated actions, in order to set up the filming material adequately (see further below).
- Contact everyone involved some days before the actual shooting to confirm if everything can proceed as discussed.
- Start early enough and leave a margin in your schedule for unexpected situations.
During filming
- Be sure to communicate openly and continuously with the practitioners in order to build trust and to not skip something important.
- Use the production planning to keep track of the progress by using colour labels and comments. With colour codes, you can indicate which steps are completed, which have been started, and those that have not been started yet. Comments may include reminders for the next filming session or instructions for post-production.
- A multi-camera-setup can help to have a varied picture and to deal with unexpected situations.
- Make use of action cameras for places that are hard to cover with a normal camera.
- Use 'time lapses' to capture long repeated processes or to illustrate the progress of time.
- Use repeated actions to take wide, medium and close shots.
03 POSTPRODUCTION
Editing
- Be sure to start the editing process as soon as possible -even while the filming process is still in progress- to evaluate the contents.
- Take good care of organising all the material before starting the editing work.
- Be sure to review the recorded material before editing to refresh yourself with the content and to know where you can find certain sequences or shots.
Consulting and finalising
- Export a preview file of the finished edit and consult with all parties involved to collect feedback before finishing the video.
- Keep track of comments on the editing in the production planning document.
- Process the comments and use this version to record the voice-over of the practitioners.
- Organise a recording session for the voice-over, give instructions on what is needed before starting, do a playout of the film and record the voice.
- Finalise the video by adding the voice-over and finalising the sound and image.
INSPIRING EXAMPLE
01 Building a ship's mast
Trajectory
ETWIE (the Center for Industrial, Technical and Scientific Heritage in Flanders) took on 2 of the 10 case studies within the Focus Craftership project. One of these was water-related heritage. Maritime craftership was recorded at De Scute in Blankenberge (Flanders).
In early 2022, the Scute built a new mast for one of its barges. The whole process was filmed and documented. The volunteers of this association wanted to revive knowledge and skills of traditional shipbuilding by restoring lost ship types of fishing communities and, if possible, making them sail again.
Context
The timber for the mast had already been ordered in December 2021 and the ship was to be made ready for another season of maritime festivities by May 2022. The community would usually work on Thursdays. So it was imperative that the documentation process followed the rhythm and deadline of the heritage community.
From the beginning, the community indicated that they hoped for a video that would showcase their craftership and organisation in an appealing fashion, which was also linked to the community's desire to recruit younger people. This was at odds with the process of documenting the technical craft of building the wooden mast.
To meet their wishes, a plan was made and time was taken to film extra material to create an additional montage.
The decision to shoot additional footage alongside the technical making process of the mast meant that the different expectations and needs of the heritage community were accommodated.
Approach
In total, there were 7 shooting days on location. This included the extra material for the additional, promotional montage:
- an interview/voice-over recording session
- the installation and inauguration of the mast
- the first voyage with the new mast on the ship
To document the making of the mast, the heritage community was open to trying out the participatory filmmaking method:
Daniel Lefebvre, a community member in charge of De Scute's communications, helped film the making process. It was agreed that for the larger works on the mast, the filmmaker would come by to shoot. In between, Daniel forwarded footage of the work in progress to ETWIE and information was exchanged on what would be interesting to film and how to do it.
Community members were asked to comment on the footage during a voice-over as if it were a sports report, which included interesting anecdotes in addition to information about the making process.
This could only be done after the mast was finished and with a completed edit. This involved processing the more than 30 hours of footage to a manageable and practical length.
Two distinct videos were edited after filming:
1. The recruiting montage
The first montage is 26 minutes long and contains:
- some insights about the craft of shipbuilding
- the history of the ship
- the problems with the old mast
- finding budget for building the new mast
- a condensed version of the whole process of making the mast
- the installation and inauguration of the mast
- the dynamics of the organisation and its members
- the first sailing with the new mast
This short film is based on the stories recorded during the interview sessions and uses appropriate music. The function of this film is to raise awareness, the appropriate explanation and methodology can be found in this toolkit.
2. The video log of the making process
The second montage is 1 hour and 30 minutes long and includes:
- showing the entire process of building the mast
- the voice-over of the practitioners
- material from 2 different people (filming) and camera sources
- different chapters in the making process, indicated by graphic maps
- no music because of the focus on the making process itself
Filmmaker's experience
"At times, the filming process slowed down the work on the mast and caused frustration. This was due to the speed needed to get some parts of the mast finished and not being able to film in time. After discussion, this was quickly resolved by splitting the work and not filming some repetitive processes until later." (A. Kerkhof, Feathers on Wings)
Conclusion
Audiovisual documentation of intangible heritage is a complex process. Sometimes heritage communities do not realise what the real expectations or needs are until the process has already started.
A good understanding between heritage professional, filmmaker (when working with an external filmmaker) and heritage community is therefore crucial.
Reflecting together, looking at what the possibilities are and working further towards meeting these (new) expectations is necessary to use the participatory filmmaking method.
02 Building a hurdy-gurdy
Trajectory
Marc Reymen, an instrument maker from the Antwerp region, has been immersing himself in hurdy-gurdy making since the 1980s. He turned to CEMPER (Centre for Music and Performing Arts Heritage) for guidance to document his craftership in instructional tutorial videos. Marc built a hurdy-gurdy, CEMPER staff helped with (keeping an overview of the) documentation process and filmmaker Alexander Kerkhof filmed the tutorials.
Context
Getting to film this process himself was not possible for Marc. He needs both hands and his full attention to make the instrument, which meant it was not possible to operate a camera as well. For example, a static camera cannot focus on small details and cannot track his movements. The help of a filmmaker was needed to make quality instructional videos.
Heritage professional, craftsman and filmmaker came together in this trajectory and analysed each step of the creation process. This information was translated into a colour-coded spreadsheet, which served as a production schedule and handhold to keep track of shooting progress and notes.
Approach
During production, one or two heritage professionals were always present. Their tasks in the documentation process were:
- helping to keep an overview of the extensive production planning
- tracking and monitoring all steps in the construction process and ensuring that no steps were skipped
- monitoring recording continuity and keeping an eye on the various cameras
- listening attentively to the spoken instructions and watching for continuity in the practitioner's explanations (This way, they tried to assess whether the explanations would be understandable to someone watching the videos - and learning from them.)
The filming itself was technically challenging. The limited spatial layout of the workshop did not allow cameras to follow the action. Therefore, the filmmaker suggested a multi-camera setup. Depending on the action, up to five cameras were used to capture it. Especially on his main workbench, where most of the action was performed, all five cameras were used: left, right, top, a general wide shot and a camera with a long lens to capture detailed shots.
To ensure consistent and sufficient lighting, additional LED panels were mounted in the ceiling. The panels were fixed with special clamps screwed into the wooden ceiling beams and a safety chain was attached to each panel.
Setting up the equipment took half an hour to three quarters of an hour per shooting day. Dismantling easily took half an hour.
Filmmaker's experience
"Even with these different camera angles, we sometimes had to ask Marc to turn towards the camera to make the action more visible. Sometimes Marc was doing work in a different place in his workshop, at a drill or on a different workbench. This meant we had to reorganise the set-up with limited time." (Alexander Kerkhof, filmmaker)
One of the challenges in making a hurdy-gurdy is that it is not a linear process. Sometimes you can't proceed with a part because the glue has to dry. At other times, you have to wait to finish one part until another part is ready. For this reason, you have to work on different parts of the instrument at the same time.
Working simultaneously on different parts reflects the real making process. It creates opportunities because you can film something else while you wait. However, it also creates a challenge to keep a clear overview of the making process (on one side) and the filming process (on the other).
Another challenge is the pace of the different parts within the making process itself: some parts of the making process require so much attention that they cannot be done in one go. If you try to work too fast, you run the risk of breaking the part and having to redo bits unnecessarily. Then again, other parts of the making process are so repetitive that only part of their execution needs to be filmed. The rest can be finished behind the scenes to save filming time.
Conclusion
Making tutorial videos is an intense and in-depth process: there is a huge multitude of steps to follow, information to convey clearly and this requires a lot of coordination between all parties involved.
Proper preparation and (following) a clear roadmap were therefore essential for success.
In addition, be aware that this filmmaking methodology is time-consuming: the documentation process takes (at least) as long as making an instrument, including the 'waiting time'.
03 Wattle and daub
Trajectory
Lieve De Saedeleer, heritage professional at Bokrijk | Craftsmanhip & Heritage undertook a trajectory on audiovisual documentation of wattle and daub, an architectural technique that involves braiding (daubing) on a wooden framework and then applying clay.
This case study was chosen because by October 2023, a worksite was scheduled at the Bokrijk Open Air Museum where the process of wattle and daub would be applied. The planned worksite was an ideal opportunity to capture this craftership through film. The purpose of the videos is to convey the knowledge and skills of the various techniques.
Context
For this trajectory, a different filmmaker was involved: Lieve Willekens, a visual anthropologist. She replaced the lead filmmaker in the Focus Craftership project, Alexander Kerkhof. He indicated in the course of the project that the predetermined timing was not feasible. However, it turned out to be the ideal opportunity to have the methodology tested by another filmmaker.
In addition, the location of the site was also a challenge, as the lead filmmaker was to spend a lot of time transporting to the Bokrijk Open Air Museum because he does not live in the nearby region.
The context of this documentation process is perhaps unique: both the practitioners, the accompanying heritage professional and the filmmaker are all employed by one organisation: Domain Bokrijk ngo.
Approach
Preliminary stage
The new filmmaker was briefed beforehand on the purpose of both the broader project (Focus Craftership) and the process of wattle and daub itself. She carefully went through the methodology (above) beforehand and discussed some elements further with the regular, experienced filmmaker.
Before filming began, a field visit and some exploratory discussions took place with several possible practitioners. The final choice was a worksite on the Domain Bokrijk site and 3 practitioners employed by the Open Air Museum Bokrijk. This was simply because the practitioners mastered the entire process so well: right down to watering the sticks and turning the clay. Moreover, collaborating with commercial practitioners proved difficult. They found the project worthwhile, but struggled with time constraints.
By staying in-house, both practitioners, accompanying heritage professional and filmmaker determined the timing themselves. This was an advantage since loam, like many other historical building techniques, is highly seasonal. Night frost, for instance, is out of the question.
Filming the making process
Filming the entire making process took place within the period of 1 week (about 4 days). 1 camera and 1 (directional) microphone were used.
The fact that all the different locations in the making process were close to each other on the relatively small site made this possible. In addition, the craftsmen's studios were also located at the Bokrijk estate. After all, wattle consists of 5 stages: watering the wipe, turning loam, varnishing, applying loam and smoothing. So it was easy to film all the different operations in a short time.
During the filming itself, 3 experienced craftspeople took turns during the different shooting days.
Finishing
After filming the making process, a supplementary interview with the professionals was conducted.
Colour correction and finishing (editing) was provided by the original filmmaker, Alexander Kerkhof, in December 2023 to ensure continuity of the look and feel of the videos.
Filmmaker's experience
"We received feedback after showing a first finished version that one of the interviewees' names was spelt differently and still needed to be adjusted. So we now know that it's better and more practical if you deliver footage for finishing without graphics. That comes only after colour correction and otherwise the graphic is coloured along with it."
Conclusion
Collaborating with people from the same organisation offered several advantages:
- proximity to different locations
- possibility of self-determination of timing (depending on weather conditions)
- previous experience of working together
Still, it is important to mention that other practitioners (who exercise their craftership as a profession) were also approached. As always, good preparation - which includes scouting of different stakeholders plays a major role! - is crucial for the smooth running of a documentation trail.
In addition, weather conditions played a major role in this documentation process: so keep an eye on the weather forecast!
04 General recommendations
- Good preparation is the key to a successful project!
- Listen to practitioners: they know what the making process is all about and will dictate both the content and rhythm of their making. Be flexible.
- For facilitators: be as activating as possible! Communities can sometimes be reluctant and/or intimidated to actually hold the camera in their own hands. Reassure them and point out that there's definitely no need. Provided some practice and help, things can work perfectly, just look at the millions of videos on Youtube!
Haven't found what you're looking for?
We are happy to help with further questions or any feedback you might have.