Proposal Video for Jay Cochrane Documentary
Posted by Jay C on January 8th, 2008
Filed under: News, Personal Projects
Hey guys, just thought I’d give you a little look at a project I’ve been working on off and on for a few months now. The film is a yet-to-be-titled documentary chronicling world renowned wire walker Jay Cochrane’s attempt to walk across Niagara Falls on a tight rope. It’s a much discussed topic around these parts (I live fifteen minutes away from the falls) and is turning out to be an interesting little story, especially with tourism in the falls facing some pretty harsh lows. I hope to document the entire process, from proposal to permission (hopefully) to performance.
The following is a proposal video I put together to send off to Mr.Cochrane. Thankfully he was very enthusiastic about the project and looks to be on board. So here it is for you guys to see. Still a work in progress, and cut together from only two interviews…this video is merely an example of the sort of tone/style I’ll be shooting for. Please feel free to share your thoughts. Any comments would be much appreciated. (Thanks to the wonderful services available at vimeo.com, this video is also made available in 720p HD by following THIS link!)
Untitled Jay Cochrane Documentary from Jay Cheel on Vimeo.
Trip on 
January 9th, 2008 07:42
This is some good stuff. Are you at all worried though, that - should this ever become some sort of release - people will just write it off as an Errol Morris ripoff though? I think maybe experimenting with various other kinds of music may lessen this feeling.
I loved the whales though. Seriously. Even that one strange connection moment, which was both akward yet visually satisfying. The more huge animals you can get in HD, the better your movie is, is what I say!
January 9th, 2008 09:34
You video definitely succeeded in intriguing me. I would see this movie. I agree with Henrik that it has the look of a Morris film. Then again, Errol Morris makes great films, so if you’re gonna have someone influence your style, who better than him?
January 9th, 2008 11:15
Hey guys,
Thanks for the comments. I guess it’s tough to put something together with people talking into the camera without some heavy Errol Morris comparisons. (Obviously he’s a big influence on me, being one of my favourite directors) I’m thinking maybe the one thing that I did bring from Morris is his use of b-roll footage. I love his attention to detail to his cutaways. If anything, I just want to try and achieve even a little of the cinematic feel of his films. However, as this film progresses, there will be lots of opportunity to explore different styles and techniques. I hope to capture the Jay Cochrane stuff in more of a verite style, just following him along on his story. (with some sit down interviews thrown in here and there)
The style in this video will mostly pertain to the talking head interviews conducted with Niagara Falls residents. I think once the Jay Cochrane footage starts, things will find a voice.
Thanks for the comments!
January 9th, 2008 11:20
Also, I was thinking about how Morris has influenced other well established documentary filmmakers, and the first to come to mind is Kevin McDonald. His use of Morris-isms in ‘One Day in September’ (a movie some folks felt I should’ve included on my top 25 docs of all time list) come right down to the ‘interrotron’ style interviews and even use of some Philip Glass music! (Touching the Void also has a similar feel) Both great movies. It’s also interesting to note that McDonald actually directed a documentary about Errol Morris called ‘A Brief History of Errol Morris’, released AFTER One Day in September.
January 9th, 2008 14:38
It’s not an accusation. I mean there is only so many ways to shoot an interview and still make sense, so that in and of itself is a bit harsh to call a ripoff of anything. It has more to do with the way the whole thing is presented, very serene and floaty, with the ‘floaty’, ethereal music underneath seemingly elevating everything to a point where it becomes almost like mythological etc.
I do think it’s pretty well done, and it certainly is not my place to pass judgement, I was just interested in wether or not it was something that was a concern of yours. I didn’t mean to belittle your stuff.
January 9th, 2008 21:05
Henrik,
I hope you don’t mistake my comments as reactionary or defensive. I’m very open about my influences, and Morris is definitely one of them. (Another would be my attempt to inject some Sergio Leone into a documentary. I love the idea of cutting from extreme close ups to wide shots in interviews)
As for the ethereal music and mythological feel…that’s just something I can’t resist.
January 11th, 2008 23:00
Thanks for sharing this! I’d love to hear the technical details of how you shot the interviews.
January 12th, 2008 13:12
Hey Matt,
It’s been pretty simple so far. The movie is being shot on an HVX 200. For both interviews in the proposal video I used a simple one light set up, consisting of a three bulb cool light. The mayor’s chambers were nicely lit to begin with, so I just wanted to get more light on his face. For the whale tank, I used the blue light that was naturally emitting from the tank as a side light. (which worked perfectly considering I brought a light with a blue gel thinking I might have to fake that look)
Everything has been shot with the HVX’s stock lens thus far, although I do own a 35mm adapter. I will most likely be trying it out in the near future.
Sound wise, I just used a cheap 170 dollar shot gun mic attatched to a 40 dollar mic stand. When I interviewed the mayor, I had actually forgotten the head to my mic stand, so I had to improvise by balancing the mic on a dixie cup. (This is visible in the wide shot. I’ll have to take care of that in post, even though I think it has an unusual charm to it)
So far, it’s been a one man shoot aside from my girlfriend helping me bring equipment in at Marineland.
January 15th, 2008 16:01
Honestly I think it looks fantastic and I hope the project comes together easily for you. Keep us updated because it looks like something I’d absolutely like to see. Also, keep up the great work with the site!
March 2nd, 2008 20:05
This really looks fantastic. I hadn’t gotten a chance to check it out until today. The vibrancy of your footage really kept my attention (that and the subject matter, of course). I like your indication in the comments above that you may aim for a verite style with the Mr. Cochrane. The project has the potential for a fusion of multiple styles. Can’t wait to see more.
April 12th, 2008 14:05
were can i get the jay cochrane movie