CASE STUDY SHEFFIELDDOC/FEST
Vintage lenses and archive content were the biggest trends in non-fiction filmmaking at the 25th Sheffield Doc/Fest THE RISE OF RETRO FILM FESTIVAL
WORDS AND PICTURES ZENA OLIANI
I f you want to know what’s on trend in the world of documentary filmmaking, then the Sheffield Doc/Fest is the place to be. And if you were one of the visitors who flocked from all over the world to celebrate the 25th edition of this highly- regarded festival this year, then the hottest themes were all about looking back. The unmistakeable look of classic lenses used on modern cameras, and the mix of archive, retrospective content mixed with up-to-date footage were the big topics. What’s old is new once again, it seems. While anyone can purchase a ticket to a screening there are certain events reserved only for full festival pass holders. Closed pitching events, panel talks with commissioners and Craft Summits are just a few of the exclusive elements to the programme and all of themwere continually packed.
Notably, the Focus on Cinematography Craft Summit gave attendees the chance to hear some directors and cinematographers talk about their techniques and equipment. Directors revealed that they are regularly contacted by aspiring documentarians asking about what kit they use, so the festival was a great opportunity to talk about the considerations in choosing diversity in the chosen cameras but unlike Sundance, Doc/Fest doesn’t produce a list of the most popular equipment. Anecdotally it seemed as though Canon was still leading the field years after revolutionising the market with the inconspicuous EOS 5D, with many filmmakers still using this camera or upgrading to the C-series. Capitalising on this, Canon sponsored the Craft Summit and had a stand to showcase equipment for their own projects. As you’d expect there’s a lot of
IMAGES Sheffield Doc/Fest is now in its 25th year, and attracts visitors from all over the world, growing each year by attracting new visitors as well as seasoned regulars.
their products particularly suited to documentary, and allow filmmakers to get hands-on with the kit. During the cinematography Craft Summit, panel moderator Krishan Arora posed the question: “Is the choice of lens the new film stock?” But it was Maceo Frost, director of Too Beautiful: Our Right to Fight whose answer reflected a sentiment that was echoed around the festival. While he used a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema camera, he chose to pair it with vintage lenses. “Old lenses give a character to the footage, when you use new lenses sometimes it just becomes too sharp… you lose some of the personality.”
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PRO MOVIEMAKER AUTUMN 2018
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