Nov 9, 2009

Workshop Documentary making in Windhoek, Namibia

This was great to do...

Project Overview
The workshop “My image Namibia” aims at training TV documentary makers in Namibia. The production method of documentary making both in national television and the TV department of the College of the Arts is traditional BBC styled. This results in extended crews and production teams resulting in massive production budgets.
Modern digital technology, small camera’s and editing equipment make it possible to work in very small teams (or alone) to produce intimate and intense TV documentary programmes for small budgets. Sometimes even being 10% of traditional budgets.




Maarten Rens, the workshop facilitator, is a Dutch filmmaker with an expertise in this specific production style. What he will leave behind after the envisioned workshop is a new approach in documentary making, and 4 sets of equipment (small high quality digital camera’s + sound) that will make it possible to continue what has been piloted through the workshop.

The objective of this workshop is threefold
  • Building capacity with the staff and students of the College of the Arts and staff of NBC Television in documentary filmmaking, through one-man/woman crews
  • Come to the production of a 10 to 12 part pilot series of documentaries, all on one specific theme
  • Explore and initiate a permanent partnership between the College of the Arts and the NBC Television for production and airing of similar documentary productions.