Get ready for a storytelling trip with me. These are wild!
Here’s the most paradoxical thing about them:
You want to do as much planning as possible. Have a sense of what question you’re trying to answer beforehand. Do a little research to see how others have gone about it. Map out the places you want to go and the people you want to meet and all the things you want to learn. Plan the shots, script what you can, and get ready to roll.
Then show up, and be prepared to throw it all away.
Be fully present. Let your experiences inform the story.
Be human and connect with people FIRST, before worrying about recording and all that. Then, y'know, hit record.
You probably won’t throw it *all* away. The scripting and all will have been helpful. But you will most certainly be surprised and have perspectives shift by being there.
Here’s how I gather ideas and get ready for an international storytelling trip.