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Documentary Filmmaking with Anthony Wonke

Q&A with Documentary Filmmaker Anthony Wonke

31 January 2008, Watershed Media Centre, Bristol

Documentary Filmmaking with Anthony Wonke

Anthony Wonke is a documentary film maker who started his career in the mid-nineties in such programs as “Cutting Edge” on Channel 4 (the award winning series “Staying Lost”). His most recent films are “The Tower” (8×50 minutes on BBC1) and “The £ 800 million Railway Station” on the building of the new Saint-Pancras Eurostar terminal. His style is humanistic and observational.

The interview was led by Menekse Meech and the film chosen to illustrate his approach to documentary making was “The Tower”.

Asked about his background, A. W. explained he had not taken a direct route (i.e. college). Instead he worked as assistant director in dramas. Although he enjoyed the camaraderie, he felt frustrated by the lack of opportunities for creative input (except for the writer or the director). He then worked as a researcher, which he found more empowering and rewarding. He soon realised that the sort of documentaries he was most interested in were observational.

Asked about how he manages to get people to open up so much on camera, he explained that choosing his subjects very carefully is paramount. In his quest for good subjects, among the vast amount of people he meets who are desperate to be on TV, he has to make sure the people he chooses are either interesting characters or have a story that fits in and illustrates well his “big story”. He relies on good communication, honesty and trust.

He always wants his subjects to be aware of the reason why he is doing the film and also of the importance of what he wants to explore. He is also very clear with them about what the process of being filmed over many months / years will entail (they are warned that they may not always find it fun).

He explained that he may edit some scenes for ethical reasons—if they are too personal and not vital to the general working of the film. Within reason, he takes into account his subjects’ objections and said that he had experienced very few problems with people throughout his film making years.

He works on a local level, contacting people on the ground, in his search for interesting subjects, whose individual stories will also give illuminating insights into the “big story” (in the case of “The Tower”, the big story was the regeneration of an area of London from council flats to luxury apartments).

He acknowledged having been lucky to be given lots of time for his research and filming – this came from the fact that he has been working on long form films (for “The Tower” the filming lasted for three years).

Asked about how he starts his ground research, he explained that he relies on good human contacts (he tries to choose people he can relate to and keeps in touch with many after filming has finished). He does not use a camera at first because it would risk ruining the relationships he is keen to build. He insisted on the importance of being clear about what you want to do / highlight in your film right from the pre-production stage. He has no problem with consent forms as people he chooses are motivated to be in his films.

Documentary Filmmaking with Anthony Wonke

What matters most to him is his relationship with his subjects. He therefore works in an intimate way, with a crew reduced to the very minimum (sound, camera, director). He shares the actual filming with his cameraman (roughly on a 40% to 60% ratio). He also said he trusts his crew totally and loves working with the same people all the time. He loves collaborating with his cameraman – he makes sure to let him know what he wants before filming and then enjoys the surprises he gets when he sees the rushes.

Anthony Wonke is above all what the French would call “un homme de terrain”—a man of the field / a man of action. He works with his editor to make sure the structure of the film reflects his original vision, but he much prefers “field work” to cutting room work, and trusts his editor’s flair and skill. As a director he creates the original theme and overall vision but he is flexible and welcomes relevant additions whether they come from his subjects, circumstances or his co-workers.

Both he and his editor work out the voice-over exposition, but to him it is the images that speak about the emotions not the words. To him music is also really important as a means to foster the mood he wants to project.

His reasons for making documentaries are not overly political. He likes to tell a story (a real, unscripted, emotional story). Moreover he does not want to tell just literal stories but complex ones with interesting subtext. He feels it is a real privilege for him to be able to do his job, to add his take on the world through his subjects. He wants to surprise viewers and make them think by shining a different light on a topic. He wishes to buck stereotypes and open people’s minds.

In conclusion, Anthony Wonke’s films are people-centred and picture-led.

V. Martin

www.myspace.com/cubicstone

Documentary Filmmaking with Anthony Wonke