Blog 4: Kazuhiro Soda's 10 Commandments

Kazuhiro Soda’s Ten Commandments were created as a result of his frustration when working under people and feeling uncomfortable with his work. One of his “commandments” includes (Number 5) ‘Shoot for as long as possible.’ This can be vital, as this allows the cameraman to have plenty of footage to work from and can also capture the continuity of the scene. For instance, when shooting a documentary or a film on a person’s point of view, continuity is important; as humans we perceive reality as a continuous thing and when capturing something that is real, fluidity helps create a more immersive experience. This commandment also gives ample opportunity to select the best scene to edit.

More experimental films would emerge if Soda’s guiding were to be set in place for the filmmaker. For observational films such as the ones Soda creates, I feel like these rules are great. However, it is important for the content creator to identify point(s) of interest or the video may appear confusing. I enjoyed watching Soda’s film in class because of how natural and effortless the film appeared to be. The film was real and spontaneous, and in addition, I felt a connection to the people within the film. I think it’s interesting that Soda does not have a large group of people working with him behind the scenes; as stated in class, Soda is usually on his own, and his wife (and producer) sometimes tags along. This demonstrates some of his rules, ‘Rule the camera yourself,’ and ‘Pay for the production yourself.’ I think these rules allow Soda’s work to help speak for his own vision, rather than many. It’s his personal creation between him and those he films.

Lastly, for someone attempting to film a research or science documentary, he/she should not follow these guidelines as there should be research and a certain goal (or thesis) that is attempted to be proved. If I were to create my own rules similar to Soda’s, I would likely include the rule that I stated above, to ensure that my film has continuity and thus, flows. Furthermore, while Soda states that his first rule is no research, I would think research is important to me so I can know a little about the people I’m working with, the area I’m shooting at, and so forth. I think prior knowledge is essential, however, it is not necessary to excessively research, as the film should speak for itself.