Tips + Techniques


In Conversation with Award-Winning Filmmaker Abraham Joffe

April 12, 2017

By Stacey Goldberg

All photos © Abraham Joffe

Kingdom of the Ice Bear
By Abraham Joffe
First Place in Commercial/Illustrative Filmmaking

Australian director and filmmaker Abraham Joffe used to shoot wedding films earlier in his career, but he’s spent the last several years traveling the globe and turning his lens to wildlife and conservation issues. His first-place award in the Filmmaking Division’s Commercial/Illustrative category at WPPI 2017, Kingdom of the Ice Bear, was created on commission by Joshua Holko, the leader of an arctic wildlife photography travel expedition, to “document what it’s like to be in the company of [polar bears], these huge, amazing animals,” Joffe says. “We wanted to celebrate that the arctic offers photographic and visual opportunities, and encourage people to go up and visit these extreme locations—especially now that they’re under such a real threat.”

Joffe, who typically works with a crew of three or four, was the lone videographer on this assignment. “This is the first trip where I had to do all the drone work by myself,” he says, “and it’s a real challenge flying one in the arctic.” The fast-draining battery life was one of the more challenging and important obstacles to overcome, he says, and to keep the batteries alive longer in cold conditions, Joffe wrapped them in hand warmers. “The drone is really what enabled me to get amazing visuals—especially those shots where the ship is pushing through the ice.”

The film was shot in 4K and edited in Adobe Premier Pro. “I always edit with the RAW and 4K files,” Joffe says. “We master 4K, grade in 4K and stay in 4K throughout the whole post-production process.” Sometimes he’ll bring in a colorist, and, for Kingdom of the Ice Bear, he used an external sound designer to help layer in the atmospheric noises and ensure the narration was crisp and clear.

Overall, Joffe credits his passion for helping transform the final piece into an award-winning film. “Good storytelling starts by being curious,” he says. “Especially if you’re working on documentaries.” He also won second place in the Commercial/Illustrative category for Tales by Light Season 2 Extended Trailer, a teaser video for the second season of his National Geographic documentary series Tales by Light (season 1 is currently available on Netflix). “Wildlife is my passion, and I continue to improve my skills every year, whether that’s taking more advanced diving courses or lessons in drone operation,” he says.

When it came to submitting his films to WPPI, Joffe says the 5-minute time limit helped him curate his selection, but he was still mindful of which films would do best under the judging criteria. Creating storylines for films under 5 minutes means “you really need to communicate a strong message,” he says. “The film can’t be pure visuals—it needs a message and a story. The films I entered were strong regarding storytelling, and the strong visuals followed.”

The Gear

Cameras: RED EPIC Dragon, Canon 1D C
Lenses: Canon 200-400mm f/4L, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II
Drone: DJI Inspire 1
Audio: Sound Devices 633 Field Production Mixer, Sennheiser MKH 8060 microphone, Rycote Windshield microphone kit
Sound recording: Jen Walker
Sound design: Nylon Studio Editing: Lorna-Jean Bradley

NOTES FROM THE JUDGES:

Michael Novo
“Joffe combined shots from multiple locations and put his own spin on them. There was no narration for the first 20 seconds, but the environmental sounds let the viewer begin to understand what they’re about to see. The technical detail that stood out the most to me was the opening shot. You’re looking straight down the bow of the boat into the water and a gull enters the frame. That establishes the size of what the viewer is actually looking at. It’s so easy to just have a camera on a tripod looking straight at the horizon.”

Nik Pekridis
“What impresses me most about this film, aside from the brilliant technical skill it took to create and the well-executed narration, are the breathtaking drone scenes showcasing the icebreaker. These shots tied with the narrative really popped and helped the film stand out from the competition.”

Catherine Hall
“This film shows excellent technical skill by capturing a challenging arctic environment, and it displays very skilled storytelling, selling this voyage without feeling like a commercial. It’s a brilliant approach of soft-selling something through a video that’s filled with profound visuals. There’s superb use of audio, ranging from the cracking sounds of the ice to the compelling interviews.”

Adrian Henson
“It does a fantastic job of selling photo tours and creating a sense of urgency—I literally felt like signing up for the tour while watching it. I feel educated, and I find it stunningly beautiful. It is hard to note the technical details because the videography never draws attention to itself. The cool colorcast supports everything within the context. I never feel let down because a scene is too short, and the film also never loses my attention by hanging with a scene too long.”

WHEN IT COMES TO DRONES…

Get qualified
Go through the training and testing required to become—for those in Australia—Civilian Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) certified. There, you’ll learn that the most important flying rules are: Don’t fly within three nautical miles of a towered airport, don’t fly above 400 feet, and don’t fly within 100 feet of people or overpopulated areas. [Editor’s note: In the States, you can get remote pilot certification through the FAA.]

Plan ahead
Think about what shot (or shots) you want to achieve before taking off. It’s not only safer, but will also conserve battery power.

Keep it simple
Grand wides [big-vista panoramic shots of landscapes] establishing a scene or a birds-eye shot can be powerful. Fast flying or exaggerated moves don’t always mean more impact. The power of a well-framed, eye-in-the-sky shot shouldn’t be ignored!

Abraham’s Trips for Shooting Underwater…

Become a good diver
The diving should be a natural state of being for you, allowing you to concentrate on the shooting.

Create a pre-dive checklist
Unlike shooting on the surface, where you can easily replace a dead battery, clean a spot off your lens or sensor, or switch your lens from auto to manual focus, all of these practices become impossible underwater. Having a rigorous checking-procedure will ensure your dives are not cut short, or worse, destroyed by sensor dirt or a flooded housing.

Practice good buoyancy
Your ability to position and stabilize yourself in the water column is critical to capturing useable images.

Maintain acceptable water visibility
When shooting near the bottom, whether it be a river or the ocean, avoiding kicking up sediments. One loose fin swipe can instantly cloud the scene and depending on the current, take a long time to settle.

Stay safe
Manage your attention on your depth, air consumption and proximity to hazards at all times. It is very easy to let the consuming nature of shooting distract you from the risks associated with diving. Where possible, employ a safety diver (someone without a camera) to ensure the diving remains safe. If diving and shooting underwater with a friend, it’s important to maintain buddy-safety practices. Looking out for each other whilst submerged!

Enjoy the freedom
The dynamic movement scuba gives you can be incredibly freeing. With camera in hand, you effectively become your own dolly track, jib, or drone. You can swim around subjects with the smoothness of a dolly, rise above a scene and give a bird’s eye perspective, or perform slow push-ins or outs adding drama to the capture.


To read this article in the digital edition, click here.

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