Inspiring and Powerful Stories: One Day With a Tattoo Artist My First Short Doc
Why I Created This Short Documentary
Sometimes, you have to stop and do something for yourself. For me, it means creating something just for the pleasure of filming, editing, and, of course, telling a story.
To begin with, I’ve always loved short documentaries, especially some works of Philip Bloom, and I’m always looking for new mini docs to watch. However, this genre is not very widespread in Italy, (the place where I live right now (more about me on my About Me page), so I haven’t had many chances to work on a short documentary. Therefore, I decided to produce one myself and started to look for an interesting story to tell.
During Christmas, I came across Simona Ercole, a talented tattoo artist in Apulia, Southern Italy. After doing some research, Consequently, I realized that she could be the right subject for my first mini doc.
Planning and Shooting the Documentary
In May, I returned to Apulia for work and reached out to Simona to ask if she would be open to being filmed and interviewed. She was enthusiastic about the idea, and after a short meeting to discuss the project, we chose a date for shooting.
Filmmaking Gear Used for the Shoot
Main Camera: Panasonic GH4
I shot most of the footage using my Panasonic GH4, applying a modified Cinestyle D picture profile (thanks to a tip from Noam Kroll). My lenses included:
- Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 (equivalent to 50mm full frame)
- Olympus Zuiko 12mm f/2.0 (24mm full frame equivalent)
Furthermore, the GH4 is one of my favorite cameras due to its ergonomic design and excellent image quality, especially when paired with the Voigtlander lens. Moreover, it’s a reliable alternative to the Canon 5D for independent filmmakers.
B-Camera: Panasonic LX100
For secondary shots, I used the Panasonic LX100 with a modified standard picture profile. Initially, I considered the GH3 or the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, but the LX100 impressed me with its compact size, GH4 compatibility, and ease of use—perfect for street and travel filmmaking.
Other Equipment on Set
As a no-budget indie production, I kept the gear simple:
- Manfrotto tripods
- Kollerton slider for tracking shots
- Camera cage for handheld footage
- Zoom H2n for master audio
- Rode Videomic Pro (on GH4) and LX100 internal mic as backups
Most footage was recorded at 25fps, with a few B-roll clips at 50fps for smooth slow motion.
Post-Production: Editing and Color Grading
After filming, I edited the entire work using Final Cut Pro X (FCPX), my go-to video editing software. FCPX’s smart collections and magnetic timeline are incredibly helpful for organizing footage and speeding up the edit.
I first built the interview sequence, selecting the most compelling answers. Then I shaped the story around her responses. One big lesson I learned: interview-driven storytelling is unpredictable, so always shoot more B-roll than you think you’ll need!
Color Grading
Initially, I aimed for a look inspired by Inside Llewyn Davis by the Coen Brothers. Although it looked good, I ultimately chose a black-and-white aesthetic, which felt more natural and powerful for this piece.
Color grading was done in DaVinci Resolve Lite, with final refinements in FilmConvert, a plugin that emulates real film stock for a more cinematic result.
Final Thoughts on Creating My First Short Documentary
Working on One Day with a Tattoo Artist reminded me why I love short-form documentary filmmaking: it allows you to tell meaningful stories in a compact, creative format. This genre is ideal for personal projects, but it also lends itself to branded content and fashion films, making it incredibly versatile.