TV Documentary research

My documentary was produced with the idea that it would be shown on a TV format rather than a film, this may be within a series involving the idea of 'Freedom' in which this episode would look at 'Freedom' within India. The rest of the series could look at other parts of the world and show contrast between different cultures and ways of living. I did some research into the TV documentary industry looking at the types of documentary we have today and which channels prefer which genres of documentary.

The BBC is one of the front runners in airing documentary programs in the UK. It generally deals with serious and thoughtful topics. This suggests the target audience could be educated and informed people, however they are well known for producing and distributing a huge variety of documentary programs ranging from David Attenborough nature documentaries to programs like Panorama or Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe.

History of BBC

John Reith (1889-1971) was the founder of the BBC.  He was its first General Director when it was set up as the British Broadcasting Company in 1922 and he was its first Director General when it became a public corporation in 1927.   Reith fought off the politicians' attempts to influence the BBC, while offering the British people programmes to educate, inform and entertain.

This idea to educate, inform and entertain is one that is very important in particular with my documentary film as I want it to educate and inform the audience to what this concept of 'Freedom" means to the people in India but also to entertain them so that they are drawn into the story and want to continue watching and don't change channel to something else.

Evaluation Q1

1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In the early stages of this project I did a lot of industry research on documentary films and what was already out there. I came across many different types of documentary and many different types of techniques used to engage the audience and focus on the story and characters within the film. From the beginning of the planning stages I knew that my aim was to make the audience think and to reflect on how it might relate to them. The topic of ‘freedom’ was an idea that I wanted to use for a long time before making this piece and being in India gave me a great opportunity to explore this in a different culture. I researched a lot about the uses of B-roll footage within documentary and how to keep the audience engaged on the story and the interview footage. This was very beneficial and useful when considering shot selection and editing the final product. As the topic and story within the interview was quite hard hitting, I wanted to make sure that none of the shot choices or music felt gimmicky which might take the audience away from the seriousness of the main topic.

Here are some screen shots from the final piece to display the shot selection.

I looked at media products that were out in the industry that dealt with a similar topic and how they had used factors such as music and shot choice to keep the audience focused on the images and story. I found that using slow tempo and quiet music underneath a voiceover or interview such as in the "Portrait of my Father" documentary I did a textual analysis of, worked extremely effectively as you are drawn into the dialogue and the music creates a relaxed atmosphere which makes it easier to watch. In some cases the absence of music during dialogue also works very well as your attention is focused on that one sentence or story at that time. This is evident in the Alfred Dunhill portrait interviews. As my topic of freedom is very vast I knew that it would have been virtually impossible for me to address everything that came under the word 'freedom', therefore I looked at a number of documentaries and the content they portrayed to the audience to make sure it was a unique topic. After my interview with M.D Jos I knew that due to limited time to film and to meet people to interview he would be the base of my documentary due to his compelling and deep story he had to tell. As I was filming him speak I knew that I was very lucky to find someone as passionate and actively involved with ‘freedom’ as he was and knew that it was perfect for the questions I wanted to ask and issues I wanted to raise.

                                                                                                            

Much like with many products out there in the industry there are many other media formats surrounding it such as magazine write ups and advertising campaigns. The ancillary tasks in my project mirror what these other forms of media do and what impact they have on the success of the main production. Many documentary films, much like with my own, deal with hard hitting and gripping topics therefore the target audience for this piece may vary from young adults who are interested in the topic to older people who prefer hard hitting stories of real life events in a area of the world very different to ours in the western world. I wanted my target audience to be as wide as possible therefore made sure the shot selection and music didn't cause tedium when viewing it.

Evaluation Q2

2) How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

In the run up to this project I was able to acquire a Macbook Pro and the editing software Final Cut Pro 7 from an uncle who works in the industry. I was fortunate enough to know a lot of people who were experienced with the software and were able to teach me the basics and shortcuts within it so when I came to edit the final piece it made the editing process faster and more efficient. Before editing I had practiced using the software on several smaller projects and made myself familiar with it so that it wasn't too difficult when it came around to a bigger project such as this. I didn't have many problems throughout the editing process as I knew what shots I wanted to use and how the timeline would be laid out. The only issues I had, came from technical issues such as setting a scratch disk with a new external hard drive and also using external sound and lip sync within the interview section. Despite this they were easily overcome by asking people I knew who could help and by researching different techniques to overcome this using the internet. Overall it was a smooth and enjoyable process in the post production of the final piece. 

Before this project I had used DSLR cameras but was not completely comfortable with all the correct settings and functions that the camera had in order to improve the overall outcome. I researched before filming some of the important settings and formats I needed the camera to be in beforehand so I was prepared when it came round to filming. I became familiar with how to use ISO, Aperture and white balance correctly so that my images were not over exposed or off colour to how I wanted the shot to look. Throughout the filming process my skills of using the camera and knowledge of the technical side of it increased and by the end of the 4 days filming together with all the practice before the trip was confident with the camera.

When researching in the early stages on the project, the use of television and the internet were extremely beneficial as they gave me a huge variety of different documentaries that were out in the industry. This allowed me to compare the different genres within documentary and gave me the opportunity to take inspiration from productions that were already out there regarding editing techniques and shot selection. I used sites such as YouTube and Vimeo as they gave me the access to films and independent filmmakers who are posting their work. Both these sites allow feedback and have access to a huge target audience from fellow filmmakers to casual viewers at home on their computers.

Evaluation Q3

3) What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

I posted my final product on a number of social network and media sites such as Youtube, Facebook and Twitter and received better feedback than I could have asked for and was grateful for all the feedback I received. Many people commented on the fact that they forgot it was a student film and felt like they were watching a 'real film' which was very encouraging and affirmed to me that the techniques used and shot choice when editing was effective in the final outcome. I also received some good constructive criticism on things within the interview footage such as lighting and editing techniques that I could have used to improve the image of M.D Jos, this was extremely helpful and beneficial, especially for future projects and films I make to improve the outcome. Having more interviews was also an area that could have been improved, however having only a limited time and people that I was in contact with I was fortunate enough to find a perfect interviewee who was passionate about this topic and had a great story to tell. As with every film or project you will work on you learn new things and your skills will improve and using this audience feedback I know how I can keep developing these skills in my work. 

As the topic of ‘freedom’ and the caste system in India isn’t something you hear about everyday from the feedback I have had back it has showed me that the viewers have been drawn in by the story and have been very interested in the what Jos had to say about the work he is doing out in India. I find this very positive as it is a topic that people may not have been interested in or may cause controversy between people who may have strong viewpoints on this topic of ‘freedom’. Audience feedback is a vital and important part to improving and developing your skill set when in the production of films and opens your eyes up to what the audience prefer to see and what puts them off watching the screen.

After posting my video on Youtube after 3 days it had received 123 views. I also posted it on Facebook where I received some good feedback which is shown on a previous post.

Evaluation Q4

Here is a Prezi presentation I create to answer my Q4: How effective is the combination of your main product and your ancillary task?

Freedom - A Short Documentary film

Here is my final documentary film from my YouTube channel. Watch in 1080p

Sound Equipment

As the Canon 600d's internal sound isn't the best quality I wanted to make sure that the sound was clear and crisp as I would be recording a lot of dialogue within my film. In order this this outcome to occur I used a Zoom H1 external sound recorder throughout filming to enhance the overall sound quality. I have a close friend who is a sound design graduate who lend me the equipment and taught me how to use it.

Here is some additional information about the product.

X/Y microphone pattern captures stereo sound with remarkable depth and clarity.


Like all Zoom recorders, the H1's onboard microphones are configured in an X/Y pattern for stunning stereo imaging. Because both mics are arranged on the same axis, they are equidistant from the sound source for perfect localization and no phase shifting. The result is great stereo recordings with natural depth and accurate imaging.

Reduce noise with the built-in low-cut filter

Use the onboard low-cut filter to reduce unwanted background noise and focus the recording. This is ideal for interviews and recording outdoors. Use the optional windscreen to further reduce noise.

Attach to a video camera as an external microphone

The compact, lightweight H1 is perfect for use on a video or DSLR camera. The remarkable depth and clarity of sound achieved by the stereo X/Y mic design brings additional realism and depth to HD video. By combining the H1 with a DSLR video camera, you can create a professional video system with high-quality sound.

Directional microphones focus only on the sound you want

The H1's built-in directional microphones focus on the sound being recorded. Unlike omnidirectional microphones, which pick up sound all around indiscriminately, the H1 mics ignore the unwanted noise behind them.

Voice-Over script

Here Is the original Voice-over script I used in recording

[OPENING SCENE INDIA MONTAGE]

V.O - What is freedom? (PAUSE for audience reflection) Love? Independence? Power? The connotation of this word is so vast. It has many meanings throughout the lives of each individual. It cannot be expressed through a single word.

I travelled to India to find out for myself what this concept of freedom meant to some of the people living in poverty and slavery in Pune, India. I met some incredible people with incredible stories, some of which I am able to share with you.

This is Jos, he lives and works in Hydrabad, India and is Director of Mercy Community development foundation, they provide skilled training and financial service to empower and free the Dalits.

[MAIN INTERVIEW SECTION]

[CLOSING SCENE] FREEDOM IMAGERY

Freedom comes in many different forms whether its being released from restriction, the rein to do as we please or simply dancing around and enjoying yourself. (PAUSE) Ill leave you to figure out what it is for you.

Documentary Feedback

I posted my final documentary piece on a number of different social media sites which allowed feedback to be given and for a wide audience of people to view it. As you can see from the screen shot above I received some great feedback from my peers and many people have said in addition to this that they had enjoyed it and that I had done a good job. I also had great feedback from my teachers and people who I know within the industry regarding the shot selection and editing which is really helpful to recognise for future productions I do. Here is a screenshot from one of my school teachers.

Documentary magazine research

As an ancillary task for my documentary project I had to produce a magazine article/extract on my final product. In the run up to this I did some online research to find out about some of the existing documentary magazines out there.

DOX - European Documentary Magazine

DOX is the leading European magazine focusing on documentary film.

DOX gives you insight into the latest developments in the international documentary scene and includes:

• Critiques of the latest interesting documentaries
• Features on new developments in the genre
• Interviews with leading documentary professionals
• Reports and updates from important events
• Personal essays & POV articles

In the spring 2013 issue there were a number of different articles including:

Extracts taken from http://dox.mono.net/9305/Current%20issue

WHY POVERTY?: THE DOCS

In whose interest is it to maintain poverty? DOX looks at three films from the new Why Poverty? series that are meant to make us question and discuss poverty.

CPH:DOX - ART:FILM
A new international platform for art and film. Works of this nature must be careful not to develop into a metaphysical morass, a soupy incomprehensible mess, to the point of total disengagement.

THE BEST OF 2012
Tue Steen Müller shares his list of 11 docs.

DOK LEIPZIG: THE HUMAN CONDITION

Creative documentaries that push the envelope, which feel like movies and could easily "pass for fiction films". Strong political content with a distinct artistic vision and creative storytelling.

ANIMADOCS: A NEW GENERATION
At DOK Leipzig: Today more creative techniques like comics, drawings, puppet animation, photographs, graphic novels and paintings, indicate the growing recognition of animation as an art form.

ESSAY-FILM: CRAIG BALDWIN
The high priest of found footage free association has made a three decade career of imploding the very notion of the documentary form. We get the California-born iconoclast to reveal the imaginative method behind his chaotic collage creation. 

http://dox.mono.net/9305/Current%20issue

From looking at these articles I found inspiration on how to address my project and the concept behind it. Modern documentaries tackle very hard hitting and difficult subjects so you have to make sure the write up and products surrounding it match the content for the film to have its desired effect.

Magazine extract

Narrative theory research

Here is my Prezi presentation introducing the narrative theories and how they relate to my documentary film.

Textual Analysis - Freeling

As a passionate skateboarder and filmmaker when I came across this documentary I was amazed by the concept behind the video, the imagery and story that was portrayed through the documentary. The director Andrew Lovgren takes a very artistic approach to the filming using a lot of slow motion and natural lighting which results in a greater viewing pleasure. The documentary cuts between interview footage and images of the skateboarders cruising through the city. I wanted to use this technique in my documentary film as I was using a lot of dialogue from interview footage. The concept of this video is similar to that of what I had wanted to do, however had taken a different approach to what "freedom" meant to them. The atmospheric music adds to the epic nature of the film and the emotions that the skateboarders are displaying about their sport. It has a big positive effect on the way the audience views the film and the emotions they feel towards the topic and the people within the film.

The use of the soundtrack also has a big impact on the overall feel to the documentary it gives the film an almost dreamlike atmosphere and focuses the audiences full attention on the skateboarders moving through the city. The use of slow motion throughout also adds to the slow paced relaxed atmosphere, giving the audience time to reflect on the words of the voice over and the interview sections.

Textual analysis - "Portrait of my Father"

I found this short documentary when browsing through the web at various video sites and began watching it and sat completely engrossed throughout the whole video. This may not be a high budget, big name type of documentary but the techniques and camera work that are used are done so in a very artistic and precise way so that audience become entirely involved into the story and emotions of the main actor. 

The opening scene introduces photographer Brendan Klems, the film's narrator, telling his account of his life and story. The black and white slow motion imagery straight away sets the scene to be an emotional and intimate relationship between the audience and the character. The soft ambient background music also has a big impact on the audience and creates a 'feel good' atmosphere for the rest of the film. Throughout the majority of the first section the voiceover of Brendan is the only audio present. This focuses the audience's attention onto that and that only, which is used extremely effectively in this film. You, as the viewer, can relate directly to it and be involved with the character. As the story of Brendan's dad enters the narrative the imagery of his old photos and the soft mournful music in the background causes an emotional response from the audience. The use of the old print photos and seeing the emotion on the faces of Brendan and his mother and hearing it in their voices brings out the reality of the film and this is portrayed in an artistic and gripping away which further draws the audience into the story. The shots during this reminiscent section are very elongated to give time for the audience to think and reflect on the images they have seen. The use of the voiceover continues throughout the whole film and tells his story and as he begins to tell the audience of his current photography work, the music changes and becomes more upbeat and the overall mood to the film becomes more positive and uplifting. The ending of the film displays a number of black and white images much like during the intro which concludes the story and gives time for the audience to reflect on what they have seen and the emotions they are feeling. 

Although the film involves a very emotional and difficult topic of loss and grief, the cinematography and use of the monologue makes it stand out from many documentaries I have watched. It creates an intimate relationship between the audience and the characters which is very difficult to do but in this case is used extremely well.

Final Cut Pro 7 software

In post production for this documentary project I used the editing software Final Cut Pro 7.
I was taught the basic techniques and shortcuts to the software by a friend who had been using the software for a long time and knew it well. I had practiced using the software on a few previous projects so that by the time I came round to editing this project I knew what I was doing and was confident in using it so I could concentrate on the film's content more than the editing process.
During this project I also experimented with colour grading and colour correction to ensure that my shots were vibrant enough to show India to its full potential in terms of its vast variety of colours and landscapes. I thoroughly enjoyed this process and developed my knowledge and skills of how to operate the software and use it to its fullest potential.

Here are some screenshots of examples of processes and techniques I used when editing with this piece of software.

Here is an overview shot of the timeline in Final Cut Pro where the editing process takes places. There are 2 video tracks and multiple audio tracks which gives me the ability to play multiple audio files at one time such as ambient background music, the non diegetic voiceover and diegetic sounds from the surroundings. 

During the interview with Jos I used the SmoothCam effect which increases the stability of the image as I did not have access to a tripod at the time. This effect resulted in a smoother outcome making a more stable image for the audience.

In the Browser window in the top left corner shows the number of original media files that were used within the production of the film, including video files, audio files and still images.

Filming diary

Day 1 - 

Still jet lagged from the day travelling before I walked into the town we're staying in on the outskirts of Pune to look around city and find potential filming locations. At the end of the road we were staying on was the main city road where I was able to film a number of B-roll shots, for example the traffic passing by and lanterns at the side of the road which were there for the Diwali festival. The weather was extremely hot and stuffy in contrast to the English weather so was a short filming trip until we headed back to the place we were staying at to refill with water and rest for the days ahead.

Day 2 -

On the morning of day 2 I got into a minibus to take us to the centre we would be working at and used my external sound recorder to record some of the music that was playing on the local Indian radio stations which I could use as background music in my final piece. We then returned in the afternoon to where we were staying so I used this opportunity to walk around the city and the area we were staying to shoot more B-roll footage of the natural surroundings and the establishing shots of the city that could be used in the opening. As I was filming I heard the sound of bongo drums playing in the distance so I decided I would try and find the source of the music. After 5-10 mins I found a bongo band who were practicing. I explained to them my project and they allowed me to record some of their music to be used within the film. I then stayed for another 15 mins whilst they asked me questions about England. In the evening I took my first ride in an autoricshaw which is the Indian version of a taxi, however it's more like a motorbike with a roof. Having said this I was able to capture great shots out of the side showing the travel through the whole city and 'madness' of the city and environment they live in.

Day 3 - 

In the afternoon of Day 3 I was introduced to Jos who was the leader of an organisation that took women who were in slavery and gave them jobs and skills to make a new start to life. He told us some amazing stories of the people he works with. I knew this would be a great opportunity for me to find out first hand what "Freedom" meant to him. I approached him at the end of his talk to us and asked him whether it would be possible to interview him for my project. He was more than happy to and I gave him the question I wanted to ask and without any further direction spoke for 6 minutes straight on the concept of freedom. It was a mad rush in order to make the shot perfect and I ran into my first technical problems when the memory card ran out of space mid take. In the end everything fell into place and it was a perfect opportunity that I am fortunate to have found and gave me the interview I could base the documentary film around.

Day 4 - 

The evening of Day 4 brought on the first day of the Diwali festival celebrations, which meant the city was jam packed with people messing around with fireworks at the side of the road and incredible paintings on the floor of the streets. This was a golden opportunity to get a lot of B-roll footage of the people in the city celebrating and many shots of fireworks in the sky. In the evening me and my dad both set up our tripods on the roof and experimented with our cameras taking photos of the fireworks.

All in all the trip to Pune, India was a great opportunity and a gold mine for incredible footage that was impossible to capture every last image of. The camera and sound equipment worked extremely well and made filming and post production quicker and easier and improved the quality of the final product massively.

Photography album

When out in India I also used this opportunity to take a number of different photos to take home as memories and also to show the vibrant culture and environment out there. Here is a short selection of my favourite photos.

Documentary Genre

The style you select to tell your story could be based on one of the following documentary genres...

1. Personal

- A ‘first person’ account of personal experiences. The narrative relates to you, the

storyteller and focuses on a significant event, issue, premise or memory.

2. Biographical

- An account of a significant person’s life, or focusing on particular aspects, occasions, occurrences or highlights in a person’s life.

3. Historical

- An account of a significant event that happened in the past. Archive materials such as

video, photos and documents can be used.

4. Analytical

- An account of a specific event or investigation or issue that is analysed and clarified.

5. Compare and Contrast

- Where the narrator compares the similarities or contrasts the differences between two subjects.

6. Cause and Effect

- Where the narrator gives an opinion on the reasons for something significant happening and reflects on the resulting changes.

7. Persuasive / Advocacy

- An account of a specific investigation or issue where the narrator tries to

influence the viewer by taking a particular stance or position by using supporting facts, or by considering an opposing point of view.

8. Eye-witness (as a participant)

- An account of a specific investigation or event where the storyteller is an actual participant. Often referred to as Cinema Vérité when the film-maker becomes involved in the story

9. Observational (fly on the wall)

- An account of a specific investigation or event where the storyteller is an observer. This is other referred to as ‘direct cinema’ and is an unbiased approach. The audience draws their own conclusions.

10. Doco-drama (re-enactment)

 – The re-enactment of a particular even where actors play various dramatic parts.

 

Radio advert - Production and Product

When creating this short radio advertisement I used a piece of software called Soundtrack Pro that allowed me to record my audio and use a multiple number of tracks in order to create the final product. Here are examples of the production process using this software.

Here is a screen shot from the process of editing the radio advert. As you can see there are two tracks, Track one with the background guitar music and Track two with the short sound bites of speech which I recorded with a microphone. Using Soundtrack Pro allows me to cut any extract of sound down to my desired length. It also gives me the opportunity to add filters onto the voiceover or music to create a certain mood or have a specific effect on the audience listening, which is very important as the aim is to grab their attention in a short amount of time.

For my sound bites I used the audio filter BitCrusher as it enhanced the sound making it louder and more direct to the audience which is what I wanted as it was more likely to catch the audience's attention.


Here is the final Radio Advert.

Radio Advert - Research

As an ancillary task for this documentary film I produced a potential radio advert. This would be used as a resource to give out information about the film and to access a large number of people to advertise the documentary to the target audience. In order for the radio advert to be effective I needed to ensure that it grabbed the audience's attention in a short period of time. I did this by using short questions that related to the topics within the film.

There is a broad range of choices for type and length of radio adverts. With changes in the radio industry and better production technologies, the mode of commercial presentation has changed, and commercial advertisements can take on a wide range of forms. The two primary types of radio ads are 'live reads' and 'produced spots'.

Cousin to the ad-libbed commercial, 'live reads' refers to when a DJ reads an advertiser's spot on the air, delivered from a script, fact sheet or personal knowledge.

'Produced spots' appear to be more common. A spot is 'produced' if the radio station or an advertising agency record it for the client. Produced commercial formats include: straight read with sound effects or background music, dialogue, monologue (where the voice talent portrays a character, as opposed to an announcer), jingles, and combinations of these. Studies show that the quality of the commercials is as important to listeners, generally, as the number of ads they hear.

Anecdotal evidence shows that people generally think listening to commercials in exchange for free radio is a "fair deal". Thus, radio advertising can be an effective, low-cost medium through which a business can reach their target audience. Studies show that radio ads create emotional reactions in listeners. In turn, consumers perceive the ads as more relevant to them personally, which can lead to increased market awareness and sales for businesses running ad schedules. 

Broadcasting my short advert out to the country on a radio station such as BBC Radio 4 would allow me to access a large number of people and give information about my documentary film for example topic and viewing times and platforms.