original storyboard

 

Checking interviewer is available

After receiving the news that I have a contributor, I got in touch with my interviewer to make sure that they were available on the same date, fortunately for me, they were available and agreed to ask the questions on the 13th. They said that they were prepared and were definitely able to collect the equipment required. This was vital for the interview as they will be asking the questions in Spanish which will be crucial as the audio will sound clearer and flow nicely compared to if I ask while holding the camera and boom, as well as translating the questions into Spanish as it is not my first language. This gives me the opportunity to focus on other elements such as the shots, lighting, mise en scene and audio. This is good news as it means that I have the two members that I require for the shoot available on the same date. They also agreed to sign for the equipment (tripod, camera and boom)from the American school as this reduces the amount of time wasted and is more efficient for the documentary.

 

equipment list

 

Who is my target audience?

 My product has a relatively wide target of 18-34-year-olds as these are the age groups that are most interested in watching documentaries as I discovered in my research. This is a good target audience for me as it is people who are just discovering what work they are going to go into as well as understanding the difficulties of that work. If you are starting out in a given industry it is more beneficial to understand the industry. My content, however, is rated G as there are no elements of vulgar language it is predominately formal and therefore there is nothing inappropriate in this documentary that would require a higher age rating. 

- According to source link

According to the BBFC age ratings, my documentary would be suitable for a G rated audience. My audience would consist of mainly males who are interested in the fashion industry, however, it is also suitable for the female audience that is interested by the fashion industry. This documentary would be suitable for all genders and sexualities. My product will be able to target any economic background as it delves into the idea of starting out, from the perspective of Lucas who is from a working-class background which will attract the attention of people who have fashion aspirations in this economic position and therefore relate to the audience. My product is suitable for most ethnic backgrounds that either understand Spanish or English. 

BFI Research: 

Chronicle of a summer documentary, demographic ratings:

(IMDb images)

As we can see from this chart the most common ages that were revising this product was from 18 upwards and it was mainly enjoyed by males 18-29. 30-44-year-olds were the most likely to watch and review this documentary. This supports the chosen age and demographic of my target audience. 

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: 

This is another example of a popular documentary, the statistics showed also support my target audience. However in this case more females enjoyed the product than males with a rating of 7.8 within 18-29 and 30-44-year-olds, compared to males who rated it between a 7.5 and a 7.6. More males than females have reviewed this documentary. 

Interview script questions

English translation: 

1.) What is your name and what do you do? 

2.) Tell me about your stage persona, How did you come up with them?

3.)What's your first memory of drag?

4.) Talk me through a typical day of drag life 

5.) How do you prepare yourself for a performance? 

6.) What does it feel like before you go on stage?

7.) What is it like after the show?

8.) How do you prepare yourself for a performance? 

9.) What is it like being fabulous? 

Spanish translation: 

1.) ¿cual es tu nombre y a que te dedicas?

2.)¿como es tu personalidad en el escenario y como la descubriste? 

3.)  ¿ cual es tu primera memorial de drag ?

4.)¿ habla me de un dia tipico en la vida de drag ?

5.)¿ como te prepares antes de un un show?

6.)¿ como see siente antes de que te subas a el escenario ?

7.) ¿como se siente despues de un show ?

8.)¿ como te prepares antes de un un show?

9.) ¿como es ser fabulosa?

Shoot plan

Course Work shoot day plan 

Cast list: 

Kai (me): Camera operator, Boom operator, Propmaster, lighting, editor, Director, Music Producer, Photographer, set designer.  

Bosco: Interviewer 

Pelayo: Contributor 

Mum: Behind the scenes shot taker

SHOOT DAY 1 OF 1 

Breakfast: 08:30AM 

Lunch: 13:30PM 

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Sunrise: 07:59AM (GMT+1)

Sunset: 17:59PM (GMT+1)

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Weather: 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------IMPORTANT NOTES FOR CREW: 

PELAYO: Is to bring Drag outfits and wigs.

BOSCO: is to sign for tripod, camera and boom. 

KAI(me): is to prepare set up and bring ring light and provide shoes, jewelry, chair, hairdryer, mannequin and white screen.  

Questions: All questions to kailano@hurtwood.net

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CALL FOR SHOOT : START : 09:30AM 

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SCENE:            SET  AND DESCRIPTION:                         CHARACTER:   

#1                      White screen & chair.                                        1 - Pelayo 

#2                      White Screen, chair & mannequin.                   1 - Pelayo 

#3                      B - Roll shots/ items of relevance.                        N/A           

#4                      Living room/ Big windows background           1 - Pelayo 

DAY/NIGHT:                                              LOCATION /NOTES : 

Day                                                              Apartment Office 

Day                                                              Apartment Office 

Day                                                              Apartment Office 

Day                                                              Apartment living room 

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SHOOT CAST:             TASK/CONTRIBUTION:         MU/IN:           SET:    MINOR:     

  #1         Bosco                Interviewer                                    N/A                 N/A            Y

  #2         Pelayo               Contributor                                   N/A                 N/A            N

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: 

#1 Bring question list and equipment previously listed 

#2 Don't forget costume and accessories as previously listed

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Example two of a similar product

 

Scene 1:

The ITV documentary opens up by showing a collage of videos representing Megan and Harry as people of the public, showing them in community settings creating an influence for better, this is done by centralising Megan Markle in each shot. The opening shot shows Megan kissing prince Harry in a close-up shot, we can see that this is an image from their wedding which would be a stock video as Megan is wearing a bridal headdress with harry wearing his royal guard outfit. The editor uses a combination of close-up shots, mid shots and establishing shots that use the rule of three to establish Megan. A non-diegetic post-production narrator can be heard over the top of the collage of footage that uses quick jump cuts between shots. Post-production sounds of cheering have been inserted over the top of Megan and Harry's wedding. The diegetic sound of Megan's speech to the people of South Africa can be seen by the mise-en-scene of the South African flag, the audio of her speech fades in when the establishing shot of her speech is presented.

Scene 2: 

In scene two the non-diegetic narration continues and we are presented with a mid-shot of the family presenting family life and presenting part of the royal family to be relatable to the audience. Natural lighting is used throughout the family life shots this represents the family as being natural and not eccentric, as well as minimal background items, the only thing that can be seen are some cakes and some neutral flowers. The cakes use a tone of blue which is used to present Archie the son as being a boy. An over the shoulder shot of them walking past the press into the building is also shown this shows the pressure of the press on the family. Fast-paced editing is used between jump cuts to assist the continuity of the documentary. 

Scene 3: 

A jump cut is then used to demonstrate the behind the scenes set-up of the documentary, this is shown using an over the shoulder shot. The non-diegetic narration continues over the top of the set-up of the interview for the documentary. A jump cut is then used to get a close-up shot of Megan. The narration then fades out as the interviewer starts to ask Megan questions, we can hear the dietetic background sound of birds tweeting and the leaves blowing in the wind. The main interview for the documentary has a long duration and is the predominant part that exists within the interview it lasts 1minute 4  seconds out of an overall documentary that lasts 2 minutes 26 seconds. The documentary interview uses quick cuts to go back and forth between a close-up shot of Megan's face and an over the shoulder shot of the interviewer. The close-up shot of Megan during the interview uses a shallow shot to ensure there are no background disturbances and that we are focused on her. The dietetic noise of passing traffic can also be heard during the interview very dimly while Megan's audio has been amplified while she has been answering the questions.

 

ITV also trademark the interview by including their logo at the top right corner of the documentary. Natural lighting is continued to be used throughout the interview.

Scene 4: 

The narrator fades back in before returning to the collage of family shots and shots of Harry walking presented in a long-mid shot. As well as returning the idea back to them being relatable characters of the public. The shots switch between themselves using jump cuts as well as each shot continues to use natural lighting. The dietetic cheering fades back into the documentary. Another mid-shot also presents multiple photographers taking photos of Megan and Harry which again represents the invasive publicity of their lives.

Scene 5: 

The final shot of the documentary presents the logo of ITV and includes an advertisement requesting to share their product over multi-medias (cross-media convergence). They use only two different colours to present their product as well as using the specific recognisable cursive font of ITV as well as ensuring that the font for the 'News' is bold and strict representing its importance. This also represents the production team ITN, who create all the news shows for ITV and are a part of the same subsidiary that works in a synergy that also uses the same fonts and logos. This is a strong way of representing and advertising the production company and company. 

speaking with contributor 2nd (the call)

 

Today I spoke with my second possible contributor Pelayo. Over the phone, we discussed what the documentary will be about as well as if he would be available to contribute. This was successful as he accepted to take part and was able to set a date as to when he would be available for the filming of the documentary which allowed for me to take big steps in the production of a documentary on 'the life of a drag queen'. Having a contributor has made me feel more confident with my decision of a documentary on drag as I feel that it is now starting to take shape as well as, allows me to move forward with my product. 

Pelayo:

Having the experience of contacting a contributor at first was quite daunting, however, this was a good element of experience as it made me better able to understand the process and what it would be like in a real-world(out of school) situation. The experience was nerve-racking however I was content with the final results as I feel like a made a personal achievement of stepping out of my comfort zone.

speaking with contributor 1st (the call)

 After reaching out to my first contributor ' Marc_essa' Marc, he was unhappy with the idea of being a contributor to the product as it wasn't a paid collaboration, which for him was not something he was willing to accept. As a result, I moved on to contacting the second contributor to see if they would be willing to participate as a result. 

Not available: 

After having my first contributor decline I am now very nervous to call the following contributor as I believed the chances are now higher of having a problem with shooting my documentary so I will remain hopeful that my next idea for a contributor will accept the idea of being in my documentary. The next person I will contact will be Pelayo who is the drag queen that works in cabaret as well as influencing. 

 

Today's discussions with Lucas

 Today I had a discussion with Lucas organizing how we would be able to set up a meeting so that I could get to know the contributors and they could get to know me, to ensure their comfort with the project. I suggested that we invite the potential contributors over so that I could have a face-to-face session getting to know them and record the conversation somewhere quiet. Lucas agreed to the idea however the cabaret drag queen who I am most looking interested into making an interview into is unfortunately not available till next week as he is away. As a result, we decided it would best in my best interest to set up a meeting with the drag queens next week. 

I am looking forward to this meeting as it is going to give me the opportunity to get to know the people for who they are and how they will react in front of a camera allowing for a smooth interview, hopefully avoiding any sort of nerves answering the questions I have to ask.  In conclusion, this should be a good step in ensuring a good continuity with the final product film. I have also spoken to my friend and acquired their agreement to do the voice-over for the questions. 

The voice actor is a fluent Spanish speaker who has a very clear voice, I believe using him , Bosco as the speaker would be more beneficial to the audio quality of my final piece as I sound quite mufilled when I speak Spanish, which will not be beneficial to the contributors. 

Tips for making a documentary

After speaking with Phil he suggested that it would be worth looking at the tips given to new documentary makers. He suggested that I find some interesting points into what could help me with the documentary concept and what tips I could implement in my final product. 

The first internet source I looked at suggested six different ideas. 

- https://www.studentfilmmakers.com/first-time-documentary-filmmaking-tips/

1.) 'Starting with a short project for practice' 

The first tip suggests finding a subject that I want to interview and then experiment with the subject. I believe that this would be a good idea to practice with someone the master scene technique and do a practice interview as it would give me the opportunity to see what it could be like when I do the real thing. It would also enable me to be more comfortable with the idea of interviewing someone in a documentary style. 

2.) The second tip suggested was to 'Transcribe the interview'.

To transcribe means to put any speech or thoughts into a written form e.g typed up or handwritten. The tip suggests that this will make it easier to understand fully what the subject is that you are interviewing. The tip suggests it saves time, so that instead of searching through the footage that may be very similar you instead have it all written down in front of you. I believe that this is quite a help full tip that I may use in the editing process as from previous mistakes in my last project I imported all the footage into Adobe and then had to go back and forth within Premiere Pro looking for the exact element I needed which wasted a lot of my time, transcribing what I have filmed will make me more organized when I reach my editing process.

3.)  The third idea that gets suggested is about ' letting go of the idea of how the story ends'

This means not having a pre-set idea for how the interview will end, It should flow without an ending point that is expected as it is not a film it's a personal interview of a person and their personal view of what the life of drag is like. I believe that this is an essential point as it is important to keep an element of truth and reality in the documentary as this is what is engaging. 

4.) Tip four suggests finding a great composer. 

A film composer creates the music and sound that accompanies a film, varying from non-diegetic sound and dietetic sound the different types of sounds can be done post-production and during production. Sound can vary being made into asynchronous sound using foley which means that the sound has been enhanced from what it would normally be e.g enhanced sound of footsteps. The composition of sound I will be doing this using the software GarageBand and Premiere pro. 

5.) Tip five suggests 'shooting way more B-roll than you think you'll need'. 

This is a good tip to keep in mind as when I am filming I am going to need to acquire a lot more film than I think I will need to assure that I have flexibility with my editing to ensure the continuity of the final product. This includes taking shots of other things around the room in case there is a mishap with the audio when the contributor is speaking. This will make it easier for me to make adjustments to my final piece. B-roll is the amount of film roll you use. 

6.) Point six suggests ' establishing shots and room tone' 

It says that it is important to still consider your shots as you are still trying to create an interesting piece of film, it is important to establish where you are filming to set the tone for your documentary so that the audience is aware of what they are about to watch. This is also an essential thing to keep in mind as I still in the end want to create an engaging piece of film that intrigues the audience and pulls in their interest in what the contributors have to say. 

The second internet source I looked at : 

https://www.desktop-documentaries.com/making-documentaries.html

 

This second source suggests nine different tips on making a documentary.  

- The first tip includes ' Telling a story you care about' 

The first point from this internet source is to choose something that you are interested in and care about. It believes that if you are not excited about the product you are creating then most likely the final product will reflect that. I believe that I have tackled this point as I have chosen a subject that I find very interesting, the concept of creating a character for yourself. It suggests that the documentary that you make should be a documentary that makes sense to you personally. I believe that I have definitely followed this step in the development of my documentary I am excited to see what I can produce. 

- The second tip includes ' Researching' 

The second tip suggested is to really understand the topic of the documentary subject before filming the project. Doing a lot of prior research can help my full understanding of what creates drag. Gathering facts and research into what interesting points are pre-existing into what builds drag and what can get people into the idea of drag. This is a good point as it would enable me to look into areas of drag that are not so often spoken about lighting a new view of what drag is like as a career. 

- The third tip includes ' Making a plan' 

The third point looks into creating a plan, ' How' am I going to tell my story, and what will be the 'structure' of my story? What style will I create my documentary in? Asking questions to myself such as where will the documentary start. Knowing who my primary character will be. what are the most intriguing parts of my documentary? How can I make those parts intriguing? How will I create the moment? I believe that so far I have an idea of who my Primary character/characters are. I will most likely be using the master scene method to talk with my contributors. I believe that some of the most intriguing parts of my documentary will be showing part of the performance hopefully, the answers to the questions should hopefully spark some interest in my viewers as well as I believe the topic itself is interesting.

 - The fours tip suggests 'creating a short list'  

The fourth tip suggests creating a shortlist of the footage and interviews I will need to make my product. Almost as if having a list of steps. This list should include who I need to be involved with, who I am going to interview, the settings and locations, etc. 

-The fifth tip suggests ' Start shooting' 

The fifth step sees it as important to keep in mind the platform in which the final product will be viewed, in my case the final product will be an MP4 on youtube. What equipment do I plan on using? And what will be the pros and cons of using that equipment? Ensuring that I capture a variety of different camera shots and use a variety of angles as well as using impressive editing techniques. The type of equipment used will determine the quality of the final product. It is important that my final documentary uses a variety of camera, editing, and sound techniques as well as having an interesting mise en scene as this will give me more to talk about when breaking down my final documentary. 

- The sixth tip suggests ' Writing a script'

The sixth tip includes writing a script. This could potentially make it easier not any for my voice actor but also for my editing process as this is what will be dictating what my audience will be seeing and hearing next. If I am to use a voice actor it is crucial that they have a script to follow so that the documentary runs smoothly and they know what they are asking. This can also 'pin-point' the most essential parts of my documentary. 

- The seventh tip suggests ' Begining the editing process' 

Step number seven suggests knowing what editing software and hardware you are going to use to assemble your documentary. And having an organized area where your footage is stored. For my editing process, I will be using Premiere Pro to edit my documentary together as well as I will be using a mac laptop and a PC as the hardware for the editing process. I will also be using Garageband to create sound and music that needs to be incorporated throughout my documentary to help with its continuity. 

-The eighth tip suggests ' Checking the legal requirements and copyright issues' 

This I believe is one of the most important points that have been brought up, having the rights to the places I am shooting and having the permission given to me by the contributors to shoot them is incredibly important as I don't want to break any of the legal requirements. I have to be careful not to create a similar product to something that already exists as I don't want to reach any copy-right issues when uploading the final product. 

- And finally the ninth suggests 'Distributing' 

The ninth point considers distribution, how will I distribute my product? For a documentary, there are countless of ways to distribute including via TV, DVD, streaming services, etc. There are many different ways a documentary can be distributed which is why it is important to consider what platform I will be using. 

The third internet source : 

https://www.weareteachers.com/student-documentaries-middle-school/

This internet source suggests five different points about how to create a documentary. 

1.) ' Explaining what the documentary is about 

This point suggests looking at similar products and taking notes of what they have to offer. Looking at examples can help form a better final product as it creates an idea of what you are trying to achieve. Finding common elements in different documentaries can form the ideas of what should be included in a documentary what are the common conventions.

2.) 'provide clear expectations' 

What am I expecting to achieve by the end of the project? It is important to know what you are trying to achieve with your documentary. By setting goals it will make it easier to achieve a successful final product for a documentary. 

3.) ' scheduling progress checks' 

Tip three scheduling progress checks areas in which to check upon work to make sure I am on track to achieve my end goal. I believe this is hugely beneficial for me and I believe it is a tip I am already implementing by talking about my progress with Phil as I am progressing through my project. This helps with delaying my project and helps set targets for what needs to be achieved. 

4.) 'Break the process into steps' 

Similar to tip three 'breaking the process into easy steps'. By breaking each task into smaller achievable tasks I can create for myself a more motivational journey for myself as I will believe that I am achieving more within a certain task, this can also help ensure that I stay on task. This can be broken down into four different areas, topic and research, finding the sources to help such as contributors, etc, having a plan for the shoot e.g a script of questions or possibly storyboarding the idea and editing. 

5.) 'Provide a clear timeline' 

Making a timeline of what should be achieved and when it should be achieved, in the case of a documentary it is most likely worth setting clear and easy tasks to focus on to do within a given timeframe, by making a timeline this could help me focus on what the end product is of what I am trying to achieve. 

The fourth internet source: 

https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/tips-for-student-film-sets/

This fourth internet source suggests the ways to avoid a catastrophe in the development of the product. It gives five different pointers into how to avoid a messy final film product. 

1.) ' Familiraze yourself with the camera' 

A critical element for my documentary is comprehending how to use the camera, In my case, I will be using a Cannon DSLR, to capture my documentary. It is crucial to understand how to use the camera I will be working with before the shoot takes place. Without this knowledge, it will be hard to create a good product. 

2.) 'Scout the location' 

It is important to full know the area in which I am planning to shoot my final product, as this area will also be what I need to use to establish the setting of where the documentary is based so that the viewer gets a sense of the atmosphere in the area. I personally belive that this is a critical element to the production of my film as I need to understand the surroundings to build a sense of what I am interviewing and be able to understand everything from the perspective of the contributor. 

3.) ' compensate your crew' 

Acknowledging all members that helped me with the  shoot is something I will without a doubt be doing.

 

4.) ' Ensure that you have pleanty of storage'

Ensuring that I have storage to upload my video on to my laptop I will be clearing my laptop desktop before uploading footage as I will need the storage and will need my ram to be fully functional for editing. 

5.) ' You can't fix everything in post' 

It is crucial to ensure  that I have clear, good quality footage as not all elements can be fixed in the editing stages of my documentary. 

How has my research influenced what I will be doing with my final product? What do I believe are the most important points that I have found? 

This research has helped me largely consider a wider range of elements that can be implemented in making the overall experience more organized.By implementing ideas such as breaking it down into manageable pieces I'll be better able at managing my time appropriately. Other useful tips include starting a small interview for practice so that I can get a sense of what it will be like to film an interview as well as make myself more comfortable with the idea of filming someone.