Diary Entry 12/12/16

I have finished editing the majority of my documentary with only refinements and minor amendments to be made. I am planning to incorporate the Police footage we obtained back into the documentary as before we didn't include it. The reason behind this is that it just felt like we were implementing it for the sake of it when it wouldn't fit in with the smooth running of the documentary. However it is now going to be used to introduce the police anonymous interview (illustrate why we have disguised him) and a montage at the end to improve the clarity of that fact that this documentary is indeed an extract of a bigger documentary.

Overall, the documentary is coming together very nicely and is on schedule to be completed by the due date. Also, I have finished the ancillary tasks produced entirely by myself in all aspects and they're great!

Ancillary Task - Radio Advertisement

This is the finished version of my Radio Ad.

Ancillary Task - Advertisement Poster

These are the two completely finished versions of my ancillary task - posters.

Portrait: 

Landscape:

 

Screenshots of evidence:

As you can see I created the individual assets first then exported them into the main programme in order to maintain efficiency. 

Tribe Documentary

This is the extreme rough cut of my final documentary:

Produced and edited majority by myself.

Screenshots of evidence:

Voice of God

In our documentary there will not be a conventional presenter front of house talking to camera and directly addressing the audience and there is a good reason for this. There are various modes in which documentaries can be constructed around and in relation to our production; there is a hybrid of modes involved with our particular documentary. One mode that can be considered suited to our narrative viewpoint is the ‘poetic mode’. The reason behind this is due to the fact that it resembles fragments of the world in question and translates to the demographic through a more abstract, lyrical form in order to engage the audience as it interprets the voice over nicely. Although this mode is considered abstract the ‘hybrid’ element here provides the additional detail needed in order to create a factual and informative documentary – along with the other genres associated.

Another mode that is related to my documentary is the ‘expository mode’ whereby the audience interpret what they visualise on screen coupled with the narration behind it. In this sense, I am directly addressing the audience and breaking that fourth wall but not on a conventional level. This is known as the Voice of God due to the disembodied nature of the narration. Whether or not the narrator is represented visually, the target audience is expected to trust the voice over as a definitive interpretation of the visual material provided. I have chose to do this in order help the audience understand the concept of the documentary and make it more easier to identify by allowing the visuals to run parallel with the narration and voice over – executed by myself.

The Voice of God aspect is indeed a generic convention of documentaries and mine in particular. This element will be incorporated into our documentary by myself.

Diary Entry 8/11/16

This is a podcast recorded for my connivence in the shape of a diary entry.

Chelsea Footage

All and this footage has been obtained by Paris; this includes the selection and editing process too.

What to expect in the post - production stage

Over time elements change. This is especially relevant between the initial and final stages of producing a documentary or any types of media for that matter. In particular, the script and storyboards are simply a guideline of what aspects such as, footage, narration / dialogue / VO etc. In my case, the storyboard and script aren’t a true representation of what the documentary will look like in its outcome. This is due to amendments throughout the process, for the greater good or even for the worse. In this case, it is for the greater good as the script and storyboards are too long and some parts are frankly irrelevant – due to factors being covered in various interviews – we close to entering the editing stage of the process and these variables are already coming to light.

To be more specific a small body of the middle narration may not be included but will still be implemented as planned in order to establish and true understanding of what is needed to be done. However, don’t be surprised if certain elements are dropped for greater good of our documentary in order for the narrative structure to run smoothly. These decisions will have to be executed in the post – production stage but for the time being, everything is going ahead as planned.

Diary Entry 2/11/16 - Shoot update

Today we embarked on the shoot regarding our local Police station. We brought all crew and equipment needed and ultimately resulted in a successful period of filming. My role was the director who coordinated the camera techniques and even took half the shots myself! I delegated the camera man role to Joe as I know he likes the experience. And Aiden contributed through his input. Overall, we are satisfied with the footage we obtained as it will indeed help the narrative run smoother.

The reason behind this is due to the types of camera angles and movement we shot. They will translate into cutaways to provide one of our interviews with relevant footage to pair the dialogue with matching visuals. Of course this will bring the narrative of the documentary together and accompany it nicely.

Police Station Footage

Footage of plausible cutaways that will be implemented within our documentary, revolving around the Police Officer interview. 

This production was directed and coordinated by myself, shot by Joe and contributed by Aiden.

The Role of a Director

This particular role is a tough job and only people with a natural creative flair about them can fulfil this duty. Luckily I believe I am suited to this role and I enjoy doing so. The role of a director on any shoot is never overlooked as they provide the sense of direction the crew needs to create anything worthy of a master piece. It consists of directing not only the camera man but all other aspects as well, including: lighting, sound engineers etc. Although the most important factor is directing the camera movement, angles and shots to create something truly astonishing.

You have to be a confident leader in the sense that you’re not afraid to speak not only your mind but in some cases the harsh reality.  If you want a job done then you get it done. The role of a director envisages desirable shots and technical elements / codes that the target demographic is going to be inspired by. One question must always be in the back of a director’s mind, and that question is... By doing this, am I really making a difference and creating something that is out of this world?

Archive Selection List

Post - production, editing stage selection list:

·      Ancient cave drawings / paintings

·      Evolution of man

·      Scene from BraveHeart

·      First and second world war footage

·      Gary Neville “unbelievable” …Vardy goal of the season, Aguero winning the league, Drogba Champions league – after every scene we cut to the fans

·      Football Hooliganism 70s & 80s

·      Warring tribes from an ancient past (action match)

·      Pull zoom from one face to many on the terraces at a match

·      Tribes with spears and players running with the ball

Archive Footage

Considering the genre and typology of our documentary, archive footage is crucial in order to give the sense of realism to an active audience. However, the archive footage must be chosen correctly in order to find the balance because too much won’t appeal to some audience’s. When undergoing this concept, a selection process must take place to find this balance between archive footage and shooting. As a result, an archive selection list will be created to ensure the documentary isn’t congested with archive footage.

The right amount of archive footage in any documentary will turn a decent doc into a great documentary.