new definite idea

Our short film is going to become a short film about the our (mine and Lucy's) experience in sixth form as well as the different aspects of sixth form life including:
Student leadership,
Student youth county council
Debate club
Key events in the academic year (possibly)
Teachers perspective of sixth form / teachers opinions on sixth form students
Footage of some lessons e.g. English, media, law and art.


All footage taken of these things will be put up as separate segments and the best pieces of each segment will be used in the final piece. For example Finlay and Theo interviews will be put up as separate segments even if they are done on the same day.


The film will start and end with interviews of Lucy and I reflecting on our experience of sixth form.


Events / Key events that we may look at:
lessons - e.g. media theory lessons, art, English, creative writing etc.
27th November celebration of achievement
Christmas party/sixth form dinner - 16th December
Exam week 7th December - one shot of an empty hall/one full/one of students going in/one of students coming out.
5th December - Sixth Form parents evening
22nd November - Study Skills Seminar


other notes:
Can't fill debating competition so film debating club (talk to Finlay)
Interview Finlay and Theo - both about Student Youth County Council, Theo about being at a new school, Finlay about Student Leadership and Debate club/expectation for the debate competition (possibly Theo as well).
All footage needs to be done by half term.
It has prompts and is not scripted
Keep it simple - Use the same place for interviews and reflections (use the drama room).


Target 19/11
Lucy and I have to do some mock interviews to make sure they look as they should how would I shoot it shooting heads/interview characters. aim for 4.
Research voxpop

What does documentary mean?

What does the word documentary mean?

The word documentary actually has three different meanings.
The first is:

"consisting of or based on an official document" e.g. documentation of / documentary evidence of regular pay.

The second is:

"using pictures or interviews with people involved in real life events to provide a factual report on a particular subject"

this links to the third meaning which is:
"A film, TV or radio programme that provides a factual report on a particular subject"

Film Form research

All the information was found on

http://www.meridianstories.com/media-resource-collection/creative-how-to-guides/six-principal-modes-of-documentary-filmmaking/

there are 6 main types of Documentary Forms, they are:

• Expository mode
• Observational mode
• Participatory mode
• Poetic mode
• Reflexive mode
• Performative mode

Expository mode

This mode is used to make an argument and is the mode that is associated with most documentaries. This type is often grounded by a series of assertions that are usually presented by and unseen voice over narrator and are backed up with evidence that usually comes from images.

Examples are:

history channel documentaries or any documentaries on PBS or any old theatrical documentaries like The River or Nanook of the North.

Observational mode

This is named after the fact that it uses unobstructive cameras to observe the everyday attitude/life of the subjects.

Participatory mode

This style is used to emphasize the interaction(s) between the subjects and the film maker, This can be shown by conversations / provocations or interviews, this style also includes historical archive footage. 

Examples are:

anything by Wernor Herzog, Errol Morris or Alex Gibney. Other examples include Man on a Wire, The Cave and Exit Through the Gift Shop.

Poetic mode

This is an abstract style of filming documentaries with an emphasis on tonal and or rhythmic qualities and visual imagery as well as description and form. They closely resemble experimental films.

Examples include:

General Order No. 9 and Night and Fog

Reflexive mode

This is more commonly referred to as 'mockumentary'. This style is used to mock the assumptions and conventions that are used to govern documentary film making. A mockumentary is a show that is done in a documentary style.

 Examples I would give would be The Muppets and Modern Family. Both are mockumentary's that are done in more of a observation mode but the characters talk directly to the camera in 'fly on the wall' documentary interviews.

Performative mode

This style is used to highlight the expressive or objective aspects of the film makers involvement. This style is used to highlight/heighten the Audiences responses to the subject, this style favours emotion and rejects objectivity.

Examples include:

Anything by Michael Moore. Other examples include films such as Waltz with Bashir, Tongues United, Chile Obstinate Memories and TV shows like Cops.

I would say that mine and Lucy's documentaries are a mix between observational mode and participatory mode.

segments plan

The first segment that Lucy and I film is going to be the introduction. In this segment we will tell you about our plans for after sixth form: what we want to do, whether we will take a gap year, go to college, go to university or do an apprenticeship, what we are planning on studying, our aspirations and what we plan to do after we leave.

The second segment I want to start shooting some 'fly on the wall' interviews for the documentary with some of our teachers or friends to get their opinions on how this year is going to be, partly so that we can show that we understand this method and the way its used in documentaries. I will definatley shoot one on Lucy because we're the two subjects of the documentary. another thing i will do is talk to my teacher to discuss the possibility of filming me and Lucy in lessons (I probably wont tell Lucy until after i have some footage - unless i have to tell her before then) to show how we usually act in lessons compared to how we act during break and when we have no work to do.
*note* also if we interview teachers we'll interview them about each other (I'll do the ones about Lucy she'll do the ones about me, and that's how we'll edit the footage as well).

Segment 3 - If we can get permission from our teachers then this will be the segment that we'll start getting footage of how will act in lessons in comparison to how we act when were not in lesson and have no work to do.The footage of us in lessons will most likely come from our creative writing and media classes

Segment 4 - In this segment i will film interviews with me and Lucy talking about our lessons and how we think this year is going.

Segment 5 - there's a good chance that segment will be the longest one because this will be the one that has all of the previous footage edited into it, before this one i'm not going to edit the footage I will just put it up rough.

Segment 6 -  this one i'm not sure what to do because it might be a behind the scenes of us editing the footage and making the posters and essay thing that explains our film / all the bloopers or things that we cut from the 5th segment.

Segment 7 - We'll probably be talking about our exam prep for our mock exams and our plans for Christmas.

after Christmas

Segment 8 - this will be another introduction/interview with me and Lucy when we discuss how the first week back has been and how we are feeling about our exams. We may also talk about our holidays.

Segment 9 - this will be us talking about our revision methods and tips for revising, we may also get a few of our friends in on this so there is a wider variety of subjects/methods covered.

Segment 10 - this will be the final segment and will be made up of footage from segment 6 - 9.

Our final product will be made up of footage from our all three of these documentaries.

documentary research - educating cardiff

Educating Cardiff is a school documentary that follows around members of staff and year eleven students over the course of the school year. It focuses on different aspects of the students lives at school, from how they work in class to how the school is helping them to develop as people during their last year of school. One student this episode focuses on in particular is Jessica, who is a perfect student but mostly keeps to herself so to bring her out of her shell a bit the headmistress decides to make her work in a team by making her the chief editor of the new school paper and let her pick her team.

By the end of the episode the viewer(s) start to see Jessica become more confident and realise that the teachers are right when they say that people do like her, they are just intimidated by her brains. The viewer also sees how one of the more troubled students Lea is effected, and actually changes, due to her relationship with a memmber of staff who refuses to give up on her.

During all episodes of the documentary there are interviews with the students that that episode is focused on as well as interviews with members of staff.

This Weeks Work - for everyone

1) shooting has to start next week, with the intention that the majority of footage is finished by Christmas.




2) film form research(DONE) linked to genre, sound, camera, angle and mis-en-scene - how has it inspired us, must be able to see the link
3) research into different narratives in the genre. to show that we have explored that concept.
4)need a mind map of our ideas, plot and narrative ideas


this week
need story board on in as much depth as possible then I have to write a screenplay (our segment plans)(DONE)
draft film making(DONE)  and draft photographs

script for introduction for film

Script/prop for documentary

 

Subject one – introduction

One is setting up/fiddling with the camera, says “is it on?”

Backs up, stares at 2^nd person uncertainly

2^nd person, “yeah I think so”, both stand up and look at camera

1^st person “hi I’m _______” 2^nd person “And I’m ________”

“My ambition for the end of the year is to___________” “And mine is___________. After we finish sixth from I want to go onto attend uni/college / do a gap year/apprentaship. *IF applicable during my gap year I want to ___________./I want to study_______” “After sixth form I want to____________.”

“I hope we achieve our goals this year.”

To Do Feedback MGS DUE FRIDAY

1)link the research to what i am trying to produce, look in to documentaries on channel four channel five and the BBC that focus on young people or other challenging subjects but not animals. (done)
2)discuss what documentary means (DONE) and different types of documentary film making (DONE). www.screenoline.com and look at the documentary tradition(we'll be done later because my computer wont let me view it). what film form will we use?(DONE) 
evaluate the documentary that we have produced in terms of film form. how we'll improve our experimentation for the real thing.







Begin scripting for each individual segment (done- less a script and more of a prompt)

An overall plan for the way documentary is going to be made (how many segments and how each is going to be generally scripted) done

Discuss which elements of documentary film form we are going to use and show evidence of this

fly on the wall, interview - discussion done in segment plan - evidence we'll be given in the footage we'll film tomorrow. (so half done)

Ensure research into documentaries that feature young people is extensive particularly on observation on film form