Short documentary film by
 Magnus Wennman & Jenny Svenberg Bunnel
- - -
Quick facts:
- Narrative Documentary
- Duration 05 min 34 sec
- A part of the Award-winning project
"Where the Children Sleep"



Fatima dreams that she is falling from a ship. Together with her mother, Malaki, and her two siblings, she fled from the city of Idlib when the Syrian national army indiscriminately slaughtered the city’s civilians. 



As Aftonbladets photographer, Magnus Wennman followed 9-year-old Fatima´s first year living in Norberg, Sweeden. After she had been in a refugee camp in Lebanon with her family, it became unendurable for the family and luckily they were able to flee on a boat to Libya. It was overfilled, and Fatima saw things happen on the boat, which she will never forget.



We are introduced to Fatima right away in this film, as it both starts and ends with the same frame, her in her bed. The film has a very clear style and mood over it, using voice over as a tool to be able to show more visually instead of telling it. There is only one clip where we see her talk to the camera. 

It is a balanced combination of being
- Character driven
- Subject-driven
- Actuality driven


I really wanted to pull this short doc film out as an inspiration and example because I really like this way of telling a documentary story. I love the use of still/animation images combined with film clips. As well as using the cinematography to make it interesting, and come alive rather than having a setup interview where the character is just telling by words, without coming to life. 

Key points of things about this film and this style that inspires me:
- Creative cinematography.
- Voice-over, where the sound is "authentic" and there is natural noise included and used to create and bring a more believable realness to the film.
- Photo stills or animation combined with film clips.


I was very lucky to get to attend a Documentary workshop in Norway at the Multimedia camp - DOK:15, running over four days summer of 2015, with Magnus Wennman and Niklas Meltio as mentors. We got to learn, work with and receive advice and mentoring from both of them, which was very fun, useful and interesting! 

Here is the finished film my camp-mate Hanna Hjardar and I ended up with. 
- - -
"The Glue of Society"
A postman tells his story of how his everyday routine goes about, as well as how his job in the near future, might be in danger of despairing with all of the electronic mail being introduced and entering the mail marked. 
(The film is in Norwegian, and it does not have subtitles yet)

Limet I Samfunnet from Ida Frank on Vimeo.






- THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER -



Today my group and I, Imogen Polycarpou and Rosie Penn, went to the possible location for  our wildlife and nature documentary at The White Cliffs of Dover! None of us had ever been here before, and it was great seeing the whole area so we can now plan on a layout, schedule, shot lists etc. We spent about 4 hours hiking the cliffs, checking out and exploring the wildlife, nature and different viewing points. There were several routes and paths to walk, which was a good thing to know about when we are to further plan out the shooting of the film. It was amazingly beautiful! I even spent 20-30 minutes to befriend some of the wild ponies that grass there, being at a distance of 3-5 meters at the closest! Though I made sure not to interrupt them, as I used to ride horses earlier, I knew what kind of signs to look for. and I always kept an eye on signs of them feeling intimidated or angry. 


//Dover Ferry Port//









//The Victorian Lighthouse//






//Dover Ferry Port//



//Shot of me by Rosie Penn//


//All Images shot by me
with Canon 600D
Edited using Photoshop

As our initial idea, we decided to go for Imogen´s idea, with making a documentary on the bears from Wildwood that were saved from a neglective breeding station in Bulgaria.

But after Imogen had been trying to get in contact with them, and it had already been made a case on by Channel one/ The One Show, we decided to leave this idea as well. And move on to the topic coast.

THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER

In the beginning, the coast topic was not our groups first choice as we didn´t really see the potential until Helen properly introduced us to cliffs and coasts around the Kent area. After throwing ourselves out in it and embracing it as our choice, it is a topic I feel has grown very on to us all. And with more and more research it feels like we become more and more passionate for this as our project. 


- We spent the rest of the day after the tutorial with Helen researching the coast as a topic.
- Managed to find facts and existence of different species, plant and environment life. 
- Contact info has been retrieved, as well as possible experts names. 

We knew that sewage problems along the coast has been a big issue, so we did research this. But with further research and agreements on what it is that we wish to focus on we have found a lot of other interesting themes as well. So far we have chosen to take a closer look at, and explore these aspects regarding the cliffs. 

  • Cliffs, the soft, white chalk is rare geologically; it is a very pure form of limestone.
  • Erosion
  • Wildlife
  • Nature
  • Tunnels
  • The Victorian lighthouse 
  • Fishermen

As well as the different animal and nature life in the area. 

  • Wildflowers
  • Butterflies (small blue, adonis blue, chalkhill blue, red admiral, painted lady and yellow butterflies)
  • Kittiwake
  • Fulmar
  • Peregrine falcon
  • Exmoor pony
  • Hornet robber fly
  • Warblers (white throat, colourful seed eaters; linnets and yellow hammers)


We have also decided to take on different roles in the production, in order to spread out the work, and handle different positions, working as a crew/team. Which I think is a great thing to practice how it will be when we get out in the industry.

IMOGEN
 Producer & Soundman // responsible for the scripts
(Shooting script, presenter-script etc.)
ROSIE
Director // responsible for casting
IDA
 Camera Op & Editor // responsible for anything do with camera 
(storyboard, shotlist etc.) and rough cut 
- - - 
ALL 
Will participate and be responsible for the fine cut 

We have also decided to go location scouting to the cliffs tomorrow, Thursday 10th of March, to take a look at the scenery and such. We will be taking a lot of pictures and planning out possible shots. As well as we will be going to The Wild Cliffs of Dover - National Trust Visitor Centre, to talk to them about our Idea and ask them a bunch of questions! We´ll be leaving at 09.30 am, to get as much out of the day as possible. 


//Image screenshot from Imogen´s blog

//Images from google.com
The white cliffs of dover

//Sources of information
http://www.visitkent.co.uk/attractions/the-white-cliffs-of-dover/9002
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-white-cliffs-of-dover









Quick facts:
- Documentary 
- Duration per episode approx. 45 min
- 6 episodes per season
- Premiered 2015
- - - 
Executive Producers
- - -
Martin Durkin
Jon Stephens
Neil Laird



- Scientists explore some of Earth´s Phenomenon´s -

With a narrator, Steven Kearney, each episode takes the audience on a journey through some of Earth weirdest and/or spectacular phenomenon´s. As Part of the research, I watched two episodes from the series, "Lost City of God" and "Secrets of the Sahara." 


- Each episode brings up 3-5 different and individual incidences/phenomenon´s 
- Using the subject driven combined with the actuality driven method to tell the story.
- As well as using animation or archive footage to reconstruct/-rreate history
- Building up under or questioning the theories, by having different professors and scientists that previously have done research on the case or are taking a look at it now to find answers.
- Each incidence/phenomenon is rounded off smoothly, before the next one is being presented.


PRO´s
- Interesting and up to date content.
- Visually cool and nice to look at in terms of the graphics.
- Cinematography - on scene footage is very beautiful.
- Good combination between sync and other footage
- You are quickly but detailed put into the case/story about to be explored.

- You get to be a part of the journey as an audience.
- Awakens the audience´s thoughts
- The narrators voice is engaging and makes you listen carefully.
- Leaves you with a lot of questions as well as quite thoughtful.
- Which is a great tool to create suspense, and leaves the viewer to want to see more, know more.



CON´s
- Most of the cases/stories does not have a proper conclusion.
- Which is understandable considering that some of the phenomenon's doesn´t have a solution or answer to why they have happened or taken place.
- But at least for me, I would have liked to know the result/truth or get a closure on the stories where it could have been found some.

Overall it is an interesting program, raising questions about phenomenon´s, leaving it up to the viewer to take part and interest in keep watching to get to know the stories and perhaps get some answeres or to be left thoughtful and mindful about the world and it's mysterious events. 


What I like about this series is generally the overall style, how they have put it together using the satellites as a starting point. Viewing and covering all of the phenomenon´s on a map from above, before entering the different cases on ground level. All of the cases starts out from an image shot by a satellite. I also like the wide shots of nature and areas around the places where phenomenon´s has taken place, it gives some astonishing cinematography. Another thing that is very cool is how they have chosen to present the sync, they go away from the regular image, and has parted the screen up in multiple screens - usually three, one for the sync image, and two others with footage in them. I find this to be interesting as well as a very neat, different and cool way of doing it. 


When it comes to how this series has influenced my own work, I must say that it has definitely inspired me to think differently. That a documentary program doesn´t necessary have to be standard A4 sync image, it can be more exciting and cool! I am also inspired by the way it sucks the audience into the stories, and on a journey. That is definitely something I want to try and achieve with our documentary. 





//All Images screenshot from the series




Quick facts:
Born 1963, St. Louis Missouri, USA
Philip Davis Guggenheim
18 wins and 11 nominations.
Awarded 1 Academy award
Nominated for 1 BAFTA 2016
Won 1 Oscar
- - -
Director & Producer
- - -


 [..] People weren’t just going to a movie. They were part of a movement. That’s the best feeling in the world. I want to keep doing that until I get fired. Again.



He is married to Elisabeth Shue and have three children. His mother is the actress Marion Guggenheim and his father the well-known documentary director Charles Guggenheim. Who is known to direct Robert Kennedy Remembered (1968), Nine From Little Rock (1964) and his last documentary was "Berga: Soldiers of Another War (2003). He grew up with one brother, Jonathan, and a sister Grace. 

- His father won 3 Oscars
- When he died, he held the record for most Academy award nominations for documentaries. 

Downfall that lead to great success in the end

Davis didn't set out to be a documentary filmmaker, as he felt like he could never become as good as his dad. He decided to do Hollywood productions, which he did semi-good at. He cast Denzel Washington for a production called "Training Day" which he really wanted him to play in, and was the only one who wanted him for the role. Unfortunately, as soon as the he got it, he fired Davis the very next day and took over the production.

- For years, Davis felt bitter and betrayed by the actor who took advantage of his position and took over his production. 
- He kind of left filmmaking for a little while.
- Before he took up a camera to film friends of his who was teachers, and worked for Teach America.
- He was taken by the feeling that he could use his skills for something that inspired him. 


"I don’t like it when a filmmaker has an agenda 
and I don’t know it. [..]"
- The Washington Post


/ 2006 /

/ 2008 /

/ 2010 /

- All of his documentary films has made an impact and difference. 
- Enlightening and bringing up subjects/stories deserved to be heard.
- His work has also reaped good fruits in form of praise and awards. 
- Won an Award at Sundance film festival for "An Inconvenient Truth"
- As well as he also won an Oscar for "An Inconvenient Truth"

/ 2015 /

It’s a dangerous thing when we make people like this into our idols, into icons. Because then we say, “I can’t be that.” 
But I believe that my daughters can be as brave as Malala.
- The Washington Post

As a part of the research for Davis as a director, I chose to watch his newest documentary which looks at the events leading up to the Taliban´s attack on Pakistani schoolgirl, Malala Yousafzai, that spoke up about girls right to education, as well as the aftermath, including her speech to the United Nations. 

I like how the documentary is put together by several elements such as animation (to reconstruct events that took place), Still foto´s, film and sync. All the different elements combined makes a truly astonishing film, where you get sucked right into the story. Also how human, and natural it is, all intriguing, awful, beautiful and exciting at once. Wich is very well done considered I am a very picky documentary watcher, and there must something quite special added to the film to make me sit through the whole thing all ears, focus and eyes glued to the screen as the story unfolds. 


Davis interested me by the way he infiltrates and blend in with the stories, bringing us alongside him as we travel and explore real stories. How the cinematography combined with other visual elements such as stills and animation creates a distinct style of storytelling. 

When it comes to how he has inspired my work on this project, he has made me look at documentaries in a new light. I have always felt that documentaries haven't been my thing, and I have not really enjoyed watching them, to be honest. But what Davis has done, is given the genre of documentary an update. Making it more interesting, as well as new thinking. He has inspired my work in the way that I would like to include other elements and combine them together to make a balanced and visually interesting story. 



//All images from google.com
Davis Guggenheim

//Srouces of information
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/documentarian-davis-guggenheim-is-a-man-with-a-mission-sort-of/2015/10/08/b525d622-6c7e-11e5-aa5b-f78a98956699_story.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0346549/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0346556/?ref_=nmbio_sp_1
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0346550/












As a documentary filmmaker, you need a set of skills to pull off the genre. Filmmaking in general and  documentary filmmaking do have several things in common, but creating and making documentaries has a lot of different aspects to it, that general/fictional filmmaking doesnt have. In this post I´ll take you through the specialist skills you need to make documentaries.


                            doc•u•men•ta•ry

 (ˌdɒk yəˈmɛn tə ri, -tri) 

adj., n., pl. -ries. adj.
1. Also, doc•u•men•tal (ˌdɒk yəˈmɛn tl) pertaining to, consisting of, or derived from documents.
2. depicting an actual event, era, life story, etc., accurately and without fictional elements.

- - - -

A documentary´s purpouse is to portray the truth and reality as it is, or as it has been. The stories being told are true and the people are real. If the documentary contains re-created scenes, these are to be derived from the stories/truth and re-created to visualise what actually happened. 

- In documentaries the sources of information used is very key.
- It is imporant to view them critically.
- First-hand source; - the person that was there themselves/experienced the incident that took place
- Second-hand source; - A person that was not there themselves, but know what happened through information from others. 


As a general basis you need to prepear yourself to work in a office, yes, the amount of time you are actually out shooting is minimal compared to all the prep, research and planning you have to do beforehand. The important skills here is to be able to work in softwares such as Microsoft word, be skilled with phone calls as well as you should have good social skills. 

- You need to be structured.
- Good and efficient at doing research.
- Have a certain drive to get the story told in its rightful potential.
- Aspire to make the truth and reality heard.
- The characters/people/story should drive the story forward.
- Know that it is real stories and real people you are working with, respect and ethics are very important. 

"The ability and desire to LISTEN."
- Jan Keck, documentary filmmaker &
cinematographer

Making a documentary also requires teamwork, and the director of the documentary has to work tightley alongside the cinematographer. Ultimatley the director has to trust the cinematogarpher more than anyone else, with confidence that he or she will bring to the screen the story the director visualises. This is done by clearly going through with the cinematographer the story, the aim and style/way the director wants it to be. 

Which is quite similiar with fictionl filmmaking, but the difference here is agian, that you are working with reak people, real events and capturing in the moment happenings, which might not let you re-shoot that exact moment. The key is knowing the story, and knowing what and how you want to portray and or tell it. 

- - - -

//Images from google.com

//Sources of information
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/documentary
http://www.documentary.org/magazine/so-you-want-work-documentary…tips-getting-started
http://red-gecko-productions.com/redgecko/2010/07/29/the-skills-of-a-documentary-cinematographer/






In our third unit, the project evolves around creating a 10-minute long wildlife and nature film for a documentary strand - working title "Doorstep Wilderness" - Which would be suitable to be transmitted at 8 pm on UKTV wildlife and science channel "Eden". We will be working in groups of three as a team to come up with an idea, as well as planning, working and reaching towards the final goal together. A wildlife and nature documentary.

- - - -

MY IDEA
"Building homes for barn owls"

The case I have chosen to base my idea for the documentary was posted to the Kent Wildlife Trust´s blog and web page. Where hardworking volunteers are working to preserve and help the barn owls out, as old abandoned barns seems to have seized to exists, as well as big cored trees with holes in them are rarer to find and equals less and less space and places for them to live. This is endangering them as a species. 


To get in touch with these people we will have to contact the head office either by email or phone and talk to them about the case and find out if it is something they would like to be a part of. We have to find out if there might be any events/plans taking place where they will be making and putting up more boxes. Follow the process from the making, the assembly of the boxes and the result of the work they do. The coolest thing would be to get to film the owls themselves in their habitat, where we as viewers can see how important it is to preserve the nature, and help these owls in having a home. 


I was inspired by this case as soon as I saw and read, there was something about helping these majestic animals of night that just touched my heart. And It is great to see people actually working side by side with nature in making sure it is preserved, taken care of instead of fighting against it. 

Action Taken:
To make contact regarding this case, I called the Kent Wildtrust head office to propose the idea of the making of this as a documentary. I was then given the email to the press department which did not have a direct phone number so I would have to contact them via email. I sent an email but did not hear back before the tutorial chat with Helen. Therefore, we chose to move away from this case and find a new case with a different angulation.



//All Images from google.com

//Sources of information
http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/blog/gordon-miller/2016/02/22/building-homes-barn-owls


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- Ida Frank -

- Ida Frank -

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- Studying Television Production at UCA - - University for The Creative Arts - Contact: televisionbyidafrank@gmail.com

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