Unit
"Documentary"
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Roles in the production
Under the development and work of this unit, I have been in a group consisting of Imogen, Rosie and myself. As the project has been ongoing we have all participated in different areas, all of us did research together but after the research for the project was done we took on different roles in the production. Imogen has written, produced and been sound while Rosie has directed and been casting director. I have been camera operator and editor, as well as we have all regularly met up discussed and come to agreements on how we wanted the final end result to look like. The time we have had at our disposal, we have made good use of and been structured, organized and efficient. 

Actor & casting
The actor we decided to go with for the Presenter role was, Micky Dartford. We found him casting outside the classroom using Casting Call Pro. We only had a few applicants, but we still chose to hold   a small audition round. Where the applicants interested in the role had to send an audition videotape, reading/acting out a few lines from the script. We made sure that the actor that got the role had a 100% commitment to the project and shooting days. 

Why we chose our story
We chose to make this story because of how the White Cliffs of Dover is a big symbol and icon for England, as well as to the how vast the nature and wildlife on the cliffs is. We wanted to lift this icon forward, as well as establish awareness of the challenges, risks and uncertainties of the future the cliffs faces. We wanted to show off the beautiful nature and wildlife, and the committed people dedicating their time and effort to continue to keep the cliffs clean, safe and in well preserved. 


The goal
The goal with this unit was to research, develop, set up, shoot and edit our own original documentary film in response to a defined brief. The goal for the documentary we made was to fulfill the criteria, as to what a documentary actually is and consists of. Documentaries are not easy to define, there are many forms - but the most important was for it to contain real people, showing or doing real things and tell real stories/facts. We also wanted it to consist of different styles, so we combined still images, moving images, sync, and V.O. to achieve a different but interesting look and context. 

My experiences
I found this unit to be more interesting than I originally thought it would be before we started it. In general, I have not been to fond of documentaries, but through this unit, I discovered that documentaries are actually okay. I even found some documentaries or different styles and types of doc´s that I like. I like how some of them combines different styles such as still images, animation etc. I feel that we have worked really well together as a group, and the time we have had at disposal has been plenty enough. We have efficiently spread out the work, I will say we spent the longest on research, plan and prep. Shortest amount of time on the shooting, which took us two days. Even though those two days required quite some effort, hiking around the cliffs for hours. But it was great, and the footage and nature made it so worth it. And finally   the remaining time on post-production, which has been a week-ish. There has been no stress, and we have gotten everything done in time for deadlines and sessions, which feels great!

Conclusion
When it comes to if the goal has been reached, I want to say that I am very pleased with our finished product and the group work. I have learned that documentary is okay, even though it might not be what I end up working with after uni. It has been a cool experience and I have truly loved working with the girls. I feel that the criteria for the unit have been reached, and that I have managed to contribute positively to this project, and that we together have managed to reach our goals with the documentary. We have definitely achieved the look and style we were going for, and I think I can speak on behalf of us all when I say that we are very pleased with how it looks. All in all a product I mean answers the assignment, and shows understanding for research, teamwork, technique, editing tools, writing as well as camera techniques. 


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During this unit, we have had two editing workshops, where one of them consisted of editing stock footage and following an editing script/sync assembly to put all the pieces together.


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In the first workshop, we were set to edit stock footage already shot. We got in early, got handed the footage and worked on a rough cut up until lunch. After lunch, we had about one-two hours to complete our edits before viewing them. We were really lucky to have an editing professional there - Tim Benthom - to give us different advice and feedback. 

The workshop was alright, being confident in Premiere I didn´t really learn tremendously much new things, considering it being about the assembly it was interesting and fun to see how much easier/quicker it was to edit. When it was all highlighted and pre-chosen. 

Location Workshop 




On the location workshop, we all traveled to Faversham, to show that we can shoot on location. We filmed in the high street as well as at a brewery. My group consisted of Laura, Josh, Imogen and me, and we did risk assessments as well as got people to sign consent forms if necessary. 
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The second workshop consisted of editing the Faversham footage we shot, making it into a sort of commercial/collage kind of sequence. 





Quick facts:
- Documentary / Mystery
- Duration per episode approx. 45 min
- X episodes per season
- Premiered XXXX
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Executive Producer: Discovery Channel
Joshua C. Berkley

 Created by Peter Rees
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- A weekly documentary in which two Hollywood special effects experts,
 attempt to debunk urban legends by directly testing them. - 

With a narrator, Robert Lee, each episode takes the audience along on an exciting and engaging journey. Researching and testing out myths and theories, further into the seasons also by requests or tips from the audience themselves. As part of the research, I watched two episodes of the series "Jet-Assisted Chevy/Pop Rocks and Soda" and "Mentos and Diet Coke". 


- Each episode brings up about two different theories or myths and puts them to the test.
- Using the subject driven as well as the informational and partly actually driven method to tell the story. 
- They use archive stills or footage to refer to history or the origin of the myths. 
- Interviews with specialists to fill in on the facts and lay a foundation for the theories or myths to bounce off to a conclusion.
- By area specialization the two myths or theories brought up run alongside each other as they plan, structure, perform, put to test and round up with results and conclusions.


PRO´S
- Interesting and fun content.
- A spark of humor.
- Nice slow motions.
- Good combination between sync and other footage.
- In the moment, as an audience, we get to tag along and see the whole process from beginning to end.
- Each episode has a conclusion and solution to the tests.

- Surprises and awakens the audience´s thoughts.
- The narrator´s voice is shooting, clear and makes you pay attention.
- Leaves you with satisfaction, feels like we solved the myths together!
- Which is a great tool to use in the way of engaging the audience, bringing them along on new mysteries and myth and theory solving. 


CON´S 
- Breaking the fourth wall excessively - by showing the other crew and cameras.
- Following the whole process can drag the time a bit.
- Which may loose some viewers.
-- Because it at times feels a bit slow paced.

Overall it is a very interesting programme, especially for the people who like to know how things work - scientifically etc. And that likes to solve and find answers to mysteries, such as to myths and theories. 


I grew up watching this series myself, and it is a series I really enjoy watching. It is a very "easy to watch" series, which is great to reach a wide range audience, in all ages. From children, teenagers, adults and elder people. I like the close-up shots, slow motion shots, as well as detail shots of sparks and splinters. The set up of sync and general shots are often very basic and A4, which is alright because it works. Having the setup clear and clean helps to contrast all of the experimenting and action going on in the frame/on screen. It weighs up for each other's elements. 

When it comes to how this series has influenced my own work, it has definitely made me see how balanced, clear, clean and standard can work really well. How combining standard and basic with a few different shots or angles can make a big difference and work really well. It is also very interesting how they manage to make the whole journey exciting from prep, test to results. The actually drives it forward and keeps the audience in their seats. Something that would be very cool to achieve with our documentary. Keep the audience engaged, interested and in their seats following the story. 



//All images screenshot from the series

//Sources of information
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383126/




Quick facts: 
Born 1964, Boston Massachusetts, USA
27 wins and 26 nominations
1 Directors Guild of America 2015
Awarded 1 Primetime Emmy award
Won 1 Oscar
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Artist, Filmmaker & Journalist
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"We´d rather take risks and learn from them if things don´t work, than not take risks. There´s no reason to not take risks."


Brief background 
Laura was born in Boston but now lives in New York working as a director and producer of documentary films. Her parents Patricia (Pat) and James (Jim) Poitras, donated in 2007 twenty million dollars to found The Poitras Centre for Affective Disorders Research. She has two sisters, Christine Poitras, which works as an ESL teacher and Jennifer Poitras a disaster response planner and consultant. Laura has won several awards for her work, such as the 2015 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for her latest film - Citizenfour

In-depth background
Growing up Laura did not plan on working within film or television industry. She actually wanted to become a chef, and she even spent several years as a cook at a French restaurant in Boston. It was not until she moved to San Francisco that she lost interest in becoming a chief. 

She then started to study at San Francisco Art Institute, working and studying with experimental filmmakers. In 1992, she decided to move to New York to pursue a film career at - The New School for Public Engagement - where she graduated from in 1996, with a bachelor degree. 

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"There is nothing I love doing more than filming - my camera is the tool that I use to see the world"


/ 2014 /

/ 2010 /

Flag Wars - / 2003 /

My Country, My Country - / 2006 / 

Responsibility & Consequences
To be one of the Americas most celebrated documentary-makers also brings a lot of responsibility and sometimes consequences. Making documentaries sending dispatches from the nation´s frontier zones, Iraq, Yemen and militarised cyberspace to mention some. 

It was Poitras reputation that inspired disaffected former CIA employee, Edward Snowden, to come in contact with her. After exchanging anonymous emails where he hinted at previously unimaginable levels of secret state monitoring. After months of sounding each other by encrypted correspondence, they met up in Hong Kong. 

Where Laura filmed him backing up his revelations and outing himself as a whistleblower. This resulted in her newest film "Citizenfour" which was named after Snowden´s online alias. A film she won an oscar for. Snowden however, immediately became one of the world's most wanted men. She was accused of being his collaborator and has been stopped and interrogated by US authorities dozens of times. To protect herself and her sources from around the world, she moved to Berlin. 


Art Exhibition 
Laura Poitras is a woman who keeps a lot of balls in the air at the same time, additionally to filmmaking she also makes time to be a journalist, winning a George Polk award for reporting, as well as her first solo art exhibition, at Manhatten´s Whitney Museum. 

In this way, Poitra´s is unique, as to how it is less common for documentary filmmakers to embrace  other styles or do work in other branches such as art or commercial features. Many doc makers don´t move from the film circuit to the more enclosed terrain of modern art. 

Astro Noise
Laura´s art show, that refers to an encrypted file Snowden gave to her, as well as the background disturbance of thermal radiation left over from the Big Bang. Astro Noise is a contrast to Poitras earlier work - it has more abstract and ambiguity to it. Laura was on Manhattan´s Upper West side when the planes hit the world trade centre in 2001 - which has been an inspiration for this exhibition. 

-It opens with six blown up photographs, it transcripts that they are reprocessed images from encrypted data hacked from Israeli drones. 
-In the next room is O´say Can You See, a two-sided video installation: one side shows slowed-down footage from New yorkers gazing at ground zero in the aftermath of 9/11. 
- The other side shows grainy images of two prisoners in Afghanistan, hoods over their heads, being interrogated by American soldiers.

The message is clear, everything that is seen in this show - art exhibition - is in some way a consequence of 9/11. 


"In film there´s a lot of time that´s that´s not creative, I´m keen to expand, to challenge myself in different ways"

What interested me
Laura interested me by the way she is so brave and determined to get people's stories out there, and constantly working to reveal or fabricate the reality and truth. She truly puts herself out there and is not even afraid to expose her own name or life to danger or threat. 


When it comes to how she has inspired my work on this project, in the way of always keeping in mind the importance of the truth. And that the truth and sometimes hidden reality should always shine through. To make sure that our documentary represents something of reality, presented in the rightful and most honorable way as possible. 



//All images from Google

//Sources of information




After today´s fine cut deadline session, we got some new feedback on our project, we are all really pleased and happy with what we have achieved. Now there is only colour correction and the additional final tweaks left before hand-in on Friday. 



Notes

Pull music back a bit when presenter is too low Change a few images which repeat if possible Tighten it a bit (a few walks) End is enjoyable Material handled well Clear story

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Colour correction

Due to the fact that we shot for two days, the light the second day - cutaway shooting - was very different from the first day. It was much brighter, more misty and dull. Which made it quite challenging to set the right light exposure and get the settings to be the best they could, really tricky. This resulted in the cutaways not being as crisp, clear and natural, instead, they got a very yellow tint to them, almost a vintage kind of look. 

This was dealt and handled in premiere by colour correction, and underneath you can see the results. 



After the final tweaks had been taken care of as well as the colour correction the final end product, the video was exported Thursday the 5th of May. 





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