Workshop – ‘Narrative Structure in PB3’

What is the ‘controlling idea’ of your portrait?

I guess the main idea that I wanted to push in my interview is the old cliche of ‘practice makes perfect’ and that if you work hard enough you can do well. For years my interviewee had striven to become better, trying, failing and succeeding in various projects until he found what he was happy with.

How is your portrait film being constructed?

I wanted my interview to be a hybrid of a video talk and having narration over secondary footage. for the most part I will be focusing on the video of my interviewee himself, as that I can focus on his facial expressions to bring further depth and emotion to what he’s saying, I will also be having intersecting footage of his band playing, and so on.

What do you want your audience to make of your interview? 

I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I want my audience to be inspired, but more present this as an anecdotal ‘how to’ video; showing how practice can turn into progress and give the steps for other budding performers to take a similar path and achieve their goals.

How is your portrait being narrated?

Although I did record myself asking the questions in the interview, beforehand I ask my interviewee to rephrase the question within his answer, that way when editing I would have a bit more leeway in my presentation, being able to choose if I want myself in the interview or not.

What role will found footage play in your portrait?

To be honest, I haven’t quite fully made up my mind regarding found footage. however, if I were to make a decision of what I would want right now I would want it to reflect what is being said within the interview, or to give an example of what’s being said.

Does your interview have a dramatic turning point?

Although it doesn’t have a ‘dramatic turning point’, it does have (or will have) a point in the interview where it switches from being about the interviewee and more about the audience and what advice they’d give based upon the struggles he and his fellow band members have faced in their progress of becoming an actual band.

When does this turning point occur in in your portrait and why?

To reflect a typical story arch of most characters presented in film, being a journey format audiences are accustom to, I’ve decided to place this turning point about 2/3rds – 3/4th of the way through, so that I may begin to ‘wind down’ the interview follow this.

How does your portrait gather and maintain momentum? 

I plan to maintain (and gain) by not relying on one source of video too much, mixing it up a little and discandying between interviewee footage, found footage, and secondary footage of the band together, using my cuts effectively to create a sense of a quicker pace.

Does the portrait have a climax and/or resolution?

It doesn’t quite have a proper climax, but towards the end it does have the reveal of how the band has managed to reach the point they’re currently at, thanks to a culmination of their hard work.

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