I write this in absolute rage, but I can’t BELIEVE I’ve been so stupid! After recording an interview with my Nana and not being happy with the sound quality, I sorted out the issues and recorded again. The second time was 100% better HOWEVER, I stupidly watched the device so closely to make sure it didn’t clip, that I failed to realise that most of the second time wasn’t filming. I made the mistake of stopping and starting the recording after each question and got into the wrong rhythm of when to press ‘record’ resulting in NOTHING ACTUALLY RECORDING!!!!! I played back 2 of the questions, and assumed the rest must be okay as well, and have no only realised (2 days later) that they are not in fact there. So frustrated with myself. The second interview I did, also went off track from my original questions and was I actually really happy with the information I was getting about my Nana’s life. As I don’t have enough time to go down to Mornington to re-record this week and my nana is busy next week, I am now stuck trying to “normalise” and fix up the first interview, and also go without the awesome sound bites from the second interview.

Secondly, I forgot to take a spare memory card with me and therefore was very, very restricted in the amount of things I could film. I kept having to delete footage I may have liked to use as there was no space on the memory card. I should have used RMIT’s camera in the first place but I left it too late to book a camera and therefore decided to use a sound recorder instead. If I stuck to the best-suited camera, I wouldn’t have had this memory card issue.

Things to be learnt today:

1. I’m an idiot I’m only human, but I must be more conscientious when filmmaking to avoid making silly mistakes

2. Book a camera in advance, so you can use your preferred equipment

3. Bring spare memory cards (when using a camera other than RMIT)

4. In interviews, let the whole thing roll on the sound recorder. Don’t stop start as you run the risk of not recording anything (like I).

5. Check to see if said sound recorder is actually recording during the interview

6. Listen to EVERY file after recording