week 1 food on film

Food is a necessity to satisfy basic needs for everyone and I believe it’s a pleasure that plays a significant role in my understanding of happiness. We’ve discussed in the group that there are so many different cuisines built by cultural backgrounds and geographical locations. I chose this studio because food can tell us a lot about the history and traditions of nations and regions. Through this studio, we are going to film documentaries on food to explore more backgrounds, food’s cultures, food relationships to the world behind itself. The best food documentaries tell incredible stories about food and the people who grow it, educate us about what’s in our food and how we can eat to support our health, shine a light on corporate corruption and inspire us to take action. Food documentaries can frame complex information in a more interesting and active way, especially for visual learners. As our culture’s interest in food grows, so has the number of food documentaries. 

The other reason I chose this studio is that I’ve learned some documentary filming skills in the studio ‘They film people don’t they” last year. I guess I am more confident in doing it. A documentary is a film story concerning factual topics, these films have a variety of aims, to record important events and ideas; to inform viewers; to convey opinions and to create public interest. I watched FAT, SICK AND NEARLY  DEAD before, it’s about when Joe Cross is told that there isn’t anything that can be done about his excess weight and chronic autoimmune disease, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He trades the junk food for a juicer and films his road trip across America as he drinks veggie + fruit juice for 60 days. I love this heartwarming tale of one man who doesn’t give up on his pursuit of wellness and we appreciate that this movie inspired thousands of others to turn to food to support their health.

A number of common techniques can be used in documentaries to achieve these aims. I usually followed the main structures when I filmed the documentary before:

Tell audiences what you are going to tell & show them. (INTRO)

Tell them the information, facts, story,  (COVER) Present the material in a logical fashion and covers all aspects of the documentary.

Tell them what you have just told them. (SUMMARIZE)

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After a week of class, I will say I am really glad to meet new friends in this studio and look forward to progress more on filming until the end of this term.

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