Through our documentary, the audience can gain more knowledge about the Capitol and deepen its history with the Capitol. The Capitol is the legacy of the cinema. Cross the decade of a century, what makes the Capitol still exist? What has changed from the beginning? What makes the Capitol different from other old cinemas in Melbourne, especially with Regent Theatre. Will cinema die one day? This is a broad question. Through the development of technology and society, people no longer go to the cinema regularly. The increasing prices also cause fewer people to go to the cinema less frequently. However, the experience of going to the cinema is what is etched in your memory. 

During the pre-production stage, we identified the project’s objectives and conducted detailed research and collection of materials. These materials included the history of the Capitol and historical photographs, which were very helpful for us during the later stages of the production process. As the time available to access the Capitol was very limited, our team filmed the Capitol in as much detail as possible, providing the necessary footage for the visual narrative of the documentary. Interviews were another key part of the process, and we were able to interview two of the cinema’s managers, Darren Brown and Marc Morel, whose opinions and voices added authority and depth to the documentary. In the end, we edited the footage, combining video and images with voice-overs and music to create our documentary.

Documentary is a powerful narrative medium, and through this program, we have improved our storytelling skills to engage audiences and convey the message. 

We have also improved our software skills by using editing software like Premier Pro, strengthened our communication and cooperation skills, and most importantly we have acknowledged the history of Capitol. Furthermore, throughout the process of shooting interviews, in terms of equipment, we were able to overcome some challenges of learning using a professional camera and microphone for better quality; and how to use different perspectives in interviews to create different storytelling atmospheres.  

Documentary production is a complex project that requires the coordination of team members, schedules, and the application of different resources. Through this program, we have acquired lots of skills to better manage and collaborate.  

Link to the work：