Proof of concept:

Proposal Document:

Rucking the Binary Pitch Document FINAL

Poster:

3 Reflections: via one google drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IFxOO0aSFT63yeF05UU6Y2clU2hNS5vI?usp=sharing

1. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sGVZvrH9CT9vE3yanfeuHi44ebBM51KYC6S0bwZsak8/edit?usp=sharing
2. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XYVsOtiDP_h0RzvIfEuD4mFJqGN3CHrlcEAoRibSqh8/edit?usp=sharing
3. https://docs.google.com/document/d/11NJk1zE_yM78DLhp60NqwtkKDVNGcE4-5k4YW8_4DZ8/edit?usp=sharing

LAST LAPS : Triumphs & Tragedies Poster

LAST LAPS : Triumphs and Tragedies Proof Of Concept Video

800-1000 Word Reflection:

• A) consider in what ways you hope your final work engages its audience and communicates a key concern of the studio? Draw upon your experiences from attending the studio exhibition.

Our group’s final work will hopefully engage with our audiences through relatable storytelling and world-building around the topic of our film. As our documentary topic is an Australian story about the personal relationships and connections that people in Australia have to Holden cars and the brand, we are able to portray impactful journeys and events that Australians have with this iconic car brand. By communicating and connecting with the course theme of ‘outlining and proposing a documentary correctly’ we were able to understand the importance of correctly presenting a story that is worth being told. In week 3’s reading, Cheryl Dune discusses the importance of “events” and how they are central to what makes a great story. With Dune expressing how “events you can have at the core of something” we were able to implement this idea into the workings of our own documentary story. By using the Australian car brand Holden, we could use that as the core connection to our film’s stories and themes. Branching them out to connect to a variety of “events” as Dune continues to emphasise that “events are really the best stories, events that people can and can’t relate to”. In which is what we hope can engage back to with our audiences by having relatable moments to capture audience engagement. We hope to engage with audiences who have had connections to the Holden car brand via work, family, or general interest but also connect to new audiences that will understand the reasonings behind the connection to Holden from hearing the events that are told within our documentary.

• B) outline the singular most successful and singular most problematic aspect of your process/finished work 

The most successful aspect of our documentary was being able to have an easily accessible and personal connection to one of the main interviewees and the topic of our documentary. Using Phil Priest as the main interviewee for our proof-of-concept video, it allowed us to easily plan film days and locations with the connection of him being my dad. He allowed us to take out his Holden XU1 Torana to film, as well as giving us access to countless amounts of archival footage and racing documentation of the car to be used for our documentary. With him being my dad, it created a more natural and calmer environment for him to be interviewed in, as it created an atmosphere of him essentially talking to his son and friends about the history of his beloved car. Therefore, allowing for great footage to be captured for both the interview and B-roll for the film as well as for piecing together in the editing stages.

Whereas for the most problematic aspect of our film was actually on the first shooting day of production when our interviewee was sick with COVID-19 and the XU1 Torana did not start. This resulted in us having to distance ourselves from Phil (Interviewee) and try to improvise a new shot list for the filming of the car. After Phil spent all day attempting to fix the car to no avail, we instead had to gather a multitude of different shot varieties that would be able to be used in the editing process instead of what was originally planned. This proved to be extremely difficult in the editing stages, as due to the uncontrollable setbacks we weren’t able to create the originally intended proof of concept we intended.

• C) imagine you are going to keep working on that media piece, what would be the core things you would want to improve and extend and why?

If production were to continue on this media piece, one of the core things I would like to improve on would be who else would be significant and integral enough to include in the full-length documentary. Highlighted in Jane Chapman’s reading on ‘Documentary in Practice’ where Jane illustrates the significance of figuring out the essential people to be included in a documentary. Stating that “If a story is to sustain the interest of viewers… the selection of an individual or family becomes all the more challenging and a critical element in the success of the production.” This understanding would help indicate what aspects of a person should be considered in being crucial to the telling of the story and how they can be used to help and improve the overall story rather than hinder it. Chapman also stresses that research into the individual’s entire life should be done to fully understand them, although “there can be a focus on one episode, aspect, or part of the person’s life” by only grabbing in-depth, essential information in order to tell the story correctly. Therefore, by including another or multiple significant/important interviewees, I believe our documentary would be greatly improved by more in-depth personal stories that would further our film, granting further audience engagement and story quality.

• D) Outline one key thing you’ve learnt from your studio experience that you will take into your future thinking and practice

One key thing that I’ve learned from my studio experience comes from Alan Rosenthal and Ned Eckhardt’s reading in week 2 of Proposal and Outline. Which they specify “the central purpose of your proposal is to convince someone” which has highlighted the importance of pitching and presenting media products. As before this studio, I wasn’t very familiar with the process of how to build a proof-of-concept package and the steps to take in creating one that highlights the film’s idea, concept, style, audience appeal, tension, drama, etc. Learning from this studio, I believe I can factor in ‘Content and organisation’ discussed in Eckhardt and Rosenthal’s reading as well as topics and processes worked on in class to produce further media products and influence my future thinking and practice.

• E) What’s one key takeaway about working collaboratively?

One key takeaway from working collaboratively in this course is to be able to understand exactly what our film will be as a group. By planning excessively through pre-production as much research and content to build a clear image for all group members before production. This would be done to avoid any confusion or unwanted direction of the film during the final stages of production to ensure each member is happy with the final result. Thus, clear and concise planning and communication amongst group members is my key takeaway from working collaboratively on this project.

References:

‘Documentarian Cheryl Dune on what makes a great story’ – The Drum, by Kyle O’Brien, August 16, 2017.

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/08/16/documentarian-cheryl-dunye-what-makes-great-story

‘Documentary In Practice’ – Jane Chapman, 2007

Documentary In Practice Jane Chapman 2007.pdf

‘Writing, Directing and Producing Documentary Films and Digital Videos’ – Southern Illinois University Press, Alan Rosenthal and Ned Eckhardt, 2015.

Rosenthal, Alan, and Ned Eckhardt. Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Films and Digital Videos, Southern Illinois University Press, 2015.pdf

Our documentary intends to engage audiences through the personal stories and emotion expressed through our subject Phil Priest. Holden has been an iconic Australian car brand since 1948 with the release of the Holden FX 48-215, the first car that was purpose built for Australia and its people. The brand has had an impact on the lives of many Australians, be it those who owned a Holden car in the past, to those who loved the brand for its strong racing history, or those who were involved in the manufacturing of Holden cars. Documentaries have the power to “activate feelings and emotions” (Nichols, 2017, p. 73), and we aim to do just that by conveying the deep connection many Australians still have with Holden. Our primary goal is to resonate with those who mourn the brand’s discontinuation or have a strong passion for cars and Australian motorsports. However, through Phil’s story, we also hope to reach a broader audience, showing that even those without a direct link to Holden can relate to the universal themes of passion, loss, and nostalgia. As Cheryl Dunes (2017) said events make the best stories whether they can or can’t relate to them. Through the events told by Phil, from acquiring the car and searching to discover its rich history, we strive to connect Phil’s personal experience with a larger narrative of the rise and fall of the Holden brand. Through his love and attachment to the car, we highlight the brand’s significant influence on countless Australians.

Our documentary is most successful in presenting a passionate and deeply personal story of Phil and his Holden XU-1 Torana, whilst also alluding to the greater themes of the impact of the discontinuation of the Holden brand on the Australian people. Phil’s openness was an advantage since he is Lachie’s father, we were able to avoid any issues with him feeling uncomfortable around us, therefore he spoke without any hesitation in providing intimate stories relating to the car. Further, as he was speaking to his son in the interview, he presents a relaxed demeanour, and an unguarded presence. By first introducing Phil’s connection to the car, and the years he spent researching and bonding with it, tension is created when he begins to touch on the retirement of the Holden brand and not only his experience of this loss but the experiences of those around him as well.

Despite this success the documentary is lacking in several other areas. We faced a number of struggles during the production of the documentary, most notably the Torana failing to start and Phil becoming ill with COVID-19. This meant not only did we have to distance ourselves from Phil, but we were also unable to capture dynamic shots of the Torana in motion. We attempted to compensate by shooting a variety of shots of the Torana static in the driveway, however we lost the ability to demonstrate Phil driving his car, or the sound of the engine. The historical significance of the car is a large component to the documentary in demonstrating both the significance of the car to Phil, and the significance of Holden in Australia. In order to present this to audiences we had gathered archival footage from Phil’s collection of history on the Torana. However, we were unable to use some of this footage due to copyright issues. As a result, we again lost footage that we had originally planned to include in the documentary. The combination of these issues resulted in a lack of diversity in the b-roll we could include in the film, resulting in the repetitive nature seen in the documentary.

If we were to keep working on the documentary, we would continue to interview subjects who are heavily involved in the Australian touring race scene, particularly the Bathurst race, as well as another man named Phil, who worked in the Holden factory for over 30 years. Chapman (2007) explains that strategic decisions must be made about the activities that are to be filmed and featured within a project. Going forward we would ensure all further interviews would correspond to the aim of the documentary in presenting the personal connection between Australians and Holden. Similarly to the interview with Phil, all further interviews would revolve around the personal stories and connections these people have to Holden. The collection of these interviews would amalgamate to create a comprehensive expression of the many ways the Holden brand impacted Australian people and culture, emphasizing the great loss felt by these people now that the Holden brand is gone. Allowing the documentary to present, the rise and fall of Holden through a personal lens, rather than an informational one.

One of the most critical lessons from this project has been recognizing the range of tasks required beyond shooting and editing. Permissions to film, securing locations, and obtaining archival footage can be time-consuming and costly processes. Trust-building with documentary subjects is another factor that demands significant effort. Additionally, finding a target audience, producers, and financial backing is a challenging aspect that can be very competitive. Although we didn’t face all these challenges directly for this project, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for the complexities that go into documentary-making. Future projects will benefit from this holistic understanding, considering all the steps necessary to bring a documentary to life not just story, cinematography, sound, and editing.

Collaborating on this documentary highlighted to me the importance of being receptive to differing perspectives. Our group’s editing process involved everyone contributing ideas and discussing what footage to include. By remaining open to each other’s suggestions and making changes based on feedback, we managed to craft what I believe is the best version of the documentary possible, given the footage available to us. This experience underscored to me the value of collective creativity and compromise, both of which are crucial when working in a team setting.

References

‘Documentarian Cheryl Dune on what makes a great story’ – The Drum, by Kyle O’Brien, August 16, 2017. https://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/08/16/documentarian-cheryl-dunye-what-makes-great-story

Nichols, B. (2017) Introduction to Documentary, Third Edition. Indiana University Press.

Chapman, J. (2007). Documentary in practice: filmmakers and production choices (Version 1). University of Lincoln. https://hdl.handle.net/10779/lincoln.24345619.v1

Link to proof of concept:

Proposal Document:

proofofconcept.docx-compressed

Blog post reflections:

Blog post 1: Pre-Production:

In this post I will discuss how I have contributed to the pre-production of our documentary, “Neutraliser”. I am the producer for our project and have loved being in this role for our group. For this project, I have been on the logistical side of production planning. Working alongside our editor, director and cinematographer to help flush out their creative ideas. In terms of my own research, I took the time to watch a few musical documentaries. As our topic focused on one band, I wanted to note down some structure and aspects I enjoyed from other documentaries about bands. I viewed ‘The Last Waltz’ 1978, Scorsese captured the final performance from the legendary country-rockers the Band. I admired his interviewing style that was verbose and his directorial decisions to highlight the bands skill, energy and drive. I took this into our pre-production meetings when we were discussing our initial idea, structure and indented mood. However, I did pitch into some conversations, I gave the lead vision to our director, editor and cinematographer.

Martin Scorsese’s 1978 ‘The Last Waltz’ screen grab from film.

As the producer, I wanted to give the creative decisions to those on the camera and editing. Pitching in when some ideas would be too broad, expensive or would not work with or scheduling with all participants and crew. I wanted to make sure I was not stamping down on their ideas but rather making sure we were remaining accessible and an achievable shoo our project. In class when discussing and learning about locations, scheduling, what we can and cannot do on set and while shooting. Such as the use of cars, smoking scenes, public property. I wanted to make sure my teams’ ideas were able to come to life but in a way we can work around challenges such as, public property, cars and safety requirements. I wanted to take this approach to hear other ideas, work cohesively together but remain organised and achievable to make the best work we can. This made pre-production a smooth and collaborative process.

Blog post 2: Pre-Production Collaboration:

The collaborative process thus far has been enjoyable and exciting. Working on a project in a group all motivated to construct the best work we can. I will be discussing my groups process, and reflection on how we’ve gone thus far.

In the beginning we all worked together to draft a structure and brief for the project. Really honing into our designated roles. In our first meeting, as the producer I assigned myself and everyone tasks to complete for the following weeks. Each of us sharing responsibilities and collaborating so that the following week we can build off what we each had completed.

For example, the editor researched into editing styles he enjoyed and vice versa with cinematography and directing. We took this approach as it allowed each of us to stay focused on our roles which we enjoyed and contribute equally to the project. As we played to each of our strengths. However, with group chats and frequent communication outside of class, if anyone had a question we had an welcoming space where each of us would contribute and help where needed.

Once tasks were completed each class we would discuss what we found, write down what we completed and what we needed to work through in the class and for the following week. I kept writing down the production meeting minuets, to make sure we were on track as the producer.

Blog post 3: In class feedback:

The most successful element of our rough cut has to be the story structure and shot selection. We captured some beautifully framed shots b-roll. Which had great feedback on how the rough cut came across visually. We have also established our story quickly and engaged our audience from the beginning which is positive. The least successful element would be audio. We hadn’t put the lapels on our subjects from the start, which has made it difficult to edit the audio as it dips in and out when the subject turns away from the mic. We will need to go deeper into audio mixing and see what we can do to mitigate this problem.

To prepare for our proof of concept we will try to select our chosen shots and interview answers differently. Focusing more on the band’s struggles and them interacting together. This will help give our project a more ‘impactful’ piece and show the realities of creatives. Overall reinforcing our overarching issue.

As a media practitioner, on feedback given regarding audio, we will learn more about mixing. Assessing where we can lower elements or increase the gain. Hoping to smooth out the high and low dips of audio. We also will add more elements of the band playing together in the short, so we get a real feel of the band together. As this was a piece of feedback, audiences wanted to see more of the band playing and interacting together.

In future pitching, I will discuss less about timeline and budgeting, focusing more on the story and what drew me to this story. Adding a more personalised element to my pitch and exciting the audience. Discussing the visual elements rather than the paperwork and back end of the project. However, still include the timeline and budget slides, being briefer to show the audience we have thought about it to gain confidence within them.

Link to project:

Reflection:

A key concern of the studio focused on Ethics within the documentary film world. With this, I believe our process and production was well thought out in regards to being an ethical project. We knew we were entering individuals homes, asking them vulnerable questions about their finances, personal experiences and thoughts about themselves and their capabilities. All daunting and invasive questions. With this, we knew to keep reminding our subjects if they do not feel comfortable to answer the question to let us know and have an open dialogue about what they are comfortable with. We were lucky as our subjects were very on board and generous with their answers. In saying this, I kept in mind, in the edits keep showing our subjects snippets, ensuring they are comfortable with what we chose to keep in and remove, before displaying our project to the exhibit. This was an important ethical consideration regarding informed consent; by reminding our subjects they are able to express what they are and are not comfortable with. This was discussed in class and a key concern within the studio. Drawing from the article, ‘Honest Truths: Documentary Filmmakers on Ethical Challenges in Their Work’ by which stated an important note on the consideration of editing and sharing with their subjects. ‘Ross Kaufman noted that the subjects disagreed with the coda at the end of one of his films, saying that “it did not ring true to them . . . They didn’t demand it, but they were right. I changed it . . . They were much happier, I was much happier, and the film was better because of it.”(1) This stood out to me, as documentaries are about people and real events, and subjects can be harmed and exploited not only during filming but with the power of story manipulation via editing. Thus, if found it important that Luka our editor and Tess our director keep exporting cuts to share with our subjects. This also I found developed a better connection with those we worked with and a more positive experience in making this piece.

I hope our work shares how difficult the arts is for young people, yet also be a piece of media University students can relate to. That we are all feeling the harsh realities yet need to keep displaying our talents and share art to the world. In attending the studio exhibit, I noticed many were shocked to see our short not be just on displaying the talents of the fantastic band, ‘Neutraliser’. They saw a vulnerability, and many seemed to relate and connect. In turn, I feel this does tie into the ethical consideration measures we took in creating this piece. As we got to inform our audience and generate their engagement by targeting us creatives. However, this began by keeping our subjects informed and comfortable, maintaining an ethical production.  This is what I truly hoped for when creating this project and I hope it continues to do so with our audiences.

One of the most successful aspects of our work has to come down to our collaboration. Together, we allowed each of us to play to our strengths. I focused organising, paperwork, timelines and submission schedules. Whereas, our Director, Tess, focused on the characters, the structure, the shots and storyboards. Our cinematographer, Sienna, focused on her visuals, equipment lists and tutorials, shot lists and working alongside Tess to ensure the vision is executed. Finally, Luka, our editor, took on the role of editing technique trials as well as learning how to go through sound. As our sound member left our group mid pre-production. In ensuring we finished on time, ran ahead of schedule made our process more enjoyable and less stressful. I found this to be overall one of our most successful aspects of our process. In turn this made the best piece of work we could have.

A problematic aspect of our process during the development came down to story structure and sharing perspectives. I found we all wanted to discuss multiple themes focusing around a small band, however meaning some scenes would be staged and not based on actuality. Relating to the article by, Rosenthal, Alan, and Ned Eckhardt. Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Films and Digital Videos specifically the chapter on ‘Clearing the decks’ stating, ‘Documentaries are generally about real events and people, providing a plausible perspective on actual situations’ as Nichols suggests that documentaries involve a balance between “creative treatment” and “actuality,” referencing John Grierson’s definition from the 1930sc (2). However, as a group we were struggling with finding a balance between the two. After multiple conversations, flushing out our story structure with our director, feedback we gathered from our pitch and tutor, we made our story smaller on scale. Especially given the time frame of staying within 5 minuets, I found we had too many perspectives and staged moments that did work well to display a well-balanced depiction of a documentary.

I would love to improve the story structure and develop deeper into the cost-of-living crisis, creative arts scene and potential get other small creatives. Adding them to the story to create range, display the communal struggle and heighten the issue. Potentially, for example, getting a local painter who is recently graduated from university studying oil and acrylic paint techniques. Interviewing them and discussing similar themes on making a living in the arts during a cost-of-living crisis. Alongside this, research deeper into Arts scene grants, and interviewing University Lecturers, Governmental or council bodies and those who have had success in the arts scene. Overall adding more layers, examples and greater severity to the issue we are wanting to discuss. As there is an article that stood out to me relating to this question, by Rosenthal, Alan and Ned Eckhardt on Writing, Directing and Producing documentary films. Specifically, the chapter, ‘Writing the proposal’, stated, “You must pay attention to the words need and interest. Many topics are out there begging to be made into films, and your job is to persuade… that your film is so dynamic and vital for the audience that it just must be made.” (3). By extending the layers of our topic, by reaching out to more artist and those in power I feel our story has need and interest of our aimed audiences. Thus, this is what I would like to do, to improve in our story continuing with the project.

During this studio experience, I have learnt many vital lessons and techniques I will bring into my future practice. One that stands out to me is data management and having the editor on set. Although we only had four of us in the end, Luka our editor assisted on set to help with camera etc. However, as Lucy stated when we discussed data management, it is great to have the editor on set. During breaks, the editor can manage and check the footage and converse back with the Producer and Director about how the takes looked. This also assists in ensuring the footage is managed well. Another quote from this studio, ‘if the footage isn’t in three places it doesn’t exist’. This engrained the importance of looking after the footage and keeping the takes safe in multiple areas. Therefore, going into my future practice, I will aim to have the editor on set to make their lives easier by managing the data on set and having piece of mind that the footage is safe in three places.

A key take away is to let those who are specialised / knowledgeable in their department, have trust in their role before intervening. I found it very important to let each department work with what they know then in our meetings come together and discuss anything we all liked or wanted to change. This allowed us all to have an even workload, stay focused with what each of us know. In doing so, if we had any questions or needed assistance from each other, that is then when we would jump in and assist as a team. It made our organising easier, we had a major role to play which kept us focused and on track. Thus, in working collaboratively, letting each department do their work before adding in feedback or trying to oversee everything made each of us feel confident and supported.

Refrences:

1.        P . Aufderheide, P.Jaszi,09.2009, Centre for Media and social impact, ‘Honest Truths: Documentary Filmmakers on Ethical Challenges in Their Work’

Honest Truths: Documentary Filmmakers on Ethical Challenges in Their Work

2. Rosenthal, Alan, and Ned Eckhardt. (2015), ‘Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Films and Digital Videos, Southern Illinois

University Press, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central

http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rmit/detail.action?docID=4414608.

3. Rosenthal, A., & Eckhardt, N. (2015). ‘Writing, directing, and producing documentary films and digital videos’. Southern Illinois University Press. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Poster:

Neutralised

I hope the final work communicates that we upheld ethical boundaries throughout our project. We wanted to engage our audience by fostering a connection between them and the band members, through their interviews and moments within their personal spaces, specifically the scenes within Tessa’s house. However, we wanted to create a space while filming that was comfortable for our participants and maintain informed consent with out participants. We achieved this by continuously checking in with them once a week leading up to the shooting days and as I was the one with the personal connection to each of them, I would check in to let them know if they had any personal questions they could ask me privately. On the day of filming, before each interview we let them know that if there were any questions they didn’t want to answer they didn’t have to and at any moment we could stop filming. Furthermore, we had to uphold documentary ethics when discussing how they had been challenged in the live music industry by avoiding naming the venues that had underpaid them or turned them down. I was reminded of the documentary ‘Wildness’ in which participants in the documentary were put at risk by expressing their queerness publicly. I didn’t want to put the participants in my documentary in any sort of jeopardy of losing future gigs, so we opted to cut that section from the final edit. In the end, I think it was clear that we made the environment comfortable for our participants as the interviews felt very natural and their personalities shone through the screen.

I believe the most successful aspect of our process was our group’s ability to manage our time/schedule. From the beginning we outlined what weeks would work best for our shooting days so we could all organise our work schedules in advance, and then contacted the band members about the possible weekends we would film. We organised two shooting days over a Saturday and Sunday and allowed for extra time, however we wrapped early on both days and even had time to shoot extra scenes and B-roll. We were also ahead in our editing schedule as we communicated well what was to be done and when, and then quickly communicated our notes and changes to be made.

On the other hand, I believe the least successful part of both our process and our final product was our technical skills. None of us had used the audio equipment in previous projects before our shoot day, which meant when we put the audio into the editing software we notices a fair few issues. For example, when filming Tessa she turned her back to the camera and I didn’t move the microphone with her so we couldn’t hear what she was saying. Furthermore, the audio levels across different scene was quite different as we weren’t making sure the microphone was the same distance each time. In the future I would book the equipment and practise so I didn’t make the same mistakes, or find a YouTube video to have handy on the day of filming that I could refer back to.

If we were to keep working on this media piece I would want to delve further into the specific funding Neutraliser has received from the government, such as going to the Decibels recording studio in Reservoir and interview with someone who works in the space explore how useful it is for young musicians. Additionally, I would like to extend upon how challenging it is for bands to book gigs in Melbourne by following Neutraliser to a gig and possibly interviewing the manager/owner of the location. I think this would really flesh out our exploration of just how challenging it is for young musicians and provide a bit of credibility to our documentary through the third party interviews.

One thing I have learnt from the studio experience that I will take into my future practise is the importance of quality equipment. In my opinion another successful aspect of our documentary was the quality of the filming, which made it feel much more professional even when the shots themselves weren’t very creative or visually interesting. Before this studio the quality of equipment had not truly been emphasised to me, and many of the classes allowed us to use our phones, and I was never quite happy with the pieces I was creating because the technical aspect brought the pieces quality down. In this studio, the importance of good equipment, specifically cameras and microphones, was emphasised from the beginning and I will take this with me into future media making because the difference was extremely noticeable.

One key takeaway about working collaboratively is that is can sometimes be hard to give feedback to one another. As the work we were doing was so collaborative it was important to all of us that we would all work on every stage of the project, specifically the final edit of the documentary. However, when giving feedback there were a couple times where someone would by a little hurt the feedback or would not take it onboard at all. This was quite hard to overcome because giving feedback to each other was really important in making sure that the work was something we were all proud of and all had input toward. Furthermore, there were times when all four of us made mistakes and being able to openly give feedback or advise was important to make sure everything was as perfect as possible. In the future, before each stage of the process I would have a conversation with my group where we outlined that the intention of the feedback was not to hurt anyone’s feelings. Additionally, I think spending more time working on things together, such as the final edit, as opposed to only one member working on it and then sending it back to us, meant there would have been less need for feedback as we would all be there to give input through every stage.

References

Chapman, J. (2007). Documentary in practice : filmmakers and production choices. Ma.

Oishi, E. (2015). Reading Realness: Paris Is Burning, Wildness, and Queer and Transgender Documentary Practice. Reading Realness: Paris Is Burning, Wildness, and Queer and Transgender Documentary Practice.

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118884584.ch12

Rosenthal, A., & Corner, J. (2005). New challenges for documentary. Manchester University Press.

Major Project link Neutralised: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaKMb3CekaU

Neutralised was one of the first projects I had the opportunity to make at university which involved a detailed pre-production, film shoot, and editing process. During the making of this documentary, I not only had the opportunity to experiment with new equipment, but also understand the importance of collaboration between a creative team. Neutralised was a project targeted to showcase the struggles of making a living in the arts from the perspective of young talents. Therefore, we aimed to share the project to both younger and mature audiences, where the younger could relate, and the older could be educated about these experiences. As young filmmakers, we felt as a crew that we could relate to this story (being a part of the arts industry), so we felt that this project appropriately shared a meaningful message of youthful ambition and creativity. In Bill Nichols’ Introduction to documentary, he explains how  ‘every viewer comes to a film with perspective and motives based on previous experience’ (Pg.70). We aimed to grasp both outside perspectives from the arts, and perspectives that relate to the arts industry in our project.

During the pre-production phase, and ultimately during filming, I discovered the true importance of the role of the producer. This was something that I learnt simply by working with Zara hands-on whilst planning the shoots. Having a producer made it much easier for me and the cinematographer Sienna to have a clear allocated time to organize our equipment and gain a clear understanding of the shot list. I was initially unaware of how many details were involved in organizing a shoot, such as booking locations, equipment and other small details like rules regarding shooting on public property, etc. These were all considerations that are very realistic when working in the film industry, so I felt the experience we gained while planning this film would prepare us well for being involved in a future film project. Having sufficient allocated time to set up equipment on set was critical for me and Sienna, because we wanted to ensure that all camera settings were the same, shots were nicely lit, and in focus before shooting a long interview. Getting test footage also was important for allowing a smooth shooting process later. The first test shots (filmed a week prior) were very shaky and slightly under exposed. With some tweaking of camera settings and the choice to shoot with a monopod, the footage of the final project came out clear and steady. The only minor error that was discovered during editing, was that the two cameras were shooting on slightly different white balances, therefore one picture appeared duller. Although this could be improved with Premiere-Pro’s colour match feature, it gave a slightly different look between the two-camera angles.

Thanks to Zara creating a realistic shooting schedule over two days, we were able to shoot all the footage we needed in good time, along with allocated time to data wrangle in between shoots. Being able to data wrangle on set proved to save me hours in post-production because all the footage was already organized in their corresponding folders. The extra time also allowed for the crew to collaborate calmly about changing a scene, where originally, we would record a phone call to a gig venue, which was cancelled at the last minute. This was replaced with a meaningful piece-to-camera conversation about how few gigs the band had booked. Because Tess had explained a clear plan for the shoot and the content of the final documentary, we all agreed with a clear mind that this substitute scene would work well in the edit. In terms of the editing phase, Tess was able to clearly outline sections of interviews which she liked, which saved me time having to look through hours of footage. All the while, Tess was open to me adding my own personal flare to the edit, and I felt I had a good creative input in the final stylistic product. I do not regret shooting an excess of B-roll, as this proved extremely important in covering up audio cuts and allowed the edit to roll along smoothly. The choice of having two cameras running simultaneously was also a good decision by our crew, as I was able to cut out sections of the interview seamlessly by using a camera change.

The most problematic aspect of the editing was with colour grading, where lots of time was spent matching colours. The interview environments were quite different throughout the shoot; therefore, it required some creative decisions to decide on an overall colour palette, which ended up being slightly warmly tinted. Being able to edit a mock documentary sketch inspired by the documentaries screened in class a few weeks earlier was very helpful in understanding the tropes of documentary filmmaking, specifically the expository mode, which ‘Includes footage that supports and strengthens the spoken argument of the film’ (Masterclass, 2021) such as B-roll. Often a challenge in the edit was deciding what shots should run on and what shots should be cut short. This was a dilemma presented with our short 5-minute time frame.

If I had the opportunity to remake this project, I would extend the experiences of the band members on organizing venues and include some more raw emotions of their struggles. We discovered just weeks after the shoot, the band decided to go their separate ways, which came as a shock to the crew because this was not evident in any of the interviews. I think it would have been interesting to further explore the tensions in the band and how passion can create creative differences.

I believe our documentary created a pathway for the audience to pursue their passions, yet at the same time, understand the realties in a level-headed but optimistic way. Older viewers may assume Victoria has a well-funded Arts industry, but our documentary aims to remove the rose-colored glasses of this conversation, and showcase real, raw talent. It aims to visualize their uphill mission to succeed. The project allowed me to discover technically the process of creating and shortening an edit. Being open to changes is an important mindset to have and is something that I learnt whilst collaborating with Tess and the crew. In addition to this, I learnt that working on a set is embedded with teamwork, and I think this lesson could only be learnt by being there in person, not just by researching. When working on set, Filmmaker Evan Luzi mentions to ‘Ask questions but remember the answers’ (2010). There is a lot to remember when working on a set, so it would help next time having some handwritten notes, alongside the relevant shot list paperwork.

I hope that Neutralised is able convey a realistic experience of amateur creators in the arts, whilst presenting an artistic rendition of Neutraliser’s work. The film aims to inspire one to follow their passion, but with caution and resilience. I thank my crew for their input of ideas in helping me learn, as well as accepting many of my choices presented in the final product.

Bibliography:

Luzi, E. (2010). 10 Keys to Your Success on a Film Set | The Black and Blue. [online] The Black and Blue. Available at: https://www.theblackandblue.com/2010/04/20/helpful-advice-for-working-on-a-film-set/ [Accessed 25 Oct. 2024].

MasterClass. (2020). Film 101: Understanding Expository Documentary Mode – 2024 – MasterClass. [online] Available at: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/understanding-expository-documentary-mode [Accessed 25 Oct. 2024].

Nichols, Bill. Introduction to Documentary, Third Edition, Indiana University Press, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central, <https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/RMIT/detail.action?docID=4813367.> [Accessed 25 October, 2024].

Reflections 

One of the main issues in the production of our project was the concept being feasible and what kind of audience would interact with it. the initial concept and idea for what the end product would be is different to what was actually made in the end. Initially it was going to be more personal to on of our interviewees darcy, the idea had to change after the footage that we got wasn’t what we expected to get and that its audience was potentially too niche. After doing more research on the club and finding more members of the club who would like to be involved the concept changed to be more focused on the club its self, this is also where the idea for it to be a series came from, similar to how the Netflix series “drive to survive” (Paul et al., 2019-present) follows the teams as the season goes on so would our with a different member being featured each week with a unique issue for them or the club being the focus, with the games being a side feature. We believe this would be more appealing to a wider audience as, although we believe there is a large audience of people invested in LGBTQ+ representation in media there is an even bigger audience that would be interested in the sporting element of the series. Our primary audience was always clear from the start. The project contains many people in the LGBTQ+ community and they would be the primary audience. They are also a viable audience that may show interest in the project due to underrepresentation in TV as  the Department of health estimates that 11 per cent of Australians are of diverse sexual orientation, sex or gender identity. By comparison, only 5 per cent  of characters were identifiably LGBTQ+ (department of health and aging, 2012).that would be the core thing to expand and improve on if the project was to be continued. Many of the conversations we had with the participants were about other people in the community and how they would have so many different stories to tell from different perspectives. This would mean that the project would have increased diversity and representation of different groups. Something that I believe is very important in tv in general. With the increased representation in the show it would hopefully encourage those who watch and are a part of the LGBTQ+ community to try be involved in sport or something that they love to do and show that there is communities where they are happily accepted. 

One of the main key things I have learnt from my studio experience is how to properly refine and perform a pitch and how to correctly articulate your ideas to someone who has no prior knowledge of what the project is. Up until this studio the people I have been pitching a project to have had some prior knowledge of what the project is and what it started as. This meant that the pitches have not been fully refined and developed in a way that some one who has never heard of the project would need. This taught me mostly of the amount of research that is required for a pitch and how to adapt the project with that research but also with the feedback you receive after pitching and working on the answers to questions that you were unable to fully or correctly answer after the pitch. 

The forming of the group  for the project was different to normal, because the group was formed through interest in the original idea instead of the group being formed before any concept was made it meant that everyone was on the same or a similar page on what they wanted the end product to look like. This meant that instead of throwing out ideas and concepts for something new it was more focused making it easier for new ideas to from or to build on someone else’s idea. Some of the topics included in the project and its making was new to me, this meant that in working with the group it was a good learning experience and will make it easier in the future to work with different groups of people who I usually wouldn’t. 

References

Department of Health and Ageing, National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Ageing and Aged Care Strategy 2012, p 4

Paul, M., Gay-Rees, J., (executive producers). (2019 – present). Drive to survive [tv series] Box to box films.

https://vimeo.com/1020950592

Video link: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1021601194

• consider in what ways you hope your final work engages its audience and communicates a key concern of the studio? Draw upon your experiences from attending the studio exhibition.

It was both nerve-wracking and exciting to see the work I created showcased in the studio exhibition. I hope the audience becomes fully immersed in the emotions of each participant, even though their stories were conveyed through interviews rather than their real online and offline dating experiences. Some participants have chaotic online and offline dating lives, while others are happy, having formed relationships through dating apps. Alamouti D (2020) stated that documentaries bear a social responsibility to convey ideas. I truly hope the audience can draw inspiration and reflect on their own dating lives, fostering critical thinking about how millennials navigate self-discovery in the context of modern relationships. The course primarily focuses on creating a documentary that meets industry standards, covering all stages from pre-production, pitching, and funding to release. It helps us understand the entire process a documentary goes through. Developing a strong creative proposal is emphasised as a fundamental skill for filmmakers to secure sufficient funding. This course has been instrumental in advancing my career in the industry.

• outline the singular most successful and singular most problematic aspect of your process/finished work 

The most successful aspect was adding an additional participant, which brought much more tension to the story. I even heard someone laughing during Soph’s segment, and it made me wonder if there was a strong resonance with young people using dating apps. Each participant shares their story in a distinctly different way. Val, for instance, touched on prevalent issues with online dating, noting that many aspects of ourselves presented online are often less real compared to offline interactions.

However, the biggest issue we faced was with the sound recording. There was a major problem with Liv’s voice recording—something went wrong with the wireless mic, so we had to rely on the shotgun mic, which resulted in a buzzing sound when played in Premiere Pro. Additionally, the editing process was rushed, and many beautiful shots I captured for each participant weren’t used in the final film, which was a major drawback for the project.

• imagine you are going to keep working on that media piece, what would be the core things you would want to improve and extend and why?

If I had more time, I would focus on finding individuals from diverse countries with distinctive cultural and political backgrounds who are willing to share their real dating experiences and the challenges in their lives, deepening the exploration of the topic for the audience. Most participants would come from the LGBTQ+ community, which faces more complex situations than cisgender heterosexual individuals. This visual project would be both meaningful and educational, especially in our era of algorithms, technology, and homogeneity, where finding a partner has become more efficient online than offline. The documentary would address themes of love, hurt, self-discovery, and how family relationships or society shape perspectives on dating and partnership.

I aim to provide a comprehensive overview of each participant’s dating life, as some individuals even struggle with offline interpersonal relationships. Hu J. (2023) noted that compulsive use of dating apps reduces time and energy for offline activities, contributing to real-life interpersonal issues. This is also a growing problem among young people, with AI increasingly replacing authentic human communication with automated responses. In this context, the dating experiences of sexual minorities are even more difficult than in the past, highlighting unprecedented challenges in interpersonal relationships.

• outline one key thing you’ve learnt from your studio experience that you will take into your future thinking and practice

The most important lesson I learned from making a documentary is the value of bravery in communication, even though it may sound cliché. For beginner documentarians, finding the courage to be brave is especially difficult. I often have creative ideas but hesitate to bring them to life. We tend to be overly cautious, unsure of what is acceptable or off-limits in documentary filmmaking. While there are numerous resources that guide us on ethical conduct and potential pitfalls during production, the boundaries remain ambiguous for beginners because each project is unique. Ruby J. (2005) suggests that documentarians are often perceived as existing beyond moral constraints, free to turn people into aesthetic subjects without their knowledge or consent. To address this, we made a point to ask participants frequently, “Do you feel comfortable with this?” before starting interviews. By getting their consent, we could be “brave” in creating what we envisioned. 

Additionally, I sometimes had to change the camera angle between questions, which might have upset the participants. Despite this, I felt it necessary to do so, balancing my artistic vision with their emotions, often apologising to maintain their comfort and trust. So I will carry this lesson into my future career: we must be brave in expressing our needs, rather than timidly holding back. If the other party rejects our ideas, we can then adjust our approach and make some compromises to achieve what we want.

• What’s one key takeaway about working collaboratively?

The key to successful collaboration is having a shared goal and direction for the project. This involves understanding each group member’s similarities and differences, maximising each person’s strengths while bringing everyone together as a cohesive team, maintaining mutual respect, and fostering clear communication to develop a cohesive visual plan.

 Even though our schedules often conflict, once we are aligned on the same goal, we can work much more efficiently toward the project’s vision. Having a shared objective allows us to streamline our efforts and make decisions with clarity, ensuring that each step of the production process is purposeful and focused. By staying united in our aim, we can avoid unnecessary delays or miscommunication, and the project is less likely to deviate from its intended track. This shared understanding keeps everyone motivated, helping the entire team remain productive and driven toward a successful outcome.

Reference

Alamouti D (2020) The digital ethical space: towards a transnational documentary ethics, a filmmaker’s point of view. Transnational Screens, 11(2), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/25785273.2020.1734305

Hu J (2023) Exploring the impact of a ‘confining’ imaginary of user-recommendation systems on platform usage and relationship development among dating app users. Behaviour & Information Technology, 43(6), 1164–1177. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2023.2201353

Ruby J (2005) New challenges for documentary / [eReserve] (A. Rosenthal & J. Corner, Eds.; 2nd ed.). Manchester University Press.

Reflection from Xuefei Li

I hope that our project can attract more audiences who are facing social and dating pressures and can empathize with this topic because of our topic. At the same time, I also want to attract more audiences with the stories of curious and private participants. I was inspired by the documentary Wildness (2012) we watched in class, which attracted many curious or queer audiences by documenting the controversial and sensitive topic of queer community gatherings and socializing. I think this is also a key point that this studio wants to convey, that is, as a documentary maker, In particular, a documentary producer should have the sensitivity to spot social problems. we should dare to tell some sensitive and secret topics and present the original story as truthfully as possible. (Ruby 2005) “I believe that the maker of images has the moral obligation to reveal the covert-to never appear to produce an objective mirror by which the world can see its “true” image.” Therefore, in this project, I mainly want to highlight the confusion of modern people about love and social interaction. In this project, our participants all have different but dramatic love stories, so we can attract the curiosity and resonance of the audience by talking about love, a relatively sensitive but inevitable topic. 

In the whole process of making the project, I think my team and I have been very actively cooperating, each of us is very clear about our tasks, and we are also very hard to complete our work to achieve the goal of our team. In addition, the final visual effect of the shot was as high quality as we expected. I was amazed to obtain such a high-quality visual effect of the video in a limited time, and at the same time, I communicated and coordinated with multiple participants in a very limited time. I think it’s an uneasy thing to do such a complex shoot and edit in just a few weeks. In my opinion, the biggest problem is that our early interviews relied too much on the interview content of the participants, thus ignoring the main narrative and core viewpoints of our documentary. In the later editing, we found that many shots focused too much on the participants’ own stories and neglected to respond to the theme, resulting in our project deviating from the theme. 

If I want to make further progress in this project, what I want to improve most is to control participants more. Although this project is a documentary, if participants are allowed to tell stories, the whole work will present a very messy narrative.  (Ruby 2005) “One must consider the consequences of those among whom one works of simply being there. of learning about them. and what becomes of what is learned.” But the control here is not to ask the participants to say the assigned script but to help them understand our project and the effects we want to present so that they can tell more about their ideas about our theme and the story around it and not be too lost. In addition, if I continue to complete this documentary, I will seek several participants of different ages, genders, and experiences to enrich our story. In this way, our documentary will reach a wider audience, reflect more issues including dramatic stories, and discuss more in-depth topics in our overall documentary 

I learned from the studio study this semester that making a documentary is not only about setting up a camera to capture everything that happens, especially after working as a documentary director, I found that documentaries also need to interfere with the narrative while ensuring the authenticity of the story. (Nash 2011) “Director Gordon Quinn describes a negotiated filmmaking process in which he attempts to balance his needs as a filmmaker with those of the participant.” Therefore, because our work in the early stage was too messy, I found that documentary filmmakers needed to violate the moral edge within the controllable scope for the overall quality of the project. (Nash 2011) “Historically, documentary claims a relationship to both journalism and art. While the former confers an ethical obligation, the latter is seen to permit “a measure of artistic ‘amorality.” It is also for this reason that the authenticity, fun, and morality of documentaries are difficult to consider at the same time. (Nichols, 2017) “Journalism, which shares a focus on the historical world with documentary, also leans more heavily toward the document, with its stress on factual accuracy and lack of a personal voice.” Therefore, in my future work, I will give more consideration to balancing the feelings of participants and the involvement of a documentary filmmaker, and I will control the whole project more rather than let the story develop too freely. 

Finally, our collaborative work, which I think is the most challenging for me, because I am responsible for both the producer and the director, and both involve communication and collaboration with participants and team members. I believe that in collaborative work, it is important to ensure that information is clearly and accurately communicated to each participant and team member. Especially as a project producer, everyone is waiting for me to give them specific tasks so they can hone in on their work, so I need to have a clear idea of what the project as a whole looks like, what I want it to look like, and what everyone should be doing at what time. At the beginning, I was not able to master these tasks well, but in the later stage, with the help and guidance of my teachers and team members, I sorted out the theme and narrative of the entire documentary, and also increased the cooperation with participants to ensure everyone’s understanding of the theme, which will be of great help to me in the future documentary production. 

Reference:  

Ruby, J. (2005). ‘The Ethics of Image Making’. In: A. Rosenthal and J. Corner, ed., New Challenges for Documentary. Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp.209-219. 

Nichols, B. (2017). Introduction to documentary, third edition. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p.105 

Nash, K. (2011). Documentary-for-the-Other: Relationships, Ethics and (Observational) Documentary. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 26(3), 224–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/08900523.2011.581971 

Reflection from Maggie