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