Over the course of the semester, working on our documentary “Rewilding” with Jess, Maddie, and Alice has been a great experience, significantly broadening my understanding of impact documentary filmmaking. As the cinematographer, responsible for archival footage and interviews, I delved deeply into both the practical and theoretical aspects of creating an impactful documentary.

One of the biggest realisations was the immense power of visual storytelling in driving social change. As we focused on more of a poetic/participatory feel for the documentary, having the voice overs over serene footage was actually so powerful. Documentaries like “Chasing Coral” and “A Plastic Ocean” taught me how critical it is to balance visuals with compelling narratives to engage and mobilise audiences. “Chasing Coral” uses breathtaking underwater cinematography and time-lapse sequences to depict the rapid decline of coral reefs, highlighting the urgency of climate action (Orlowski, 2017). Similarly, our documentary has underwater sequences with a fast-paced trash montage that throws the audience out of the dreamlike state. These films demonstrated the importance of blending emotional appeal with factual information, a principle hope “Rewilding.” captured. 

Throughout the process, I discovered that making an impact documentary involves several layers of complexity. I was aware, but it’s a lot different when you’re actually the one doing it. I discovered different aspects, from ethical considerations to technical challenges. One significant challenge was ensuring the ethical use of archival footage, as discussed in “Honest Truths” by CMS Impact. The integrity of our documentary depended on accurately representing factual and contemporary issues without misleading our audience (CMS Impact, 2010). This meant rigorously verifying the authenticity of footage and responsibly editing interviews to maintain the truthful nature of the documentary. I didn’t want to depict our interviewee in a way that wasn’t true to his nature, as I aimed to tell a true story, ensuring that we adhered to ethical storytelling principles.

One approach that worked well was integrating participatory and observational modes. By interviewing Narayana, a freediver, we provided authentic, personal perspectives that resonated with viewers. Observing him in their natural environments added depth and authenticity to the narrative, similar to techniques used in “A Plastic Ocean” (Leeson, 2016). This method underscored the advice to “aim for simplicity of style, clarity of language” (Rosenthal & Eckhardt, 2015). To make the proof of concept snappy and thought provoking. 

However, we faced challenges in achieving the desired visual quality in some underwater shots. Despite our best efforts, capturing high-quality underwater footage proved difficult due to equipment limitations. The footage I had was shot on a GoPro when the water visibility wasn’t the best, however, it did add a raw and natural feeling to the doco, which I think we made work well. However in future projects, I would invest in more advanced underwater cameras and lighting equipment to enhance the visual appeal. Additionally, incorporating time-lapse photography, inspired by “Chasing Coral,” would vividly illustrate environmental changes over time, providing a powerful visual metaphor for the urgency of our message (Orlowski, 2017). I would also like to work on my audio skills; I wasn’t exactly in charge of this area. However, due to the nature of time pressures, I ended up having to do the interview on my own and had issues with the mics. In future, I would like to run a few more tests beforehand so I don’t come across these issues.

My ideas about impact documentary filmmaking have evolved significantly. Initially, I viewed documentaries primarily as educational tools. However, I now appreciate their potential to evoke emotional responses and inspire action. The Doc Society’s Impact Field Guide emphasises the capacity of documentaries to create cultural moments and prompt people to engage and act (Doc Society, n.d.). This principle is something I aspire to explore further in future projects, perhaps by delving deeper into participatory modes where subjects are actively involved in shaping the narrative. I would love to follow someone through their journey of change. If I were to continue with more filming for “Rewilding” in the future, I would follow Narayana on his ventures, whether it be beach cleanups, diving for rubbish, or overseas. I feel that organic observational footage could be something amazing. 

I hope our final work engages audiences by combining emotional storytelling with factual information, highlighting the importance of ocean conservation. We aimed to create a film that resonates deeply, inspiring viewers to reflect on their relationship with the planet and take meaningful action towards sustainability.

To consider how someone might engage with our work in the real world, we envisioned broadcasting our documentary at local events along the coastline and partnering with conservation organisations for them to post it on their social platforms and YouTube, where it could reach a broader audience. Additionally, screening it at environmental film festivals would help raise awareness among environmentally conscious viewers and policymakers, “aiming for simplicity of style, clarity of language, and brevity” (Rosenthal & Eckhardt, 2015). As well as breaking into the less aware audiences, through pre-movie adverts at cinemas. If we partnered up with the classic cinema or even tried for bigger ones like Hoyts and got our short played at the start of the movie, people who wouldn’t really watch something of this nature on their own accord are likely to see it.

Collaborating with Jess, Maddie, and Alice throughout the semester was overall a smooth experience. One of the key strengths of our collaboration was our shared passion for environmental issues, which kept us motivated and focused. We divided tasks based on our strengths and interests, which streamlined the production process. For instance, Jess excelled in editing and audio, Maddie in research and the trash montage, Alice in making the poster, and I in cinematography, interviewing, and archival footage. I also tried to help out with editing as much as possible by providing feedback to Maddie and Jess and attending all of our out-of-hours editing meetings. I also did a few reshoots and recorded extra audio to further help them create the documentary to be something we are proud of.

One thing I would develop further is our pre-production planning. More thorough planning would have helped us anticipate and mitigate some of the technical challenges we encountered, particularly with audio and the footage of the interview needing a lot of cutaways. Additionally, establishing clear roles and responsibilities early on could have improved our efficiency and reduced stress during the production phase. However overall I think our communication and effort was great. 

In conclusion, this project has been an invaluable learning experience, deepening my understanding of impact documentary filmmaking and the collaborative process. Moving forward, I am excited to apply these insights to future projects.

References:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation. (2023, January 5). *Victoria beach bay water quality affected by Melbourne floods*. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-05/victoria-beach-bay-water-quality-epa-melbourne-floods/101826148 

Center for Media & Social Impact. (2010). *Honest truths: Documentary filmmakers on ethical challenges in their work*. https://archive.cmsimpact.org/sites/default/files/Honest_Truths_–_Documentary_Filmmakers_on_Ethical_Challenges_in_Their_Work.pdf 

CMS Impact. (2010). *Honest truths: Documentary filmmaking in the 21st century*. https://cmsimpact.org 

Doc Society. (n.d.). *Impact field guide & toolkit*. https://docsociety.org 

Leeson, C. (Director). (2016). *A plastic ocean* [Film]. Plastic Oceans Foundation.

Orlowski, J. (Director). (2017). *Chasing coral* [Film]. Exposure Labs.

Rosenthal, A., & Eckhardt, N. (2015). *Writing, directing, and producing documentary films and digital videos*. Southern Illinois University Press.

State of the Bays Victoria. (n.d.). *How bays work*.