Project Brief Two: Documentary proposal ideas 

Quick Word from the filmmaker: When choosing to be a part of ‘Documentary as Action’ I always wanted to make a documentary about those unsung heroes in the community making a real difference without wanting recognising or without being recognised. We see so many short glossy micro documentaries made about the great work of non-for-profit organisations promoting and inspiring others to join their campaign. This would be seen as a positive development, having interactive content on non-for-profit organisations websites to actually showcase the incredible work of these organisations and individuals. However if this content is not made in the right way the audience can become disconnected and desensitised to the stories, therefore it is imperative to create the content in the right way, emotionally involve the audience, bring together amazing stories, well told, aesthetically pleasing and more importantly in a different style to your typical stand alone talking heads documentary. As we have learnt in the early stages of ‘Documentary as Action’ there’s more ways than one to conduct an interview, film subjects and their environments in an engaging and visually pleasing way, with these different approaches in mind, my chosen non-for-profit’s micro documentaries won’t be as simplistic and mainstream as originally thought.

Project Brief Two Aims: This project starts to develop based on experiments and sketches with video and audio and the kind of project you want to pursue for your major work. You should be considering the organisation, group or participants you are going to work with in terms of form, aesthetics and representation.

Pitch 

My brother was born with three missing fingers on his right hand, at the time there was no support for my brother which motivated and inspired my parents to create the Aussie Hands Foundation. In October 2000 almost one year after my brother was born the foundation had been formed, with a smaller member base only in Victoria at the time Aussie hands over the last 17 years has grown to be an Australian wide non-for-profit organisation. Children with similar hand anomalies for the first time were brought together, adults with hand differences mentored these children, parents, grand parents, great grandparents were comforted by the fact that there was support for their children and that there are more people out there similar to them, knowing their not alone is a powerful thing. My brother was astounded by the support for him and the amount of people with hand differences around the country, they made him stronger, told him there would be tough times but to be strong and to be proud of his hand difference would truly get him far in life. They were not wrong, my brother is an absolute inspiration, he endeavours now including going into a career where he will be predominantly using his hands in a trade related job.

For as long as I can remember I have can remember I have been going to annual picnics, concerts, fundraisers, motivational talks and meetings for Aussie Hands, I have mentored children helped set up events, be there for my brother, parents and other members and seen the organisation grow. I feel like I am a big part of this organisation and for all they have done for me in my development as a young man, I feel like I want to give something back using my skills I have acquired at university.

Therefore I am exciting to be working with Aussie Hands members creating new content for the Aussie Hands website to raise awareness about hand differences, attract more members, make the website more interactive and visually engaging and also to tell the incredible stories of some of Aussie Hands members who have risen above adversity to be inspirational leaders for Aussie Hands in the community today.

I wish to create several micro-documentaries to be displayed on the Aussie Hands website so now not only can visitors of the website read about these amazing members with hand differences they can also see their stories visually and hear from them directly about their amazing journeys. Unsung heroes deserve to be heard to inspire others and ensure that people who are alike are not alone.

My chosen Non-for-profit organisation: The Aussie Hands Foundation 

THE AUSSIE HANDS FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO:

Show through a narrative voice instead of showing a sit down interview, if its a very personal story talking head may not be necessary but if they do feature talking heads they could be, parents, teachers, mentors, family, spouses, other members from Aussie Hands and doctors/surgeons professional hand surgeons etc

Compiling the Micro-Documentary

ABSTRACT THAT REPRESENTS SUBJECT MATTER IN MICRO DOCUMENTARY– Nature, Suburban streets, Offices, Hands, Playgrounds (Coburg) swinging

PRACTISE INTERVIEWS (VISUALLY ENGAGING) -TENNIS GPA -TEACHING WITH GARY -JULIE AT HOME LIFE (DAY IN THE LIFE – MEMBER OF AUSSIE HANDS)                                              -LIZZIE AUSSIE HANDS (OFFICE IN NATURAL ENVIRONMENT)

AUDIO THAT REPRESENTS SUBJECT MATTER IN MICRO DOCUMENTARY– Sound of nature, water, children laughing, a set up interview, Bells (school bells), childhood cot, toy squeaking sounds, suburban street scape sounds, trams, office scape, hospital ward noises.

(HOT TIPS 🔥 AUDIO: Matching sound on Premiere Pro: Take a clapper match the two sound patterns, merger in premiere will find the same sound pattern. Make sure the recording device is on trim, once you’ve adjusted the buttons then record the record – record – stop – play to hear back recording) Shotgun microphone which is your directional microphone will record all the sound from a direction you want.)

INTERVIEW STYLES

Informal interviews – having the interviewer in the shot actually participating with the subjects talking to them casually and thats the interview

Heart of the Angel – interviewer is there with the lady doing her job clearing the tracks and she is talking to her as she can explain her method whilst she’s cleaning

Interviewers choosing to keep their pre-interview methodology in the interview “don’t be nervous, anything you object we can cut out”. Set up subject to interview other in vox pops, interviewers ask questions with a microphone and ask the unassuming subjects with audio equipment asking them “are you happy” CHRONICLE OF THE SUMMER (Film – form of documentary – first vox pops ever filmed)

Interview free flowing capturing an event live, the b-roll footage is the camera cutting away to other subjects, the actions on screen, and other event which are unfolding (spot fires), and as they walk around the interviewer/filmmaker goes from subject to subject getting random vox pops interviews.

Metal and Melancholy (1993) – Subject is fully participation – showing their method – showing their car – performance – different to sitting down with the subject.

Show and tell, you don’t hear the interviewer (Fernund Florida) it is him with his subject

Zidane Documentary – single match camera stays on him, personal portrait, actual interview is just in subtitles, music soundtrack and recorded sound of soccer match is prominent.

INTERVIEW AUDIO EXERCISE

With all the different modes of interview, I wanted to record a few interviews and discussions across the past few weeks and see whether I could find differences in interviews and whether they were effective in getting a point of discussion across and whether they could engage the audience. Three examples I have recorded is the audio version of the micro documentary of my Dad, More Than A Job: Teaching in Grade One. A longer interview with the interviewers questions and reactions left in the final cut, purposefully. A food podcast example which has been a long form project finally completed recently, discussing with an expert about how fast food has changed in reference to an article “How Junk Food Can End Obesity”. This interview is a mix of presenting a story, content then using the finding to ask questions and get the opinions of an expert. An expert opinion is important and I wanted practise with an expert before interview some surgeons, doctors and professionals in the field of hand anomalies and differences in the micro documentaries. Also the final audio was a recording after a radio show I did at SYN 90.7 we conducted a discussion about egg coffee in Vietnam after my recent ventures there, I was curious to see how a seemingly normal conversation could be recorded, how it could be relevant and how it could be engaging. Natural conversation plays an important roles in establishing characters in documentaries, that was a theme I wanted to explore in the final audio recording last week.

More Than A Job: Teaching in Grade One (documentary style)

A fascinating interview with a teacher of 30 plus years describing his experiences year in year out, how the industry has changed, the core values that still remain and how his passion for teaching has remained after so long.

 

Food Podcast Example – Being able to interview a subject with the aid of evidence and referencing (more journalistic style)

My recording is an extension on the idea established by the Atlantic magazine’s author David Freedman in his article “How Junk Food Can End Obesity” which explains making processed food healthier will be a key factor in the fight against obesity. I reference in my recording through investigation the way different fast food chains and food franchises are modifying the way their food is processed and the way they are presenting or not presenting healthier options so they appeal to the public.

I also delve into the debate that the fast food chains aren’t to blame for the rise in obesity but instead it comes down to many factors including the personal choice of the individual, that parents play a huge role in what food options they introduce to their children, that people choose fast food over the healthier alternatives, that snacking contributes to obesity and that peer pressure can cause some to eat fast food over a healthier alternative.

I also look into the way McDonald’s innovate their fast food and are slowly without the consumers knowing reducing serving sizes, displaying calories, reducing beverage sizes (particularly in the USA), using free range eggs and organic milk, introducing more salads and adding fresh fruit to it’s menus.

To conclude, I make the remark that fast food chains won’t single handedly stamp out obesity and that the individual has the power to change their weight; but fast food becoming healthier could end the temptation to eat unhealthy food as the options will be healthier.

Coffee, But With Egg And Cheese (open discussion with interview)

Get Cereal Tuesday’s on SYN 90.7 FM, is the show I present and produce for, often there is riveting discussion and this an example of that great discussion and comedy on a Tuesday morning.

 

A HELPFUL RESOURCE 

Shooting a documentary style interview – video tutorial

“Today on The Slanted Lens, we will show you how to shoot a simple 2 camera profile interview piece with a talent on location. You can use this piece for company profiles, Kickstarter campaigns, corporate videos, documentary work, individual company profiling, etc. We will discuss the position of the cameras and lights, choosing the location, shooting B-roll and creating an outline and questions for the interview. I usually shoot with a crew of no more than 3 people. Many times I have done the interviews with just me and a sound person and it’s very possible to shoot these alone.” The Slanted Lens

FILMING EXPERIMENTS RELATING TO THE MICRO DOCUMENTARIES

Documentary As Action – Playground Sequence

These video sketches were experiments related to a playground, the playground in sections from the eyes of a younger observer, the equipment from high angles and abstract looks at the space.

As many of the subjects will be young adults and children with hand differences in the micro-documentary, therefore visual (b-roll) footage relating to the interview, those themes are important.

These exercises explore the world through the eyes of a younger person and with the micro-documentaries this perspective will be effective in the documentary as action miniature stories.

Documentary as Action – Breakfast Sequence

These video sketches were experiments related to a breakfast routine, the breakfast routine although seemingly simple is different from everyone and different from all aspects.

As many of the subjects will have hand differences in the micro-documentary, I want to explore how different or challenging a morning routine would be for those with hand differences and the beauty and intrigue in how they use their hands in a simple morning routine.

This exercise explores a morning routine which may be one of my focuses for a member with a hand difference. I want to normalise the routine but outline the differences and the possible challenges faced with their routines. How they have had to adapt and adjust. But for starters this was a good opportunity to explore a morning routine in an abstract manner, small rituals from different angles and perspectives.

Documentary as Action – Office Sequence

These video sketches were experiments related to the offices and engine room of my chosen non-for-profit organisation, the work of the members is inspirational but when interviewing the administration part of the organisation it is important to show the work that goes into running a non-for-profit.

As many of the subjects will have hand differences in the micro-documentary, I wanted to show how one of the key volunteers work with her hand difference and how she has adapted to doing everyday tasks with ease.

This exercise explores the office of my non-for-profit organisation, the office block is significant as many of the members work there and produce inspirational work. It is important to capture their work and what they stand for from different aspects and angles.

Documentary as Action – Movement Sequence 

These short pieces of footage were experiment shots with my Canon Compact Point and Shoot camera, not known for its video, can take some very good high quality footage.

I wanted to investigate movement in relationship to spaces and objects. How those factors interrelate in a small space and how to best capture this quick moving world in the most powerful way.

This will be important in the micro documentary as the camera will be taken to events run by the non for profit organisation I am following. Through these gatherings actually interacting with members seeing how they use their hand difference to their own advantage by participating in activities and interacting with other members who are similar to them, will help gauge how and what I film for the micro documentaries.

Their relationship to the space and place through movement will be an important aspect of the micro documentary series. Through filming in Vietnam I have learnt how to capture the fast moving world and slow it down, an aim for this upcoming series of micro documentaries.