Initial Ideas and Planning

For this project I planned to create a documentary for the video media route of the brief. The brief outlines that the documentary must be at least approximately 15 minutes, but I will aim to make it longer than that so it varies from the length of my documentary project from last year. The brief explains that the client for this project is Sunderland Culture, and goes on to explain that the client is looking for media products from up and coming media companies in the local area to showcase talent across the North-East.

Upon reading through the brief I already have a basis for my idea, which I will further develop over the course of the summer ready for when I return in September so that I can carry out production of the documentary as soon as I return.

When I started planning my documentary I already knew what I wanted to do: which was to include local talent around Sunderland and the North-East area- as the brief clearly outline that in this project we must showcase the region, and what better way to showcase the region than to showcase the many talents the residents of the North-East have.

I myself know of many talented people within the North-East, including a local magician, an upcoming actor within the colleges own performing arts course and a 3D modeler for video games (amongst a few other people). I'm planning to include these people in my documentary to showcase their talents.

I will attempt to experiment with different documentary types over the summer so that when I return I will understand what mode of documentary I will be using. I'll be straying away from the poetic mode of documentary as I do not believe it would fit well with my plans to showcase talent as well as interviewing these people. I believe that an expository documentary may work for my ideas, as it is described as having a 'voice of god' narrative, yet I also want to include voiceovers from the interviewees rather than just a single narrator. I have also decided against the participatory mode of film, as I will not be in the documentary, and a participatory documentary type has a clear relationship between the film maker and the subjects of the documentary. I may try to incorporate an observational mode, acting as if I were a 'fly on the wall' and filming the subjects performing their talent, though of course I will get their permission beforehand.

I believe my ideas and my thoughts will fit with the brief as it states that we must showcase the region, which is what I aim to do with the subjects/interviewees, whom are all stationed in the North-East area.

As for equipment I will need to carry out the production of my documentary, once I finalize the ideas, I will need to fill out all the essential paperwork, including risk assessment, location scouting forms, contributor release etc. I will then need an SD card, a camera, a takstar mic to attach on top of said camera and a tripod. Any other equipment I need I will update the list when it comes to it. As for any assistance I may need I will need the actors for the documentary, and perhaps someone to help me directing some of the bigger scenes.

Over the course of the summer I will start prototype drafting some scenes, as well as location scouting for the talents being showcased and and the interviews. As I do not have a camera of my own I will be filming these prototype scenes on my phone and perhaps editing them with free apps so I can get a feeling for how the footage will be put together when I get access to editing software and a camera.

Summary

For my documentary, I aim to seek out talent in the North East and to interview them about their talents. I will also aim to film them whilst they carry out this talent, for example I have already gotten verbal permission from a local magician to film him for my documentary. I will ask him questions about what he does and then take footage of him performing. I will aim to have each contributor to have five minutes of interview mixed with footage of them performing their talent.