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Introduction to my Project ‘On That Note’

In this blog, I plan to analyse and evaluate how my research has aided in the planning and development of our documentary and how I achieved my job role as Editor within my group. 

My research has provided me with the knowledge and skills I require to produce a professional piece of work, utilising the skills I have gained. My film group and I were set the task of producing a high quality piece of work entailing each aspect of the film-making process such as pre production, through to production, and then finally post production. 

I presented my initial ideas to my film group as to what topic we could base our one minute documentary on after I brainstormed which ideas would be most practical for us. We selected the idea of our main subject being a musician. This was not only practical, living so close to a music university, but was also a broad but limited subject that could be efficiently portrayed in a 60 second time limit. I came up with the name ‘On That Note’ which the group approved of and chose to use. We prioritised a the 3 Act Structure including a significant obstacle in one’s musical journey to strengthen our documentary and further captivate our audience.

We had a vision of a one minute piece shot in a stylistic location such as a music room, lit with natural light. We wanted our production to be slick and sophisticated in the classic style of Megan’s music that she plays on the flute. We planned to record her playing a fitting piece that would run through the documentary synchronising with the structure of her story strengthening the emotive impact it would have on the audience. I will be editing the video and audio together making sure it is of high and professional quality. I carried out extensive research to aid in making this vision a reality. 

Roles within our film group:

Producer and Sound - Michaela Sones

Director - Lauren Purdy

Editor - Jodi Thom 

Camera - Ibrahim Taher

Cinematography - Marija Stukova

Talent: Megan

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Research and Influences

I did an extensive amount of research that has built on my vision for our production and strengthened the quality of it, providing me with a wider knowledge of the techniques used in documentaries and short films to create the effects that the producers intend to have on their audience. 

In our seminars we were introduced to a series of short documentaries called 1000 Londoners. I really appreciated the style of the short films and have taken on board a lot of the techniques used to create these effects. I did thorough individual research into the production of 1000 Londoners taking note of their goals and aims and how they put this into play in their productions through camera, sound and then editing. 

Produced by Chocolate Films, the crew had the vision of portraying the vast and diverse personalities that make up the population of London. They began with a clear goal that they expressed to potential starring candidates for their documentaries through their accessible and easy to navigate website. We took on board their clear instruction for candidates when advertising the position of our protagonist on a local musician’s facebook page called ‘London Musicians Network’ . This was followed by a wave of responses from local musicians emailing us applications that summarised their journey and the struggles they have faced, as well as their passion for the instrument they play and how that has pulled them through their hurdles. Using this simple but effective technique of having a clear and definite casting call, we were able to attract fitting talents straight away making the process quick and easy. As editor, this means that I am able to work with interviews that include include valuable content relation to our topic making the footage easier to pic apart and shorten into our time limit.   

The unwavering vision Chocolate Films had for their production drove their motivation and inspiration for the project keeping them on track with their content which is something I felt was also incredibly important in our production. We were certain we wanted our documentary to effuse a strong message that would inspire our audience and leave an impression on them emotionally long after the end of the screening. As an editor, I feel it is my responsibility to achieve this through the dialogue I choose to prioritise from our interview with Megan. I should also use this aim to govern the music I wish to use, the cut aways I include and many other elements of our production that will contribute to this final result.

I analysed another short documentary that was filmed in a similar style to the 1000 Londoners  short films that I discovered on Youtube called ‘A Place Like This (Documentary Short Film)’. I was extremely touched by this short film and the incredibly effective components that the editors included to really capture the emotion that the talent’s story encompassed. Since our documentary deals with emotional and challenging subjects such as the loss of a loved one, I wanted to observe how professionals depict this through camera angels, cut aways, sound and lighting. The use of Foley throughout ‘A Place Like This’ placed me as a viewer in the character’s environment drawing me in further. The sound of the water fountain trickling and the birds singing in the trees created a sense of reality and closeness to the subject. I plan to include Foley in Megan’s interview in the hope that it will have the same effect. The cut aways videoing close up shots of the location also contribute to the feeling of being present in the character’s environment and were also used effectively to enhance the narrative of the talent’s story. For example, when he speaks about his experience in the war, when he lands in a tree covered in deep red leaves, the edit cuts to a shot of deep red leaves (4:44).

I applied this research In our documentary by filming cutaways that would build on the emotional impression we wanted to convey. These don’t have to be cutaways of the environment, but can be cutaways to close-ups of the subject such as an extreme close up of Megan’s eyes. I will place these in appropriate places that link up with the dialogue. For example, when she talks about playing the flute I will cut to B-roll of her playing the flute.

Often, the editor has made a point of including moments filmed after the subject has finished talking to capture his emotion. Referring back to ‘On Film-Making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director’ that we looked over in class, I can use this technique as an example ‘A well-written, acted and directed film should be able to convey it’s emotional meaning through the inventive use of film grammar, not words.’ 

With editor being my job role within this project, I researched into the different techniques that can be used to convey a certain message or emotion within a documentary using skilful editing. This is crucial when working with content that is to an extent unscripted and unpredictable. I used Michael Rabiger’s book ‘Directing the Documentary’ (2009) to gather this additional information. Pages 207-249 are compact with detailed guides on how to effectively edit your documentary from making transcripts to finalising and rendering your end product. The chapter expresses the importance of the editor’s role in feeling connected to the footage in a way that allows them to ‘see, listen, feel, think adapt, and imagine as you try to fulfil your film’s emerging potential’. This section of the book will prove highly useful during the approach to the editing process as I create transcripts and story boards as it works to refocus the editor on the importance of preplanning your edit. This chapter also lays out a step by step guid on the essential things to pay attention to when editing such as colour correction, sound editing and synchronising sound and footage together correctly. I can use this when I come to editing the footage, referring back to the creative considerations as well as the technical considerations highlighted in the book. 

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Professional Practice as an Editor

My role in the production of our documentary was Editor. We all distributed the roles based on what we would like to improve on more. Each of us often assisted in the other’s roles to not only educate one another if we knew how to do something that they did not, but also to get a second opinion on how each of us were operating. This was useful as I feel communication between each job role is absolutely key. This is especially important in my position as an editor, as I will be working with everyone’s produced content to create the final product. 

In anticipation for the post-production process, I did some technical research at ‘Print Premiere Pro CC Shortcuts (Mac)’, a webpage that displays a list of keyboard shortcuts that can be used on the Premiere Pro software. I found this incredibly useful and I practiced using them on the programme with sample footage in an attempt to ensure high efficiency when I come to edit. Having tested these shortcuts out, I have come to appreciate the ease of the quick and simple shortcuts. This has contributed to the decision I’ve made to use Premiere Pro as the editing software for ‘On That Note’. 

Despite my role being primarily Editor, I also participated in the filming of our documentary so that I could contribute more on the shoot day. In preparation for this, I became more familiar with the camera I was filming on, using the Youtube video ‘What Each Function Of The Canon T3I Or 600D Does & How To Use Them Part 1’ (2012). This aided me in becoming more educated on how to operate the camera and alter the settings to save me time when coming to the editing process with things such as colour and light correcting. We used two cameras, one capturing A-roll and the other capturing B-roll. I also co-directed to insure that we had sufficient content that I could work well with when editing. Such as cut-aways of establishing shots as well as close-ups of Megan and her flute.  

As I observed the interview, I made note of certain lines Megan said that I felt would be valuable to include in my edit. However, deciding what is and isn’t valuable content is a matter of opinion so I will discuss with my group whether they agree with the extracts I have taken from the interview, gathering more than one opinion whilst keeping in mind our target audience as I feel this is crucial. Author of Alexander Mackendrick, Author of ‘On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director’ states ‘A good director will go out of his way, often in the editing process when he has both words and images in-front of him, to gradually eliminate all lines that are not absolutely necessary’. I will keep this in mind when filtering through the content we produced on the shoot day. 

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Analysis and Evaluation

What we did well:

Our group was extremely efficient when it came to communication and preplanning. We used Instagram messenger to communicate and exchange information. Thinking ahead and communicating effectively with other members of the team not only saves a huge amount of time but can also encourage other members of the team to take other aspects of recording into consideration to support the editor in preparation for postproduction. 

I created an organised powerpoint to pitch our idea and also for my group to use as a guideline for our project. 

Our producer Michaela was very organised and completed her role as producer professionally. Due to her prompt completion of paperwork such as risk assessments, room booking, and renting equipment, we were able to carry out our job roles efficiently and promptly. 

Our chosen location was a stylistic fit for our chosen topic as it was a music practice room that Megan was familiar and comfortable with. It also meant that safety hazards were very low as it was in a safe and controlled environment.

By deciding to use a piece of music that Megan played, we recorded and her friend wrote, it was very straightforward to get copy right permissions when considering legal requirements.

Michaela made sure to forward any information onto our group chat immediately so that each member of the crew could use it to move forward with their plans. For example, once Michaela had informed me of what equipment she had booked out, I could then research exactly how to operate the piece of equipment and edit it’s produce. 

Me and Lauren were able to work closely together to discuss our ideas and how we could support each other in our different job roles to achieve these visions. For example, I had an idea for an end shot to finish the documentary on a positive and powerful note that would have a strong impact and emit the message we all hoped it would. Lauren was then able to incorporate a suitable question into her interview to ensure that we could capture this. We also shared this idea with Megan before hand so that she knew exactly what we were hoping for in that end scene. 

Mary and myself talked over the lighting situation in our chosen location and how we could alter the positioning of Megan to create a more pleasing overall effect. This will save a lot of time for me during the editing process as the footage should only have to be slightly adjusted in-terms of colour and lighting correction. 

Me and Ibby combined shot ideas on what we thought would be most effective and for me, what would work nicely in the edit. Ibby took onboard my ideas and I took on his, even if my preference was slightly different. Making compromises is essential when working in a group as it avoids conflict and means the product can be an equal combination of each team member’s ideas and efforts as it should be when working as a team. 

We booked one room for two hours and then another room for one hour just incase we ran over time. This was a necessary precaution to take as it meant we weren’t submitted to a strict time limit, we weren’t forced to rush, and we could capture a sufficient amount of footage. 

What we can improve on next time:

Despite the constructive team work, we were confronted with some issues on film day. Even though we had informed Megan of the time limit we had for our one minute film, her answers were lengthly and often didn’t directly address the question asked. As a team we failed to effectively redirect Megan back to the question and encourage her to shorten her answers. We did sometimes ask her to reiterate her responses but didn’t always manage to shorten it to a practical length. This is something I will have to work around when cutting the clips during edit. 

We forgot to rent out a clapper board so had to improvise using our hands clapping in-front of the camera. This sufficed but was not as effective as a clapper board would have been. Next time we need to ensure that we have all the equipment needed to make our production as professional and practical as possible. 

I lost a clip that I thought I had filmed. It wasn’t crucial but was an effective piece of b-roll content that I visualised in my edit. Next time I need to triple check that I have recorded each scene properly.

I really envisioned a more impressive lighting set-up. In hind sight I think this was unrealistic with the limited amount of knowledge and equipment we had. I pictured lighting similar to the scene in Twilight (2008) where Edward Cullen plays the piano and the light is shining in through the window into a high contrast, low saturation room. I think this would have been so aesthetically pleasing as B-roll. In future, I hope to be able to pay closer attention to the lighting set-up as a group.    

My hopes for the final project:

I hope to have edited a slick, emotive and professional short documentary that is of high quality both visually and audibly. I hope to be able to comply with the time limit without making it appear rushed by using valuable extracts from the interview and effective b-roll to support our chosen topic.  

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Bibliography

Adobe, (2018) Print Premiere Pro CC Shortcuts (Mac).

Available at: https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/premiere-pro/using/print-premiere-pro-cc-shortcuts-mac.html

Anderson-Moore, O. (2015) Nichols’ 6 Modes of Documentary Might Expand Your Storytelling Strategies. 

Available at: https://nofilmschool.com/2015/09/nichols-6-modes-documentary-can-help-expand-your-storytelling [Accessed 18 November 2018]

Facebook, Murray, R. (2007) London Musicians Network.  

Available at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4868669665/ [Accessed 15 October 2018] 

Mackendrick, A. (2006) On Film-Making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director, Faber and Faber, Inc. Pages 3-8 

Media Unlocked (2012) What Each Function Of The Canon T3I Or 600D Does & How To Use Them Part 1 [Accessed 29 October 2018]

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYz7_C16eRg

Rabiger, M. (2009), Directing the Documentary, 5th edn, Elservier Inc. MA, USA Pages 207-249

Tall Story Films (2014) A Place Like This (Documentary Short Film). 

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_WzVVndUCY [Accessed 30th October 2018]

Twilight (2008) [DVD]. Directed by C. Hardwicke. Summit Entertainment.

1000 Londoners (2013) 1000 Londoners

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000Londoners/featured [Accessed 30th October 2018]