Research for my documentary

Busy editing

Nearly there

Editing

My first go at editing was quite enjoyable! Ive edited before, but its only pictures and small filming shorts. So i did enjoy it. All together its a 10 minute and 14 second documentary, which I'm happy with. I like the finished product, the pacing of it all, the way it transitioned from interview to voiceover is what i want it to be.

Second day of filming

On the second day of filming i mainly filmed myself amongst others. I wanted to film myself asking the questions my parents answered in their interview the last time i filmed. So i filmed myself asking about 6 questions directed at my parents. Also i recorded the introduction, i wanted it to be very personal so i recorded myself making a cup of tea and sitting down to drink it, then it transitions to me introducing the documentary, (side note, i don't even like tea).

I tried again to interview Huw, I even had the camera equipment out and i was about to put a radio mic on him but he once again refused and stormed out, The second stint of filming i mainly did voiceover shots, the intro and outro of the documentary. For some reason, when there is a camera in the room, Huw tends not to act up and lovely and nice, so i tried to hide the camera and make it observational. This, however, made the camera quality very low because the room was quite dark, and the audio wasn't pristine so i had to edit the brightness of the film to actually make out what my brother looks like!

First day of filming

The first day of filming, i wanted to get the interviews done. I planned on interviewing my father, mother and brother. My father was first, we wanted to keep everything professional because that is the way i wanted my documentary to be, serious. I asked both my mother and father the same questions so i could get both opinions of my mother and father on the same subject. My fathers interview lasted about half an hour because my father is the longest answer-er of questions on this earth. i had to record him twice because the cameras battery went flat by the time he was finished answering his third or fourth question. My mother though, being as efficient as she is, was only about a 7 or 8 minute interview. So i had a nice contrast of a long winded, very detailed answer from my father and a short, sweet, straight to the point answer form my mother.

I wanted to get an interview with my bother, Huw, but unfortunately he refused to get interviewed, something about him being "camera shy". I did however get a small recording of him storming out the room after i asked him which will be in the documentary. In all honesty, i prefered that because it showed his condition greater than an interview with him.

I also filmed some filler shots around the house of my family so i can voiceover it. mainly of my brother walking around the house and occasionally kicking off over the smallest of things like his min craft game isn't working etc.

My idea

When given the assignment brief, it said you had complete freedom in the topic you choose, I loved the freedom of choice because it gave you a chance to put your own twist on the thing you're making. Foe me, i wanted to make it a personal documentary, that is why i chose to do the documentary on Mental health. My brother was diagnosed to severe Aspergers syndrome I'm 2013 and also he is in the process of being diagnosed with other mental illnesses such as bipolar.

I knew the production of it all will be relatively easy because i will be filming predominantly in my house, so i didn't have to worry myself with many risk assessments and consent forms, my parents and brother were the only people (besides myself) that were on camera so the paperwork wasn't as big as some other people doing their documentary.

Documentary production schedule

Production schedule

·      5^th-6^th November-First block of filming

·      14^th-17^th November- Second block of filming

·      8^th-12^th December- Questionnaire, editing, paperwork

5^th-6^th November

·      Interview with my mother

·      Interview with my father

·      Introduction for documentary

14^th-17^th November

·      Voiceover shots for introduction

·      Evidence of my brothers behaviours

·      Conclusion finished

8th-12^th December

·      Questionnaire- BBC 3 and mental health.

·      Finishing editing

·      Finished paperwork