111 MC: Researching Media

Interim Critique

I personally feel that our feedback on our groups work was just how it should have been, all the things that we were told were the things that we knew about really. When it came to the blog i am quite surprised about the mark that i received, i knew in myself that i could and should put more work into it, i know that i am capable of doing it, but sometimes i just find myself making something else to do. As for the what we could have changed on the documentary, as a group, we completely agreed with our feedback, the only thing we would have questioned was that we were told that we could have been a bit more experimental with our filming style, which were never told prior to filming, so we thought it was best to just stick to the brief.

But all in all i think that the documentary went well it has been received well by everyone, including Abdul. Also that the module has gone very well, I’m glad that i have come out of it with a 2.1 (67%).

Week 9:

This our final documentary, about Abdul a Coventry Taxi Driver.

Reflection 4: Personal Critical Evaluation

For the final reflection i want to talk about the problems that encountered first. I would to personally say that not only myself but as a group we didn’t really allow the problems that we faced to faze us in any way. The main problem that we did have would have to be during the first shoot, it began to rain near to the end of the shoot at first we didn’t think that it would be an issue as we had covered up the equipment and the rain wasn’t causing problems with the sound. But once we had finished then the next day we began to look through the rushes we realised that the rain had a more detrimental effect to our shoot than we first thought. So once we had finished we decided that we would have to re-shoot, his wasn’t a massive problem as Abdul was always accommodating with us, baring in mind his busy schedule. Thankfully during the re-shoot we never had any problems like this one.

As for my unique contribution to the group, i feel like i have had quite an active role, not in decision, but also in the shooting process. In my group i couldn’t have asked for a better group. Throughout the whole documentary process i feel that i have constantly contributed to the process, for example during the second shoot, it was my idea to use not only a PDX10 but a PD170, as well as this i also suggested we have one camera positioned right in front of Abdul to get a full image of him, this was the one that had the tie clip mic, and then another camera positioned lower to ground at his side, so that from this angle the audience would be looking up at Abdul. I also feel that my ability to work in a group has progressed, whenever i start to work in a group i can always tell a difference by the latter stages of the group work.

What i have learnt from this assignment has not only bettered my abilities to work in a group but also i have learned how structure good and effective interviews, because i have never filmed a documentary before so this task was a true first for me. I have learned how to also set up a decent interview set, and how really good locations can only add to a piece of work.  This is also the sort of experience that will stick with me forever and i now have two stories so if ever make another documentary that i have two stories that i can possible choose from.

In summary i would have to say that i feel as a group we have succeeded in what is expected of us from the assignment brief. As for my personal work i feel that i accomplished everything that i wanted to, and have taken everything that i can from this module.

Week 8:

Editing

This is our draft of how we want our final piece to look.

This is the first draft of our final documentary, with this one you will obviously spot that it is not long enough. As will also be able to see the piece only gets better from here.

Week 7:

Reflection 3: Research Production

As for the research process now it has become very specific. Especially into the true effects of panic attacks on people, how people cope with a life filled with constant panic attacks how they life their life, and go about day-to-day tasks with being alarmed by something. When i started to specifically look at this i began to find that not only is it stress for the person living with this infliction, but it is also extremely stressful for the people who either look after these people or live with them, this is due to the fact of that when a person is having a very strong panic attack i can be common for them to black out as well. When i was reading one article, the writer was explaining how he manages to cope with his wife, who has serious panic attacks and that they can sometimes can cause blackouts and that she has had big accidents due to these.

The shooting process for our group was one of mixed problems, but problems that where over come easily. The problems we came across were just that of Abdul’s job, because of his irregular work hours this meant that we could only shoot between the hours 4 – 6pm thankfully due to the ambiance that we wanted in the documentary, this meant that it only added to our piece. As for my role in the group, during the filming process i took the role of cameraman 1 as well setting up the cameras before the shoot and the same with the sound, as the rest, as a group we tackled them together, apart from the Interviewing which Laura decided to undertake herself.

Audience

Broadcast

• Channel 4, in the format of 3 minute wonder.
• Source TV, the university’s online tv channel.

Internet

• Youtube, thus making available to all.
• Different documentary websites, like archive.com.
• Cast Post which is quite a lot like Youtube but just not as well-known.

Festivals

• Sheffield Documentary Film Festival.
• Bradford Film Festival.
• London Independent Film Festival

Screenings

• Ellen Terry  ETG34, advertising it all over the University.
• Warwick Arts Centre.
• Roots to Shoots, which takes place in Coventry and Leamington Spa, which also helps bring young filmmakers together.

Cinema

• Odeon Cinema. Coventry.
• Showcase Cinema. Coventry.
• AMC Cinema. Birmingham
• Cineworld Cinema. Birmingham and Solihull.

Review of our film

• Our documentary follows Abdul, a taxi driver from Coventry. It also covers both he good aspects and the bad aspects of his chosen career.

Week 5:

Reflection 2: Research Process

Since the first set of research that i undertook, my has now changed. Now that as a group we decided to use Yasmin’s character Abdul. Now that we have decided on a character we can all channel sources into one, and all focus on researching towards our documentary. So in our first meeting we decided to all work what we wanted to say in the documentary. So once we had interviewed Abdul for the first time we began to really know as to what paths we wanted to go down. These where Abdul’s Panic Attacks, the violent incidents which he has been involved in due to his job and as well as these the good aspects of the job, so that completely putting a downer on the Taxi business.

So once we knew this we then each began to start researching into these ideas.So for the panic attacks i began search through different medical websites finding out about panic attacks and how they can be triggered, what can be done to prevent them, on average how many people have them and how people who do have them cope with them. Next i then looking to the facts and figures behind violent crimes against Taxi drivers. When doing this specific piece of research i was truly surprised with the results that i was coming out with, it was really amazing how many of these crimes get reported but then, nothing comes from the investigations.

The critical decisions that have been made within the last few weeks are many, the first would obviously be our choice in character, also we have begun starting to come up different ideas for various locations, questions we wanted to ask and the style in which we wanted to film. As for locations we have come up with different ideas; taxi ranks, slip roads and also outside night clubs. For questions we have used are research to draw up some preliminary questions like; how he felt about his experiences? how they have changed him as a taxi driver? As for the style of the piece all agreed that we wanted it to be simple so the audience would never be drawn away from what he was saying and the story/message we want to get across.

Week 4:

First 1 Minute Interview

This the first time that interviewed Abdul, we wanted to do this so that we would have chance to get to know Abdul and also so we could allow him to start to tell us about all the things that he has experienced in his 15 year career as a Taxi driver. This also helped to begin to structure the story which we wanted to tell.

Week 3:

Reflection 1: Research Process

As for the source of my initial idea i have know about Michelle and her story since the event itself, because Michelle is actually a friend of a work friend. I had also met her and Paul a few times, so i have a personal connection to the story which i want to tell. So as for all the facts and details i already knew them so as research process it was pretty simple. Also Michelle has given her consent to doing this, and helping me tell this story. As well what i already knew, i went onto the Coventry Telegraph website and looked through their coverage of the story and the court case that preceded.

I feel that the research i engaged in was a perfect start, in order for me to make my initial 30 second clip. When i started to research the story, i began to realise the true story that i wanted to tell. When i began to speak to Michelle about how she felt and how this had changed her, i began to realise the story that i wanted. I want to show people how even though Michelle is going through the worst time of her life, she actually holds no revenge and hatred towards Shane Walford, and that also show her view-point on the situation, because i feel that sometimes the spouse in these situations get overlooked by the press and the outside world. This is the main story because i feel it takes a strong character to go through this and have no feeling for towards the other person. I want to show her resilience.

What i have taken from the research is that sometimes when people feel that they are going through something that is terrible, i can actually be nothing compared to what others are going through, because compared to Michelle the only thing i have to truly worry about is hand in dates and keeping up with blogging.

Week 2:

Treatment and 30 second clip:

My subject is Michelle Gibbons and I have chosen to pursue her as my subject because I feel that she has a relevant and hard-hitting story to tell. On Sunday 25^th October 2009, her and her husband Paul Gibbons, and a group of friends went out to celebrate Paul’s 41^st birthday. Its Michelle’s story that I want to investigate because I feel that in situations like these, the spouse that is left behind is commonly looked over. I find Michelle really compelling as a person because even though she has lost her husband, she has been able to realise that it makes no difference to her life if Shane Walford is sent down for murder.

As for the visual style of the documentary I intend to keep the visual to a minimal, i don’t to overload the piece with lots of different things that would in turn take something away from Michele’s story. As for the mood i want to create a homely feel to the piece so that it will emphasise the story behind it. As i have already stated i don’t want overload the piece, so for the sound i would just have Michelle’s voice keep help show the meaning and feeling of what she is saying. For the pace of the documentary i would like to keep it quite slow, so no fast editing, because i feel that it draw the viewer’s attention away from the word that are being said.

The relevance of the documentary would speak for itself, also i feel that it is especially relevant in this current time of ‘Broken Britain’. As for a specific viewer i think that there wouldn’t be just one the piece would be intended for all sorts of people and different ages.