Prompt 6 – Reflection on the course

During this whole semester, I’ve got a big improvement, from I didn’t know anything about this course to I can use basic skills to edit a video by using Adobe Premiere.

At the beginning of this semester, I’ve never involved in the fields of film making, like editing or shooting a video, even I’ve never touched the camcorder before. So I felt frustrated after the first class that Jeremy asked us to do some exercises by using Adobe Premiere, particularly after I saw other classmates were able to use the similar film editor software. I didn’t know anything about these techniques, at one time, I got a idea that I want to change this program.

But now, I love this program, I find more interesting things during the process of learning. Also, I can use some basic skills to edit a video by using Adobe Premiere, like I know that how to insert the music into a sequence, how to add some special effects in the clips or how to adjust the color grade of a scene. In addition, I know the fundamental structure of a camcorder and the basic steps to use it, like how to  zoom in or out, how to adjust the exposure by using the Zebra stripes or how to focus on a subject.

Accordingly, I’ve already achieved to my smaller goals and desires that I mentioned at the beginning of the semester. This exactly is a meaningful thing for me. I believed that I would be successful after accomplishing the smaller goals one by one. So I’m really looking forward to the adventure at next semester.

Prompt 4 – The Edit and Reflection on your ‘Documentary in a Day’

Here is the documentary:

In pre-production, we chose a indoor location and set the scene together for shooting this mini documentary at first. For our group, interview is this documentary’s primary convention. So we chose a white wall as the background and used the green plants as an ornament in this scene. Then we began to prepare the shooting equipment, such as setting only one camera right in front of the interviewee because we just shoot one person in our documentary, setting the warm light for the interviewee, and helping the interviewee to set up the lapel mics in the right place.  In professional situations everyone in a crew has their own responsibilities, like the director, first AD, interviewer, camera operator, audio and lighting technicians. In our group, we just have six person, so we decided to take turns playing different roles in this process.

In production, I’ve already been a first AD in ‘Lenny Intensive’, this time I tried to do different jobs. But I think that the camera man is more difficult one of these jobs. As we know, interview has normal rules of framing. In most cases the interviewee should face slightly left or right of the camera. This shows that the he/she is talking to someone else, but I need to avoid the severe profiles in this process. Interviewee should always be able to see their both eyes in the frame, because people prefer to see someone’s whole face when they talk. So I think that to control the frame of interview shots is hard for me. Also, in common interview shots, interviews tend to use medium close-up (MCU) that may appropriate for when the guest is talking about something personal or emotional. But I think that the light location set up a little unreasonable, the shadow of the plants being reflected on the wall made the me stressful and uncomfortable when I saw this scene in the camera. Of course, this is just my own opinion, I will try to set up the light more reasonable at next time.

In post-production, I began to edit this mini documentary by using Adobe Premiere. In this process, I think that the most important thing is that how to organize all footage logically for a completed documentary. There are three interviews in my documentary, so I wanted to edit this documentary based on the kinds of questions which interviewees answered. I need to consider a basic structure and make sure the timing of edit at first, such as there are three interviews in my documentary, using the B-roll I shoot before, which may show the location at the beginning of the documentary, and begin concentrating on the interviewees with an MCU. Also, I putted the subtitle of their names beside their face during the period of they inducing themselves. In additional, using the gaps between the questions that every interviewees finished to respond let the audience have more time to ponder.

Prompt 1 – Introduction to Documentary

The Participatory Mode

Bill Nichols (2010) describes that the participatory mode welcomes direct engagement between filmmaker and subject – the filmmaker becomes part of the events being recorded. This mode became popular around 1960 when new technology allowed for sync sound recording.In addition, the spectator can join in this mode as participant as well.

This mode welcomes the director and camera participating in the lens. And the creator (director) would never hide behind the screen, but he would rather showing in the documentary with the role of mentor, critic, interrogator, or provocateur. This behavior does not affect the reality of the historical event or the event which the editor is willing to present to the audience. Under this circumstance, director and camera are exposed initiatively to the lens and they are admitted to exist in the documentary by the creator. It is certified that admitting the camera and director in the lens is the most distinctive feature of participatory mode. There is no script preparation before participatory documentary shooting, but the director would collect the date and proofs and then arrange them appropriately in order to present what the reality. So that the documentary would appeal to the audience to think deeply and start to concern about what the director is willing to let them do. Through material arrangement, director is more likely to present the full-featured event. I like this mode because it is kind of designed by the director. What audience see on the screen is what the director desire to let them see. It would be poetic and artistic rather than realistic solidly. Only with the admission of the camera existence, then all the reality may literally present in front of the audience. The participatory mode would create a picture-in-the-picture effect which would increase the impact of the documentary.

Personally I like this mode, because I,the director, would be involved in the documentary that makes me have a sense of achievement. I join in the material arrangement and put all the things together, then present the shot.