Evaluation

'Steel Bells' overall, is a piece of work I am proud of. The idea of the film and what we wanted the result to be did change throughout the semester therefore the final film was very different from the original idea. Originally the film was supposed to be about several of the Morris teams in Sheffield. This changed over the semester as we decided to focus on Boggart's Breakfast, a mixed border side who defy all stereotypes.

The poetic Documentary I think was a lot more chaotic than I would have liked. This is what detracted from the film's overall impact. I wanted the poetic film to be an introduction into the Morris world that would be understandable to 'Morris Virgins' who might have either not have heard of it or have negative preconceptions about the tradition. I also wanted to show the journey from learning a dance and practicing it to dancing it out as a performance. I think we accomplished the former but not the latter. I think we tried to fit too much in and a lot of meaning was lost because of that. Therefore we learned from this and changed our approach, concentrating on a single team rather than several. This I feel leads to a more concise narrative and makes the film easier to follow for people who do not know the Morris world. Deciding to concentrate on Boggart's was I think a wise decision as they are a great strength in the film. They are all interesting characters and are all different with their individual face paint. Not what one would expect from a Morris team. From this we have created an interesting story to tell the audience that in coherent and centred on one thing while still fulfilling the original intent of breaking down the stereotypes of Morris.

I think another strength of the film is the imagery and sound and how they work together. The look and sound of the Morris was important to get across in order for this film to work. I feel this comes across and encompassing the noise and rhythm of the dance creates a strong audio/visual spectacle which captures the audience's attention. The interviews as well I think are a great insight into the team and this culture of Morris.

A major weakness I feel in the film is that it does not go deep enough into the characters of the Boggarts. I had wanted to keep the idea of them as Boggarts not themselves as a part of the film but I think this did not work as well as I had hoped. The audience need to get to know these characters as people I think so they can engage with them. This would have given them a deeper understanding of why they do this and therefore answering another question that the film asks; why do people do this?

I also feel something else we needed to set up better was the idea of the stereotype; this would have made the film even more impactful. I think we have this visually but for people who are not familiar with Morris, there is not enough of a setup, launching straight into the Boggarts I think works for people that have seen Morris dancing before, but not for people who have not.

When I came up with the idea of the film I wanted it to contradict the stereotypes of English folk dance and to be an education for people who did not understand what Morris is. I think it succeeds in opposing the stereotype but I think the idea of educating people on Morris is not something that has been explored fully in the finished film.

Making this film for me was a massive learning curve as I had never headed up a project that was my own idea before. Creating 'Steel Bells' was process in which I learnt a lot about documentary making.

One major thing I learned about was trying to get the best from interviewees, about how to make them talk and give interesting and good answers. I think the technique we used that developed over the semester was to talk to the interviewee beforehand, not about the questions as such but more making them feel at ease in front of the camera and prepping them in terms of asking them to frame the question in the answer. Making I think the interviews more natural looking.

Something else I have learned from making this film is that working with people you know and are in groups with leads to perhaps being more cautious in what you ask of them. I know that I was incredibly cautious of coming across as rude or causing offense. I think this is a factor that as a documentary maker you have to overcome.

We had to learn very quickly to make the most out of the shoots. We only had about two opportunities to film with each side, as they only practice once a week. Therefore we had to make the most of the time we had. We decided upon a two camera and two microphone set up. This is something I had never used before personally. We had to work around each other and not get in the way and being able to still get good footage.

In terms of the edit, working together in a directorial role with an editor was something I'd not done before either. In the edit process I had to know when to back off and let Lewis do his job and when I needed to step in and tell him about things that I really wanted to emphasise.

The final stage of this project the sound edit was a major challenge because the music was so important to the overall quality of the film and how effective it would be. I understand a lot better now how music and interviews need to be well balanceds, especially in a film where music is such an integral part of the film.

Overall I think my contribution to this project was large. It was my idea so I headed up the production. I took on the producing role. Because I am so heavily involved in the project we were shooting and had some contacts and understood the 'world of Morris' it made sense for me to take on this role. Also I feel that our contacts would feel more comfortable letting us film if they had had contact with someone they knew was looking for the positive side of Morris.

Overall we shared the directing role. I thought this would be best as I am not that strong at cinematography so I needed to be able to trust the others that had more experience in it. I think one reason I had to take on a directorial role as well was that a lot of the time especially when we were focusing on Boggarts I could tell Natalie where she could go and not get hit with sticks.

As we were such a small team we all chipped in doing more then one role. My other role was sound; I think my work on this was effective if rushed. In my opinion the music maybe takes over too much, I think it is quite constant and should have maybe considered breaks to breath. I also did a lot of the recording but took the production decision to bring in assistance on this as it was not realistic to be able to record everything at the exterior shoots when I was also dancing.

I think the only problem we encountered in terms of the group framework was the fact that Natalie and Lewis did not understand the idea at first they had to learn a lot about the subject before and during shooting

I think the team worked well together. I think Natalie and Lewis had to put a lot of trust in me to be able to carry out this idea. Also though I was able to trust them to help it be realised as they were investing in a project that was about something they did not really know anything about. This trust about the subject I think made for a strong group dynamic. We worked well together and I think that is reflected in the film that we made. It would not have been as successful had we not all worked together and shared thoughts and ideas so readily.

'For every Documentary there are at least three stories that intertwine; the film maker's, the films and the audience's' (Nichols, 2010). I feel this is something that defiantly rings true for me with Steel Bells. If I am the filmmaker, the film having been my idea, my story in the Documentary is wanting to show the world that there is more to Morris dancing than old men with beer bellies and hankies. The face that the film is produced by at least one person who holds Morris close to their hearts I hope came through. The film's story is of Boggart's Breakfast. Charting where they came from and why they do what they do. It also shows that the stereotypes of Morris are not always true. Then there is the audience's story. If an audience member had never seen Morris before the story is of an education in what this English tradition encompasses. If they have a preconceived idea the film for them would hopefully mean a change of attitude, and for anyone who was already into the scene it is maybe an insight into a team they had seen out dancing but did not know much about.

Documentary has two personalities in a way. 'Film as a record and as a representation centred on an idea - or ideal- unadultered truth'. (Bruzzi, 2006)

 

I think this would generally concern film where the subject matter is more serious however still I think this can be related to Steel Bells. To see it simply as a record is not I think enough. If we had simply left unedited clips of dancing maybe. However we have used deliberate cuts and chosen what parts of an interview we use in order to tell a story. In other words to represent the truth, or what we see as the truth, that Morris is not boring. Whether or not what we have shown can be conceived as truth depends upon the audience I think. However, we have as film makers represented through our use of editing and sound design what we see as the truth.

Many films are plot driven, some are character driven and some are question driven. (Bernard, 2011). 'Steel Bells I think is a mixture of character and question driven. As the filmmakers we are asking the question 'What is Boggart's Breakfast?' This is what drives the whole film. However I think that the character driven element cannot be ignored, it is the idea of these mischievous boggart characters that help to drive along the story along side the question.

What 'Steel Bells' is, is an adventure into a world that people may not know about. 'The best Documentaries are models of disciplined passion; they show us new worlds, or familiar worlds in unfamiliar ways' (Rabiger, 2009). Morris dancing is like a different world, it has it's own etiquettes and politics and inhabitants. What we aimed to do with this piece is to show this world to a new audience. And to an audience that knows about Morris dancing we show them a different side of something they may have thought they knew. By exploring something that people think they know and challenging expectation I think we have created a sense of discovering the unknown and have succeeded in our goal to show the audience something new.

In conclusion, I am satisfied with the film that has come from this semester. I think I've worked hard and well as part of a team in order to create a solid documentary. It does have issues and weaknesses but that is part of the learning process that I have undergone in this module.

 

Bibliography

NICHOLS Bill (2010). Introduction to Documentary 2^nd edition. Bloomington, Indiana. Indiana university Press.

BRUZZI, Stella (2006). New Documentary: a critical evaluation 2^nd edition. Abingdon, Oxon. Routledge.

BERNARD, Sheila Curran (2011). Documentary Storytelling 3^rd edition. Kindlington, Oxford. Focal Press.

RABIGER, Michael (2009). Directing the Documentary 5^th edition. Jordan Hill, Oxford. Focal Press.

 

Michael Moore

One of the most prominent documentary makers of our generation is I think Michael Moore, he is controversial figure in the media but I think the strength and the technique of his films is of major importance to any documentary maker now.

His films in a way gave new life to the Art of documentary making. Never before had political documentary had this same energy that Moore's presenting style injected. His style is like a tornado, incredible powerful and has no real breathing space, constantly bombarding you with information.

Something that stands out to me in terms of this module is his interview techniques. He is very clever about what he says/ He knows what he wants to get out of people and asks the right question to extract these answers. I suppose one parallel one could draw is Jon Snow of Channel 4 news and his way of bombarding politician's until he is able to get a straight answer.

I think something to take away from this is that you have to be insistent in yourinterviewing, you just need to know what to say in order to get the points you want. For the film we are making this has a slightly different context as we are not wanting to get any information that anyone would be reluctant to yield like Moore however it is still important that we ask the right questions so that the answers given reflect the structure we want for the film.

Another trick of Moore's is the editing he does, he knows hot to manipulate the footage in order to create an effective film. and also how to create a point. It adds also to the comedy in some cases.

His use of humour is as well something that I want to get into my work, we may not be using humour for Satire as Moore does but I think remind me that humour is a useful tool in documentary to keep your audience interested. In my case I think it should be used to represent that Morris dancing is a light hearted pass time and people do it for the enjoyment and to literally have a laugh, out film should reflect this.

Moore is a clever filmmaker and I think looking at his somewhat unique approach is defiantly useful for any aspiring documentary maker who wants to make their film impactful and interesting. Also he is a different school of film making from the early days and from the beginnings of Political documentary, he is an important figure to keep in mind I think.

Sound edit.

Th esound edit for this piece involves quite a lot of syncing sound. The quality of some of th esound recording is not great in some of the clips because of unavoidablt background noise. I have therefore done a lot of cleaning up with the sound. I have taken out a lot of the lower frequencies to make the rumble less. Also some of the recording was done in the Peace Gardens as that's where a lot of the recording was taking place.  To try an minimis ethis hissin gsound I have taken out th ehiger frequencies using the single band EQ filter.

Something else I am trying to do is to make the most of the rhythum of the music. With the levelling I have decided to go for a loud strong start. With some shots and parts of the film however I am keeping the sound lower and more ambient so it' smore like being in the sudience watching them. In other Parts I am trying to really bost the volume. The effect of this should be that the audience doesn't get complacent. It should rise and flow over the film.

Also I don't wan tthe music to constantly overpower the interviews. Also I want there to be a little breathing space, rather that a constant wall of sound. As there is such a strong drum beat I think it is in danger of beocoming a littletiring if it is there constantly at a high volume.

Overall the sound edit is going well. I would have prefered more time. But as lewis was ill it was no one's fault.

St George's day Shoot

Overall I was happy with this shoot However there were a few issues. The boom pole was dodgy and the mic kept twisting making life quite difficult. this rendered at lest one interview unusable. once again I was dancing and shooting which was a challenge but I feel I coped well with it. Also this time we were a two rather than all three of us plus two extra pairs of hands we had last time. I think Natalie and I overcame this however and still got a lot shot.

Due to the idea change we had a much more concentrated shooting schedule. Interviews were also easier to get as all the interviewees ere in the same place. We did have problems with background noise but this as to be expected and there wasn't much we could do about it as there wasn't time between dances to take people away from the scene to somewhere quieter.

this said we did get some great interview material and a lot of great footage.

The edit

Just a few wee notes about the edit I was not that involved at this stage as Lewis prefers to work on it then for me to come in and look at it.

After finishing the shooting we are now in the edit process I am happy with how this is going. I am able to trust Lewis to get on with the job. I am also really happy with how well th efilm is starting to look.

The introduction is solid and I think very effective.

Lewis and I seem to be getting on well in editing the film. I think that I have needed to relinquish a lot of the control that I had over the project and trust lewis in the edit.

Th eonly thing I have not been happy with is the amount of fotage of one particular team. Persoanlly even though i tis nice footage I think it is starting to encroach on the idea this is a film about boggarts just because it's so much of one particular team. However I am sure we will find a solution.

Slightly revised treatment

As we have changed our idea slightly I have decided to revise the treatment slightly. A lot of our original intent is stillthe same so the treatment has not changed much. What I have done is to focus the outline more on the Boggart's.

Documentary Treatment

Working Title: Steel Bells

Length: 5-10 Minutes (Approx.)

Hook/Tag Line: Blue people, bells, and Morris.

Short Synopsis: Focusing on Boggart's breakfast a mixed Border Side from Sheffield, this film aims to oppose the stereotypes of Morris Dancing through telling the story of a team who does not conform to the usual preconceptions of English Folk Dance.

Outline of Documentary: For this documentary we are telling the story of Boggart;'s Breakfast and the people who are involved in the side. For an introduction the two minute piece will aim to show its audience the process of a troupe's progression from rehearsal to the Morris Tour. The main piece however, will focus on developing an emotional connection with those involved, by the use of interviews and archive to tell their individual stories as to why the take part in this society. The different stories will come together to allow the audience to have a broader understanding of the subject as a whole as well as hopefully change the stereotypical view of the culture and people involved. We aim to tell the story of Boggart's breakfast. To find out why people take part in this odd custom. With a piece that concentrates on one team, the audience will be able to focus on this team and get to know them. By taking this approach the film will show the idea of Morris Dancing in a new light. With this film, we intend to show the audience a world that they may not have seen before. Through showing them the strong sense of community, the strange yet loveable mix of characters that are involved, we intend to educate people on not only the dancing itself but the wider context of how important the traditions in our country are. By bringing to the forefront the excitement that is encompassed with in a performance, the audience will be able to engage with why people feel so strongly and enjoy the dancing so much. The visual spectacle and sound that come from a performance will be edited together to create a sense that the audience are part of this performance therefore drawing them into the film and it's issues even more.

Analysis: The film will be shot over a series of practices and a weekend of dance that is taking place in the Heart of Sheffield. We also plan to use a range of information, such as interviews, vox pops, archive and event footage, to offer variety throughout the piece, using shots and sound creatively. In regard to sound, we will use a mixture of the music from the events, the interview recordings, mirroring the rhythm and the power of the dance. We aim for the documentary to follow and rely on the interviews we record to create the narrative and emotion. During this, the shots will correspond with the interview information. The interview will talk about the process of rehearsal, where we will react with using shots that correspond with this, i.e. the film work taken within the training hall, if the interviewer talks about their past, we could use archive footage. We want the piece to flow so the audience understand and follow the information being presented to them. For inspiration, we looked at previous documentary Way of the Morris by Tim Plester & Rob Curry, and also used Alice's knowledge, as she herself is part of this group. Way of the Morris has been a major influence mainly due to its subject matter. The way in which it approaches the dancing through the human experiences of the people who are involved is something we have taken into consideration. However rather than tell the story of one team as Way of the Morris does we aim to tell the story Morris as a whole and how it has effected its members and why they have felt drawn to participate. The mood of the piece is light hearted, reflecting the jovial nature of the tradition. It would seem wrong to look at a hobby in a way that was serious or pessimistic. Some may want to document the decline of the tradition, whereas we want to celebrate it and its people. In the film we aim to reflect the fun that people have, the brilliant mix of people and the passion they have for this form of dance. Steel Bells will be heavily driven by interview which will have a major part in the narrative. A documentary where I saw this technique was Saving Face. Although the subject matter of out film is not serious like that of saving face, the use of interview in the film is something that is very important. Through interviews the stories are gently unravelled. This idea is very appealing and effective. By using interview as a narrative tool it will be possible to subtly reveal the dancers stories and therefore revealing the broader story of Morris Dancing as a whole. By asking about why people do Morris it will be defined in a deeper manner than simply asking what it is. This will reveal a more human side to the tradition and involve the audience more, engaging their feelings rather than bombarding them with historical facts.

Alice Hathaway: Producer/Sound Design

Lewis Hague: Editor

Natalie Obank: Cinematography

We decided to all take on the Director Role throughout the project.

As producer Alice is able to use her contacts in the Sheffield Morris scene to arrange contributors and locations for the documentary. As cinematographer, Natalie can use her module skills and equipment to capture the footage throughout the work, arranging different shots and set ups. Lewis, the editor, will look through the footage, and depending on the tempo of the visuals, he can accordingly create an edit that compliments the visuals on-screen.

 

Idea Shift

After the two minute film we decided it did not have enough of a focus in the film. I feel if it is to be successful we need to have a focus on one team and tell their story. I think this will make the documentary more focused and more successful.

We have decided to concentrate on Boggarts Breakfast. I want to include this idea of the boggart character. That the idea that the dancing is dine by boggarts who are characters outside of their human personalities, there is the idea of a separate character while they are dancing. I think this an interesting idea that would make the documentary more intriguing.

Another element will be how the team is really different from other Morris teams. I think by telling the story of Boggarts we will still create the same intent, which is to show that Morris dancing does not always conform to the stereo types. We will be able to tell a more concise story but will still have the same effect over all.

Thoughts on 2 minute poetic piece

Over all I have to day I was quite Happy with how the film turned out.

The aim of the film was to introduce people into this little weird world of the morris that people who are in it hold dear.

I think that it is important to note however that there are changes that need to be made in order to make a better film.
The main issue I feel was the quality of some of the footage. As there was no was to change the lighting situation al lot of the indoor footage was shot in relitavley low light therefore it was grainy. The reason this is such an issue is because it is so obvious to the viewer. It is a distraction. However it not taking anything away from the films structure, and  think it is slightly forgivable because it depicts an important part of the story we are trying to tell. this idea of a process from practice to dance out.

What I think this film does is create a glimpse into a little understood world. Most see these people dancing on a weekend and have no idea how it comes to be and I think this film help to show what these dancers are about.

the sound design I think in parts needs boosting. I tried to create an ebb and flow in the sounf to make the dancing more effective and have a greater in pact. I also wanted to create a momentum in the build up to the dance out to create the idea of practicing intensley and then the pay off. However I think this dipped too low in places and lost impact, the intent though I think carries through.


In terms of thw shots we used I think we used a good mixture and practice and the dance out. However I don;t think the close ups wored as I intended. The idea was to show the juxtaposition of the painted faces and the real people behind them. However I don't think this worked as it created the desired effect and just showed the audience close ups of people they didn't know.

All in all I am pleased with the film and I think that it fits the brief and fulfills my intent.

Little Dieter needs to fly

I really enjoyed this film. I think it was incredibly powerful.  It is the first film of Werner Herzog that I have seen and it will defiantly not be the last.

I found the performative element really intriguing. I think it is effective both for the audience and the subject. For the audience it shows us the enviroment that Dieter had to live through.  it makes the idea hit home even more I feel. For Dieter however I feel that it is used as a tool by Herzog in oreder to get more into his head and to get him to relive the experience which would lead to more in depth interviews and deeper feelings.

The fact that the 'presenter' is Dieter makes the film even more powereful. If it was simply Herzog's voice over telling the story it would not have the same filmic effect. It would also not bring to life the feelings and pain that Dieter went through during his orderal.

Another trick Herzog uses is going into Dieters home with him. By showing the filmmaker round him home he is is a relitive comfort zone and therefore the interview is more intimate and revealing.

Overall 'Little Dieter needs to fly' Is a great performative documentary I think and is a great display of the skill Herzog has as a filmmaker. Also I think it is a great example of a docuemtary style that I had certainly not seen much of before.

The times of harvey milk

One of the first documentries in today's context I didn't feel there was much that stood out about this
film apart from the suject matter.

I think it is a great example of the classic talking head style of documentary making. It is however noteable because of the time in which it came out where there was not a lot of political documentary had been made before. And the subject of the assasination of the first openly gay american polotician was still a controversial subject and was a brave subject to make a film about.

The interviewes are interesting and insightful and it is a considered composition. I enjoyed the documentary becaus I am interested in the subject but otherwise I'm not sure how interested I would
be. I think it is notable because it was one of the firat major political documentaries and not because of how well made it was.

All that said I still think it is incredubly important in the timeline of documentary making and is a nessaccary watch when studying the evolution of Documentary.

Session 7

This session gave me a good heads up to any problems that might occur during getting legal rights to use footage of people and interviews. This is not something I have had trouble with personally so far. However I think it is important  to keep in mind while filming and planning documentaries. Especially if you're subjects are volotile.

In regard to the exerises, the exercise on the School Documentary, I think it was hard to come to a real conclusion with out knowing a lot more circumstance. For example what exactly was in the contract that was signed. There is also the question of moral issues verses Legal ones. The teacher may have been morally entitalled to a part of the profit but was he legally. This also brings in the question were the children featured entitled to a share.

I think this highlights how important it is to make sure you have covered yourself entiley legally so you can;t get into trouble and you are legally backed up.

Session 6 (tutorial)

In this session we reviewed our footage from the 2 practacies and the weekend of dance. I think we have some good footage. However the quality of the ractice footage is fairly bad. There is nothing to be dona about this, as there is nothing that can be done about that now. However things like that in documentary do not come in the way of the actual story we are trying to tell.

I think overall we had a positive session and we are now heading full force into an edit.

Five Rivers Shoot

Boggarts Breakfast shoot

This shoot went really well, I think because everyone in the team was now more comfortable with how a practice works. I think also because O am involved in the team the were more comfortable with me being there and filming them.

Again we used a two camera set up this enabled us to capture more of the 'action'. We filmed all of the practice, from the stepping practice, learning a new dance and running through the dances that everyone was pretty confident in.

Also this enabled Lewis to get several close ups of the music and while natalie continued to film the main practice.  Therefore we have a good variety of shots that range from close ups and long shots.

One thing we didn't get was interviews however we are able to go back after easter to get them. Al in all as with all the other shoots I am incredibly happy with the amount of footage we have and the variety we have representing the style of dance in a good way.

IVFDF Shoot

Treatment

Documentary Treatment

Working Title: Steel Bells

Length: 5-10 Minutes (Approx.)

Hook/Tag Line: An untraditional look at tradition

Short Synopsis: Focusing on several of the Morris sides in Sheffield, our purpose is to highlight who the dancers are and through this learn more about Morris dancing as a whole.

Outline of Documentary: Our two-piece documentary will focus on the cultures and personal lives of those involved within the Morris Dance community. For an introduction piece will aim to show its audience the process of a troupe's progression from rehearsal to the Morris Tour. We hope to use interview and vox pop within this piece to show the different views on the subject and the amount of people who actually understand what the Morris Dance entails. The main piece however, will focus on developing an emotional connection with those involved, by the use of interviews and archive to tell their individual stories as to why the take part in this society. The different stories will come together to allow the audience to have a broader understanding of the subject as a whole as well as hopefully change the stereotypical view of the culture and people involved. With this film, we intend to show the audience a world that they may not have seen before. Through showing them the strong sense of community, the strange yet loveable mix of characters that are involved, we intend to educate people on not only the dancing itself but the wider context of how important the traditions in our country are. By bringing to the forefront the excitement that is encompassed with in a performance, the audience will be able to engage with why people feel so strongly and enjoy the dancing so much. The visual spectacle and sound that come from a performance will be edited together to create a sense that the audience are part of this performance therefore drawing them into the film and it's issues even more.

Analysis: The film will be shot over a series of practices and a weekend of dance that is taking place in the Heart of Sheffield. We also plan to use a range of information, such as interviews, vox pops, archive and event footage, to offer variety throughout the piece, using shots and sound creatively. In regard to sound, we will use a mixture of the music from the events, the interview recordings, mirroring the rhythm and the power of the dance. We aim for the documentary to follow and rely on the interviews we record to create the narrative and emotion. During this, the shots will correspond with the interview information. The interview will talk about the process of rehearsal, where we will react with using shots that correspond with this, i.e. the film work taken within the training hall, if the interviewer talks about their past, we could use archive footage. We want the piece to flow so the audience understand and follow the information being presented to them. For inspiration, we looked at previous documentary Way of the Morris by Tim Plester & Rob Curry, and also used Alice's knowledge, as she herself is part of this group. Way of the Morris has been a major influence mainly due to its subject matter. The way in which it approaches the dancing through the human experiences of the people who are involved is something we have taken into consideration. However rather than tell the story of one team as Way of the Morris does we aim to tell the story Morris as a whole and how it has effected its members and why they have felt drawn to participate. The mood of the piece is light hearted, reflecting the jovial nature of the tradition. It would seem wrong to look at a hobby in a way that was serious or pessimistic. Some may want to document the decline of the tradition, whereas we want to celebrate it and it's people. In the film we aim to reflect the fun that people have, the brilliant mix of people and the passion they have for this form of dance. Steel Bells will be heavily driven by interview which will have a major part in the narrative. A documentary where I saw this technique was Saving Face. Although the subject matter of out film is not serious like that of saving face, the use of interview in the film is something that is very important. Through interviews the stories are gently unravelled. This idea is very appealing and effective. By using interview as a narrative tool it will be possible to subtly reveal the dancers stories and therefore revealing the broader story of Morris Dancing as a whole. By asking about why people do Morris it will be defined in a deeper manner than simply asking what it is. This will reveal a more human side to the tradition and involve the audience more, engaging their feelings rather than bombarding them with historical facts.

Alice Hathaway: Producer/Sound Design

Lewis Hague: Editor

Natalie Obank: Cinematography

We decided to all take on the Director Role throughout the project.

As producer Alice is able to use her contacts in the Sheffield Morris scene to arrange contributors and locations for the documentary. As cinematographer, Natalie can use her module skills and equipment to capture the footage throughout the work, arranging different shots and set ups. Lewis, the editor, will look through the footage, and depending on the tempo of the visuals, he can accordingly create an edit that compliments the visuals on-screen.

Session 5

Interviewing.

During this session we hit a few snags. We couldn't record sound because the XLR lead we had was broken meaning any sound would be crackly.

Therefore we sed the time to practice interview set ups. We did the simple talking head idea and also tried something different in doing a set up that involved movement. This was an interesting idea that I had not tried before as any interviws I had previously shot. I think htis may be a good techniques to use in our film especially if we are interviewing multiple people and maybe have people demostrating sricking or stepping.

Production so far

So just an update at where we are at.

I have contacted several teams and thay are all happy for us to film.

We are filming with Pecseaten, Five Rivers and Boggarts Breakfast.

I also have permission to film at th eIntervarsity fols dance festical (IVFDF) that is taking place in Sheffield this will be an opputunity to film these teams and several others. Also I think it will be great as the footage should help to create the atmosphere and illustrate what morris is. Also it will be a goo doppurtunity to get interviews with some other teams from furthur afield. I have contacted Earlson Morris and Fools Gambit who are two teams who are both very good as dancers and fall out with the stereo type.

Overall I think it's going very well.

Pecseaten Shoot

Session 4: The pitch

Today we did out actual pitch presentation.

Over all I feel it went quite well. I think that people are intrigued as to what the world of Morris Dancing is and what lies beneath the surface.

This session also helped in terms of waht akes a good peessntaion. I think the ideas of peer review and a more professional opinion gives one an idea of both appealing to the target audience and a pannel of perspective funders. I think that this helps to prepare for future when we may be in these situations professionally.

Our Pitch Power Point

What exactly is Morris?

Morris dancing, an ancient form of English dance, and no-one is quite sure where it came from. However it is still going fairly strong to this day. Although it does have a some what out dated image I feel that it is something very important to English culture and should not be lost. This is in a way what I wanted to do when I came up with the idea for this Documentary.
The child of Morris dancers and a Morris dancer myself I have a strong heritege int eh tradition and others like myself are keen to dispel the image that morris has gained its self.
Th eworld of Morris is a broad spectrum with many different forms so I have decided to cencentrate this post ont eh styles we will feature in the film; Border and Cotswald.

Forst Border is a style that is thought to originate from the area aroung the England/Wales Border. Generally Dancer have blacked faces. A tradition that originates from needing to be disguised as dancing out in centuries past could be considered to be begging and therefore illegal. many of these teams are still founf in England. Thrir style tends to be quite boysterous. The three teams that revived Border in the 70 were The Paradise Islanders, Silurian and the Shropshire Bedlams. From here the style has grown in popularity and there are now many Border teams throughout the country and beyond. They are distinguish able by their kit. It consists of a rag Jacket, Bells and a painted face. There are variants on this but you's be hard pushed to find a team that doesn't have these characteristics. They also dance with sticks and tend to make a lot of noise.

In our film we are focusing onw the Border team Boggart's Breakfast,  They are somewhat against the grain. Although many mebers do have beards there are such a mix of people that one migh twonder where the morris stereotype could have arisen. By working with this team on the film I think we will have a strong counter to the stereotype we are trying to break down. Also by filming them dancing we will gain a lot of energy to the piece. Their dancing is fast and furious and their music and costume complete the spectacle and will add a real flare to the visuals or our film. here is a short example of them in action.

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The other style we will be foccusing on is Cotswald, This is the style that people will usually imagine when you mention Morris dancing. It also brings with it a negatice stereotyp eof old bearded men with pot bellies swishing hankies around. This is a side to the tradition granted and we do love them all but there is so much more to the cotswald tradition. The two sides we'll be speaking to are, Pecseaten and Five rivers, both young, highly regarded teams from Sheffield. Again as with Boggarts the aim is to appose teh stereo type and tell the story of Modern Morris. Cotswald is probablt the most well known of the traditions. It often involves complicates stepping and intricacy of figures. Also the tradition had been heavily male dominated but now there are more female sides coming into the light. This is a trend that Pecseaten will help us represent, therefore representing the changing face of Morris that has taken place over the last few years. A highly regarded team, talking to them will I feel give us a great insight into the Morris World.

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Also we are working woth 5 rivers Morris another highly regarded team in Sheffield. Again many of their members go against the stereo type.

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This is a very brief summary of what morris dancing is about in order to give what's in my blog some context before the final films are finished.

Short Documenataries and our approach

For the presentation week we have to include a clip from  short documentary that reflects our approach. Having been through I have found several that I think have elements of what we are aiming for.


Iranian, Gay & seeking Asylum.

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I'm looking at these documentaries in terms of their narrative structure and technical elements rather than their content so some of them are a lot more serious than anything we are doing. However apart from the emotional element of this film being very strong and a very serious subject matter, it's structure is something that I can see in our goal. We want to use people's personal stories to represent a wider story. Here it is these Men's struggle for asylum and the hardships they have gone through, telling a wider story of the persecution Homosexuals face daily in Iran. For us it is peoples personal stories telling a wider story of the English Folk Dance community.

Pockets.
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The stylised nature of this short is something that really stood out to me. In terms of cinematography I think this is a nice idea to go for. Also being able to get outside  think will add a lot to our film as it does to this one will open out the screen space more. Make it more natural. I think this especially important given our subject matter has a lot to do with movement and space.

Hip hop Grannies

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This is the film we are going to use to illustrate our approach. Like ours it is about something a little unusual or unexpected, I also really like this film it is inspiring and heart warming. In terms of it's structure it is along the lines that we are going for, it used the women's personal stories, explaining where they come from and why the enjoy hip hop dancing to explain the wider story of the phenomenon and the cultural issues that surround it. The way it is driven by the interviews is also something that I have taken from this. Also the way this is constructed with splices of interview and action is something we will go for I think. The film we intend to make will very much be driven by what people have to say because Morris dancing is folk dance and folk means of the people. We want this to be their story.

Group Meeting no.3

In this meeting we discussed how we were going to approach the Pitch and the treatment.

As a group we worked on both. For the pitch we decided that we should bring a visula element into it so have created a presentation. This is primarily to introduce the image of Morris Dancing. This I think will help people understand better what our aims are. I also think it will make people more interested especially if they've never seen it before. Fort this reason we have also included a short video to show the energy and exitment of the dances.

We also talked about what we would say in the pitch. We will talk about what Morris is to set our film in context, helped ny the images. We will also talk about our aims and how we will achive them.

Also we will talk about how our poetic will lead into the ten minute. The poetic is prominentley about presenting this 'other' side of Morris dancing that people 'outside the circle' as it were are not so aware of. Then the ten minute will focus more on the dancers themselves. This will add something more personal I feel. It will also I think through this inform an audience who were otherwose unaware of this little sunculture feel more involved.

Session 3

Pitching and Pitching Practice.

I found this session very informative and also be ing able to practice the pitch and get some sort of idea of an audience reaction  found very helpful.

I was able to take note more about what people wanted to know about the roject and I also need to think of a way in which  can get past peoples perceptions of Morris dancing with the pitch. This is why I intend to use a power point because  think that it is imperative that images are used to really portray what this documentary is about, the coulour and the vibrance. I also feel that seeing the dancing will make people feel more onvolved in the presentation as people can become alienated whan you're talking about something they don't know and I thik Morris is something a lot of people don't really know about, especially as we are talking about specific teams.

group meeting No.2

In the second meeting we discussed in greater detail what we were going to do for the 2 minute poetic documentary. We are going to go down the route of showing through image and sound the spectacle of the performance. We will show the contrast of a practicing team and the final dance out, this juxtapostion I feel will crete a sense of the journey that a team goes through to get t the performance. It will also show what Morris is. Through these images and sound the ideas of friendship, fun and the energy of the dance will comethrough which will show the audience what it means to be a morris dancer. we also discussed the orgonisational side. Working out when peple couls shoot. as for each team there is only one day a week we can film them there is a limited amount of time to get what we need therefore I think that the orgonisation of the piece will be intergeral to it's sucess. From here the film is beggining to come to life in our minds and the creative vision we have for it is becoming clearer.

Way of the Morris

Way of the Morris (Plester/Curry 2011) is a documentary that I have been heavily influenced by. It is a film that is in some parts falls into the poetic mode. I feel that this is instrumental in how it portrays what Morris means to the people who do it, what it means to the English culture and what Morris actually is. The opening I think is very clever. The animation and poem are beautiful and i think set the tone well for the film. The idea that the world was 'danced into being' I think sets the president for how important the dancing is to the people in the film. Also I think that it sets the tone of slight mysticism which surrounds the idea of Morris in the film. It is pointed out that no one knows where it came from and the filmic qualities reflect something that is steeped in mysticism. The shots of the country side with which the dancing is associated. The foggy morning landscapes give the film a magical, almost spiritual quality which I think is a metaphor for what Morris is. It is a deep rooted tradition that means so much to the people that do it. I think that it is magical and spiritual and the film portrays that in a way that makes the audience realize how special this custom is. Another thing the film does well is present those dancers in light which is not mocking. So many times has the tradition been ridiculed and here it is presented in a serious manner by someone who knows and understands the tradition. This is important to the film as it could have so easily turned into a comedy about silly old men dancing with hankies. Instead it a serous piece of cinema. One sequence that always sticks with me in terms of the poetic is where a shot of a stick clashing dance is overplayed with the sound of the New Zealand Hakka. To me as a viewer this shows what Morris really is. By using the commonly understood mouri custom and attaching it to Morris it shows that the dance is an important part of English tradition and it is in fact an ancient custom that should be upheld. I think it describes what Morris is better than words ever could. The film is more however more about an individual team and I think although it is telling a strong and compelling story it is not a fair representation of Morris in the modern world. There is no representation of other styles and it is a 'ring side' that is portrayed in the film. The Morris ring is a group who although do a lot of work to maintain the tradition are not keen on women in certain Morris traditions such as Cotswold which is what the film represents. This is something I want the film we make to show, how Morris has needed to change and how it has done in order to survive. However want it to have a positive feel, showing that Morris is alive and well. I want to break away from the stereotypes which still seem so prevalent in society. Morris I feel needs to be represented as an inclusive and thriving community that is varied and exciting. Above all I want to represent the broader spectrum of English traditional dance which although I love Way of the Morris is something it does fall down in. Saying this however I believe it's mission statement was not to show the whole Morris world but to tell the story of a team. It succeeds in this and is a heartfelt and well informed piece but it does fall into the old stereotypes of Morris Dancing in places.

'Saving Face'

Saving Face (Obaid-Chinoy/ Judge, 2012) a documentary about the acid attacks on woman that plagues modern Pakistan is one that I found very effective. The Documentary which explores the lives of two women living with the disfigurement caused by acid attacks is moving. It explores many of the issues that surround the issues in modern day Pakistan that lead to the high frequency of these attacks. It also does this in a way that I feel is not patronizing towards Pakistan or the victims, which is a trap that so easily have been fallen into. The way the documentary is put together subtly reveals some of the issues underlying that is causing the rise in attacks. Whereas it also states some of them clearly. One example is the issue of lacking education and illiteracy. Although in interviews stated this plainly, in a more subtle manner it is shown how this leads to ignorance and the sustaining of old, dangerous attitudes towards women. Something that I found particularly effective is the exposure of how prevalent Misogyny still is in some parts of Pakistan. This being one of the major problems that needs to be tackled in order to overcome this problem. The way they do this is to expose the attitudes to the victims from the outside world. Many are ridiculed for their disfigurement. There seems to be a general attitude that it is the Woman's fault, she is the one to be punished. Again this is made prevalent in interviews with the perpetrators and their families. There seems to be that there is never any admittance to the crime, but also that it is always something the woman has done to deserve this. It is made clear through the film that these women are innocent victims. It is this constant lying and contradiction which is a clever device used by the film makers in order to show why these attacks are continuing in the modern era. What is also a great strength of this film is its broad view point. It looks at many of the people that are involved with acid attacks and helping the victims. It is not solely about just the victims but the people who are helping them and also about how the law is changing in order to help these women get justice. I think that is why this documentary is so successful as it doesn't just look at the problem and tell the victims stories, it is showing the wider picture and what is changing and what still needs to change. They way in which the victims are portrayed is something I feel is a breath of fresh air. These Women are portrayed as strong individuals who are fighting for justice in a world that is against them. They are over coming what has happened to them and are able to get the justice they deserve. Although it is clear these women are victims, they are shown to not be weak but to come out of this fighting. The film shows how brutal the attacks on these women were and how they are victims. However it is a positive outcome, showing how women continue to fight for justice, how the law had changed to help then get it. It also shows how despite the disfigurement there are organisations and surgeons willing to give them the help they need in order to lead a more normal life after their traumatic experience.

Session 2 5/2/12 Poetic Documentary

Documentary modes: • reassembling fragments of the world • a transformation of historical material into a more abstract lyrical form • usually associated with 1920s and modernist ideas How poetry is defined • Rhythm • Metaphor • emotion Definitions of the poetic mode Subjective interpretation of the material Forsakes traditional narrative content Tone and mood more important than story and character Editing style continuity is not a concern In my view Poetic documentary is the merging of the traditional modes of the genre, such as the portrayal of the real, with a more artistic form of expression. Rain Joris Iverns (1929)is a cinematic poem showing how his city chances in the rain. Rather than following the conventional documentary mode of say asking the public, he films what is happening and puts together a cinematic poem to describe what the city is like in the rain. A poetic documentary is a way of experiencing something, an evocation. Using movement Rhythm and feeling and capturing the moment-the now. Night Mail, basil Wright/ Harry Watt (1936). Part of the British Documentary movement and the GPO film unit, Night mail begins by following the conventions of a public information film. Portraying something but not in my opinion capturing the now. however the last three minutes, set to a poem by WH Auden and a score by Benjamin Britten really captures something about the movement, power and speed of the mail train as it thunders through the Towns, Cities and Countryside of early 20th century Scotland. Night and Fog, Alain Resnais (1955) One of the first films to show the horrific images from the holocaust there is something even more disturbing about it because of the calm, unsinister voice over which seems to be at odds with the images. It is even more hitting because of this I feel. The lack of Interviews of survivors and historians I think actually adds to the power of this film. There is something almost lyrical about the way the voiceover describes the camps and the environment 20 years later, transformed. Koyaanisqatsi (life out of balance) Godfrey Reggio (1983) I feel that the images in this film are allowed to speak for themselves which is where I feel the beauty in this piece lies. The lack of voice over lets the view draw their own conclusions about the story portrayed through the images of countryside and city. One encroaching on the other. This is a powerful notion and I think that the seeming simplicity of the film is something that makes it so powerful. From this session I have learned a lot about poetic documentary, a topic that was somewhat of a mystery to me. I didn’t have any strong ideas of how to create one before but after the information in this session I have been able to form stronger ideas.