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.