Professor Green - Suicide and Me

If you missed this recent documentary, I suggest you go to BBC iPlayer and watch it. This is another excellent example for you to analyse. Pay attention to the B-roll footage and the topic of discussion at the same time. There are some good examples of editing techniques included in this documentary that you may wish to use in your own documentaries.

Year 11 : Week 8 (Controlled Hours 11 & 12)

In today's lesson you will answer the following questions;

1. What is the quality of my interview footage?
2. What is the quality of my B-roll footage?
3. Are there elements we need to film again?
4. Why should we transcribe our interviews?
5. Can we now establish a final 3-act narrative?

If you are on schedule and following our recommended timetable, you should now have all your footage. The quality of this footage is really important; poor framing, camera angles & camera movements will impact significantly on your final mark. You need to check every shot you filmed. For each shot, ask yourself the following questions;

• Did we follow the rule of thirds?
• Is there any unnecessary 'dead space' in the shot?
• Have we left appropriate 'head room' and 'talking space'?
• Is our interviewee inappropriately placed in the middle of the shot?
• Is out interviewee looking slightly left/right of the camera, towards an off-camera interviewer on the opposite side of the frame?
• Does the interviewee use the question in their answer? Does their answer make sense when you remove the interviewer's voice/question?
• Have we filmed the interview in an appropriate location? Is there an appropriate background?
• Does our B-roll contribute to issues of representation for our target audience?
• Are all camera movements smooth?
• Have we always used the most appropriate shot distance?
• Is the shot held steady throughout? Did we use a tripod?
• Is every shot in focus?
• Is lighting appropriate? Can we see the facial features of our interviewees?
• Is sound recorded cleanly? Are there any distracting noises in the background?
• Could this shot be improved?

If you answer negatively to any of the above questions for ANY of your shots, it WILL impact on your final mark and, therefore, you should film that shot again!

Transcribing Your Interviews

You have to transcribe your interviews so that you can analyse what was said and decide which bits you are going to use. Transcribing involves typing up a paper copy of the interview; the questions and the interviewee's responses. It is quite time consuming, but it is the normal way in which documentary makers and researchers analyse the responses they have collected. You should include an extract from one of the transcriptions in your Production Portfolio.

Establishing a 3-Act Narrative

Now that you have an accurate record of your footage, you can start to establish the actual narrative for your documentary. Effectively, you are adding more detail to your pre-shoot script, including the theme of the content. Remember, you're documentary should have an Introduction, Development Section & a Conclusion/Summary. Discuss this as a group as, next lesson, you will have to complete a detailed Post-Shoot Script (see example here).

Year 11 : Week 7 (Controlled Hours 9 & 10)

You should be shooting your footage this week and we have included lesson time for this too (although you won't be able to get it all done in the 2 hours of lessons you have this week; at least not good quality footage, so you should be filming at other times too.)

However, I would like to take this opportunity to remind of some basic filming rules that you must observe to achieve a good mark/grade;

• Hold a shot steady by using a tripod at all times.
• When filming interviews, consider the rule of thirds and leave a little 'headroom' and 'talking space'. Don't place your interviewee in the middle of your shot!
• When filming interviews, have the interviewee looking at the interviewer off camera (Placed the interviewee on the right? Have them looking slightly to the left of the camera. Placed the interviewee on the left? Have them looking slightly to the right of the camera). Don't have the interviewee looking directly at the camera during interviews!
• Take notice of what's happening in the background. You should consider the mise-en-scene and not just focus on your subject!
• Collect appropriante B-roll. Consider some camera movement too (smooth pans, etc).
• Don't use the zoom button! If you want to get closer, move the camera!
• Consider lighting. Is the room well lit? Don't film into the sun!
• Use the clapperboard to label your shots; it will save you a load of time afterwards! (You will need a DRY WIPE pen to write on the clapperboards).
• Consider background noise. Don't film interviews in noisy locations!
• Don't break the 180 Degree Rule!
• Get the interviewee to include the question in the answer!

Consider the feedback you received from the mock interview filming task and watch our Lego Documentary example again too.

Out of Hours Learning (including Half Term)

• Collect some more of your documentary footage.
• Maintain your Production Diary, summarising the events of each shooting session.
• Address any weaknesses identified on your class's Progress Grid (improve earlier research documents).
• Complete the 'Research Into Existing Products' page in your Production Log (see below)

Research Into Existing Products (to be completed over half-term)

You have to demonstrate that your own work is modelled on investigations into similar products. I would expect to see a 2-3 page document that reviews other documentaries. The documentaries you review can be professional products or documentaries made by other students.

We have a post on the Production Portfolio blog that gives advice on constructing a review and poses questions that should be answered in your review. You can present your review in any way that you like; an essay, a Q&A format, a table, a structured mind map, etc. Click here to go directly to that post.

You can review any documentary (TV or Film). I would imagine that your need to review 2 or 3 contrasting products (including at least 1 commercial & 1 student product). Here are some links to some existing products but, of course, you are free to use any documentary (you could use YouTube to find a documentary on a subject that really interests you);

Mr Hood's / Mrs Macey's Lego Documentary

Bowling for Columbine (this page has additional information about this documentary too)

Touching The Void (this page has additional information about this documentary too)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Inside the Post Office (contains additional information)

Planet Earth (this page contains additional information about this documentary too)

'Litter' Documentaries (filmed by last year's Year 12 students)

'Litter' Documentaries (filmed by last year's Year 13 students - contains documentaries & feedback)

BFI's 50 Greatest Documentaries

Professional Documentary Reviews

Monitoring Individual Progress in Unit B324 (HOO)

As you know, we are not allowed to give you specific feedback on your Production Portfolio work. However, we are allowed to monitor your progress and take steps to keep you 'on track'. Therefore, I've added a monitoring document to the sidebar on which I will ROG assess your progress. The aim is to keep you moving forward and on track to finish without telling you specifically what improvement to make or what detail to add. I will take in your flash drives next lesson, examine your progress and complete the monitoring table ASAP. There is a key to identify my judgements. You can then use half term to make improvements to your individual research documents.

Year 11 : Week 6 (Controlled Hours 7 & 8)

In this week's lessons you will answer the following questions;

1. Have we, as a production team, completed all pre-shoot preparations?
2. Have we, as a production team, constructed a shortlist & shooting schedule?
3. Have we, as a production team, booked camera kits and other equipment?
4. Have we prepared talent release forms?

This is the final week of preparations before shooting your footage next week (and over half term). You need to make sure that all of your pre-shoot documents are complete. This includes the documents you should have completed in previous weeks;

• Production Summary
• (Workflow)
• Documentary Research
• Project Focus Summary
• Target Audience Research
• Topic Research
• Location Research
• Interviewee Information
• Pre-Shoot Script
• Interview Questions

This week you must complete two more documents;

• Shotlist & Shooting Schedule
• Talent Release Forms

Shotlist & Shooting Schedule

Complete the Shotlist & Shooting Schedule form included in your Individual Portfolio. This is what you should put in each column;

Shooting Date - The date that your intend to shoot this footage.
Shooting Times - The time that you intend to shoot your footage on each day.
Shot Description - Label the shot distance & camera movements, (e.g. Talking heads shot of interviewee X or Establishing shot of the school or long shot of students on redgra)
Shot No. - Just list them 1 to whatever so that you can identify them later.
Location - The place where you are going to film.
Crew Required - Who is going to be working on location this day.
Cast Required - Who are you going to be filming? Can leave blank if not filming people/animals. Have you let them know when they are required?
Costume - List anything that you need your cast member to wear.
Props - What props do you need for this shot? (think about my lego interview shots with lego in the background).
Equipment Required - Camera? Tripod? Tracking equipment? Location recorders?
Location Risk Assessed - Have you considered the hazards of filming on this location? Have you made arrangements to minimise the risk.
Shot Filmed - Complete this column afterwards. Are you happy with the footage? (ROG)
Production Diary Completed - Again, complete this column afterwards. It's there to remind you to complete you Production Diary.

Talent Release Forms

You need to get everyone who features in your documentary to sign a Talent Release Form. Without this, you don't have permission to use their image or voice in your film. We have a standard form that we use in school; you can access it here. Download it, print it and get your interviewees to sign it. Then scan it and save a copy in your portfolio.

After today's lesson, you can book out your camera (see online link) and start filming. All of your footage must be shot by by your first lesson after half term, so you can use next lesson, any time after school or even half term (you can take the camera home in the holiday). Half term gives you a perfect opportunity to capture some great footage. However, we must first talk about safety & security!

Any students not contributing fully to the filming process over the next two weeks will automatically lose marks for this unit (up to 30 marks; equal to more than 2 GCSE grades for this entire unit), so make sure you don't miss the agreed sessions. Following the shooting process, in the first lesson back, you will complete another Peer Satisfaction Survey, the results of which will be used as evidence when distributing marks to individuals.

Out of Hours Learning

• Update the Lesson Evaluation document (in sidebar)
• Update your Production Diary, summarising the progress you have made this week.
• Update your Production Calendar, identifying any deadlines or production team meetings you set.
• Complete all the Individual Portfolio documents in preparation for filming.

Next Lesson

• Filming your footage
• Analysing an existing product (half-term OHL)

Example Production Calendar

Here is an example of a successful Production Calendar too. You should record;

• Deadlines agreed by the team
• Meetings
• Your Lessons

Example Production Diary

An example of a decent Production Diary has been requested. Here is one from a successful student in 2013. This is the level of detail you should be including. You should record a diary entry every time you make some progress or develop your portfolio.

B321 Feedback (HOO)

I'm going to try to see you individually this week and give some feedback about how you did in unit B321, the Individual Portfolio. Marks are still being moderated between teachers, but I can give you an indication of the grade, strengths and weaknesses. I will also back up your B324 progress (copy your pen drive).

Difficulties with Embedded Word Documents

Some of you are reporting difficulty accessing the embedded Word documents in your Production Log. This is because we are using different versions of Word. However, this doesn't have to be a problem (and isn't a reason to fail to complete OHL). All of the embedded Word documents are blank anyway and they are just there to remind you to do the work. Therefore, use your own version of Word, or alternative word processor, and just save the document to flash drive (make sure you give the document the accurate 'save as' title though). It doesn't matter that the documents aren't embedded into the Production Log as we just print everything off at the end and assemble the pages into a little booklet for the moderator anyway. The single Production Log file was only for printing convenience! We are quite prepared to open & print multiple documents if it makes it easier for you!

Year 11 : Week 5 (Controlled Hours 5 & 6)

In this week's lessons you will answer the following questions;

1. Who should we interview for our documentary?
2. What B-Roll should we shoot?
3. What questions should we ask?
4. What is the intended 3-Act structure that our documentary will have?

Question 1

Who are you going to interview? What is their area of expertise? How can they contribute to your search for truth? How will their opinions illuminate the issue for your target audience?

Identify the names of the individuals you are going to interview. Justify their selection. How did you identify them as a good source of information. A brief summary of their background, experience or area of expertise is needed. What about a photo? A word processed document entitled 'Interviewee Information' should be saved onto your flash drive. (This is likely to be a shared document).

Question 2

What B-roll do you want to film? What types of locations do you intend to use?  What locations did you recce (recon)? Which ones did you dismiss? Why did you dismiss them? Which locations did you choose? Why are these good choices; how do they represent meaning for your target audience?

Answer the questions above in the 'Location Research' document. Don't forget to include some photographs.

Question 3

You've identified your interviewee's but how are you going to structure your interviews? What questions are you going to ask them? Are you going to ask everyone the same questions or will you have specific questions for specific interviewees? Are you going to include warm-up questions, designed to put your interviewee at ease but not really focussing on your issue in depth? 

As a production team, agree the questions you want to ask each interviewee. Record these questions in the 'Interviewee Questions' document. (This is likely to be a shared document).

Question 4

Now you need to construct an overall vision for your documentary. It should have 3 parts or acts;

1. INTRODUCTION : Introduce the topic. Give us some facts to put the issue into context. Pose your killer question.
2. DEVELOPMENT : Investigate your question or issue. Present differing opinions. Address the controversies. Present your reconstructions. Investigate possibilities.
3. CONCLUSION : Present your final thoughts, the truth or a possible solution. Imagine 'Jerry Springer's Final Thought' format.

As a production team, agree a vision for your documentary. Record your intentions on the 'Pre-Shoot Script' document. You should consider the order of individual elements within each act. Perhaps colour the cells of the Excel document to identify each of the three acts. You won't be able to identify all of the content (you don't know what your interviewees are going to say yet) but you can identify generic intentions. See my example here (go to the 3rd tab; Pre-Shoot Script).

AT THE END OF THE LESSON, EACH GROUP WILL PRESENT THEIR INTENTIONS TO THE CLASS.

Out of Hours Learning

• Update the Lesson Evaluation document (in sidebar)
• Update your Production Diary, summarising the progress you have made this week.
• Update your Production Calendar, identifying any deadlines or production team meetings you set.
• Complete  the Interviewee Information document.
• Complete the Location Research document.
• Complete the Pre-Shoot Script.