Another Group Meeting

Today we had a quick group meeting in which we all shared how far behind we feel. Once again, I can completely relate to my classmates. It's crazy to think that we have about a week and a half left to complete this project and here I am still working on completing the video component. With little time left, I have decided to simultaneously work on the magazine article and social media page as I edit. 

As of now, my editing schedule is pretty much everyday after school as I work to complete the video component, mainly because I need this completed to start my CCR. 

Further, developing the social media shouldn't take too much time as I already have ideas for the posts in mind which I plan to share on more within the next post. However, I will mention that I have chosen Instagram as the social media platform I will utilize because I do believe this is where I can get the attention of most of my target audience.

As for the magazine component, I have a meeting planned with my media teacher tomorrow morning for some clarification on what is expected of us. I'm unsure of whether the article should be used as a promotional tool like the social media or if its to provide an inside look on the project. Once I get this figured out I can also start working on this as well.  My plan is to complete the article by this weekend as well as the other components of this project to be able to have a couple days to write and revise my CCR. 

Also, I forgot to mention that in class we had a presentation on the CCR and the main topics we should be focused on when looking back at our work. This got me thinking a lot about the choices I'm making now. It also reminded me to keep my target audience in mind, not only for the social media but for the information I choose to share and how I share it throughout the documentary extract. 

That's pretty much it for now expect updates soon on editing, the Instagram page, and the meeting with my media studies teacher about the documentary article. 

The Interview

Filming the interviews were probably my favorite part of this project as we laughed a lot throughout this process. I had ran into a couple problems at the beginning with figuring out lighting and exactly where I wanted Josh to be interviewed. I've discussed in a previous blog post that the background of the interview is important as it can set the scene. It can also provide some insight on the the interviewee. 

I began to look around his house for different filming spots, some places including his home office or dining area, but I ultimately decided upon filming in his living room. I wanted to make the interview a bit more personal and his office seemed too formal. Mostly, I wanted Josh to feel comfortable and free to share his feelings in the responses. Here's a behind the scenes of the set-up. 

It was cool to find items around the house that improved the quality of the interview. For example, I do not own a ring-light but he did have this lamp that had bendy arms. We used this to create better lighting, bringing the focus to the interviewee. Now here's an image of what the interview looked like: 

Before filming this interview, I looked up some interview examples and found that a majority placed their subject within the right third of the screen, so I decided to utilize this same technique because I really liked how it looked. The lighting works very well although there is a shadow behind him, we had no other light source to provide as backlight and I also made the mistake of placing him by a wall. Nevertheless, I don't think this is a huge problem as the interview still looks really good and the content is great. This sums up part two of the filming process.

Visiting the Fields

Honestly, I never saw myself spending so much time at a baseball field, but I have to say it was exciting. To start, I wanted the b-roll to consist of shots of an empty baseball field as well as getting a more personal look with shots of the dug out, or the place in which a team meets while I also wanted a time-lapse of the field. The first day I didn't know who to talk to or how to gain entry into the field, but after encountering a parent who frequently visits the field, I was told I was free to enter and film. I have to admit, I was nervous at first (which can be seen in the footage shot with shaky hands), but by the second day I was definitely more comfortable and began freely filming every thing I thought would be useful.

Here's a sneak peek at some stills form the b-roll footage I have. 

I have a point-of-view shot of me walking into the dug out the way a player would. 

Also, I want to mention that I tried to film everything twice, once with a telephoto lens, and once without it. This lens is something I've become familiar with it as I've used it for photography and for a media project in the past. However, I was unsure whether I'd want this hazy effect the lens creates on the b-roll or not. It does make the movement or the camera seem a bit blurry but I like the feeling it creates, almost dreamlike or reminiscent. 

This is just an advantage that comes with the use of the lens. This is still something I'm thinking about as I review the footage but I'll soon come to a decision. 

The Filming Plan

Before I began filming, I started to think of how I would organize my filming schedule. I had dates set for interviews and planned to get most of the B-roll before hand. However, I realized that each part that makes up the doc extract could be filmed on separate days and that way I could bring updates on each segment.

Although I'm already about halfway through the filming process, I thought I'd share the plan:

1/3

This first part is the B-roll. Because I have the liberty to obtain this footage whenever, I made this the first thing I'd like to complete. However, it may also be an ongoing process if I see myself needing more b-roll to fill the time. In the next post I'll share more about this as I've filmed most of the b-roll. 

2/3 

Interviews make up the second part of my filming plan. Since this section involves others, I would have to rely on them and their schedules to get this done. I also want to say that scheduling the interviews definitely helped me become  more decisive and it may sound cheesy, but brave as well. It took some courage to talk to these adults and plan something with my time, but it was a good thing for me to experience and learn from. 

3/3 

Lastly, I would use the final day of filming for any re-enactments I wanted to shoot and mainly obtaining the archival footage. By this point I was hoping to have a cover for the documentary that would illustrate the purpose of the doc or at least provide insight on the story I'm trying to share. 

Here we Go!

I start filming tomorrow! It's crazy when I realize how quickly I got to this point, but I feel more than prepared. Josh had a quick trip to Orlando over the weekend, leaving us having to push back the filming date, but also giving me extra time to get organized. So, I wanted to share a bit on the equipment I'd use to film. 

First, I'll be using my personal Canon camera for all the filming. I try not two switch between my phone and camera because of the change in quality, however if it does seem necessary at some point, I will use my phone. I chose to go with this camera mainly because of the quality and I want to portray this level of sophistication especially in the interviews as we cover serious moments of someone's life. 

Then I was thinking about the audio component. In interviews, mics are often used to improve the sound quality. However, I don't own one. Tomorrow I won't be filming interviews, but I will do a test with my phone mic to see if that is enough. 

In past projects, the microphone on the camera has been enough to capture sound, but if it proves to work, I can easily order a microphone off of Amazon and have it quickly. 

This is the microphone I've been looking at. I think it's important to have it as a plan B since I don't have much time left to be re-filming if the audio doesn't sound well. 

Lastly, I'll use my tripod for stability, mainly in the interview shots and can even be used to capture different angles during the interview which I've seen other documentaries make use of. I believe this will allow a deeper look at the interviewee such as their gestures, and also take away this feeling of the talking head that can get repetitive and boring. 

Although tomorrow will only be a day of capturing B-roll footage, I'm still excited to begin filming. I will be back with updates on how it went as the piece begins to come together and I start recording interviews! One last thing I'll be using that I didn't mention, a mask!!

Interview Questions

Over the course of this project I kept coming up with more and more questions that I wanted answers to, coming from someone who honestly didn't know much about the sports industry or even baseball. However, I had to narrow down the questions I had to a list of few strong ones that would bring light to the topics I cover throughout the documentary. More specifically, topics such as: getting started playing baseball, the dedication and commitment you make to playing the sport, how it affects your social life and your education as well, and lastly the positive aspects it brings for your future. So I came up with a list of personal questions for Josh, my primary interviewee and for his parents, other interviewees I hope to use in the doc extract. 

Questions for Josh include:

- Tell me about when you started baseball and what it was like. (Age, Team)

- How did you feel about baseball as a kid and do you still feel the same? 

- Tell me about your committing to play college baseball? How did it feel?

- How did you get injured? (Details on the moment.)

- What were your immediate thoughts when you got injured?

- How do you think your parents felt?

- Do you feel regret after the injury?

- If you didn't get hurt, would you see yourself still playing baseball to this day?

- What would you say is the best thing you got from baseball? 

Questions for Josh's parents:

- Why did you choose to put Josh in baseball?

- What was it like attending games for most of his childhood and teenage life?

- How did you see he felt towards the sport?

- How did you find out about the injury? What were your first thoughts?

- What was the greatest thing you believe he took from the sport? 

These are all questions that I plan to ask for the interview, however not all will make the cut. Instead I will choose from the best responses to structure the documentary extract.

Working Shot List

Shot List

(Concept, Working draft)

As you know, the episode will tell the story of Josh's baseball career, highlighting the outcome of a great career ended by an injury. 

The reason this is still a working shot list is because I'm not sure what direction the interview questions will take me. As well as I formulate the questions, I'm still not sure of how Josh will respond. His responses will pretty much determine how much of his story is shown as well as what aspects. However, I do want the documentary to end with one last interview question that allows him to demonstrate his appreciation for the sport, but not sadness or regret from the injury, rather a positive outlook as this is what he displays in real life. 

I've also created a list of some interview questions for both Josh, my main interviewee and his parents which I hope to share in an upcoming blog post.

Meeting in Groups

I'm so glad we had the opportunity to meet once again with a group to discuss the process and possible struggles were having or even ask questions to get some feedback from our classmates. These meetings are so helpful and I leave feeling extremely confident about my doc and what I'll be able to create. 

Today we were in a smaller group of 5 people, including me and we all shared our ideas. Most of us are on the same stage in the pre-filming and planning process while a few have started filming. I thought I was falling behind, but this made me realize that I'm actually right on track with everyone else. 

Some helpful input I got from today's meeting was about the voiceover. I asked everyone whether they thought a voiceover would help develop the documentary or whether they thought it'd be unnecessary. Everyone agreed that I should use a voiceover, and instead of it being in the voice of the subject, it should be in my voice. One classmate supported this idea by stating that it would provide an outside perspective since I wasn't directly involved in each story. 

Further, it was even brought up that my voice would be what brought each episode together. Although each episode tells a new story of a different athlete, my voiceover would be what remained the same, staying consist and creating a similarity between each episode. 

So now that I have decided upon using a voiceover, I'm going to need to start writing a script! As I finish my shot list, I begin on the script for the voiceover and complete the planning process. I'm looking forward to sharing these things as I begin to bring my ideas to life!  

A Little Setback

Well the filming process has been pushed back as I'm not quite ready to start yet. I'm mainly writing this post because the calendar, or schedule I'd made for this project showed that the filming was supposed to begin yesterday, March 13. Clearly I'm still missing some important aspects of the planning process before I can begin filming, one major thing being a shot list. 

Other things include, set dates for interviewees, interview questions, and deciding on b-roll footage. Although I have given these things some thought, I've been preoccupied with some college stuff and that hasn't allowed me to give much of my attention to this project. 

Also, I'd been a bit worried about the software I could use to edit but I've found a solution, more on that once I begin editing!

To conclude, I've made the decision to push back the day I begin filming to this Friday, March 19 instead of starting the filming stage unprepared as this can lead to a more hectic process and a poor quality outcome. Throughout this week I will get in contact with some interviewees I have in mind those being Josh, his parents and possibly any past coaches he's had to agree on dates, and I'll be back with updates including the shot list soon!

Episode vs Extract

Lately I've been thinking a lot about what to include in the extract. My plan for this docu-series was to feature a new athlete and their story in each episode, and Josh would be the focus of the episode. However, I'm not producing an entire episode, only an extract of it. This is extremely important to keep in mind because it leads to the choice of picking only specific parts of his story to tell while making it clear what the episodic documentary would be about. 

I created this concept make to demonstrate my thought process:

Having to select only certain parts seemed like a difficult decision to make as I had so much to choose from like the start of his baseball career as a kid playing tee ball, or his high school baseball career, or even how he went to college to play baseball for a great Florida school. I kept putting off this decision until I thought about it today and come up with some kind of resolution. 

I've opted to focus on the injury that ended his baseball career, but instead of demonstrating the negative side, I want to show what he got from his career as a baseball player. I could include montage footage, as he reminisces on his past. I even thought of using a fade in and out while editing to make it like memories that come and go. Although many people may see this as a tough time, Josh optimistically found other opportunities that came from this situation and that's what I hope to portray in the extract. 

Having this part decided, I can start working on a shot list as well as planning for interviews so I can begin filming and stay on schedule!

Inspired by YouTube

I went on Youtube today looking for inspiration on the types of shots I could use as I begin to create my shot list and I stumbled upon a mini documentary about Zion Williamson, an American professional basketball player who rose to fame after becoming the NBA draft's pick one. Here's the link if you'd like to check the video out: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swoH636CmQY)

The documentary focuses on telling the story of his athletic life. From the start of the doc, I knew I'd like it as it began with an aerial shot of a basketball court with him practicing then to a short montage of his best dunks, transitioning to him now. These moments show a few highlights of his career and serve as a great opening for the documentary.  

This is one of the first shots we see, clearly shot on a drone as the camera begins to move further upward. This establishing shot introduces the character and the plot of the film: basketball as we see him moving around on a small basketball court. 

This shot is something similar to what I had in mind for the establishing shot, however I don't have a drone. Although I could ask around to see if I have a friend that has one, I don't want to count on this and then have to come up with something last minute. So here is my backup plan: I can stand far away from the baseball field on any corner and have a shot where I show him hitting the baseball. With music and him hitting the baseball on beat, I think this could make for a strong establishing shot. 

What follows is a compilation of his many dunks with a voiceover from his coach. although I really like this concept I don't think either aspect will be achievable. Unless I can obtain archival footage of Josh's best plays, then I don't see this montage happening. However, this doesn't mean I can't put my own spin on it. When I come up with ideas for this I will share them as I currently have something in mind but nothing definitive. 

Lastly, this got me thinking about the audio components of the documentary which still need to be figured out, but for now, I'll start looking into music options as well as deciding upon the inclusion of a voiceover. 

A Set Audience

I know I've made a couple target audience pots but, I wanted to provide some clarification on this, so here is the definitive target audience for the documentary I'm creating. These choices were made after doing some research and deciding upon whether I'd use the characteristics I found or if I'd challenge them. 

Typically for a sports documentary, the target audience consists mainly of males. However I chose to target both males and females.

I do feel that men can identify with the documentary better as it tells the story of a boy who grew up playing baseball, but females nonetheless that have also dedicated their lives to a sport, so they can also create this sense of familiarity with the film. 

Age Range: 15-55 years old

The documentary will be appropriate for all ages, however I made the choice to include both teens and parents of teens as they will be the group most interested in this type of documentary. 

Parents also gain interest as they've had their children in sports and know what it's like to be there in their failures and triumphs. 

These families are those of mid to high class and share interests in sports or have had experience playing a sport, more specifically baseball.

Another trait the audience could share is that of having a similar experience to the subject of the film, Josh who underwent an injury while dedicating himself to the sport, but this wouldn't be the most common thing they share with him. I think the love for a sport would be. 

Overall, the typical target audience of a sports doc would consist of teen to adult men where I've chosen to challenge this and target both men and women, both teens, their parents, and adults who've grown up playing sports. 

Defining Target Audience

Although sports documentaries aren't the most popular of the genre, it is a growing industry, "television for sports documentaries." An article in the NY Times, "Documentaries Are the Go-To Players of Sports Television" claims that "Their proliferation and profitability, even as a formerly dominant player in the market has markedly retreated from the field, has quickly brought a niche market into the mainstream." It's evident that this sub-genre has a niche market, especially more clear after research, but my goal was to define it so here it is. 

Primary Target Audience 

Males make up a majority of the audience. Now the word majority is key here. As women still make up a small percentage of the target audience, they cannot be ignored. 

The age range includes men from 21-50 years old. And these men are from mid to upper class. Most of their interests are within sports whether it be participating in them or simply watching sports. It's also important to consider that these men may like a specific sport like golf, but they will still go and watch a baseball documentary. 

Something I didn't mention in my previous post was that when your defining the primary target audience you must also consider their values and beliefs. Typically if something goes against them, they may not choose to watch the film. The values of this specific audience is definitely rooted in honesty, hard work, and sportsmanship as these are all traits that make up stellar athletes. 

Secondary Target Audience 

Sometimes sports documentaries teach lessons that appeal to larger audiences like parents and their children. The film "Undefeated" is a great example of this. 

This film tells the story of a coach who volunteers to help an underprivileged team that has never made it to the playoffs. This kind of story has the audience rooting for the underdog while simultaneously displaying the idea of never giving up no matter how little of a chance you believe you have. This is often a lesson parents want to teach their kids and a film as such is a great way of doing it. 

Now this documentary will reach the primary target audience, while reaching a larger audience as well. The film garnered $562,218 in the box office, just within the USA, and went on to win an Oscar for the powerful story it told. 

I can conclude that the target audience of sports documentaries consist of a very niche community, nevertheless they don't fail to reach the general public, male and female of different age ranges creating my secondary target audience, as these documentaries become increasingly popular. Therefore, although I may be targeting a specific group, this doesn't mean the attention of other's won't be caught as well, especially since this extract will cover more than just baseball. Underlying themes such as the power in support from your family, and sometimes failure in the sports industry thats inevitable will be present, attracting larger audiences. However, now I can begin making more large scale decisions for the production and planning of this documentary. 

Considering Target Audience

Target Audience. An important concept to consider when making choices on any product you are trying to put out into the market. In my case, I must think of the target audience as I make every choice going into the production of this documentary extract. 

My main goal is to first define and then target a specific audience that will be interested in the film. In order to do so, I will need to conduct and compile research. Having your target audience defined allows you to make better choices that will positively influence the audience's perception of the film. 

When researching the target audience of sport's documentaries there are a couple things I must look for:

    1. Age 

    2. Gender 

    3. Socioeconomic status/Social class

    4. Consumption habits 

    5. Likings/Hobbies

Although this may seem like a short list, having these few things defined will allow me to attract a specific audience, which I consider to be a niche group, however I'll be able to successfully reach this audience and others as a plus. In my next blog post, I plan to return with my research and I'll keep in mind how I can use what I've learned about target audience and implement into each decision. 

Docs to Watch

Today I researched some sports documentaries I could watch and possibly be inspired by. I didn't want to watch only documentaries related to baseball simply because I want to learn of the techniques used in all sports docs, and not limit myself just to one small part of the genre. So here is the list I made for myself:

No-No: A Dockumentary (2014) 

This film is focused on a certain aspect of baseball. According to an article on Men's Health "A no-hitter is one of the most difficult achievements in sports, and on June 12, 1970, Dock Ellis accomplished the feat—while tripping on acid. It’s a zany tale, but with a lot of insight. Into Dock. Into baseball. And into the uproarious age of the 60s and 70s." Not only did this documentary focus on the career of a baseball star, but also the repercussions that came with the pressure of playing baseball. 

Icarus (2017)

Although this documentary focuses on the sport of cycling, it has been recommended by several sources as a great sports documentary as it gives a look "Inside the real life and death stakes of going for Olympic gold."

Undefeated (2011)

"Having never won a playoff game, the Manassas Tigers and the senior class hope to turn around their school’s image as quitters and losers. Maybe the best football documentary ever filmed." What I hope to take away most from this film is the feeling of working as a team to accomplish something great as this is what I wish to reflect in my documentary.

I hope to watch a couple from this list which I'll probably be able to get through this weekend. I'm excited to do so because after I watch any great film, I immediately want to start working on mine. I'll be back with updates on the pieces I watched and what I learned from them. 

The Documentary Genre

Documentaries are non-fiction films that are aimed towards documenting reality like specific events, ideas, or topics. They typically inform or educate viewers, and can also maintain historical records. From my research, some genre conventions I've found include:

Archival footage and photographs 

As I've previously mentioned, I was hoping to include archival footage if Josh's parents can find it because I know it will follow a major documentary convention as most documentaries include archival materials include old photographs, and newsreel footage to create this sense of truth and reality. 

Talking heads 

Talking heads are people interviewed to explain or comment on the documentaries' subject. These people usually are shown in their offices or in their homes, any atmosphere that matches the theme of the piece. 

In these three different occasions, we see pretty much the same angle as the interviewee is facing someone else, but the audience is aware the information being given is directed at them. 

Handheld cameras 

Now this is noticeable as footage comes out shaky, or simply not as stable as if the camera were mounted on a tripod. With time, more portable cameras have been made available to filmmakers, allowing them to do more on-location shooting, and keeping the camera steady was somewhat difficult when it comes to following the action. The wobbly camera creates this documentary-like sense for viewers. 

Voiceover Narration 

Voiceover narration occurs when we hear the voice speak but we cannot see the speaker utter the words. The voice often explains or comments on the visuals, enabling the narrator to guide the viewer through the piece. 

Re-enactments
A re-enactment stages real events that already have occurred. Sometimes they include the people who experienced the events originally, but more often they incorporate actors playing parts. Most documentary filmmakers shoot events where they actually occur. These re-enactments can at times be a bit exaggerated. 

Also, 
    - Intercutting / Parallel Editing linking key scenes
    - Selective editing crucial to constructing meaning
    - Often single stranded making one subject the topic of the media text

As I plan my doc episode and what I want to include, I've also thought about what conventions I'll follow and which I'll challenge or not make use of. I hope to include interviews, or this "talking-head", archival footage or photographs, and definitely create this personal sense through the use of a handheld camera at times. However, something I've been on the fence about is whether I'd like to include a voiceover or not. I believe it could help the doc, but there are many other questions that come with this like who's voice will it be or will it tell the entire story. These are all things I must consider when making the decision. 

Lastly, there are re-enactments which I will try to stay away from. This year we viewed a documentary on Netflix, The Social Dilemma (2020), which has some fictional aspects but is mostly non-fiction as it aims to warn viewers of the dangers of social media and the addiction to technology. However the dramatic re-enactments took away from the serious parts of the film and I do not want the same to happen with my documentary as I tell the story.