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.