After a meeting a couple of months ago with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust manager, we came up with a deal to produce a short documentary which will focus on my life with Cystic Fibrosis. The documentary is to take audiences on a journey and give them a clear understanding about life with Cystic Fibrosis. The documentary will be released Spring/Summer 2015, the CF Trust have offered to help promote the documentary via their social networking / micro blogging sites and also newspapers. I will also attach a link where people can donate money to the CF Trust.
EQUIPMENT:
Canon 600D / Canon
Sony Z7
Tripod
Macro Lens
18mm lens
50 mm lens
Sound mic
Sound recorder
Wired Mic
PROPS:
Medication
Cystic Fibrosis branding ( T shirt, Balloon, Banner )
FILMING:
28th August 2014
I decided to do a few additional filming of some cutaways, although this should be the camera operators role, I feel like I deserve to do some filming myself in order to gain some camera techniques. I decided to film a scene of my medication, this involved me to pan the camera across so that all the medication were in shot. I used the macro lens in order to get a crystal clear shot with a great shallow depth of field.
I also decided to film a cutaway of my medical drip which will give people and understanding of the overnight drip I have to take, the scene involved a medical drip machine, medical props and CF balloons for branding.
29th August 2014
I decided to meet up with the camera operator in order to draft out a few shots, these involved scenes in the living room which seems to have a more warm/ welcoming feel. Unfortunately the scene had the camera operators reflection in the window which will result in another retake.
Another scene that was recorded was the bedroom scene where I am standing up doing a demonstration of my nasal gastric tube. This scene seems to have been the most strongest out of the rest that was filmed this day. The demonstration was from one camera but there will be numerous of cutaways filmed another day which will show close ups of me inserting the tube.
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| Footage of me ready to insert a 6inch tube down the nasal passage. |
Filming was postponed until February 2015 due to the lack of group members, I felt like the production needed a few helping hands. I didn't really like the footages that were taken as I didn't think the camera operator at the time had the passion to help my project. The scenes were not used in final editing.
January/ February 2015
I e-mailed the community fundraising manager but due to the new staffing, the new manager who works at the HR offices in London ( Gemma Walder) asked me to give a telephone pitch. The pitch was a success and she is looking forward to seeing the final piece.
Gemma was reasonably supportive throughout the process of the project, e-mailing me advise and asking how it is going. As Gemma couldn't get me a local charity worker in the Midlands to feature in my documentary, I asked her to send a voice recording of her answering a few questions about the CF Trust as they are the primary client. I believe it will give audiences an understanding on
March 2015
Major Production
4th March 2015
Filming has started today, and most of the team were in such as Paul McNamee and Sean Heeley, they helped with sound and camera operating. The scene mainly involved me talking about my studies and illness, and how I balance both together. I chose to film in the editing gallery as it was quiet and the sound will pick up better. Throughout the day we also filmed a friend who Joe Shaw played as an extra, and a few cutaways were used in order to gain the university atmosphere. There was also a long shot of me walking into the university building which will show audiences what university I went to. Myself and Paul had turns to shoot some cutaways of computers and media facilities but these were not used in the final edit as it seemed like I was promoting the university.
18th March 2015
The production involved my scene being filmed today, it was quite a hard process as not many people in the group were available to help film, as my house is at the out skirts of Birmingham, just in Worcestershire. Joe was the only one who lived near where I live, but he was away on holiday during this time. I decided to get a friend ( Matt Amison) to help me record my scenes, he did film production at Staffordshire University. When filming, we both thought the lighting wasn't great, so the visuals didn't look the best as it should, this is a learning curve of working in production in the future.
The scenes were quite difficult to do as I found it difficult to open up about my illness, the scenes were telling a story about how I cope living with Cystic Fibrosis and how finding a cure will make everyones dream come true. The scenes were shot in the living room as it gives a comfortable feel, the shots was mainly an MS of me looking at the camera so it addresses the audiences.
21 March 2015
During the 21st March, I filmed my sister and father. These scenes were taken in different areas of the house. I filmed my sister in her bedroom where she spoke how it can be difficult with a brother who has Cystic Fibrosis. I filmed my father in the conservatory as it brought natural light which was great to film. My father spoke about the challenges of having a son with Cystic Fibrosis and how it has effected the families life and also mine.
25 March 2015
I filmed a few of my university friends at Millennium Point at Birmingham City University. I believe the classroom atmosphere will give audiences an impression that they are my friends from university. I have up to four contributors talking about what it is like having a friend with Cystic Fibrosis. Alex Kirwin and Francesca Rigg were put in a two shot as I thought it would be a great chemistry if they spoke together. Sean Heeley and Paul were done in a one shot in different areas of the class room.
Most of the people spoke about how inspiring I am and how they wouldn't have known I had the illness if they didn't know me. Sean and Paul were the ones who helped during this occasion with production filming.
29th March 2015
I filmed my cousins and aunty during this day, this is the final stage of filming. I filmed my cousins who answered some questions I sent them earlier in the week about what it is like having a cousin suffer from Cystic Fibrosis. I felt like my younger cousin looked quite uncomfortable next to the eldest cousin ( this footage was not used in final edit).
When I filmed my aunty she told another story of my as a child and having to be independent when growing up. My aunty told how she remembers some memories of me suffering with the illness and how I have to go in and out of hospital most times.
April 2015
Post production
During the post production stage, myself and Sean Heeley worked on the editing of the production documentary. I told him exactly what I think looks right for the documentary and how it may appeal to the audiences. The footages was cut from 25 minutes to 13 minutes for the final edit. I believe 13 minutes is a reasonable time for an online documentary, I believe if it was any longer it wouldn't appeal to the online audience.
During the edit I decided it will be good for Gemma Walders audio to be included in the beginning as it will give audiences an idea of what the CF Trust does to help patients, there was also text during her speech which gave some facts about Cystic Fibrosis. The documentary started with a scene of my father telling a story, this included some archive pictures which showed me as a child/baby. I believe the story would lure audiences in to understand the challenges of a parent. I also thought the next scene that will be good to use after would be me talking about the illness and how difficult it is, I believe this will give audiences an understanding of how difficult someones life with CF can be. My sister scene was after as she said a brief passage of how it's difficult at times living with a brother with CF, my aunty scene was straight after as she told a story about me being independent which I thought would be good to fit in a cutaway of me inserting a nasal gastric tube.
My friends scenes were after my aunty as they talked about me being inspiring and how they wouldn't have known I had CF if I didn't tell them. The ending of the documentary show me telling the audiences how difficult it is and how much it will mean to a lot of patients if there was a cure. There was music used with mirrors the emotion and powerful stories, near the end of the title the lyrics of the music played which reflects the documentary. There was also a link toward the end of the documentary which viewers can donate near the end to raise money for the CF Trust.
The editing process took up to five days throughout April to complete.
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