TASK 2B OF FOOD ADVENTURE - PRE PRODUCTION

UNIT 27 FACTUAL PROGRAMME EDIT DECISION LIST

Food Doc presentation

Feedback on food documentary by Dimitar and Berfin

1. Is there any issues you found during the documentary besides the sound ?

2. What are the best qualities of this documentary ?

3. What do you believe worked well and what didn't quite work well ?

4. What do you think about the exposure and colours of the documentary ?

5. Where can we improve on next time ?

6. Was the documentary persuasive / honest enough to make you go and dine there ? 

Working with client, decision list and callsheet UNIT 16 Factual Programme

Script

TASK 2 Editing process

Finished edit by Dimitar and Berfin

Finished edit 

ESSAY ON THE PROCESS OF EDITING

180 rule editing is when the camera is placed on one side of the room, let say there was a dialogue going on where the camera was placed on the same 180 degree axis to enforce continuity because if the camera was to  cross the line it would seem odd. It is however worth mentioning that some filmmakers do cross the line if that helps to the narrative for the desired effect. In the following example - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAkBz9glJFo from the film HUNGER we can clearly see that the camera is positioned against the two characters that are having a dialogue. It is on one side of the room and it stays so throughout the whole dialogue scene. Even when the camera cuts to another perspective of the same subject for example as we have shot reverse shot of the two characters as they are talking, the camera still keeps the 180 rule by staying within the same degree - on the same side of the room.

Splicing editing would be when parts of the film are chopped off and taken out to replace and fill another scene by using a film splicer which is a device used join the footage together. For example this video example - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmPF1VQzQoM shows how to splice a shot.

Fade and dissolve transitions are present in almost any film nowadays, they are a simple and quick way to transition to another scene and nowadays are usually used in a more slow paced films instead of having fast cuts that don't really suit the genre and narrative. Back in the days however fade and dissolve was used to add to the suspension for the audience as they are left without knowing what is happening. For example in the film To Catch A Thief - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpuwCrplaC0  which is an old one, we can see the a shot of the city looking very peaceful and calm when suddenly the shot closes with a woman's scream followed by a fade to black leaving the audience in suspense. The next moment we can see a cat on a roof making her way inside a house through a window and as the cat is walking we can see the scene transitioning to a shot of the woman sleeping while the thief is in her house stealing something from under her pillow to a dissolve transition to the cat leaving back to where it came from confusing the audience as to who the thief is as the cat is made to look like she's the thief. 

Wipes are used to transition to another scene and are commonly used in more of the fast paced films where one shot progressively replaces the other shot. There are many types of  computer generated wipes that may not seem so normal to the eye however there is a quick way to do it naturally by panning the camera rapidly to the left right up or down and starting the next shot by panning from whatever position you panned out to and joining them together to create a seamless wipe transition which can also be enhanced by a sound effect. For example in Star Wars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ1CcaawxmA  we can see the main character preparing for a fight however he is in a calm position when suddenly a diagonal wipe going from left to right is shown emphasising the change in the pace of the film suggesting to the audience that the film will introduce dynamic action scenes - as we see a space ship flying by in lightning speed.  

Cutaways are simple cuts that does not have any artistic elements such as fancy transitions but are just a  generic way to move from continuously filmed action to something else.  This is the most used technique in film as it works very well because it cuts almost instantaneously without looking too abnormal to the eye as each film has about hundreds of them, the audience gets used to seeing them and this is why they start to become seamless without really distracting the eye in most cases. The film sparta - 300 shows an example of cutaways where the scene starts of wit close up shots as the two characters are talking about a serious matter therefore their emotions has to be shown with the close ups when suddenly the camera cuts to a different scene which is very different in a way where the main protagonist is having a flash back of his family perhaps in a very dreamy place on a field. The scene then cuts back to to where the action is taking place before the mayhem starts where everyone battles each other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYMFUo8wLiw 

Point of view is often used in the editing to recreate what a character is experiencing through his vision and show the audience a more intimate point of view.It is often used in dangerous situations but not always, it is often also used to inanimate non human objects such as stovetop/ fridge / cars and literally almost everything you can imagine pretty much that can hold up a camera as seen in Breaking Bad - https://vimeo.com/34773713  where the camera can be seen at pretty weird angles for example as the main protagonist is hiding drug money money everywhere, we can see some in what appears to be washing machine before the character takes it from the spinning machine. As he is producing meth, we can see the camera looking through some of the equipment used to make the drugs such as a glass or a tray where they are being stored. Also the trunk of the car has a camera when someone is kidnaped and this shows the audience how it perhaps feels to be inside the trunk of a car.

Shot reverse shot is linked to 180 rule as its a staple in dialogue editing. The camera cuts constantly to both characters back and forth as seen in Spiderman where the camera is showing the villain in his house as he is trying to figure out who is the other person that is having a conversation with him in his house as he's looking at all possible directions with the camera showing different places trying to figure out where the person is in the room while cutting back to the character to show his reaction.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0xiCIMIwLY 

Providing and withholding information - This type of editing is often used in TV Shows - to create extreme suspense, often used in crime situations where the audience perhaps knows whats going to happen and for example who's going get killed / die but the actual scene is not shown as the camera cuts to something else resulting in suspense in the audience by the held information. The example here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWyXFilUHoc from the Harrow college shows a perfect example of providing and withholding information where the main character appears to be looking for something desperately as the scene fades to black when the killer is introduced to the shot in the background , this is a sign of withholding information as the audience surely knows what is going to happen but the scene isn't shown to add tension within the audience and make it more dramatic.

Editing rhythm pretty much means the edit has to match the rhythm of the film, this can include cutting to the soundtrack as well as building up tension when the music gets faster - this is often used in action / horror films. The rhythm of the edit can also change with the shots shown, for example in a romance the rhythm would be very slow and gently transitioning whereas horror / action / adventure it would be the complete opposite to emphasize on the dynamic scenes. The film HERO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MExM2ZW9h3o  shows a perfect example of editing to the rhythm, we can see predominantly fighting scenes where there is a lot of fast cuts with drums sfx to enhance the action and build tension in the scene.

FootNotes 

Video sources 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MExM2ZW9h3o - editing rhythm shown in the film HERO ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWyXFilUHoc - providing and withholding information example from Harrow college media department ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0xiCIMIwLY - shot reverse shot in spiderman ( source youtube )

https://vimeo.com/34773713 - POV view example in the TV Show Breaking Bad ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYMFUo8wLiw - cutaway shot example  from a film 300 ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ1CcaawxmA  - wipe transition from the film Star Wars ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpuwCrplaC0 - fade and dissolve example ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmPF1VQzQoM - splicing editing explanation and tutorial ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4wX_dmh8_g - 180 Rule explanation ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfM2NfL0Wng - example of matching multiple points of view to show and match dialogue and action from the film Sherlock Holmes ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yR-i82mb_o - continuity cuts showing the use of shot variation which allows a certain scene to be more dynamic and interesting by using this technique during the editing process - film Hangover 3 - ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYpKZx090UE - Analogue editing example of the first ever film Exiting the Factory - ( source youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPBuOAxOb2E - Digital editing example  from the Matrix - ( source youtube )

Other blog sources 

https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/8-essential-cuts-every-editor-should-know/ - Premium Beat - Film website blog

https://blog.pond5.com/11099-13-creative-editing-techniques-every-video-editor-should-know/ - Pond5 Blog

https://collegefilmandmediastudies.com/editing/ - College film & Media studies blog

https://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/12-tips-for-better-film-editing/ - Digital Films blog 

Pre - production of documentary

call sheet

LIST OF PRODUCTION ROLES

MEETING NOTES

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE 

RELEASE FORMS

RISK ASSESMENT

TREATMENT/PROPOSAL FOR  DOCUMENTARY

RECCE FOR DOCUMENTARY

SCRIPT FOR DOCUMENTARY

FOOD DOCUMENTARY - DIMITAR AND BERFIN

Test Doc by Dimitar and Berfin

Feedback that we received was more like constructive criticism because it was only a test and I don't think me and team mate handled this project very seriously however I believe we still managed to approach it in a professional level.


The class has stated their opinion and the things they liked and disliked for example many loved the way we interviewed a number of different students to show a variety of opinions on the issue of food prices in the canteen.


Others also said how well we used sound effects to make the documentary more entertaining to watch as a lot of the documentaries out there are considered to be boring as there's simply only talking and not much action .


The shakiness of the camera was a big issue but also it was due to not having a handy tripod therefore it was more of a run and gun doc style which wasn't so much on the creative side but we managed to show the audience that our doc was about the content and the actual topic which of course mattered the most.

TASK 2B

2 documentaries 

Documentary 1 is about the creation of Dubai whereas documentary 2 is about culture and development of Iran as a nation.

Creation of Dubai - The style of the documentary chosen is Expository. The reason being is because this particular style of documentaries relies strongly on voice-over narration and interviews to obtain the information that is required for the film. Expository documentaries are also often found to be arguing a point and are centred around an issue that is affecting a lot of people and needs solving. The voice over is a key factor for the type of doc as it is often referred to as “The voice of God” and the reason being is because we can hear the voice walking us through whatever the visuals are showing but can never see the actual character that is narrating the film. The tone of the narrator also has the power to add a credibility effect to a story which can further influence the audience and how they feel about the story.

With this doc about Dubai, we can see that it is heavily based on voice over as the narrator is explaining whatever he is talking about while at the same time showing visuals to back up his facts. The second documentary about Culture and development of Iran is also expository and it is evident by having the voice over narrator which talks about the focus of the episode which is about the country as a whole, how it’s misunderstood by the west and how it is undergoing a radical change, becoming more and more modernised.

Interviews – Interviews are present in both documentaries and it is important to show interviews to the viewers because it adds credibility to the story as the people interviewed are usually either experts on the topic or people being directly affected by the topic. With the first doc being about the existence and future of Dubai and going back in time to visually show how the flow of water became possible, the documentary director who is not present on the screen has decided to get in touch with a professional who has a lot of knowledge on the issue. We can see a couple of interviews starting with the first one being a Geologist who is an expert in the field and this instantly makes the whole documentary more believable as we have a real expert who is a geologist and professional. There is also another interview which is with an architect that is building skyscrapers therefore he has a lot of knowledge on how it is possible to for example build skyscrapers on soft sand as well as get water running through all floors of the building.

 Culture and development of Iran has a slightly different approach to the interviews, we can actually see the presenter on screen as he is facing the interviewees asking them questions as well as whenever he is walking and the camera is tracking him from the front. With this doc, the people interviewed are not professionals but actual local people who have been living in Iran their whole life as they are seen to be protesting, they are getting asked different questions such as why do you protest and against who. It shows us that the documentary crew has decided to get information from the locals themselves as it would be from their own point of view, from someone that has experienced it by living there, it is seen to be the realest point of view when making documentaries.

Archives – Proper archives of old footage was not to be seen with creation of Dubai however it was heavily CGI based, almost the entire episode was full of Dubai being recreated on computer using CGI to show different sketches and graphs of the city as well as recreate how it was before and to show what is under the ground keeping the buildings together as well as how everything’s constructed. This isn’t possible without the help of computers which animates everything making it easier to understand for the viewers along with the voiceover of the narrator resulting in an interesting and engaging documentary.  

Culture and development of Iran  does not have any archives as all the footage is shot on location and directly presented to the viewers without introducing any footage that isn’t shot by the film crew or shot from a while back.

The music slightly varies with the Dubai doc, it is heavily based on the commentary as well as foley SFX, but has a very subtle melody in the background which sort of enhances the whole visual experience and brings it together as the animation is shown of the recreation of architecture and so on. 

The Iran documentary does not have any non-diegetic music at all, and it still works quite well because it is heavily dialogue based therefore this could be one of the main reasons for eliminating the use of soundtrack to enhance the voice of the narrators and make sure everyone is able to hear them properly. 

Editing – The edit in Creation of Dubai is we can say very complex, being almost entirely full of animations/CGI, the editor must’ve spent crazy amount of time combining actual footage together that have been shot in the actual locations around Dubai along with interviews and combining this footage with the generated CGI one and match it. There is a lot of fade in and out shots as well because they've tried to combine the cgi and real life footage by merging it together to show what Dubai's skyscrapers that are in the making will look like as well as to show what the place looked millions of years ago. Culture and development of Iran  has simple cut on action cuts where the speaker turns their head or does a simple hand gesture which is an excuse to make a cut and make the transition between shots less obvious and more seamless.  

Culture and development of Iran is a very straight forward editing style, it just consists of simple cuts that lead on to the next shot. This is because the two have completely different styles and focus when it comes to theme. The creation of Dubai is focusing on how Dubai has built their architecture in such difficult place, the what used to be middle of nowhere 20 years ago and how they managed to get water in one of the driest places of the world. We are being shown computer generated footage that wouldn’t be possible to be filmed as we are also shown Dubai millions of years ago and how it used to have rivers and be a very wet place, turning into one of the driest on earth, to comparison with the second documentary which explores Iranian culture, locals, their approaches as well as how the country is developing throughout the years.

TASK 1A

Documentary film

Anthony Bourdain in Istanbul

By Dimitar Zlatarev

Anthony Bourdain is an American chef whose passion for food is directly reflected on his travels. As he embarks on trips all over the world searching for both familiar as well as some unique, out of the way gems in his quest for the best dining experience. As he travels and eats, he offers both his opinion on the food as well as the place he is visiting and the overall experience he had.

The episode I am analysing is based in Turkey, Istanbul. 

In terms of accuracy for the show, the presenter and the crew must make sure they have carefully read and learnt the information that they need for example knowing facts such as food history and information regarding the country, it should be carefully double checked to avoid misleading the audience.  The documentary’s main focus may be food but it also showcases and talks about the history of the country and city the presenter is in.

Balance – documentaries should not be biased. Especially when it comes to food, both sides should be equally discussed and presented to the audience for example if the food doesn’t taste that great the presenter must make a note of that or if it has a very distinct flavour which some people might not like the presenter must tell the audience that as not everyone has the same taste as him. Balancing a story is very important as the audience are getting a truthful story with having both side of things addressed and analysed and this way, the presenter looks more real as he tells things as they are without having to fake anything or talk about his own personal preferences and what he liked. For example as he tries each dish, he tells in detail what he liked such as the succulent meat, the sauces and what could be improved.

Impartiality – This would mean that in the documentary, views and opinions should be weighing equally and balanced. Impartiality is often more than just a balance between different viewpoints. In the documentary this would mean that Anthony Bourdain should respect other’s opinions and views on whatever food he is trying.

Objectivity – It is very difficult for filmmakers to objectively capture reality as the filmmakers become more and more familiar with the character’s story and therefore it is completely normal to take a side and have a conclusion and perhaps become biased with whatever they think about the issue and what is their point of view. The filmmakers should prepare beforehand with carefully selected questions that would be explored in the documentary, who exactly are they looking out for and who is the audience. There are plenty of great documentaries which are insightful and educational but on the other hand, some documentaries fail to capture reality because of the filmmakers being biased with deciding what to show in the documentary and what to ask which results in biased – one side of view documentary which is very opinionated.

Subjective – The majority of the filmmakers make subjective films as they select the information that they want to include in the film based on real facts and knowledge. Subjectivity has a lot to do with personal opinion, it can be seen even in the actual technical and creative approach of the documentary such as choice of camera angles, shot types, movement or not, lighting, re-enactment, voice overs and editing. Subjectivity in documentaries is very common as it is opinion based on real facts. The documentary is heavily subjective as the presenter talks about the flavours of the foods as well as information about the city and the restaurants he is visiting and this is all checked beforehand as he is stating facts that should be accurate.

Opinion – This is pretty much giving your own opinion on the issue and topic and what your personal believes are, there is no right or wrong answer as everyone has different point of views on certain topics therefore they should all be respected and listened to. In the documentary film , the presenter mostly tells the audience what he thinks the food tasted like, is it cold or hot, soft, salty, greasy and pretty much everything he thinks about it – his own opinion and view.

Bias -  It means that you are just looking at your preferred point of view without trying to understand the other side and this should strongly be avoided in documentaries as their aim is to show facts not someone’s opinion and try influence people to feel a certain way. Anthony Bourdain has given both sides of views when reviewing a dish, and he has stated that it might be too salty for some or too greasy and fatty. Even though he likes it, he has kept it truthful in a way where he has informed the audience on the goods and bads so people can decide for themselves as well as to be prepared and know what to expect for example – good but too spicy which tells us that the presenter himself loves the food however not anybody can handle spice therefore he is warning them about it.

Representation – It is essentially the way something is presented to the world, as we’re talking about Turkish Food, what comes to people’s mind is kebabs and baklava, there is a lot more to it however and this is why the presenter has travelled to the country to explore what else the cuisine has to offer. He has explored little authentic and old restaurants which offer some of Istanbul’s best foods and showed the audience what more there is besides kebabs.

Access – Access is all about permission and license for your locations. This documentary was heavily based In restaurants therefore it was a major element to make sure that the proper access is gained such as release forms for locations and faces to be shown on camera. 

Privacy – Privacy as the name says is about keeping away from the public’s eye, when we have a film about food, it is important to note if the owners are okay with being filmed and on camera, showing their restaurants and talking directly to the camera as well.

Contract with viewer - The viewers have tuned in to watch Anthony Bourdain eat in Turkey, they are promised by the TV DOC to see what they are expected to see, exploring Turkey's cuisine. 

News broadcast report by 

Dimitar Zlatarev

Report on Syrian refugees 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xamksy1VcU&t=9s

Accuracy  - The episode I am analysing is based in Turkey, Istanbul. In terms of accuracy for the show, the presenter and the crew must make sure they have carefully read and learnt the information that they need for example knowing facts such as food history and information regarding the country, it should be carefully double checked to avoid misleading the audience.  The documentary’s main focus may be food but it also showcases and talks about the history of the country and city the presenter is in. An example of accuracy would be the BBC live report on the Syrian refugees and how the news reporter has started of the live stream with introductory facts such as them escaping to neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey about the refugees.

Balance – Documentaries should never be biased but balanced, offering both sides to the story makes the story more believable as you are not only showing the side you are favouring and changing the information according to your own opinion but actually presenting the truth, offering both points of view. This way the audience is able to hear both the good and bad points of the story. In this case, with the Syrian refugees it is a very sensitive topic as the refugees are being overlooked in a way where their problems are considered the norm therefore not a lot of people really sympathise them, to add on, within the recent years of refugees coming to Europe risking their lives on boats, with thousands dying on the way, terrorists still succeed in smuggling in between. This has made it difficult for some people to look at the refugees as people who have just escaped war, with having confirmed a wide percentage of them being economy migrants who just are searching for a better life instead of actually running from war, and on the other hand we got terrorists who have been smuggled all over Europe, causing attacks on the continent.

With these points it is obvious that there are both positives and negatives to this topic therefore it is essential to stay balanced and discuss both points of view to the migrant crisis.

Impartiality – It is important to understand that the audience should be allowed to conclude their own opinion about a certain issue hence the journalists must strive to provide and reflect on a wide range of opinions, exploring conflict views is necessary to gather different opinions and viewpoints, perspectives shouldn’t be ignored. In the broadcast, the journalist that is reporting live from Istanbul is mostly reporting facts and numbers about the refugees and there is no real opinionated response in her speech as she is clearly stating facts and statistics that have been legitimately confirmed for example she has mentioned that he UN – European Union has confirmed that more than 1.8 million Syrian refugees live in Turkish boarders and more are yet to come.

Objectivity – Keeping your personal emotions is very important for objectivity. It is more or less like having a professional approach to the issue/topic, no matter how much in favour you are of the issue, let say the journalist for example is from Muslim background, “Refugees are helplessly drowning in the sea, with the hope of a better future while terrorists are being disguised as migrants, making their way to Europe unnoticeably.” A journalist must analyse the facts and consider a decision that provides the most accurate and truthful information. Even though the refugees are not all terrorists, it is important to note that ISIS members are being smuggled in between innocent people making them all look like terrorists within eyes of Europe’s citizens.  

Subjectivity – Subjectivity is the opposite of what I’ve just analysed. Subjective journalists are the people that no matter what, try to argue their points that usually aren’t fully backed up external facts but more of a personal feeling and opinions. In the broadcast about Syrian Refugees, the presenter and journalist that is reporting live have not been subjective at all, this is to do with the nature of the news organisation BBC as they are a brand that strongly relies on facts and statistics rather than opinions and information that isn’t legitimately backed up and confirmed by accurate sources. BBC prefers to rely on information that is 100% true which makes everything they say more believable in front of the audience. This means that the audience are more likely to tune in and listen and watch to BBC when it comes to news compared to any other news organisation as they know the news they are receiving are 100% legit.

Opinion -  Opinion is pretty much someone’s opinion, in this case the Journalist’s opinion. It is considered one when the point of view is not evidently backed up by a legitimate fact / source and there is not enough evidence to back it up. In the broadcast about the refuges, there was no serious opinions about the issue besides one or two comments about the journalist’s emotion and how she feels about the issue that is going on, for example she has described the happening as a “tremendous tragedy”. This indeed is the only personal opinion she gives out, which happens to be an accurate description of the problem with the refugees.

Bias -   Bias in journalism is rarely present nowadays as it’s considered a no no. It’s the journalist’s job to present the audience with enough equal facts of a certain issue so the audience can form an opinion and take a side on their own. To briefly explain it, biased journalists often try battle over anybody else’s facts and opinions and try prove they are right at the end no matter what. In the broadcast, bias was not present at any moment. BBC as previously mentioned, are strongly against biased, unidentified information that could either mislead the audience or persuade them into thinking something that isn’t totally right as its only one side of the story rather than looking at both sides and then, decide for themselves.

Representation – Representation is how a certain topic and issue are portrayed within the media and public’s eye. For example, the issue regarding the immigrants from the middle east, there are multiple speculations about the people coming over to Europe. Refugees are often represented by the media as low life, third world people that are dangerous and are a potential thread to Europe’s safety. By taking over the continent, committing crimes and even some turning out to be ISIS terrorists, it is hard to show the world the true innocent faces of the refugees. Not all are terrorists, the fact that they are Muslim certainly does not make them one, but the stigma in the media fails to proves that hence the world has sort of developed that point of view about them.  

Access – Before talking about the Syrian crisis, BBC must’ve taken access from the right sources and has confirmed every fact is truthful and has granted permission to film and discuss the issues without affecting/harming anybody directly.

Privacy – Privacy as the name suggests is about respecting people’s private space and knowing when not to film. Example would be someone’s death, the journalists must take into consideration that the topic is very sensitive therefore it should be handled extra, extra carefully by the media. In this case, we can see in the live report a few scenes of the migrants at the Turkish boarders, struggling to get in, looking dirty, hungry and helpless. The journalist that has filmed the scenes must’ve checked beforehand if filming the vulnerable individuals is allowed and how far they can go with the filming as in, how personal. Interviewing individuals directly affected by the issue is only allowed when the individuals have permitted to do so.

Contract with viewer -  This pretty much promises the viewers that the information in the broadcast will be exactly what the presenter has said it will be. An example of this would be the news report on the Syrian refugees. The audience is expecting to learn information about the refugees as this is the reason they tuned in and haven't switched the channel over.