Evaluation

Give a detailed critical analysis of the finished piece of work for this project, try to consider your work as a member of an audience and recognise what has worked well and what has not been as successful in your project. Try to be objective and weigh up the pros and cons focusing on the positive outcomes as well as the areas that have room for improvement. Reflect on what you would change if you could make the work again? (100 words)

I feel that the finished film has lots of strengths. Overall, the sound is very clear and crisp and interference with background noise that interrupts the contributors during their interviews is minimal. The only exception is the ambient street sounds that can sometimes be heard during Mark’s interview, however this is very subtle and actually helps to add a nice atmosphere. There are two moments in which the sound editing is a little weak, sometimes ending too bluntly but it is covered by music or a fade out. The cinematography is consistent throughout, with nice framing and there is a good story brought out by strong contributors.

Describe the process of making the work and your individual contribution. Did things work out differently from the way you had visualised them at the planning stage? What production issues did you encounter that caused problems during the creative process? (150 words)

Working as both Director, Producer and Assistant Editor meant that I was involved in each stage of production. The only things that I felt changed from the original conception was the direction of the story. This was caused by not being able to secure a particular contributor, however the content that we did get from our other contributors was enough to still create a good, nostalgic story. There were a couple of other production issues that occurred during the filming. Firstly, we had to secure a location to host an interview the day before it was meant to be filmed. This was solved by organising for it to be hosted at a local venue called, The Tramshed. A large issue was caused in post-production. Our editor kept prolonging to begin the edit and dropped of communication, meaning that the edit for the film was rushed and sloppy when first presented in our assessed presentation.

It is important to write in detail about what you have learnt during the project both technically and creatively. Outline specific skills you have developed because of making the work and new methods or approaches you have experimented with. (150 words)

This was my first time working as a Director and Producer on a production. I had little to no experience in the role of producer and so I feel that I have learnt a great deal over the course of this production. Contacting potential contributors and going back and forth in organising filming dates and interviews was at first quite unnerving, however I grew more confidence in the practice as I did this multiple times and grew comfortable with the contributors and staff. Hosting interviews was a new experience too but one that I really enjoyed and grew into the more I did them. The questions I asked I think helped to bring out some personal stories from each contributor that are reflected in the final film. This was also my first time editing a documentary, and so creating a story around interview material was a new approach that I learned to adapt to.

Reflect on how you worked as part of a team. Did all members contribute equally? What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to teamwork? How can you improve your teamwork skills? (100 words)

I feel that we worked well as a team up until the post-production stage, in which there was a drop in commitment and professionalism. For the most part, there was great communication and activity, with everyone working on specific roles and sharing them on a Google Drive. Everyone made most of the shooting days and performed well in their roles. However, when it came to the editing, our editor didn’t perform to the standard and committed level that everyone else had. There was a drop in the level of communication and an unwillingness to work with the director to produce the edit for the film.