Evaluation

Evaluation of Mobile Phone documentary
Looking back at the codes and conventions of an interview, I can see that we did most things right as the questions were edited of the final production and the interviewee didn't look at the camera. I think that for my next documentary that I make, the cutaways will be more creative and last a bit longer. I think that the mise-en-scene was appropraite yet boring, it was a white board with mobile phones on it, and although it was relevant to what the interview was about, it could be more creative and eye-catching. I think that the song chosen could of been more relevant for the documentary although it did work well. The interviewer, interviewee and the camera were positioned correctly so that the interviewee was looking at the interviewer and not the camera. Lastly, I am quite pleased with how the documentary turned out, and I now know that next time I can look at the weaknesses from this task and make the next documentary better.

Phone Documentary: Editing

Editing

After we had filmed our own little documentary about phones, we then uploaded it on the computer and edited it on Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5, were we then put the interview and cutaways together to make the documentary.
Looking back at our codes and conventions, we first had to edit out the questions that were asked so it just showed the answers. To be able to do this the question had to be interpreted into the answer so that it would make sense.
The cutaways were then added in which were linked to the questions asked. A song was then added for background music so pull the documentary together.

Editing the interview

The razor tool to cut parts out

Just a couple of the cutaways

To speed one of the cutaways up


Adding the song

The final

Construction and Filming

We were put into groups of three and was asked to create a documentary about mobile phones, were we then had to plan it all such as the cutaways, the interview and the mise-en-scene. Before filming we were given questions that would be asked in the interview, and had to plan what the cutaways would be between each question. The background we used for our interview was a simple white background with mobile phones on it. The questions were edited out of the final documentary so in order for it make sense we interpreted the question into the answer.

Codes and Conventions

Exctract 1


Extract 2



In class we watched these two documentaries and focused solely on the interviews that were being shown. After we had seen these two clips, as a class we discussed the codes and conventions of an interview, and this is what we came up with.

Codes and Conventions of Filming and Editing interviews
-Interviewee positioned to left or right of frame
If more than one interviewee, it alternates
-Interviewees filmed in medium shot, medium close up and close up
-Questions are edited out
-Mise-en-scene - background reinforces the content of the interview and is relevan to the interviewee, providing mroe information abut them in terms of ocupation or personal environment.
-Graphics are used to anchor who the person is on screen and their relevance to the topic of the documentary.
-Interviewee looks at the interviewer not directly into the camera
-Positioning of the interviewer is therefore important, if the interviewee is on the right of the frame, the interviewer is on the left of the camera.
The interviewer should sit or stand as close to the camera as possible
-Framing follows the rule of thirds
Eyeline of interviewee is rougly a third of the way down the screen
-Interviews are never filmed with a light source behind the interviewee
e.g infront of a window or with the sun behind them. The light is always infront of them, behind the camera.
-cutaways are edited into interviews for two reasons:
to break up interviewx and illustrate what they're talking about
to avoid jump cuts when the questions are edited out
-cutaways are either:
Archive material
Suggested by something said to the interviewer and therefore filmed after the interview
-Sometimes aspects of the interviewee are filmed wth another camera such as extreme close ups of eyes, mouth and hands and used as cutaway.