Individual Reflection

Research

When the course began my first idea for the documentary project was based on one of my Spanish friends and her problem with the consumerism; so I decided to show how she spent money without taking care of the people who didn’t have anything to live. Finally I found it difficult to do it so I decided to join to a couple of mates of my class.  The ‘director’ of my group was clear about his idea; filming part of the life of Geoff Evans, a disabled man who struggles to show that people who have any kind of disability, are also be able to do anything. Well the part of researching on this topic, it is important because we have to look for all his story because independently he was going to tell us, we must had been prepared before interviewing him. Also we had to be informed about the BDAA Trustees, the association in which Geoff is the original member and works together with other people. The idea and the final assignment were to make a documentary and for me a documentary is to show the reality in an audiovisual way, so is it something better than showing the real story of this person?

Process/Development

First of all, for me this project has been a new experience because despite it is my last year of university, here is not the same. I mean, in my country I study journalism but when I came here the subjects of journalism which they offered me didn’t please me so I decided to chose media production. For me it has been a challenge because the fact of been in class with people who you don’t know them, in a language which is not your native one, and in a subject that okey it’s media as jounalism but are two different things; so all that things have been in mind all the time. And when they give me the chance of working with two guys that are from this country, I felt good because I knew that they were going to provide me some of the knowledge that I wouldn’t got it if I would have worked alone. The point of going to a lake to take some shots of our main character, also to record all the environment sound ; for me is an experience that in Spain I haven’t lived because I always stay in front of de camera or writing.

Analysis

When we decided that our documentary was going to focus on Geoff Evans, we thought that the best idea is to know how was his ‘personal’ life, I mean the thing was to approach the audience to him. So our first day of shooting we spend it in his house; seeing how he behaved with his family, the relationship he had with his son, what type of things he did at home, and so on. And we decided to film him there at the very beginning to make confidence with him, because in his house he must be comfortable than in anther place. So firstly we talked with him to make him be comfortable with the situation and also with us because we didn’t know each other, and after that we interviewed him. A part of filming Geoff at home, we also wanted to have some images of his favourite hobby, fishing and as well as showing how in spite of his disability he could practice that sport. So the next day very early in the morning we left Coventry and  we went to a lake in Walsall, well, the lake where he went every day when he can and we filmed him preparing the rod, the line fishing or how he put the small warms into the rod.

Evaluation

And finally after being a lot of hours in that lake, getting frozen because in the edges of the lake the wind was so cold, we came back home with all the shots after two long days of shooting. For me the edit part maybe the one with which we have a lot of problems, because at the first beginning the whole group met one or two days a week to watch and select the ‘good’ shots we have film, so in that way things would be easier than if we leave all for the last day. Up to here everything is good; we decided to make the documentary with both locations, Geoff’s house and the lake where he fishes. But one week before the official delivery, the group split in two sides; three of us wanted to make the idea we have talked and planned at the beginning of the project (show two locations in the documentary) and the fourth person wanted to show only the part in which Geoff Evans was fishing. Actually that moment was so uncomfortable and also for me embarrassing because we had been meeting many days and spending many hours making the documentary, the original one, and suddenly one person of the group decide to change the whole project; so I thought, okay, we have been wasting time! And also we had been working in the film like one month more or less and in one week we couldn’t change all and begin with the editing again. So the final result? That’s two days before the delivery we had two films, one in which appears two locations and the other one only with the lake. We have explained our opinions, the pros and the cons that have both of them and finally the winner is the one that shows the two locations. Well, in my opinion that is the best one because we are showing how is his life in many different aspects or situations, not only how he is when he fishes. And also, I consider that the film would be more enjoyable with that two locations, because if we show the people a three minute film in which only appears water,lives and a man fishing, of course they are going to get bored. But to sum up, personally it has been a great experience, for learning, for meet new people and I refer to people that not speak my language and it has improved my English.