Critical Reflection (Documentary)

 

              My documentary was an extremely fun experience. I was able to use all the tips/techniques I learned in class and put them to life. Each Episodic and Op-Documentary gave me a better understanding of how to develop my own documentary. In addition, I was able to learn about Book Bans and how they have affected various schools in Florida. I was able to learn how the banning of certain books have affected student's educational programs.  Ultimately, I am grateful to have been able to learn about documentaries and complete the process. 

              My documentary is based upon the Book Ban issue going on in schools of Florida. As of this year, hundreds of books have been banned in Florida classrooms. This is because each of these books may have included forms of sexual content, racism, violence, use of illegal substances, etc. As a result, books are censored for classes and/or a teacher's curriculum.  However, teachers are beginning to disagree with the concept of book bans. Teachers are starting to become more vocal on the fact that some books should not be banned. This social group believes that some books are essential to the topic they are teaching, and the banning of them will affect the classroom. My documentary speaks for social groups/issues because it highlights teacher's opinion on Book Bans. During my documentary process, my team and I interviewed two teachers. Each one teaches a Language Arts course at Cypress Bay High School and was eager to discuss how they felt about book bans. The names of the teachers are Mr. Berna and Ms. Herring. Mr. Berna and Ms. Herring gave their honest opinion on Book Bans and how they have affected their classroom. Furthermore, my product is a pathway for people to learn a teacher's feelings toward the popular Book Ban issue in schools of Florida. Two popular books, George Orwell's "1984" and Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" have been banned. In the past, these books were a vital part of both of these teacher's curriculum. These books added to the depth of understanding that these teachers are trying to teach their students. Mr. Berna and Ms. Herring argued that the censorship of these books have had negative affects on their classroom. Meaning, students are being denied the experience of learning about these books lessons or concepts. Students are unable to see important examples or topics that need to be discussed throughout courses. For example, AP English Language and Composition and AICE Language A/AS Level. These are college level classes and need to be taken very seriously. 

          A production should always engage with its audience. It is important that an audience creates a relationship or understanding with what they are viewing. This stems from a production's effectiveness being able to develop and deliver in a concise manner. The designated target audience for my documentary is parents and/or conservative groups. This is because most books are banned based upon the complains of these people. For example, the main books that parents and conservative groups target are diverse stories, Black history, and the LGBTQ+ community. However, my documentary allows conservative groups and parents to hear reasons on why they should not ban certain types of books. Teachers discuss how the books being banned are important to their curriculum and the learning of their students. The audience is able to view Book Bans from a different point of view and possibly rethink their choices in the future. Additionally, my documentary does a great job with connecting to its audience because it includes exactly how a certain book being banned has affected certain courses. Meaning, parents and conservative groups are able to become aware of exactly what novel being banned has caused negative effects on classrooms. It is important that my documentary's audience is clearly aware of what they are watching!

        Research is the basis of any project or product. Research gives filmmakers knowledge about the subject they are focusing on and educates them on what they should or should not incorporate. Research informed my product in various ways. Research on Book Bans allowed my group and I to make sure we incorporate all essential facts in our production. It was our goal to make sure that the audience was provided with necessary background information.  This is essential to the audience's comprehension of the topic being discussed. In addition, through research, my documentary was able to challenge Book Ban conventions. Our target audience is very accepting or supporting of Book Bans. My documentary challenged this convention because it provided a point of view that was not in support of Book Bans.  It allowed the audience to understand ways that Book Bans are not always useful or practical. The audience will be able to understand how book bans could possibly result in negative effects in schools. Moreover, the documentary provides interviews from two reliable sources. These sources are reliable because they are interviews of two experienced teachers who have seen their course/curriculum change from the banning of George Orwell's "1984" and Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye". Ultimately, research will always be an essential part of productions. Research will continue to allow filmmakers a way to better portray their subject and give them a great outlet to help connect to their audience. As said before, research is the foundation of any production. My group and I's ability to create a concrete foundation really shaped the outcome of our documentary. Our documentary was able to clearly explain how Book Bans continue to shape classes' curriculum. Our target audience is able to understand that their choices do not affect everyone or everything positively.  Parents and Conservative groups are able to see every result of their choices!

     Learning about documentary has changed my view on the Media Industry. I am glad to be able to learn about yet another type of production and all of its attributes. My documentary journey has not been easy, but it has been informal. Being able to learn new things is all apart of the growing process. That being said, thank you for reading and I will see you soon!

Link to Documentary:

 https://browardcountyschools-my.sharepoint.com/personal/0615044668_my_browardschools_com/_layouts/15/stream.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2F0615044668%5Fmy%5Fbrowardschools%5Fcom%2FDocuments%2FDana%20Grace%20Morgan%20Documentary%20Project%2FDocumentary%2Emp4&referrer=StreamWebApp%2EWeb&referrerScenario=AddressBarCopied%2Eview

        

           

        

Post-Production of Documentary

 

               Welcome, Welcome, Welcome... Now that we have discussed Research, Planning, and Production let's discuss Post-Production! Post-Production is basically work done on a film after recording and filming has taken place. In other words, it is basically the editing process of a production. 

            

              

           What is editing? Well, production editing involves managing the entire production process from manuscript to finished product. Editing is very crucial to your documentary because it is where a filmmaker can transform their video. What do I mean by transform? By transform I mean transitions, add audio, import texts, etc. Honestly, in my opinion, editing is extremely fun! However, we are not talking about me, we are discussing my documentary. So lets get into that...

        

        

       Regarding the editing process for my documentary, my team and I had to plan out what days we were going to edit. My AICE Media Teacher (Mrs. Stoklosa) had us devise a Production Log to schedule our work. This became very useful because we knew what exact days we had, to do certain work. In addition, my team and I were able to keep track of each other and help one another stay on task. Here is a picture of my production log:

      Moving on, let's get into the official editing procedure. To edit, my friends and I used Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe Premiere Pro is the industry-leading video editing software for film, the web, and T.V. Additionally, it is a well-known online tool used for a video editor's post-production workflow. I am fairly glad that my team and I used Adobe Premiere Pro. It is extremely convenient and allowed us access to various utensils aiding in the creation of a production. Here are examples of Adobe Premiere Pro:

          As you are now aware of the application my team and I used, let me give you a sneak peak into how our application looked during editing. We began with editing the B-Roll we obtained. As mentioned before, majority of our B-Roll was of books. Also, as said before, we incorporated the Cypress Bay High School campus as well. Editing the B-Roll was very fun. We were able to see how everything looked when put together. Here is a screenshot of our application, including the B-Roll:

    Lastly, let's discuss the editing of the Interviews. Even though we asked each teacher all of our designated Book Ban Questions, we decided to incorporate the questions that each teacher gave the best answer on. Each interview was roughly 2-3 minutes and we added a text box that included the names of each teacher. It is important that the audience is aware of who he/she is listening to or viewing. Then, my team and I made sure to include the VoiceOver we decided to incorporate. The VoiceOver played in the background of the interviews, and while B-Roll was being showed. Here are pictures of our Adobe Premiere Pro while we were editing the interviews:

Documentary Production Process

 

             Hey, welcome back readers! On this blog post, we will be discussing the production process of my documentary. If you are confused, production is another word for the filmmaking process of a movie or project. Production can be divided into two parts: Production and Post-Production. However for this post, we will only be focusing on the first one. Alright, let's get into it! 

        

          As I've mentioned before, in the Introduction to Documentary post, staged B-Roll is a crucial part of documentaries. The term B-Roll refers to when editors insert supplemental footage that relates to what is being spoken on. For those that do not remember, my documentary was relating to book bans. In addition, our setting was of the Cypress Bay High School campus. With this being said, our staged B-Roll was primarily of books. We filmed various books and we gathered shots from our school library. We made sure to align our B-Roll with exactly what was being said. Here are some pictures of the Cypress Bay High School campus:

Furthermore, let's dive back into the process of interviews. As mentioned before, my group and I interviewed two teachers at Cypress Bay (Ms. Herring and Mr. Berna). Both of these teachers were happy to participate in our production and answered the questions asked in great detail. As said, both are Language Arts teachers so they were very passionate about the topic. You might be wondering what material I used to film the interviews. Well don't worry, I'll tell you! I used a Tripod. Tripods are popular equipment among filmmakers, for it is a good utensil to use if you want to stabilize your phone. Here is an  example of a Tripod:

      As you are now aware of the equipment used, let's talk about the setting/filmmaking of the interviews. My team and I decided to interview each teacher in their classrooms. We thought that it would be best to get a look of them in their natural setting. As a result, they felt extremely comfortable. We had them face in front of the camera and look in a diagonal direction. Each Book Ban question gave way for the audience to truly understand the teachers position on Book Bans. The audience could clearly see and hear their emotions/passion for the subject being discussed. Here are pictures of the interviews conducted:

Mr. Berna:

Ms. Herring:

As you guys have been given a sneak peak into the production process, you are able to learn about the interviewing process and obtaining B-Roll process. These are key to a successful documentary. Therefore, I hope you enjoyed reading about this. However, it is not over yet. Post-production is as important as production, if not even more important. See you on the next post! 

Research/Planning My Documentary

 

           For those that do not know, research is an essential process of any production. Research allows us to obtain vital information about the topic that is being discussed. Additionally, research is an important way to generate new concepts, material, and understandings. However, before we get into my research process let me inform you on the topic my Documentary focused on. My group and I decided to do a production on Book Bans in schools. 

           What are Book Bans? Book Bans occur when there are objections to the content of a specific book. Action is taken against the book as a result of parent or community objections. As government officials become aware of the issue, previously accessible books can be completely removed from students and classrooms. As this takes place, teachers are beginning to oppose or disapprove of the concept of book bans. Their argument is that some of the books being banned are essential to the curriculum of their classroom. Curriculum is the subject(s) comprising a course of study in a school or college. Every teacher has a duty to follow the curriculum of their course and it is important that this is not challenged. Teachers are concerned that Book Bans will continue to challenge their curriculum and ultimately, lead to a decrease in the quality of education they are providing. 

Here are some links that my team and I used to research Book Bans:

• https://pen.org/issue/book-bans/

• https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/roughly-300-books-were-removed-from-libraries-in-florida-last-school-year-heres-the-full-list/3113184/

• https://pen.org/book-bans-frequently-asked-questions/

• https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/more-than-350-books-banned-in-florida-schools-since-last-july-16817328

     

 

           Regarding the documentary that my team and I created, we focused on Book Bans taking place in schools in Florida. As of 2023, hundreds of books have been banned in Florida Schools. Two of these books are "1984" by George Orwell and "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison. Both of these books have impacted Language courses in schools. For example, courses such as AP English Language and Composition and AICE Language A Level. George Orwell's 1984 is about the negative effects of government control on society. The novel focuses on themes of control, power, violence, and loyalty. Moving on, let's talk about the central topic of "The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison. Toni Morrison's book highlights the oppression of women. In the novel, women not only suffer the horrors of racial oppression, but the violence and torture brought upon them by men in their lives. Here are illustrations of each of the books that I just discussed:

           As important as research is, so is planning. Planning allows you to organize information and make sure that you are getting everything completed in a timely manner. Planning improves commitment and motivation and provides a guide for action. Three essential ways my group and I planned for our documentary was creating questions for interviews, writing the script for our VoiceOver, and creating an outline/shot list. 

         Interviewing is an important process of documentaries. Interviewing gives a way for people to have the opportunity to tell their experience or opinion directly to the audience. In return, the audience is given a deeper understanding of the subject being talked about. With this being said, my group and I decided to interview two teachers at Cypress Bay High School. One teacher teaches AP English Language and Composition (Mr. Berna) and the other teaches AICE Language A/AS Level (Ms. Herring). Both of these teachers are passionate about the curriculum they teach, and so my group and I devised interview questions to ask them. Here is a screenshot of the questions:

Moving on, let's begin to discuss VoiceOver. VoiceOver is a piece of narration in a production or broadcast. It is not accompanied by an image of the speaker, solely their voice. Regarding my documentary, my group and I decided to include a VoiceOver on the background of book bans. The VoiceOver would explain how book bans have affected classrooms and teachers' curriculum. For our VoiceOver we primarily focused on George Orwell's 1984 and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. These books are extremely well-known and their banning has taken a toll on various teacher's classes. Here are examples of VoiceOver:

        

         

          Last but not least, let us dive into the outline and shot list my team and I created. Outlines are used for the organization of information. Regarding documentary, outlines are essential for the organization of the material being represented. Proper representation allows the audience to perceive information in the correct way. In addition to outlines, creating a shot list is an important way for the organization of material. Shot lists allow creators to plan what they want to show at that exact time. Both of these allowed my group members and I to stay on track! So as you've heard about my research and planning let's get into production. PSA, its on the next post!

 

Introduction to Documentary

 

 

      Hey everyone, this is the one and only Morgan and she is back in business. I have been gone for almost a year; however, I am going to begin discussing yet another project that I have recently completed. Although this time, I will be discussing documentaries! 

     

      A documentary is a product that illustrates a “slice of life.” Documentaries are often non-fiction and are focused on a specific subject. I currently take AICE Media A level and we have recently been viewing various types of documentaries. For example, episodic documentary and op-documentary. An episodic documentary is a documentary that is divided into different segments or sections. These segments are known as episodes and each episode focuses on a different topic. An example of episodic documentary is from a TV-Show called “Abstract,” that was viewed in class. This show can be found on Netflix and every episode focuses on one creator. Each creator talks about their artistic passion and how their job works.  

 

• Pictures of “Abstract”: 

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
      Additionally, staged B-roll and the use of archived information helps keep viewers engaged throughout documentaries. Both provide examples or illustrations of what is being discussed throughout the production. This is essential for documentaries because the audience must be able to comprehend what is taking place. Moreover, let’s begin to discuss Op-documentaries. An op-documentary is a documentary that is short and opinionated on a specific topic. Most op-documentaries represent contemporary life and/or current issues in society. Throughout class, I viewed two op-documentaries. These were “Study of a Fight” and “Now I’m in the Kitchen” by The New York Times. 
  
  
  
  

 

• 
  

  
  

  Links: Opinion | Study of a Fight - The New York Times (nytimes.com) 

• :https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000008730917/now-im-in-the-kitchen.html?action=click&gtype=vhs&version=vhs-heading&module=vhs&region=title-area&cview=true&t=268 

 

     

         While I was watching these documentaries, I was able to understand how a production can solely focus on a subject and make the viewer comprehend things from the point of view being shown. Viewing these documentaries allowed me to get a better understanding of how to complete a documentary and represent a subject. With this being said, let's dive right into the documentary that I created... See you on the next post!