Interviews and Documentary Review
Interview #1 Hannah
This is probably the 5th interview that I've done, but my first one that I have edited this year. I had to use Hannah's video because my groups sound didn't work but I knew that I needed to practice editing because I am still not great at it. The most difficult part was where t add the b-roll. I think that at some points the pictures are coming in too early in order to cover the cuts but altogether I think it was a good quick and easy editing job.
Interview D.P. #2 Mia
Being a D.P. for the interview is getting easier. I know what the shots should look like mostly and it seems more natural. The only think that would have been better would be if the noise in the background wasn't there. Our sound from the tascam got mixed up and we ended up not plugging it into the right outlet of the tascam so the lav mic was sort of useless because we didn't have it plugged in. We asked Owen and Jarett when we got back and they showed us how to fix it for next time which is good.
Interviewee #2
Interview #2 Mia
This is me getting interviewed. I have always hated getting interviewed and that hasn't changed. It is still kind of awkward because I don't like to talk about myself and that is all and interview is at this stage. I think that my interviews have gotten better from last year though because now I know the drill. I also think that the shot of my face is great because I am in focus and shot from good height. As an interviewee especially one who doesn't like to get interviewed, it's a big goal to want to look good so I think that the trust that I have with Mary and Mia as the D.P.'s was nice because they made sure I liked how I looked which made the interview less stressful. Mia also couldn't figure out how to send the video so this s just a picture.
I had to edit Mary's interview of Mia because Mia formatted the card before I could get my interview of Mary off of it. Editing is becoming more natural, I went through last semester at editing a whole lot, whereas in my first semester I was the only one who edited. Then I was editing this I remembered how much I loved it and how I love being in control of what the film looks like and all the aspects of it so I am excited to dit more this year.
Interview #3 Justin
Editing is all coming back to me and I'm really happy that I have done all of these interviews because I know that I am a lot better at interviewing and working with the camera and sound and lights. I am really excited to edit this year and to get super into all of my films. I would have liked for Justin to be in focus but to try and fix it I put. lot of B-roll in to cover his face.
Interviewee #3
Getting interviewed is still very uncomfortable. I am much more used to repeating the questions and giving full answers because I know what it is like to have to edit an interview with a person who was not very expressive. I like the shot for the most part but I am a little out of focus. Overall I like how I look here and Becca did a good job of picking the best parts of what I said, I would let her show this to people.
Interview D.P. #3 Becca
Being a D.P. doesn't come very naturally to me but I am getting more used to it. I like where we have Becca and the background. The shot is good close range but I didn't have her in focus which is super buying when I watch the video. I need to work on making sure everything that I want is focused before we actually start filming and I know that she isn't this time because I rushed the process.
Documentary Review
Jordan Smith
Muench
Cinema
6 September 2019
Survive and Advance
The documentary that I watched was a 30 for 30 called, Survive and Advance. This documentary was about the NC State Wolfpack basketball team of 1983. It shows the game that they are known for and then goes to most of the team in a restaurant at a reunion talking about the game. The documentary flips back and forth between them present at the reunion to the games that they played. The story takes you through the wins and losses of the team and even though they show you the ending, in the beginning, you don’t really learn the conflict until about halfway through.
This documentary did everything right for me. The way the did b-roll was so gorgeous and just so right. They did ken burns when they needed to and they stayed on pictures for such a long time that you would start to be like “Oh my gosh switch pictures already” until you heard someone say something about the picture and then you were like, “Oh okay”. The interviews were very well done, the lighting is great and makes the shots look sexy but also very intense. In most 30 for 30 interviews they do a very dark background so that you can only see the person being interviewed and it’s only them in the room. They did the same thing with these interviews and it worked just as well. Another thing about the film was that they chose such a good topic to do it on because of the people that they got to know. All of the people they interviewed had such charisma and they all told the stories like they were there and they all told the stories the same which showed how reliable they were as narrators.
I have watched a good amount of documentaries in and out of this class but this one has to be my favorite. In the film, the coach, Jim Valvano, says that the way to live each day the best is to laugh at least once, think for a little bit, and cry. I did all of these things while watching the documentary. I laughed at how ridiculous reality was sometimes for them. I thought a lot about me as a basketball player and as a person and how badly I want to leave tall on the court this year and have no regrets. I cried imagining looking back years from now on a coach who changed my world. This video in so many ways reminded me of my relationship with a great basketball coach that I met when I was just a small child. He is tall and goofy and gives me shit all the time. But I know why. He knows that I can take it and he makes me a better person every day, on and off the court. Thanks, Muench:)
