Documentary Production (Continued)

    It was crunch time. When we got back to school from break we started working as soon as possible. The first thing we did was film our interviews with Sam and Isabel. Sam went first. We set up the microphone, which was having a few problems at the start, but after a few tries of connecting and turning it off, we got it to work. We asked him the set of questions that we curated and he gave really good and insightful answers. Isabel was next and it went about the same way, although with fewer microphone issues. She also gave good answers and a good perspective as to what it's like being a "Techie." After the interviews were complete, they helped us get b-roll. We recorded Sam's microphone set up, the headsets that lined the back wall, the spotlight shining on the stage, Sam working on his soundboard, and Isabel working on her lightboard. I had to leave early, unfortunately, but Ale and Ace got other great shots of around the auditorium and of the various technical aspects that surround the auditorium like the lights above the stage. 

This is a clip from Sam’s interview

This is a clip from Isabel’s interview

    The next step was editing. Ace was in charge and did most of the editing. That is something that Ale and I wish we did more of. Because of the time constraints, only having a couple of days to edit, it wasn't easy for all of us to help in the editing process and our schedules clashed so we were unable to meet up any day after school to edit together. There was a lot to edit and I wish we could’ve approached that process in a more collaborative way. However, Ale and I communicated with him and kept asking if there was anything he needed for us to do or if there was anything he needed insight on but he insisted that he was ok. When he finished putting it together, we got on a Facetime call and he showed it to us. We were so happy with the result! There were a few little things we changed that enhanced the piece but it was great and we were really proud of it. My friend Natalia, who was in the piece, was with me and she watched it and gave us feedback which helped us improve our final product. Once it was finished, we submitted it along with our production log and outline and it was finally done!

I am so proud of us and what we created. It was a rollercoaster of a journey but it was all worth it. We created something we love and that we hope to perfect and submit to future scholarships and festivals. This project has taught me a lot and put me through the wringer, but the experience will allow me to grow not only in this class and as a filmmaker but as a person. Our final documentary is linked here.