Research:
Having the read the brief a few times I started by doing some research on the internet and in the library about documantary photography. I used books. articles and even youtube videos to aid my learning. This clarified a few things for me and taught me a thing or two. Here are some of the notes I took:
-Capture candid moments to create a greater sense of realism so as to document accurately.
-Capture important details and moments to create more interest.
-Think what you are attempting to portray and construct the images accordingly (think about how text in the form of signs for example can alter the reading of an image).
-Pick an aspect/narrrative and stick to it (otherwise confusion and mixed messages can be created).
It was ressuring knowing that the audio from the interview would add make clear what I was trying to communicate in my images. I then researched interviewing and how documentaries keep audiences interested. This is what I learnt:
-Make sure the quetions you ask create a response which both repeats the question in one way or another and answers the question. (Otherwise there will be no context and it will not make any sense)
-Make sure the interviewee is comfortable and does not know the questions beforehand (Otherwise the answers will seem forced/awkward).
-Stay quiet whilst the person is talking or else you will be unable to use that bit of audio or you will have to spend ages editing yourself out.
I started watching documentaries and interviews to learn more about how to do them. I began by watching a few tedtalks. I had watched many in the past but never really thought about what made them interesting. I found very quickly that the reason many of them are interesting is the use of images. I also found that if any of them exceeded a few minutes I would just click off them because the speaker was taking too long to get to the point. These two things were covered in my presentation as it was only to be about 1.5 mins long and had to have images. I found the ones with anecdotes and facts were the most engaging so I decided I would try to incorprate them into my own presentation. I also watched some full-length documentaries, and again, it was all about using facts and anecdotes to create more interest. I also found that they would link information from one point to the next to make it flow better. For example they might reach the end of a point and say ‘speaking of which’ and then link it onto the next one. I also found that documentaries often had aspect ratios of 16:9 or even thinner to give a more immersive and cinematic feel. I decided that I would do this with my images as I did not like the idea of them being full screen. I felt it would be harder to read them and they would lack consistency.
It was now time to look into additional audio. I decided to use the internet for research. I began by looking at sound effects. It seemed that many were copyrighted so using them for the presentation without permission from the creator would be illegal. I did however find royalty-free sound effects on some websites which could be used for free and for any purpose. Also, many video editors such as imovie offer a wide variety of sound effects which can be used for any purpose. Obviously adding in the sound of a plane taking off or some crickets chirping to my presentation would be very cheesy and distracting but it was interesting to know that it was possible. If I were to do my documentary on a farm for example the sound of a cockerel or some sheep would be perfect for setting the scene at the beginning. I then looked into the legalities of downloadng music and it was incredibly complex and often seemed to contradict itself. Obviously it is illegal to use an artist’s music without permission and/or crediting them. And with most artists it is impossible to get permission. However, I found that if you turn the track into a remix or change the pitch or speed it can go under the radar and even evade copyright law (but best not to risk doing this). But also similarly to the sound effects there are plenty of royalty-free tracks which are often instrumental which you can use for free provided you credit the artist or source. I reckon a situation where I could use this royalty-free instrumental music would be if I were to use a space like a music school or a care home. A piano playing softly in the background would be great in setting the scene and adding ambience. I could even record someone in the space playing it themselves to add to the realism and documentation. To sum up: Additinal audio can be very corny or distracting so it is all about using it in taste and only to add to the story.
Ideas:
When thinking of ideas for something to document I wanted a very interesting place and very interesting people. My first idea was my neighbour, an eccentric old man called George who lives alone in a big house, has a dog named Crackajack, an old battered sports car and an overgrown garden. I felt this was the perfect thing to document. Unfortunatley, when I asked (politley) if he would be happy to be a part of a documentary I was making for a university project, I was rejected. I then thought of the care home where my great aunt was until late last year when she sadly passed away but I didn’t feel I could go back there. That was when I rememberd my S5 work experience when I was at the musuem campus in Granton for a week. I had been given a tour of the whole campus, including the taxidermy department where I met a man named, George. I felt him and his department would be perfect. I sent him an email explaining who I was and asking if he would like to be part of my project. He said yes and actually seemed very enthusiastic about it. We arranged for the interview to be on Thurs 20th April. I had to get up at 5:30am in order to be at Granton on time as there were only a couple of hours in the early morning that I was able to do the interview and take pictures.
Here is the list of questions I took into the interview:
“Please could you start my introducing yourself and explain where we are?”
“How did you first become interested in zoology/taxidermy?”
“What are the specimans used for?”
“What is your favourite aspect of of the job as why?”
“What is your least favourite aspect of the job and why?”
“Do you any memorable moments working here?”
“In your job you work with dead animals. Are there any times you work with live ones?”
“Has this area changed a lot since you started working here, whether that be the building itself or the people who work here?”
We used George’s office for the interview as it was quiet. It lasted around 20 mins and many of George’s answers covered other questions so I ended up not having to ask all of them. I also ended up asking questions which I had not prepared as he said some very interesting things which I wanted to know more about. After the interview he took me around the department briefly to explain what everything was. I took pictures along the way and more pictures freely afterward of him and his colleagues working. It was very challenging getting content I was happy with in such a a short time but thankfully I managed to get more than enough for the 1.5 min presentation.
When putting together the presentation I started by going through all of the images I had taken. I then listened to the audio and wrote down the most important parts before arranging them into a story:
George introduces himself before describing his job and what he does for it. He then goes on to describe the space (where he works) and talks about the history of it and his personal experiences there. At the end he talks about the childhood story of how he first became interested in zoology. Whilst I was putting this together I thought of which images could go where. I initially selected around 25 images which could potentially be part of the presentation:
Unfortunately due to the number of images being limited to 12 and the audio to 1.5 mins I had to cut a lot of strong images and monolgue which I would definitely have used had the limit for both been higher.
In the end I came to 11 final images which I felt best fit the story the audio had created:
Due to poor lighting conditions I had to remove green and yellow tints from some of my final images on Photoshop. I put the interview into audacity where I cut it from 20 mins to 1.45. Any further and there would be too much crucial information missing. After this I put it into windows movie maker where I cut it all and rearranged it into the order I had written them in earlier. I then added in my final 11 images. I experimented with cross fades and gaps of black between the images however I eventually opted for just simple cuts between the images. I used black borders around the images because in my research I had found that most documenatries use similar thin aspect ratios. I felt this was easier on the eye. It also gave room for subtitles (which I felt were necessary owing to George’s German accent and quiet voice). I would have liked to have gone back to reshoot some of the images and take some images which I had not thought to take previously however I simply did not have the time as I was working Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. Friday and Monday were being used for editing.
I had realised when I got to the space and when it came to editing that there were no ambient sounds to record. It was silent. I also felt that adding in music or sound effects would just be distracting and take away from the story. It also just seemed a bit corny adding in additional audio especially seeing as it was just for the sake of it. The brief had asked just to consider the ‘legalities and logistics’ of additional audio so the only thing I did not do in regards to additional sound is actually record ambient sounds. But then again there was none to record anyway.
Reasoning for final selection of images and audio:
The first image is a candid one, showing George. I chose to use one of him as the opening image as at this point in the audio he is introducing himself. I used a wide aperture of f2.8 to create a shallow depth of field to draw more attention to him to show that this image is about him. I included the bones in the foreground and had him holdng the tortoise skull so as to show how he interacts with the space. I captured him candid in this portrait and all of the other ones of him to give a heightened sense of realism.
I chose this one as the second image in the sequence as he is still talking about himself but more about what he does for his job and what he does in the space in a typical day. In this image I captured this moment where he is looking for a specimen in the research collection. Unfortunately the conditions were very dark. I attempted to pull it back in photoshop but unfortunately some of the detail was lost and there is some fringing and other nasty artefacts in the shelf and his clothes. I decided to use it anyway as I think it is a good moment and it is impossible to notice these problems when it is in the presentation.
Although this image is very similar to the first image I think it works as it shows him from another angle, allowing the audience to get to know him better. It also adds more variety and makes it more interesting.
The fourth image offers a close-up of the bones he is examining in the first and third image. At this point in the audio track he is talking about how sometimes the job can be a bit ‘nasty’. I think this illustrates that well with the dried blood on the bones and haphazardness of how they are arranged and the cracks and details in them. I maybe should have included his hand interacting with them but I am still quite pleased with this image and I think it does what it is meant to do. The browns and yellows evoke feelings of decay.
At this point in the audio George is talking about how taxidermy is no longer practiced at the museum but as can be seen there are still some stuffed specimens left over. This shows the change that has occured since he started working there. I do not know why I opted for such a shallow depth of field. If I could take this image again I would probably have a narrower aperture so that more of the birds are in focus. Regardless, I think it still does what I want it to do. I realised after that I had cut out a bit of audio with him saying ‘which is a great shame’. I am quite bummed that I missed this as it would have shown his personal reaction to the absence of taxidermy as well as the change that has occured.
At this point he talks about the history of the site and how it was built after WWII for recovering soldiers. I found from my research that facts are interesting for the audience so I felt this worked well. I think this image aslo gives context as to where this is all taking place. He then goes on to talk about how the ergonomics of this building have had an effect on him which I think links on well to the next image:
Here, he talks about his relationship with the design of the building. This cluttered shelf and sink show how him and his colleagues use the space. I maybe did not leave it up for long enough for the viewer to explore all of the objects on the shelf though. But I think it still works as it shows how George uses the space and it is very interesting because of the clutter.
The next image is a continuation of how he interacts with the space and what he thinks of it and all of the machinery and equipment it has. It is a far wider shot which is a huge contrast to the clutter and clostraohobia in the pervious image of the shelf. There was a close-up image I took of some tools I probably should have included as well but then again adding it in would have given less time to look at the other images. The chair in the bottom right corner is annoying but I did not want to fiddle with anything as I was trying to capture everything as it was. It may also seem a bit too yellow but it was far worse than this before. This was the most yellow I could extract without blue or green hues entering the image.
He then goes on to talk about the reason for the maps on his office wall. (The opportunites his job provides to travel). I think this image works as it is simple and not only shows his passion for travelling but where he lives as two of the maps are Scottish. Also, if you look closely you can see a visitor pass with a picture of a bear on it. This shows George’s humour. He also talks about how he went to Mexico for two and a half years which links nicely to the next two images:
In this photograph George talks about how he collects insects and goes on to share a personal anecdote about how he first became interested in zoology and specimen collection and ultimately ended up in his job and more importantly the space in the first place. I missed focus on this one so unfortunately his face is out of focus. It still communicates what I want it to though. The photograph shows him interacting with the insect collection which links to the story he is telling about how his father would collect insects and how that got him interested.
The next image provides the link between his travels to Mexico and his insect collecting as it can clearly be seen on the labels that these insects are from Mexico, owing to the narrow depth of field. It also offers a close-up of what he is actually examining in the previous photograph.
I found it very difficult to end the presentation and as I was already 10-15 seconds over the 1.5 mins specified in the brief I just had to end it on him finishing his personal story. After completing the final presentation I uploaded it to youtube:
Unfortunately there are some crackling sounds at a couple of points in the audio clip. This was because George moved a few times, causing his clothes and the chair he was sitting on to make noise. I attempted to remove them on audacity, however some of them were buried beneath his speech so I was unable to remove them without also removing what he was saying. On another note I successfully managed to remove all of the ‘fuzzy’ ambient sound in the background using the noise reduction tool. I think that because of this all of the transitions between two different areas of speech are quite seamless. It would have been great to go back to reshoot/capure some opportunities I missed, however there was simply no time to organise another trip to Granton for a couple more images. I think the addition of subtitles was a good move as I can imagine many people would be unable to understand what George is saying as he has a foriegn accent. Although the brief asked that I look into recording background sounds and look into the legalities of using other people’s audio I just could not think of any music or sound effects that would not be distracting or corny. I still researched it to show I have an undertsanding of it. To be honest there were no sounds in the space anyway. I definitely should have considered this before I organised to document this location.
Feedback
The feedback at the crit was very positive. Everyone seemed to like my images and found my topic interesting. Mary-Ann pointed out that it starts and ends a bit abruptly and it could maybe do with some breathing space as it is quite fast-pace. I totally agree with this and it is the way I wanted to have it. However, there just was not enough time to add these in along with all of the audio I wanted to include. Some people found that the subtitles distracted from the images.
200 Word Reflective Statement
I think that overall I succeeded in creating images which assisted the audio I recorded. In regards to the audio, I think I did well in reducing ambient noise on audacity and I think that I asked questions which created good monologue. I do think, however that I should have asked my interviewee to speak louder and more clearly and not move around as this both ruined parts of the audio and caused me to have to use subtitles which some people said were distracting. As was pointed out by Mary-Ann, it started and ended a bit too abruptly. I definitely should have added an introduction and outro. Even just some text on the screen for a few seconds. I also should have spaced out my audio as well as it was maybe a bit too cramped and fast. The main reason I did not do these was because my presentation was already running over the limit. I suppose this just comes down to not being ruthless enough when editing down my content. I did consider additional audio in my research, however ended up not adding it in as I felt it was too distracting and the place I documented was very quiet. This is something I should have considered before choosing the location.
Adam Kitchener 