Week 10: Documentary
Once again, my journalism back ground allows me to tackle this assignment from a slightly different perspective, as I have actually already been invovled in the process of creating a documentary. As part of a documentary class at Minnesota State Moorhead, we created "Reunion At Rollag," a half-hour look into the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion. Check out my webpage at:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~dollx030/ReunionatRollag2.htm
We chose this as the topic of our because of the wide array of sights, sounds, and stories we would be able to present. The program was aired several times on PBS in western Minnesota and parts of North and South Dakota. It also just recently won first place in the student documentary category at the Society of Professional Journalists annual awards banquet.
Our intended message was to show the audience exactly what it is like during this Labor Day weekend celebration. Along with steam threshers, the reunion also showcases antique tractors, provides threshing, corn chopping, and field work demonstration, has a parade that runs up Rollag's main street twice a day, steam powered train and boat that can give rides, a steam powered working sawmill, merry-go-round, flour mill, printing press, miniature land, and much more. Many Rollag visitors and volunteers also stay up until the wee hours of the morning, coming together to sing and tell stories in one of the numerous buildings.
In order to capture the realities of these events, a variety of shots, interviews, and natural sound were needed. By using match cut editing, as well as long, medium, close, and ultra-close shots, we were able to show exactly how these exhibits worked, and how people were able to enjoy them. The use of natural sound also places the audience in the midst of the action. Perhaps most importantly; however, was the way we used interviews from specific people about specific events that really personalized the Rollag experience.
We tried to interview as many different people as possible, including those running the steam powered equipment and those who came strictly for the pure enjoyment. One particularly interesting interview consisted of a father and son who were operating the sawmill since its original owner and long time friend of theirs passed away in 2002. Another interstice perspective was from the farmer from Canada, and his friend he convinced to join him on the trip, knowing he wouldn't be disappointed. Perhaps the most interesting story was the couple who got married at noon on "Steamer Hill." Rollag was such an important part of their lives, that they wanted to make their special day a part of it. These and many stories like them really personalized the reunion for the audience, playing on many emotions and using more than just a "broad brush" of the event.
The most difficult, but also the most fun and challenging aspect of this documentary was finding those specific stories that made the documentary more personal. Also, being beginning journalists, technical issues such as capturing sound and getting white-balanced, focus footage also was in play.
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~dollx030/ReunionatRollag2.htm
We chose this as the topic of our because of the wide array of sights, sounds, and stories we would be able to present. The program was aired several times on PBS in western Minnesota and parts of North and South Dakota. It also just recently won first place in the student documentary category at the Society of Professional Journalists annual awards banquet.
Our intended message was to show the audience exactly what it is like during this Labor Day weekend celebration. Along with steam threshers, the reunion also showcases antique tractors, provides threshing, corn chopping, and field work demonstration, has a parade that runs up Rollag's main street twice a day, steam powered train and boat that can give rides, a steam powered working sawmill, merry-go-round, flour mill, printing press, miniature land, and much more. Many Rollag visitors and volunteers also stay up until the wee hours of the morning, coming together to sing and tell stories in one of the numerous buildings.
In order to capture the realities of these events, a variety of shots, interviews, and natural sound were needed. By using match cut editing, as well as long, medium, close, and ultra-close shots, we were able to show exactly how these exhibits worked, and how people were able to enjoy them. The use of natural sound also places the audience in the midst of the action. Perhaps most importantly; however, was the way we used interviews from specific people about specific events that really personalized the Rollag experience.
We tried to interview as many different people as possible, including those running the steam powered equipment and those who came strictly for the pure enjoyment. One particularly interesting interview consisted of a father and son who were operating the sawmill since its original owner and long time friend of theirs passed away in 2002. Another interstice perspective was from the farmer from Canada, and his friend he convinced to join him on the trip, knowing he wouldn't be disappointed. Perhaps the most interesting story was the couple who got married at noon on "Steamer Hill." Rollag was such an important part of their lives, that they wanted to make their special day a part of it. These and many stories like them really personalized the reunion for the audience, playing on many emotions and using more than just a "broad brush" of the event.
The most difficult, but also the most fun and challenging aspect of this documentary was finding those specific stories that made the documentary more personal. Also, being beginning journalists, technical issues such as capturing sound and getting white-balanced, focus footage also was in play.
posted by MLD at
6:26 AM
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