Beyond the Music

Well, we've finally finished. After 13 weeks of planning, preparation, filming and editing, my production group and I have completed work on our documentary, Beyond the Music. The film told the story of John Gardonyi and his Music shop Gardonyi's. The film sees John discuss how he started the shop, the people he encounters, the lessons he teaches in the shop as well as an incident in which his store was robbed and his windows and door were both smashed.

The film shows our subject, Gardonyi, in a Social Space as we feature him interacting with his regulars who come in often as well as some first-time customers. During our interview shots with John Gardonyi, we chose to film him with a medium-shot. This was done as we felt if we showed Gardonyi with some of his shop's products in the frame, it would make him appear more comforting and approachable to the viewer. This interview is intercut with shots of the shop's musical instruments, people walking past the shop on the outside, and John talking to customers. We even got a shot of him taking a selfie with a man who just bought a kazoo. It's small things like that, which can make the viewer warm to the subject more.

When Gardonyi is showing the camera where the robbers attacked the shop, we included an insert shot to give more detail to the damage. This is normally a technique used in Documentaries produced in Continuity style. This film chose that style as we hoped that this would help the story be followed more easily by the viewer. Continuity style of editing is a common feature of the Observational Documentary mode. This is where the filmmaker observes actually with little intervention. This is the mode that we chose for the film. Other techniques frequently used this mode are natural light, no voice over and no re-enactments of events. This was always going to be the mode we chose for the film as we wanted the viewer to feel immersed into the narrative and this was the style that would easily simulate the idea that Gardonyi was talking directly to the viewer.

I do however feel our film is too dialogue heavy. Almost the entire film is John talking and explaining what has happened to him. While what he says he very interesting, there is little structure within them to make a cohesive narrative. There is also no obvious climax to the film. The biggest drama in the film is when John is explaining how his shop got robbed but this soon moves on to more of his life story.

Despite that small gripe, I am happy with the final product. I am really excited to show the film to John and get his thoughts on this. I feel like this film would go down well being shown in a gathering of small business owners as they would be interested in how John has managed his business and how it relates to them.

Career Aspirations

When you're a studying at university, you are constantly reminded that this is the final step before we enter the real world. Because of this, I have to think to myself "What do I want to do with my life? Where do I see myself in 10 years time?"

I am currently studying Media and Communications at the University of West London. The sector of Media that I specialise in is Radio. I have had two and a half years of experience in community radio and have started being involved with Blast, UWL's student-run station. Due to my background in this format, I would like to further my skills so I can pursue a career once I graduate.

Radio is a constantly evolving format, especially in our modern, digital age. Recently, many stations have put a lot of time and effort into making digital content for websites such as Twitter and Snapchat as to gain notoriety on Social Media. It's been said for many years that Radio is a dying medium. I feel that it's willingness to adapt to new technology plus the added fact that musicians still wish to promote new songs on the radio show that there is still life in this format.

The roles that I have performed in radio are Presenter & Producer. I enjoy hosting my evening music show Anything Goes as well as managing the studio for The Rhythm and Flow Show. However, these are both very difficult roles to turn into a career. I would like to learn about more job opportunities in the radio industry, especially with my chance for a work placement during my second year of University. I hope to speak to some of the lecturers at UWL, before the end of next semester, about what could be arranged. Luckily living in London, the commute to any placement will be convenient.

Production Reflections

Me and my group are deep into the production process of our documentary Beyond the Music.

Overall, production is going well. We have most of the footage we need and are currently working on a rough edit before seeing if we need to go back to the music shop to record any extra footage.

As a production team, we are working very well together. Everyone is getting a say in what should be done in terms of work to do before the completed as well as possible scenes to include in the film.

One issue we have had to deal with, however, is everyone's differing schedules. I am on a different course than the rest of my group which has lead to a number of times when they have been able to film footage for the film, but I have had to be in a lecture or doing other work. Another member of my group lives considerably further away than the rest of us, making it sometimes difficult for her to come to London last minute. She also works all day on Tuesdays which cancels any possibility of shooting on that day.

During moments when we are actually recording in our location, we are regularly reminded that we are in an actual place of business. There were a number of instances in which we had to pause the interview with our subject so he could speak to his customers. Although, this did allow us the film some shots of him interacting with the vast array of people who walked in. This is going to be great for the film in the end as it will suggest a friendly atmosphere for our subject and the music shop in which he works.

As we continue the editing of Beyond the Music we are looking forward to showcasing the finished product and taking feedback from our peers to improve the film before the deadline.

Camera Formats

One of the many considerations that my production group and myself have had to put into place during the making of our documentary Beyond the Music is which type of camera we should use.

Firstly, we have to think about what is expected of us in terms of picture quality. For this module, we are required to have our video produced in HD quality (1920x1080). This means that a camera that can capture images in this resolution is an absolute must. 

Our University offers cameras that are able to achieve this. We can also book equipment such as microphones and tripods that are suitable for the Canon XF100s up for grabs. However, I find myself in a lucky position in terms of who I am in a group with. Both my teammates own Canon d3300 cameras. These are much smaller than the XF100s so they can be carried in our bags when we walk to the filming location which will add to our convenience. 

However, the d3300s do not have the best audio quality. We can't use the XF100s just to record sound as there is a chance that there will be a slight difference in picture quality which may be noticeable to the viewer. We are overcoming this by recording sound on our iPhones. This again is really convenient for us as they can be stored in our pockets.

I do a lot of shopping in, and around, Ealing Broadway shopping centre. There are a  number of things there to be observed.

Normally, I travel to the centre via the free shuttle bus service provided to me by the university, however, if I need to go on a weekend, I make the journey by walking from my flat. However I get to the centre, I am also shocked as to how suddenly it can become packed with people. As soon as I step off the bus or, if I'm using my legs, once I've past Beehive, I find myself constantly dodging people coming from the opposite direction like I'm playing a game of Frogger.

Some of my favourite people to observe at Ealing Broadway at the market salesmen. Whatever time of day I'm around their stalls, they always seem so energetic and full of life. They are constantly advertising their products to the people walking around. Their voices sound almost sing-song in the way they encourage you to buy their vegetables. They work in a really small, tight island in the town centre, and I find it incredible how they produce such speedy service considering their limited workspace. As someone who grew up in Somerset, looking at these salesmen, it's as if I never left home. The veg sellers seem like they've come straight from the farms they were grown on. As mentioned previously, these men selling greens look exactly like they would do back home, right down to their choice of headwear, the classic flat cap. I have grown accustomed to these guys to speak in a thick West-Country accent, so it is a little off-putting to hear them talking like they're from LUN-DUN.

Whenever you're making your way into Ealing Broadway, make sure you take a detour to say hello to these salesmen. They're a bunch of really cool blokes. Anyone who offers me 2 avocados for £1 is alright in my books.

I recently watched Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine. It is a documentary, produced in 2003, about a chess match between Garry Kasparov, a world chess champion, and Deep Blue, a computer created by IBM that could play chess.

The main focus of the film is that of a match between the two in 1997. Much of the film is Kasparov, Deep Blue's programmers and other people involved in the match, talking about the event and the part they played in it. There is a lot of exposition which puts the film an observational mode.

The film uses Archive Footage in many scenes. It's used to show Kasparov in the past to showcase his history as a Chessmaster. Interviews are used as the film's main tool of furthering the plot. Most of the interview subjects are filmed in much the same way. In medium-shots to show part of their location before going into close-ups to show a bit more emotion.

Kasparov's interviews a filmed using a number of techniques. When Garry showcases the room in which IBM defeated him, it is done using a handheld camera and sometimes moves erratically in a way that can replicate his own feelings towards the game. At the film's beginning, the plot focus on Kasparov's origins and how he was before the match with Deep Blue. During these parts, he is shot from a low angle, making him seem more powerful. This goes well with his stories of being the world's best chess player. When the narrative comes to the part where Kasparov has been defeated by a machine, this is replaced with high angle shots. It's as if the audience looks down on him literally and figuratively. 

Shots of Deep Blue, the computer that defeated Kasparov, is also shot in an interesting fashion. It's introduced with a long panning shot. The film then uses low angle shots, similar to how Garry was shot early in the film, to give the impression that the viewer is looking up at the machine. This gives the audience the impression that the IBM computer is menacing and something to be feared.

I feel like that's where the film's main strengths lay. The story of the film is definitely interesting but not immediately captivating. The plot is elevated by strong camerawork and cinematography.

God's Gift to the Dole Queue: The Steve Roney Story

This Documentary shall tell the story of my Dad, Steve Roney, beginning with his school days. The film's main conflict will be between my Dad and the teachers who said he'd never amount to anything. This documentary will bounce between a subjective point-of-view and a neutral one as the film will have a message but one which will be subtly added. This also works as the main focus needs to be my Dad's life story. I expect my film's structure to be determined by my Dad's life as it happened and how those events relate to the conflict of the piece. Ultimately, I want the audience to understand that just because someone has a difficult upbringing doesn't mean they won't achieve anything and hopefully inspire younger viewers that similar things could happen to them.

The film's subject is my Dad. Steve Roney was born in Blackburn within a military family. This meant the family regularly moved internationally. Some of his childhood was spent in Cyprus, Germany and Northern Ireland. He found school in Blackburn difficult. While he exceeded at sports, he received little support from staff or his family. One teacher even said he was "God's Gift to the Dole Queue". This is a comment which has stayed with him all his life. After finishing school at 16, he left home by train to Plymouth to join the Royal Navy. None of his family saw him off or attended his passing parade despite every other seaman being cheered on by loved ones. In 1985, he married Samantha,  my Mum and the two of them lived in Yeovil. Due to his commitments with the Navy, in 1994, my Dad and my Mum moved to Belgium where my sister was born a year later. Just a few years later, my parents moved back to Yeovil where I was then born. My Dad struggled to be away from his family, so in 2004 he decided to call time of his Navy career after achieving the rank of Chief Petty Officer. My Dad eventually found a job working at Westfield Community School. He started as an Attendance Officer before moving onto Head of House. With this role, he gives students support that was not available to him when he was their age. Despite being told he'd be on the dole queue, my Dad has never been out of work. This is also the school both his children went to, allowing him to see them every day.

It's where my Dad's story ends that shows the resolution of the film's conflict. As someone who had little to no support from school staff or his own parents, he has overcome this by giving to the next generation of children what he never had.

I also hope this film will shed some light on how society perceives children who misbehave at school. Similar to how Educating Yorkshire showcases kids like this and the school staff that give them the help they need.