Otara is home to many people. I feel that our suburb is misrepresented based on the negativity which is shown in the media. So, for this documentary I wanted to show the reality we face by contrasting the negative and positive. This was a good opportunity for me to give the audience a glimpse of both sides and capturing things that make Otara a unique place.
After watching this documentary, I want the viewers to understand that Otara is not all bad considering the content I captured. Coming from an insider’s view I am proud to say I’m from Otara no matter what people think.
Ideas:
- Otara most misunderstood suburb
- My perception of Otara
- Contrast between positive and negative
Brainstorming and Planning:
I didn’t really visually plan. I found it easier to write things down and break it into sections. spreading the tasks over 6 weeks i tried to keep everything well organised in order to make the deadline. For storyboarding i planned the intro and what shots i wanted. I made connections in order to get footage for the negative part of my documentary. For my happy section i planned on capturing a lot of people and the community. So i planned what days are the best to go film when everybody is out. I also researched community events in order to capture the shots i wanted.
Characters:
For my interviews, I had the pleasure of sharing this great project with three amazing people. I thought it was interesting to talk with locals and get there perspective on things. They all mention changes and memories in their interviews. I felt that these interviews had very powerful responses as these people are passionate about what they are saying and where they’re from. It was a good learning experience for me understanding the process of interviews and the tones of voices used.
- Armstrong Tauilili
- Diana Euini
- Lotu Fuli
Inspiration:
These are videos that i found useful for content, transitions and colour grading. All three songs i chose is because of the colour grading and what they represent. This relates to my project as the warm colours represent happiness and desaturation represents reality. Watching these videos helped me with camera shots which are very urban focusing on what they face on a daily basis. I also watched documentaries to see how they use type.
David Dallas – Southside
Smashproof – get by
Wu – tang clan – can it be all so simple
I would like to use similar colour grading as the photo above for my negative side. This is a perfect reference as it links to my project representing the grunge and dirty look i’m going for.
Experimentations:
For experimentations i played around with old photographs from primary and current. I just wanted to mix it up instead of having a lot of film in the documentary. I felt that some of these photos are more powerful then the footage. It also brings back childhood memories and the fun times i had while growing up in Otara. By looking at the environment and people it brings out the positivity.
Another experimentation was slow motion. In some scenes i slowed down footage to focus on the main points and get across that this is what i want the viewers to think about. It also broke the pattern between normal and fast footage, changing up the pace.
I found that playing around with audio can really set the atmosphere and push your work. Also switching your audio with different clips can create something very odd or strange.
I’ve changed the order of my documentary several times. Considering the flow and transitions of my footage i found it hard to decide which part is better. This lead to falling behind in my work as i was trying to make it perfect. After getting feedback from my lectures it helped direct me in the right way. Most of the changes were to do with shortening certain parts in the intro and interviews.
Challenges:
- while filming in the car i struggled to keep the camera stabled. These were for smooth shots of scenery, people and street signs.
- Another challenge i had was transitioning between night and day footage.
- Permission was a huge challenge as i got turned down a lot of times.
- Weather
What i’ve learn’t:
- They’re different ways of approaching certain people. for example when i deal with kids, i have to talk to the parent’s first so i don’t look like a creep.
- colour grading – balancing to get that feel you’re looking for.
- Different shots and transitions – through watching music videos, documentaries and tutorials.
- Documentary structures.
- Stick to your timetable.
Final:
274 Documentary
Overall i thought the documentary was good and it clearly shows the contrast between positive and negative. Things i would change is the pace and b roll footage in the last interview. I felt that it was rushed and didn’t flow. A major improvement i can work on is colour grading and having more footage to work with. Typography wasn’t too bad but i could’ve considered the positioning of the text.
OTARA 