2. • My idea for this short documentary is to keep the content
quite simple and focus more on the production. This is because
this is the area where I think I can most improve and by
focusing more on the production I can develop new skills and
learn techniques ready for my FMP. The base for this
documentary is decision making, and I want to explore why are
some people indecisive and what could be some of the factors for
this, I also want to interview people and ask them questions
about the decisions they made and why. Additionally I want to
look at Good vs Bad decisions and include this in the interview
process, as well as mentioning the work of Daniel Kahneman
who has studied about decision making however I only want to
touch on this briefly as the majority of the documentary is based
off of interviews, although I could include my opinion to make it
a participatory documentary.
Content
3. I have previously looked at
this short documentary on
the research, however I
want to discuss the use of
shallow focus because this
is something I want to use
when interviewing people
Something to note is that the
person being interviewed is either
to the left or to the right most of the
time and not looking directly into
the camera.
4. Mood Board
I like the idea of having
some footage in black and
white, because I like this
style however I wouldn’t
have it when interviewing
people so I would have to
see if it worked or not.
5. Mood Board Analysis
I have included a wide range of shots, for example I have included examples of interviews
and how they differ in the way they are set up, I have done this because I am going to
include interview sections in my short documentary. Additionally I have included some
examples of over the shoulder shot because I plan on using this type of shot to fill in the
screen whilst the narrator is talking off screen. I have also included a few examples of a
medium close up because I plan on using this on some of the interviews, and when I film
someone going down the street etc. Continuing on from the person going down the street I
have included an example of a tracking shot because this will be used as one of the primary
shots for when the narrator is talking off screen and I need to get some other footage. I have
also included a picture of someone’s hands because whilst filming an interview I think it is
important to break up the constant footage of someone talking and showing their face so you
could have the camera pan down to show their gestures whilst the talking continues in the
background. One of the shots that I have included is a blurred shot because I like the idea of
the documentary starting with a blurred shot but then we see it go into focus
6. Colour Schemes
• I am going to include ‘filler’ shots in my short documentary, and even
though it isn’t going to be based around colour I think it is important to
discuss the primary colours that I hope to use and whether I plan on
using soft or harsh lights during the interviews and what I can do in post
– production to alter some of the lighting
Using Adobe color I have extracted the
‘muted’ colors and it picks out the color of the
skin and the greenbeige colors. When
conducting the interview I think it will be
important to focus on the person so not to use
any really bright colors in the background
Looking at this color scheme on Adobe color it
is brighter than the previous image and
therefore closer to how I want to set my
interview up as. Even though it is brighter it
still has the person in focus and then neutral
colors such as brown and cream in the
background
7. This image is close to how I am conducting my
interview because I plan on doing it in front of a blank
background, this color scheme has picked out the
greys and the black and navy blue and these are all
dark colors, which allow the video to focus on the
person being interviewed rather than them being
distracted by the background
I have chosen to look at this next image because it
uses shallow focus to blur the background but keep
the person in focus. Similarly to the other pictures it
has the neutral colors in the background such as the
brown and the grey/green. Each color in this image
compliments another color and this is something that
I want my documentary to do because it looks good
and keeps it looking neat and doesn’t make the
image too ‘busy’
This next image isn't a interview type image, and
that’s because I want to be able to breakup the
interview style with ‘filler’ images and I want these to
contrast with the neutral colors that are in the
interview sections. I want these filler shots to be
random things for example a dog in a field or the sun
threw the trees and if I stick to a ‘nature’ theme so
earthy colors it should avoid it being too many
8. This next image I have decided to look at is the
black and white image. I have chosen this because
I like the idea of having some filler shots in black
and white for example the flipping of a coin. Even
though there is ‘no color’ there are still different
shades of grey, white and black, this image also
has a shade of brown in. I suggest black and white
because it wont contrast too much against the
interview footage and the other filler shots, however
I might have it where the first and last shots are in
black and white and the stuff in the middle is in
color, then this way it is sort of a loop
This is an example image of what I want to include
in my project, I like the colors used and how the
dark greens and light greens work really well
together. I think I would use a filter on top of it t
make it appear more ‘vintage’ for example and I
like this because it makes it appear warmer and
not as bright as it is
9. Storyboards
• I have done 3 brief storyboards, and
I have included the base for my
documentary and how I want to have
the interview set up and the type of
filler shots I want to use etc. However
this storyboard works with the first
draft of the script so when I write a
2nd draft of the script, I might create a
new story board for it
10.
11. Script
• This is the first draft of the script, however I
don’t think this is the final version because it
could be improved. For example I don’t
think it’s long enough for the brief and it
also isn’t making the most of the interviews
because I think I can ask better questions to
get the most information needed for the
video
12.
13. • I have found a new resource that I haven’t managed to include in the
research. It is about a study at the university of Melbourne, where a
scientist explored people having to choose between their favourite snack
and he used an MRI to scan their brains and saw two sections of the brain
light up. The prefrontal cortex and the praecuneus. The prefrontal cortex is
in charge of executive functions for example stopping us react
inappropriately to stimuli and the praecuneus is in charge of integrating our
new information into the world we know. As they watched the scans they
saw these two parts of the brain light up, and they found out that as the
participants chose between the two snacks the formed new opinions on
them and in result making the choice harder. This could alter the next
decision you have to make etc
• Rahhal, N. (2018). How to avoid being paralyzed by indecision: Brain scans
and vision trackers reveal how 'learn' what we like when we make hard
choices. Available: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6484523/Brain-
scans-reveal-overcome-indecision-learn-like-good-choices.html . Last
accessed 29.9.2020.
14. • Dombeck, Dr. (N/A). Indecisive.Available:
https://www.mentalhelp.net/advice/indecisive/#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20%E2%
80%9Cindecision%20disorder%E2%80%9D%20listed%20in%20the,possibilities%20
would%20be%20the%20anxiety%20and%20depressive%20diso. Last accessed
29.9.2020.
This is another source I have come across that I want to include in my script, and it is
linking indecisiveness to mental health and this is what I want to put into my script. It
says that there is no indecisive order in the DSM however it can be linked to anxiety and
depressive disorder which is something I didn’t know and I find that interesting so I want
to include it in my script.
17. • I prefer this script, and this will be the final one. This one was
the better version because it was more structured, and it
includes a lot more information. It also is longer and therefore
will give me more to work with in postproduction because if I
didn’t like a certain bit I have enough that I can cut a small bit
out if needed. Additionally I want to have the narration breaking
up a little bit because there is a lot of information at once,
however I think I might have to re-do the storyboard, so it aligns
with the new script
18. Storyboard
• This storyboard is for the second and final
draft. Even though the drawings aren’t
brilliant and the writing isn’t in too much
detail it is clear to me and the notes I have
made on what I have to and film. This
storyboard differs slightly from the previous
one however I might incorporate them when
filming if something doesn’t go to plan.
However they both have a similar structure
and techniques used on how I want to do
things so if I do have to incorporate them
then they should work well together.
