2. Audience research
My audience is going to be quite niche as the documentary is about something not a lot of
people will care about since usually most people dislike the sight and general existence of power
power stations as their so bad for the environment but this project is going to be for people who
people who like to look at them from and artistic point of view including photography film and
film and maybe even drawing/painting them. My age range for this documentary is going to be
to be 12+ as I feel like anyone younger isn’t going to appreciate them as anything more than just
than just a big tower and wont look at them the same as someone who's had time to form a
a connection to them if they live near one like people in my village who have basically lived
lived under one for years and years so it could either be a love or hate relationship with them, as
them, as some people think they're ugly whereas some people like living next to them.
With my interview research is going to be important as I need to find someone who has an
an interesting opinion on them so maybe they will absolutely hate them or love them and will be
will be sad when they all phase out. I think it could be interesting to do 2 interviews with one
one person that doesn’t like them and one person who does so I can showcase the different
different opinions side by side which I think could be really effective to see why some people
people might love it for reasons people could hate them.
3. Audience research
For some research I looked online for some opinions on living near power
power stations in the UK and stumbled upon this article about a family
family who live in Kent next to one of the nuclear power stations that’s in
that’s in the process of closing down but the family love living near it they
they get into talking about how the area for housing around it is cheap
cheap living as people usually get scared thinking of living next to
something nuclear as the media and films have made it seem like some
some world ending weapon whereas this is actually very safe and is just
just there to provide energy. They also talk about how the sounds help
help them get too sleep at night which I found funny as I can imagine
imagine that’s something most people would complain about.
The family also states that the levels of security around the station actually
actually helps with the village staying safe as they are happy to let their
their kids play out in the streets without worry of danger which they say
say is down to the PowerStation being there. These kind of people are
are great and I hopefully can find people with opinions like these when I
when I do my interviews for my own documentary.
4. Audience research
This is another article I found but this one is very different to the last as it
last as it shows how much people really were fighting for people to get
get rid of these power stations as they really are horribly bad for the
environment and this I think is what stops people from seeing them any
any differently. This is something that happens lots to the power stations
stations near my home especially at Drax as a lot of activist groups and
and protesters have many ways of going onto the train tracks and
stopping things from entering the station which usually ends up getting
getting on the news and the local newspapers but recently since the move
move to biomass its not happened much as it’s a move into a new ‘better’
‘better’ solution for the environment. I know I wont be able to find
someone with this strong of an opinion or be able to meet someone who
who actually protests these places but I think finding someone who has a
has a not good ideology about the stations would be so good to do one of
one of my interviews about.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/04/no-
regrets-activists-who-shut-down-power-plant-await-sentence
5. Audience research comparisons
In this video the youtuber named George from the channel
channel negative feedback talks about using videography in
videography in a similar way to photography so basically
basically shooting in stills on a tripod but instead of it being
being a still image you get to see all the subtle slight
movements of wind or maybe a bird flying by and I think
think this is a really good way of filming and id like to do
do some similar techniques for my documentary.
I think the long lasting shots will really emphasise the
artistic direction I want to show with this project as I want
want the viewer to be thinking about what I'm showing and
and the long shots will give them time to appreciate the
shots and maybe enjoy them.
In the video there is also a good mix of black and white and
and colour video which is something I will definitely be
incorporating in my video as I really like having a mix as
as its something I do in my own personal work as well and I
and I d like it to carry over into my college project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApzbkipNoUc&t=73s
6. Subject and topic research
The 1st coal power station was opened in 1882 by Thomas Edison
which was what kicked off the mass usage of coal for power which is
which is still being used today but only in 3 working power stations
stations as the rest have closed down due to new laws and taxes
coming In to help fight climate change as coal has been one of the
the biggest killers of the planet and its finally getting stopped and the
and the old stations demolished. Since I live right next to Drax
PowerStation which is the largest PowerStation in the country that’s
that’s still running I get to see lots of the area that it affects and what
what it looks like In the landscape, I regularly walk around the area
area its located as I love to take photographs of it so this will help me
me when it comes to filming the area for my documentary as I know
know lots of nice shots I could use.
I don’t think I've seen anyone do this type of documentary for this
this subject I a video form before so I'm having to look at similar
projects from other people that look at the British landscapes in
similar ways a lot are mainly photo projects but I think using it as a
as a documentary can add a few more elements that will really help
help get the ideas across.
7. Subject and topic research
Here is some work that I decided to research from a photographer called
called robin friend he's a British landscape photographer whose 1st
project called bastard countryside is all about the British landscape and
and how its evolved over the years the photographer has been alive but I
but I like his work as a lot of it is industrial buildings or relics left behind
behind from old factories or big electrical machines that look like there
there just plonked in the middle of the landscape which is very similar to
similar to what I think the power stations are like and its similar to what
what I'm going to talk about in my documentary he also shoots all his
his images on large format film cameras so its got the vintage film look
look and colours but also the images have this feeling
which to me gives off this nostalgic
feeling of growing up in British
countryside and going out for drives
which is a feeling id like to mimic with
my documentary as I know people see
PowerStation's as these iconic structures
for the UK landscape.
8. Subject and topic research
This is another photographer I decided to research whose name is mitch
mitch Epstein and this is his project named American power which he
he started in the late 90s to early 2000s where he travelled America and
and documented the areas surrounding large power suppliers like power
power stations or electrical sites these photos have been a big inspiration
inspiration on my own personal photography as they're very close to home
home with the images of big looming towers over small villages and
towns.
This will be a big help for my project as these are the kind of video shots I
shots I would like to go for as its focusing more on how the industrial
buildings fit into the everyday normal landscape of the British lifestyle
lifestyle
I think I have potential to get a
similar style of shot to these images
but ill be putting my own spin on
them by adding my own colour
grading and ill most likely be using
a pro mist filter to add another
level of personalisation to the look
and feel of the video
9. Subject experiments
For my experiments I plan on making some short videos to test out my new
new lens adaptor I plan on using for the whole project which lets me use my
use my vintage film lenses on my modern digital camera which gives me a
me a nice different look on my images and video.
I think this kind of style will fit in well with my project because power
stations have been around for a long time so using old camera lenses and
and giving it more of a older vintage British feeling to fit with the themes
themes then hopefully it will go together really well hopefully.
I think going out and doing some tests of video where ill find similar subject matter and try
lock down a type of colour grading and overall colour pallet for my documentary as this will
give me one less thing to worry about when I've finished all my filming and it will be good to
have a few different choices ready.
For some other experiments ill be getting a selection of fonts and backdrop choices for text
for my documentary as I'm going to have some text on the screen while the episode goes on
and it will be good to do the same as my video where I can lock down a style I like with the
colours of the backdrops and text fonts as these things will be important and I don’t want to
leave them until last after I've filmed everything
10. Tools
For this project I talked about in previous slides ill be suing a
multitude of techniques to make my own style for this documentary
documentary which includes me using my new adaptor for my
video camera which allows me to use vintage Pentax k mount film
film camera lenses on modern digital camera which will give me a
me a less clean cut clinical style that most digital lenses are famous
famous for now as I want a softer feel to my lens with a nice depth
depth and using this adaptor allows me to do just that, I have 3
different vintage lenses that I can use compared to the one digital
digital lens I have so ill be able to use a variety of angles and shots to
shots to get what I need. Another important tool ill be using with my
with my lenses is a mist diffuser filter which basically has this soft
soft misty look over everything and makes all the light blend really
really well and gives an almost glowing effect to light sources but
but when used in daytime it gives a nice look that id like to try out
out using for my landscape shots and interview sections of my
project.
