Millie evaluated her documentary project. For research, she watched 4 running documentaries and took notes on conventions. Her print research included running posters and magazines. She surveyed 159 people in her target audience. Her planning included a schedule, mood board, and style sheet. However, she struggled with time management, pushing back deadlines. Technically, slow computers and losing footage caused issues. Aesthetically, scenic shots improved quality. Feedback noted the interviews were interesting but audio quality could improve, and more varied footage was needed to make it less repetitive.

1. Evaluation
Millie Southall

2. Production Process Evaluation

3. Research
I think my research was effective in the way that I learned more about the
specific type of documentary that I'm making. I researched by watching
running documentaries and took notes of the different shots and the different
conventions in all of them. In all the running documentaries I watched there
were lots of similarities between them all and I have tried to use them in my
own running documentary. I watched a range of different documentaries, like
comedic ones, short films and feature length documentaries. This helped me
figure out the style I wanted mine to be. However, I only watched 4
documentaries in the research period and my documentary maybe could
have been improved if I tried to had watch more.

4. Research
I also researched print. I researched different running posters and magazines
and different fundraising posters. My aim was to make my own fundraising
poster in the style of the previous fundraising posters and then make a poster
in my own style. For my own style one I had to research different drawing
techniques and practice and I think that really helped me create something
unique and good to help raise money for the charity. For print research, I
think it was very effective however I could have maybe made more posters
which could have been helped by widening my research to different styles of
posters and then making that style fit my own vision.
I also did a survey where I got over 159 responses directly from my
target audience. This was very helpful because I got to learn more about my
target audience and their requirements when watching a documentary.

5. Planning
I think my planning was somewhat effective. It helped me know what to do at
what times I was supposed to film certain things such as interviews and I tried
my best to stick to it as I work better to a schedule. Having a schedule really
helped me to have the motivation to get out and film all my footage.
My planning was also effective because it helped me visualise exactly what I
wanted my documentary to look like. I did a mood board to help me get a fell
as to what I was going for and then my style sheet helped me with colours
and exact things, and I think that helped me because my video does stick to a
colour scheme, and I think it’s a lot better than if it was lots of unorganised
colours.

6. Time Management
I think I could improve on my time management. The production schedule
helped me with dates and deadlines, however I believe I kept pushing things
back and everything could have been done with a lot faster if I just did things
earlier in the week, when it was planned. At the start of the project, I was
very conscious of time and did everything to my deadlines but as the project
progressed, I think I slacked a bit in managing my own time and had to do
things at the last minute. I think if I took more care of my time management, I
would maybe have been more relaxed and had more time to do things like
editing and colour corrections.

7. Technical Qualities/issues
I didn't have many technical issues other than the apple macs were very slow
and I missed out on an hour because I couldn't edit anything on them. It was
very difficult because I had a clear vision for what I wanted to do in that hour,
but I couldn’t do it and I had to do it at a different time, and it wasted my
time.
Another technical issue I had was losing the memory card with all my footage
on. This was okay because I had all my footage backed up on the computers,
but I had to go buy a new memory card to get some more footage. I feel like
my production would have been a lot smoother without these technical
issues.
My documentary was good for technical qualities, I had added lots of
transitions and I experimented with the audio and slowing the audio down
and changing the pitch of it.

8. Aesthetic Qualities
A fair part of my documentary was filmed in a beautiful place of the world,
so I think the long shots of scenery help the aesthetic quality of the whole
film improve.
In my research my intention was to have lots of long shots of scenery to
improve the aesthetic qualities of the documentary which I think I have
done well on. In the opening 30 seconds I have lots of shots of the Wolds
and lots of hills and fields. The first 30 seconds alone really add the
aesthetic quality because u start the documentary off by thinking how
beautiful it is.

9. Audience Appeal
I think my documentary will appeal to my target audience. I think this
because In my research I found out a lot about the audience and I adapted
my documentary according to what the answers were. For example, I found
that a lot of people's hobbies were long distance running so having my mum
talk about the more specialist side of running was good because I know the
audience would understand exactly what she was saying without getting lost.
I also think even for people who don’t run this would be something
interesting to watch because what she's doing is something so amazing that
lots of other people will be curious to what she's doing and how she is
preparing herself for it.

10. What went well/not so well
What went well What to improve on
I think my end product is exactly what I
wanted it to be from my planning, I think
this is a strong point because it shows I can
stick to my own vision.
I think filming itself went well because I
didn’t have any issues with the camera or
filming.
I think I need to improve on my time
management. Once I improve on my time
management, I will give myself a lot freer
time to work on all the imperfections and
maybe I would have had a better product.
My tripod broke so I had to film it by hand
which meant the footage was a little shaky
but I could use the warp stabilizer effect
and it cut out most of the shakiness and
made it look smooth

11. Finished promotional poster
My promotional
poster isn’t what I
originally set out to do
but I think it is better
than my first idea. It is
more meaningful to
me personally which
makes it a unique
piece of work. It is
unique because I drew
it myself using photos
of my mum and
photos of the lake
district, I know
nobody else will have
a promotional poster
like this because I
drew each part
individually.
The words “please
sponsor Joni” were
written out letter by
letter and put where I
wanted them because I
didn’t know how to
curve full sentences.

12. Peer
Feedback

13. Feedback 1
• What did you like about the product?
– “I like the hand held footage and the interviews,
they help me get to know the person better”
• What improvements could have been made to
the product?
- ”Maybe better audio quality for interviews
and when in wind”

14. Feedback 2
• What did you like about the product?
– “I liked what the documentary was about, its no
something that everyone does”
• What improvements could have been made to
the product?
– ”you could have gotten some more footage of her
running, and added different shots to make it more
exciting.”

15. Peer Feedback Summary
• What do you agree with from your peer
feedback?
• I think I need to get some more footage to make
the documentary as a whole more aesthetically
pleasing so it is less repetitive.
• What do you disagree with from your peer
feedback?
• I think I agree with getting better audio quality
but its not something I can do right now because
I don’t have access to the right funds to get a
microphone.

16. Peer Feedback Summary
The man change I would make is getting more of a variety of footage. I think I could
have gone to some more locations and filmed from different angles and distances. For
example I think my documentary needed more shots filmed on the camera from a
long/medium distance. This would make it easier to watch as sometimes the same shot
over and over can get very boring. I don’t think I've repeated similar shots to the point
where it got boring but I definitely think it needs more of a range.