Pre Production - Evaluation

Pre Production has been an incredibly rewarding process, but one which has had many hurdles along the way. It all started in September when the unit started, but I had my idea conceptualised since early 2018. I knew I wanted to tell the story of preparing for a motor race, but I was not sure what the best way to tell that story was.

The first issue was understanding what roles I would be completed as part of this unit. This was more complicated than first thought as Cailan and George were doing their own pre-production projects and would be joining me in January. My roles of being the Director/Writer/Main Contributor were clear, but understanding how I complete pre-production by myself without completing their roles would be a challenge. Early on we set out the clear boundaries between each role, if I needed to have help from a Producer or Cinematographer, I would ask accordingly. I was not completing any part of their role in pre-production, I was working with them to ensure they were happy with the decisions I was making and my reason for them.

My next step was to find reference material to enable me to understand how I was going to film this. I have studied a number of pieces which have allowed me to form a directors statement which can be viewed on my website: https://dreamchasertv.wixsite.com/documentary This reference material helped me make the key decisions needed, including whether to present to the camera or off camera. Other decisions like shot types and scene styles were informed by this research. This research also allowed me to understand that I am not a presenter, rather a contributor to my own documentary. Being a presenter makes it a lot more formal and less personal, as we have a huge emphasis on the emotional connection between myself and the subject, it was decided early on that I would be a contributor presenting off screen towards the producer.

The reference material also allowed me to understand which broadcaster I would be targeting my documentary towards. BBC 3 was the perfect fit as they are constantly looking for new and innovative ideas which break the mould. They also broadcast a number documentaries with a small crew and budget following niche subject matters. Further inspiration came from shows they air from Stacey Dooley and Reggie Yates. These shows allowed me to understand the brand of BBC 3 and how their documentaries are crafted.

Understanding the contributors that would be needed would help the tone of my project vastly. I knew I would be the main contributor and my teammate in the race would also be present, but further contributors were needed to allow the documentary to have depth. Professional advise from racing drivers was going to be important. I decided that they should form my approach to tackling certain scenes, such as the fitness and financial aspects. After further script development and advice from tutors and peers, I decided that including my Father should be involved in this documentary. As he was the reason for my passion for motorsport, his inclusion was key. He will now appear on multiple occasions; once near the start where we visit the sit of our first race together and another after the race is complete and we celebrate together after achieving the dream. The inclusion of my Father allows an incredible emotional connection to be formed.

The scripting process was my largest challenge as previously, I had not done much script writing meaning I had a lot to learn. The early scripts were about getting the story on paper and understanding what I needed to include to ensure the script could be used to turn into storyboards. As the scripting process evolved and the story became deeper, I was able to understand the best way for each scene to be visualised. This process enabled me to write a story which has incredible meaning and is backed up by powerful moments of emotion. The personal journey that I will be going on will be captured in a way to show the struggles that you have to go through to live a dream.

By my final draft, the context was given throughout, allowing the viewer to immerse themselves in the story, which meant the emotional connection was always there. There was a consistent sense of jeopardy in the fitness/license/financial scenes now which meant the end goal had a deeper meaning.
The emotional connection throughout can be seen by the various encounters with other contributors through the documentary. Subtle changes were made to ensure this documentary was natural throughout, enabling the viewer and myself as a contributor to have a connection.

The final script can be seen below. I am very proud of it and I have enjoyed the process. This experience has allowed me to become a more proficient writer, who understands the importance of scripts, even in a documentary which few sequences that are overtly staged.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jSGFDCqt2bKsr7DCGDilhUH0pqoFdBu6Nr9atVs9WwQ/edit?usp=sharing

Understanding my role as the contributor was hard to understand at first, but after I started to change the script it enabled me to see how subtle changes in delivering sentences can change the tone of the documentary. These changes enabled me to write a script which showed me as a contributor rather than a presenter. My initial drafts also included many voiceover segments which can lead to the viewer assuming that I am the presenter. My reference material showed me that how you deliver sentences can drastically change the tone of the piece. This is something I was cautious of, as I want to ensure the viewer knows I am being candid when speaking to the producer, rather than saying pre-decided lines.

Over the past four months, we also decided to start a fundraiser which would help with the cost of our project. When we started to factor in the costs we had not included in our budget, it was evident that we would need additional funds to make this project a reality. This fundraiser has already reached £350 and we have been told by numerous people that will be donating soon. This will help us reach our £800 goal which will enable us to complete this project.

We also completed a number of camera tests and location recce's to ensure we had further information about the possible locations. These also allowed us to come together as a group and talk further about this project. This communication throughout was key to my pre-production being a success.

What Worked Well?

• Overall I am very happy with my pre-production, the communication throughout was fantastic, even though they were completing their own projects. This enabled me to focus on my roles and keep them in the loop with details about the project. The constant calls between us enabled the project to be influenced by everyone, ensuring no surprises in January.
• The script evolved vastly over the three months that I was writing it. It started off very basic and lacked any connection. Soon after changing the story from one about motorsport, to one about chasing dreams, the documentary started to have depth. Through the new sequences that I have added and others, I have stripped back, it has allowed this documentary to become a lot more personal. This has allowed the viewer to connect to be and understand my story. 
• My visual style is very clear and I am very happy with how it has evolved over the past months. Having a distinct difference in style, without changing the tone has enabled the story to gain depth while allowing the crew to attempt scenes with stunning visuals.
• I have a strong selection of reference material which can be used to adapt my script into storyboards, the amount of time I spent observing other documentaries allowed my visual style to be decided. I am impressed with the depth I was able to analyse each documentary, picking out the specific parts which made each scene great. This has helped me in all areas as I am very prepared for the challenges that face us when shooting
• Overall, going forward we clearly know our plan of shooting and what needs to be completed and in what order. Once this unit is over we will be able to start creating a proper shoot schedule which will enable us to film this documentary in the best way possible.
• My time management was great in this project. From very early on I was planning what I needed to complete each week and each day, to ensure progression in the project. This worked really well and relieved me of having a lot of stress, particularly towards the end of the unit. The fact I was able to plan out a schedule was thanks to experience that I had learnt in the previous units. This meant I was constantly hitting my own deadlines and progressing in the unit.

What Didn't Work So Well?

• I struggled with my director's statement at first. It was hard for me to understand what needed to be included, meaning I spent more time on this then I really needed too. This was down to me over-explaining everything, meaning my first drafts were very long. I did get the hand of what needed to be included later on, but time was wasted as I struggled to understand what I should be writing.
• I struggled at times to communicate my ideas to the rest of the group. This was mostly an issue in the early stages of the unit as I still did not fully understand the story myself. Pre-production would have certainly been a simpler process if we had worked together, enabling a better sync throughout. The biggest challenges were understanding what they would want to do when it came to making this project. I was very wary of "Taking over" and doing parts of their roles in my pre-production. I was worried at times, that I would have made all of the decisions for them, meaning they could not be creative come January. This was only an issue for the first month, once I knew the story and they knew their roles, we managed to have weekly chats about this project and what I should be doing.
• I would have liked to have done more test shoots. We only did one as a group which means we need to spend more time in January testing. This is not a massive issue, but it would have left us more time to work out the logistics of the project in January.
• Currently, my script length is 24 minutes and I wish I had more time to decide with the group how we reduce this below the 20-minute intended length. As development was going on until the last days, it was hard to make a dramatic change this late in the process.

What I Have Learnt

• This process has been a great learning experience. It has enabled me to push myself to an advanced level where I have been able to produce work that I am very proud of. Over the unit, there have been a number of key things that I have learnt.
• Time management is key to the success of a project. Without my work to plan each week what needed to be done, I would be in constant worry about what needs to be done. This planning enabled me to have a consistent workflow throughout the unit. This enabled me to get each piece of work done in time, allowing time for feedback to be given as well. 
• Communication with the team is vital in ensuring the project is something we have all worked towards. Even though I am in a different situation than most, keeping close contact with my team enabled me to not step on their shoes and do work for them. Our weekly meetings enabled me to explain the developments and gain vital suggestions about what should be done going forward. Without these meetings, I don't think pre-production would have been an easy process, it would have led to a lot of confusion about who completes what work. 
• Analysing reference material very closely enabled me to pick up on techniques that I had not understood before. This research enabled both my script and my website to have much greater detail, improving the professionalism of both vastly.
• The script writing process is not as frustrating as first thought. It allows great freedom, meaning you can craft a highly sophisticated project which much depth and emotion. It was great fun putting the project together and developing my story into one that I am very proud of.

What I Would Improve

• If I were to do this unit again I would only change a couple of things.
• I would have conducted more test shoots together, ideally at each location that we intend to film at, so we had better knowledge of what cameras would be needed. This would have enabled us to do fewer test shoots in January and focus on filming the actual project. In hindsight, if we had done pre-production together this would have happened. I am not disappointed that we did not work together for pre-production, however, as doing it separately enabled us to learn our roles. We were able to spend some time apart before we have the intense process of the major project which will help us work professionally.
• I would have liked to have handed my script in with a 20 Minute piece, but as a singular working on the unit, it was very hard to decide what needed to be cut to shorten the documentary. I did not want to make a big decision on behalf of the group so this will be something we tackle in early 2019.

Closing Thoughts

This has been my favourite unit to work on since I started uni. It has enabled me to grow greatly as a content creator. I have been able to adapt my skills and learn new things, especially in presenting and script writing. This process has enabled me to critique my own work and allowed me to create a story which is relatable to all. The development in the ideas has been incredible, I am really happy at how it has changed for the better. The story is now one that can allow everyone to question themselves and think how they can chase a dream.

I am really excited to start this project with my friends and colleagues in 2019. This has been the perfect learning process to enable me to develop this project fully come January. The long nights to adapt this story have been worth it as it is something I am now very proud of. The challenges that will present themselves in 2019 are exciting and I am looking forward to seeing how we overcome each one. 

Pre Production - Project Evolution DECEMBER

With less than two weeks in December, the foundations of all areas of my project were complete. I was very happy with my progress and I was able to develop my idea from a detailed piece, to a fully comprehensive one. My story now goes deeper and engages the viewer in my story and why I am passionate about this subject. This will allow the viewer to live my experience with me and allow further emotions to be shared. My script now allows an emotional connection between myself and the viewer which has helped the story feel more honest. I am very happy with all stages of my work, including updates to the website, script and Directors statement.

Evolution of the Website & Launch of Fundraiser 

My website has evolved drastically over the past few weeks. Key improvements have allowed me to directly insert my script and directors statement into the website using the google drive feature. This means that I can continue to update these on my google drive and it changes automatically on my website. This has meant that I do not need to spend time continually updating my website with each improvement. This has saved me a lot of time.

I have now filled out every page of my website, keeping to a BBC3 style (My chosen broadcaster) which has enabled our brand to stay consistent throughout. My website is visually pleasing which also fits the filming style we are going to create in our documentary. Below shows some of the pages on my website, showing consistency in style throughout. I put a huge emphasis on making it look visually pleasing, which has worked giving this website a professional look. I still want to make some last changes before submission, but these are only very minor.

The website can be viewed at https://dreamchasertv.wixsite.com/documentary

Script

Scripting has been the largest challenge of this unit for me. The techniques used to bring the images and sequences you have in your brain and put them into a document is an art form in itself. It has allowed me to admire the people who create scripts as a job as it is a process that takes time.

Although it was a challenge, it was one that I really immersed myself within and it allowed me to develop as a video creator. As the script evolved it got deeper into my feelings as a contributor and allowed the viewer to feel purpose in this documentary. I added more sequences with my father which helped bring a better sense of emotions into my documentary. My Father is now a key part of this documentary and the sequences with him will allow my documentary to have a deeper meaning.

I am constantly updating and improving small segments of the script to ensure the mood and tone is consistent throughout. It is a challenge to enable every scene to be consistent but when they are, it allows you to visualise each scene very clearly. The purpose of making my script as detailed as possible is to allow the Camera Operator to understand each scene and adapt them into storyboards.

With only a few days until had in, I will not be changing many things on the script, simply making sure each scene works and has the correct shot type. Detail is consistent throughout and I am proud that my communication with Simon has been put to good use and the script has developed into something better than I honestly expected. The full script can be seen on the website for "DREAM CHASER"

Initial Schedule
I produced a rough schedule of what needs to completed each month until May 2019. I did this as it allows me to gauge how long we should be spending on each segment of our film. We will be scouting locations early on to ensure we have found the best camera locations. This is very important as my film is going to have areas of high cinematics. The race is one of them, will require a whole location recce for itself. There will have to be some filming early on so we can progress with the latter moments of the project, and have a story arc that resembles the actual challenge. The only sequence that will be out of place is the licensing scene which will be recorded at the start when in reality it will be in the middle of my documentary. The full schedule can be seen below.

DEC

• George contact MSV about filming license and medical
• Shooting schedule
• Read Sponsors Book. Get notes ready to pitch ideas to companies at Autosport 

JAN

• Storyboards 
• Recce of Brands Hatch (Start)
• Racing License Brands Hatch ARDS Test ACTUAL Shoot (Mid-End)
• After Uni - Camera Test (DIARY ROOM)
• Want to know Kart track for Interviews + Recce Locations
• Film Filching Manor Sequence on RACE DAY (Sunday)
• Contact Billy Monger Alt Interview http://nathaliemcgloinracing.com/

FEB

• Scout Donnington
• Film Kart Interviews
• Film Brands PTC
• Film Gym Segment
• Film Money segment 
• Film Diary Room

MAR

• Film diary room
• Film updates segments
• Pick up Shots
• START Editing

APR

• Film Testing Day
• Film Race Day
• Film Last diary room scenes

MAY

• EDITING
• Voiceover 

Pre Production - THE SCRIPT

This is the Final Version of DREAM CHASER's script. The progress to this point can be referenced on my September to December evolution Blog on 7th December. I am immensely proud of this script which has evolved drastically over the past three months.

Pre Production - Timeline of Events

Timeline of Events - DREAM CHASER

Scene 1 - Flash forward to the race: Action / Drama of the race to intrigue the viewer

Scene 2 - Title Sequence: DREAM CHASER

Scene 3 - Alex driving and voicing over the challenge of the documentary

Scene 4 - Diary Room Part 1: My introduction to motorsport

Scene 5 - This is my Dream Part 1: Go Karting & why I love it

Scene 6 - Crew meeting discussing the obstacles between now and completing the dream

Scene 7 - Alex driving to Interviews

Scene 8 - Interviews with racing drivers, focussing on the topic of fitness

Scene 9 - Alex’s opinions on what was said

Scene 10 - Alex’s first fitness test at the gym with a personal trainer - What needs to be improved?

Scene 11 - Diary Room Part 2: My first motor race

Scene 12 - Transitioning from Diary Room, Alex and his Father at Brands Hatch recalling the memories of his their first motor race together

Scene 13 - Alex in the car speaking about the cost of motorsport

Scene 14 - Interviews with racing drivers, focussing on the topic of money/costs

Scene 15 - Working out costs of our project and understanding how much needs to be raised

Scene 16 - Diary Room Part 3: A new way to explore motorsport

Scene 17 - 30 DAYS UNTIL THE RACE montage

Scene 18 - Driving to Billy Monger interview

Scene 19 - Greeting Billy and completing the interview

Scene 20 - Reflecting on the interview

Scene 21 - 25 DAYS UNTIL THE RACE montage

Scene 22 - The racing license

Scene 23 - Moments of reflection after passing the test

Scene 24 - Alex unpacking car at home - Further reflection of the test and plans going forward

Scene 25 - 18 DAYS UNTIL THE RACE montage

Scene 26 - Receiving parcel in the post (Racing Equipment) and live reaction to hitting the fundraising goal

Scene 27 - Driving to the track day & discussing opinions on what might happen

Scene 28 - The track day, Alex’s first time in the car. Learning the track and all the formalities

Scene 29 - Saying goodbyes to the team and reflecting on the experience in the car

Scene 30 - Diary Room Part 4: Old photos

Scene 31 - 10 DAYS UNTIL THE RACE montage

Scene 32 - Visiting my happy place: The south downs - Why it’s important to clear your mind

Scene 33 - Calling into the gym to check how my fitness has improved

Scene 34 - Countdown 5-4-3-2-1 DAYS UNTIL THE RACE montage

Scene 35 - Travelling to Race: Discussions in the car about my honest thoughts

Scene 36 - Arriving at Hotel, unpacking while seeing Alex’s emotions before the big day

Scene 37 - RACE DAY, Alarm clock rings

Scene 38 - Establishing shots, birds chirping, Camera crew getting ready

Scene 39 - Crew going to the event by car: Discussions about the day ahead

Scene 40 - Meeting the race team

Scene 41 - The build-up to the race

Scene 42 - The race

Scene 43 - Celebrating after finishing the race with the crew and team

Scene 44 - Contemplating what has just happened with the crew

Scene 45 - Celebrating with Dad

Scene 46 - Diary Room Part 5: Reflection of the race

Scene 47 - Montage of the experience with a voiceover of Alex’s opinions on the process, Concluding with a statement encouraging people to chase a dream

Scene 48 - Credits

Pre Production - SCRIPT EVOLUTION (September - December)

This blog will focus on the evolution of the script from its conception, up to the final copy handed in for our December deadline. This blog will focus on why changes were made and what effect that had to the story. This will show how my decisions have affected the outcome of this script. The scripting has been a challenging process, but one that has been rewarding and allowed me to be created through a process I am new to.

Early Stages
My first task was to allow my original plans to take place in script form. After feedback in September from my tutors, I started the scripting process in October. A first draft was available in late October which had started to show how I thought the documentary should look. It was not finished at this stage but it allowed me to understand how I should approach this part of my job.

The early stages showed me that this was a time-consuming process, allowing me to understand that this process is not one I complete in a matter of days. This was going to take up a considerable effort between September and December and would have many updates.

The early script is located below and you can understand the lack of a full story, but one that is coming together. Over the coming weeks, I would finish the first full version of the script which I gave to my tutor to receive some feedback on.

Version 1 of DREAM CHASER
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K8GKzZflLz3_GMmuZQH6jhbW8hASZMAl-dcjFENER2Y/edit?usp=sharing

First Full Drafts
The next weeks allowed me to finish a full version of the draft and show my tutor for the first time. The feedback was invaluable and helped me change the story. Here are the first full drafts of the script and below you can see what feedback was received.

SCRIPT V3 - DREAM CHASER
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cMJI4V7xCzImdFr0SjS-NR00N3WYbXso5UqY6i1R04I/edit?usp=sharing

The first notes were that my contributors lacked interest. I included multiple interviews but they did not allow the viewer to connect themselves to my story. Simon suggested I include someone who has a story of the struggle to achieve their dreams. Billy Monger allowed nothing to get in the way of his dreams of Formula 1 after losing both of his legs in a motor race in 2017. He fought back to achieve multiple podiums in British F3 in 2018. Billy would be an incredible contributor and add both personality and depth to the storyline of "Following your dreams". After we had discussed this, Billy was added to my documentary script, meaning we can get in contact with him in early 2019 and arrange an interview for our project.

I had also received feedback to remove the mechanical features of my film. These were the sequences that lacked connection. These were the scenes speaking about money to race, fitness and driving pressures. These were to be covered in long interview sequences and I was advised to remove them to enable the viewer to connect to the subject matter more. In removing then I still needed to show us going through the process, as they were vital steps which needed to be shown when speaking about motorsport.

I decided to include the sections in an Edgar Wright style montage where they were all shown within the space of 20-30 seconds. This would then show we have gone about the process of being a racing driver while making it more entertaining as a viewer.

After version 3 I was told that we need to have a better sense of the obstacles placed between myself and finishing my dreams. Most of these were now included in the montage sequence that was trying to make the documentary more interesting. This meant that I was supposed to bring back these sequences that I had originally planned, but show them in a much more interesting way. You will see in my newer versions of the script that I chose to put my original sequences back in, but instead of doing standard interviews, have scenes where I talk to the contributor about a subject why we are doing something. This enables these sequences to be less staged and allow it to feel more natural.

I was asked to dig deeper in my Diary Room sequences as in Version 3 we still lacked a real knowledge of how much this sport means to me. After understanding this feedback I started adapting these sequences and made them much more personal. I allowed the questions that were being asked to dig into my history and determine why I had not done this sooner.

I was told to remove the sections which gave the viewer a behind the scenes look at how the documentary was being made. These sequences did not add anything to the documentary and confused the viewer as to what we were trying to show. These sequences meant the documentary gave off the impression that this was a “HOW TO DO MOTORSPORT” documentary and that is not what we are after. After realising this, I changed these scenes and adapted them into sequences where I am being questioned by the producer, which suited our tone throughout.


More Emotions and Depth

Script version 6 allowed the story to dig deeper into my feelings toward this subject, meaning the story was starting to have more heart. This allowed for a much improved emotional connection between myself as the face on the screen and the viewer. Below is Version 6, which has notes below it showing what feedback was sent after this latest version.

SCRIPT V6 - DREAM CHASER

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15AwTnEMOY_IQOjlUJib68bguRsA709VqrY6sZx9ew7s/edit?usp=sharing

Version 6 was a big step in the right direction as it allowed the viewer to start connecting to myself on a level much deeper than the original scripts. There was still feedback which I took onboard to allow the script to form into the creation I knew it could be.

The documentary script version 6 still made me out to be the presenter. This was mostly down to the phrasing of scenes which gave the impression that I was speaking directly at the camera, rather than speaking off camera. As can be evidenced in my early research, it was decided early on that I was not creating a documentary where I spoke right to the camera. This meant that the tone needed to be correct so that could be understood when reading the script. After receiving this feedback it allowed me to back through the script and properly word each scene, so it limited the use of phrases often said by a presenter. I was also using a lot of voice over which gives the impression that I am a presenter, rather than a contributor. Being a contributor also meant interview segments would become tricky if they were staged. This meant interview sequences would be seen more like actuality sequences which meant they were less staged. These changes can be evidenced in my further scripts which saw the phrasing improve vastly, showing the viewer I was a contributor, rather than a presenter.

Other feedback included further increasing the sense of jeopardy. I had been told to remove these sequences originally, but including sequences such as the fitness were important when showing jeopardy. More emphasis needed to be shown on the importance of passing these tests, which would allow the story to have more tension. These changes can be seen in the later scripts as much emphasis is put on passing each segment (Money, Fitness and Race license) so that the viewer is always left on the edge of their seat. This also helps further connect the viewer to me as a contributor meaning the emotions shown after the final race have meaning.

There was also too much emphasis on the past and not enough on the present. A lot of the documentary was spent looking back in time through my Diary Room sequences. I decided to change this soon after, giving more focus to the current events and future as that would allow the viewer to see what I am like now, rather than constantly looking backwards. These changes in the later scripts meant that we could follow my life and what makes me as a person. An example of a scene which has been added after this feedback is one where I visit the south downs in Sussex and talk about why walking here allows me to clear my mind. Little moments where my personality can be shown will allow deeper meaning and connection between us and the viewers.

Major Progression
Version 9 was one of the last versions of the project, with only subtle tweaks being made after it’s creation. I had been taking onboard all of the advice from the previous drafts which allowed me to create a story which invests the viewer in my story and it’s significance. By this stage my Father was also now a significant part of my project which made the documentary a lot more personal, giving the viewer a further outlook on the importance of this race. My Father being apart of the documentary allowed everything that is said and done to have meaning, meaning the documentary would definitely evoke emotions in those watching. Below is version 9 and the notes made after it’s the completion.

SCRIPT V9 - DREAM CHASER

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P1vvqODGGY8Xc_rmEzK2k3dqINfsWDuwF4lMTYfRaJ4/edit?usp=sharing

Version 9 was a large step forward and only small changes needed to be made between now and it’s the final version.

The wording in some scenes needed to be changed to make sure that I was definitely seen as a contributor rather than a presenter. It was only subtle differences but these made a big impact on how each scene would be viewed.

I was advised to include a list early on of the challenges I would face in this documentary as it would allow the viewer to fully understand everything I would be going through. This list would not be done as a voiceover, rather as a team meeting between myself and the rest of the crew. I was sure not to make this scene seem similar to ones we had been told to remove earlier (The creation of the documentary), but rather a conversation between crew as to what I would need to accomplish.

I also made the point of why I am following the mantra of “Chasing your dreams”. It was vaguely discussed in the documentary, but not much time was spent on allowing myself as the contributor to explain why I am doing this. Why I am attempting this challenge was address in the final version of the script which allowed the viewer to have all the details as the documentary progressed. This subtle tweak allowed the viewer to question themselves as to why they had not achieved their dreams.

At this point, the script was nearly done, but it needed some fine-tuning to make sure that it read properly and that all sequences had a similar tone that the viewer can relate too throughout.

The Final Script

The script was finished on December the 9th which the end of a 3-month scripting process. The final script included a small number of changes from Version 9. The inclusion of time lengths of each scene was present, which did highlight the issue of our documentary currently being 24 minutes long. This issue will be talked about in my Pre-Production evaluation.

This final script also had updated shot types for each scene and I included transitions from scene to scene to ensure the documentary was not jumping from scene to scene. The natural flow that the documentary now has is thanks to the changes in these transitions.

The final voiceover was also adapted to ensure the documentary was not left with the feeling of being a multi-episode series. My original voiceover left doubt as to if there would be a second or third part. This was changed to question the viewer if they can go and achieve their dreams.

The context was now given throughout, allowing the viewer to immerse themselves in the story, which meant the emotional connection was always there. There was a consistent sense of jeopardy in the fitness/license/financial scenes now which meant the end goal had a deeper meaning.

The emotional connection throughout can be seen by the various encounters with other contributors through the documentary. The subtle change to how these are filmed allowed them to dig deeper and ensure I was not seen as a presenter, rather a contributor who is on a journey.

The final script can be seen below. I am very proud of it and I have enjoyed the process. This experience has allowed me to become a more proficient writer who understands the importance of scripts, even in a documentary which has little-staged scenes. This script will be taken forward and be used by Cailan to adapt to storyboards. This is only the start of the process, but the complete script has enabled this journey to hit second gear.


SCRIPT V11 09.12.2018 - DREAM CHASER

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jSGFDCqt2bKsr7DCGDilhUH0pqoFdBu6Nr9atVs9WwQ/edit?usp=sharing

Pre Production - Project Evolution NOVEMBER

November was the second to last month I had on pre-production and it is where a lot of updates happened to the project. I am really happy with the progress made and I am looking forward to the last couple of weeks until hand in. These monthly blogs are to show what I did overall in each month, further detail can be seen in my other individual blogs and website.

Finishing first drafts of script & feedback

I started my scripting in November after feedback and advise from Simon and Helen throughout the past month and a half. The script made rapid progress and I had a first full draft within a week. It kept adapting over November and I was really happy with how much progress I made with it. It changed from a story with some depth to one with a lot of depth and one with a lot of obstacles for the presenter to overcome. That was one of my biggest issues as we had changed it from a doc about motorsport to one about achieving dreams, the number of possible stumbling blocks was reduced as the "mechanical" elements are the ones that would be an issue. However, after further development, I was able to craft a story into one that I am really proud of. I have a couple of weeks to make further improvements to it and finalise the timings for each sequence. When starting this unit, script writing was definitely my biggest fear as I have always struggled to put my thoughts into words.

Making it more personal

One thing I have always struggled with is talking about myself and being personal with subjects. I have always been shy, which has probably led to this, but this script has allowed me to explore my past with motorsport and given me the opportunity to look through a lot of good memories. So as mentioned in my script segment, a lot of progress has been made to make the story more personal and one that has greater meaning and depth and allows the viewer to connect to me.

Also through analysing the story and thinking about what would make it more personal, after advice from Simon and the group I have decided we should include my Dad in the documentary. The reason I never included it before was that I knew he would not want to be on camera. But after some discussions, we have come to the conclusion that there may be ways we could film which would allow him to be less self-conscious. The best idea would be to head to Brands Hatch and include a scene where we revisit the place where we went to when I was a child. If we set it up so that Cailan and George are filming from a distance and my dad and I are on clip mic's we may be able to capture a natural conversation while being filmed. The technical details are yet to be sorted, but this scene will allow the documentary to have greater meaning and an additional personal touch.

I am the contributor, not the presenter

This changes the way the story is told and how it is filmed. In my early scripts, I was manufacturing too many sequences which meant that it was natural and I was being perceived as a presenter. Being a contributor means that the story can be more personal and allow the viewer into my life. After understanding this I started to change the script, which had a lot of voice-over segments and lacked depth about my connection with motorsport. I will still end up having some commentary, but too much changes the tone of the documentary into one where I am an observer looking in, rather than being in the situations myself. This was hard to understand at first but once it became clear, the changes were made to the script and camera angles and I am happy with where I am at.

New interviews - Billy Monger

I have changed the story and script and in doing so I need some more contributors. I have included my Dad already in this post and he is certainly a new contributor, but the main one is the inclusion of Billy Monger. Billy is an inspirational person in the world of motorsport. After spending his whole life trying to make it as a racing driver he had a horrific crash, losing both his legs. He fought back in 2018 to achieve multiple podiums in Formula 3. (A few categories below Formula 1)

Billy will be included in the documentary through a special interview. He will be an incredible asset to our documentary as he will explain how he let nothing get in the way of him achieving his goal of Formula One. This will be an important interview for me, as he will evaluate what he let get in the way of his dream beforehand. It will allow me to understand what stops certain people from achieving their dreams.

The availability of Billy is still to be confirmed as it will be George's job come January to sort out this interview. We hope to chat with him only for a couple of minutes, so we would only need 30 minutes of his time. It would also be great for us to do this interview on a test session when Billy is driving so we can have a more natural chat, rather than one that is staged. If our only opportunity is one that is staged, we will still take it, but we would prefer to do something that is more natural.

Finding visual reference material

I started finding visual reference material in October and I have continued to do so in November to ensure I have as much relatable content for Cailan as possible. This is for when he comes to do the storyboards and needs a visual reference at how some scenes will look. This material can be seen in my other blog posts as I have gone into much more detail in them, but this content has really helped me understand what I should and should not be doing. I found a lot of rookie errors in some BBC shows and I was determined to ensure my script covered all areas. This is so the team are not struggling to get shots on the shoot days and enables me to race without worry that the team are getting great shots. The use of a location recce was not present in a lot of these which did not help the aesthetics of the content I watched. This content was also helping me understand a visual style which can be seen in my other posts. I want the documentary to be cinematic and fast-paced in some areas to engage the viewer, but in other areas to be calm and realistic to show the reality of the situation. I think a good mix is needed to get the right emotion out of the viewer. Further examinations and reference material can be seen in my individual blogs.

Emailing sponsors, deciding on the final budget

I wanted to get to work emailing people to find a bit of extra budget for the documentary. This was the generic email I sent out, but I was changing it depending on the company and what they specialise in. This has already started a few promising leads which I am excited to follow up and see if they lead anywhere. Any extra money will go back into the budget and ease any financial concerns.

What does it take to achieve the dream of a lifetime? That’s what I’m about to find out.
Hey! 

My name is Alex Baldwin and I am a UK Based student in my 3rd year of University studying TV Production. 

For our final year's project, we are creating a 20 minute documentary about me achieving my life dream, of racing in a motorsport race. We have been planning this documentary since May 2018 and we are really excited to start filming in January 2019. The general premise of the documentary is for me to go out and achieve a dream I have thought about my whole life. I will be recalling moments of the past about why this is so important and it will help drive the narrative of “chasing dreams”. 

I am emailing you to ask if you would be interested in being a part of the project. We are aiming for a total budget of £1500 and would love to work with a company such as yourself. We do not expect one singular company to fund the whole project, but possibly 3 or 4 along with some support from my large social media following. In return for any financial investment, you will be invited to the race (how many tickets per company is tbc) along with Sponsorship on my race helmet and overalls. I am also grateful to have a social media following (56k on YouTube, 10k on Twitter, 8k on Instagram - If you want to check them out, my name is “alexzafro” on them all!) where I can further promote your brand. (All the fine details can be discussed!) 

Please let us know if you would like to know more or would like to have a Skype conversation with myself and my team. We do need funding to make sure this project is a success, and we would love to be partnered with you! We think that the package we can put together for you will be very beneficial and one that would be unique from most Sponsorship agreements! 

Thank you for your time and all the best
Alex Baldwin 

The budget has not changed vastly from the last Monthly update, we are happy with where we are at and feel like it is a fair amount of money for us all to contribute. This still works out just under £1700, with myself and George trying to whittle down little costs as Cailan has said he may struggle to pay out first of two payments. After changing out plan, we decided split the money into three payments to the group bank account that George has set up. One in November which has been paid by all, one in January after the SFE student finance comes in, then one in March just before we need to pay for the race day and test day. Cailan was not present in these conversations but he agreed to them and now we can move forward and not worry about money.

George has also started to email companies to see if we can get some free equipment in return for product use in the documentary and also some feedback on their product. This has not got far as of yet, but we are hoping we can receive something out of this which will enable us to have higher quality equipment available to us throughout the shoot days.

We have started a fundraiser which can be understood better in my dedicated blog post. We have set the budget at a reasonably high goal, but we are confident that we can achieve some success from it.

Website

I have started the website which proved to be a really enjoyable process. The website has developed very quickly and I am very happy with how it looks. Aesthetically it suits our project and it has all of the important details needed for a project like this. For further information, you can see the website via the link below.

https://dreamchasertv.wixsite.com/documentary

A very busy month is complete, with just two weeks remaining I am very excited to see what is next. Not many changes will need to be made now, but I will give my all to ensure that I get the Top Grade that I know this project deserves! This progress would not have been possible without my tutor's help and peer support and I am happy that such progress has been made. The documentary is evolving quick and I can't wait to start filming in 2019.

Pre Production - Starting Our Fundraiser

To help raise the much-needed funds for our project to become a reality, we created our fundraising page in late November 2018. I chose the website Kickstarter to raise funds as we wanted to give back to people who donated. Many other websites such as gofundme do not allow people to receive a gift for their kind donations. An example of how they are shown on the website is on the right and a full list of our reward tiers is below. We wanted to give gifts in return for funds as we hope this will convince people to donate. We have set aside £200 for shirts (£180) and poster printing (£20) and have a additional money set aside for the postage of each item.



Pledge £1 or more
You Just Want To Contribute

Pledge £5 or more
Your Name In Credits

Pledge £6 or more
Name In Credits w/ Social In Description

Pledge £10 or more
Behind The Scenes Photos And Videos

Pledge £20 or more
Signed Documentary Poster

Pledge £30 or more
Limited Edition T-Shirt

Pledge £45 or more
Limited Edition T-Shirt & Signed Poster

Pledge £100 or more
Join Us On A Edit Day! (Be A Producer!)

After deciding the fundraising tiers I wanted to film a promotional video which told possible donators about the story and why we are trying to tell it. I wanted to have more time planning and editing this trailer, but we had set ourselves a deadline to have our Kickstarter page online by the end of November. I was happy with the trailer and many backers have since said the trailer was what made them donate, as it clearly got the message across. I had written a script which gave George an idea about what shots I wanted to capture.

The Script & Trailer

Script (V/O):
My name is Alex Baldwin and I want to know how hard it is to follow your dreams.Since I was a child I have been a motorsport fanAnd this is a passion that has led me all over the world to watch my idols race.But one thing still burns deep, The dream of being a race car driver myself.I have tried in the past to accomplish this,but it was to no avail.This documentary is about my journey as I prepare for my first ever motor race.It will let me evaluate my passion for the sport and what stopped me from doing this sooner.There will be many challenges that I will face before I compete for real.My fitness, Money to race and a racing license to name a few.This is where your support can helpBy pledging a small donation you can us document the experience of a lifetimeAnd ensure our 3rd year University Documentary is a successYou can find various options on our kickstarter, chose one that suits youYour support is hugely appreciated, thank you for helping and see you soon.

Shot list:
Alex pulling up in car M/S
Alex sitting in car through window C/U
Alex getting out of car M/S
Alex standing on south bank looking around W/S & C/U
UCU of eyes
Alex sitting on barrier looking around (low angle) M/S
Alex walking to druids hairpin (from behind- following) M/S
Alex standing there as cars go around (Side profile of Alex @ druids) M/S
Pan of car going around while alex is watching M/S

This is the final video. You can see that I ended up changing a lot when it came to editing the trailer. I was still able to use the majority of the shots recorded, but I ended up having to use a lot of archive footage that I had captured earlier in the summer.

The reason for this was because the voice over took longer than expected, meaning the original shots did not cover the 75-second commentary. This was not an issue as it enabled me to show more shots of the car which helps show the viewer what the documentary is about.

The video went through a few versions in the editing phase. I re-recorded the voiceover on multiple occasions to ensure it was not too fast and clearly got the message across. I was happy with the overall video and it looked professional and suited our stories tone, even though it was shot in 90 minutes and planned a few days before. In the future, I would have liked to have more time for this, but under the circumstances, I was given, the video works really well.

Main Body of The Website

Kickstarter gives you the opportunity to clearly explain what your motives are for your project and we spent a long time as a group deciding how best to pitch our project. The conversations we had enabled us to create a clear and accurate description which further explained our ideas and the need for a fundraiser. This is what we collectively wrote as a group:


About Our Project

My name is Alex Baldwin, and together with my team I am going to be embarking on an ambitious 3rd Year university project. By the end of this year we are going to be putting together a 20 min documentary following my journey from a complete novice to following my dream of competing in a motorsport race. We want explore the challenges that I will have to overcome in this documentary, finding out exactly what it will take to make it in the world of motorsport. Giving viewers an insight into the intense requirements that you need to fulfill in terms of fitness, budget etc. Finding out just how hard it is to achieve your dream and reflecting on what stopped me before. In this documentary with the help of my team, we will delve deeper in to my passion for motorsport and my history with it… Our producer has identified the key tasks that will form the narrative of this documentary and if completed, will give me and the viewer a greater insight into this thrilling world.

We plan to shoot and produce a native 4K, professional short-documentary following me throughout the process as I gradually learn what it takes to be a motorsport racing driver. The documentary team consists of myself, Director of Photography Cailan Cook and Lead Producer George Nicholls - we plan to put together a 20 minute piece for our final year at University. In order to achieve the professional look we’re aiming for, we’ll be filming in multiple locations across the country, speaking to a variety of exciting contributors and making use of a variety of equipment, including:

1. Panasonic DVX200 Professional Video Camera (Industry Standard)
2. Panasonic Lumix FZ330 Camera
3. Panasonic Lumix G7 Camera 
4. Sony AX53 Video Camera 
5. Go-Pro Wide Angle Mini-Cameras (for usage inside vehicular scenes) 
6. Portable Clip-Mic’s w/ TASCAM (Industry Standard)

With your support, we can be certain that we document this truly personal story in the most effective way possible. By backing us here on Kickstarter, you will become an integral part of the production process, ensuring we’re able to execute on the vision we’ve had for this piece from the very start, perhaps you’ll even receive some goodies in exchange for your generous support!

If you cannot donate via Card, use this Paypal link: https://paypal.me/alexzafro

Please consider which reward tier you want and donate accordingly. If it includes the poster or t-shirt, please send your address along with the required tier money and £8 for Postage (Europe Only)

Risks and challenges
Our 3rd Year University project is about chasing your dreams. This, inherently, has some unique challenges which we will need to overcome.

I am a novice in the world of racing, which means I have a lot of tasks to complete before I race for the first time. Achieving a racing license, being fit to race and obtaining money to race are a few of the hurdles I will need to overcome. This will all be documented, which will help show my evolution as a person and a race driver. Afterwards, we will see if this experience was all I expected it to be and if I would have done anything differently.

I will have the personal challenge of understanding what stopped me from trying to achieve this earlier, which will delve more into me as a person and my family who got me into motorsport. This may bring out some memories and emotions I had never shared before!

-END OF DESCRIPTION-

Branding and Identity 

After clearly stating our projects intentions, I started creating some basic branding for the Kickstarter. I had done some similar for my website which enabled me to understand the style, but our aim was for our branding to be bold. I first chose this image, but quickly realised when importing it into the project, that the picture needed to be 16:9 in landscape orientation, so we had to choose a different image.

After some time in photoshop adapting some images that were taken of me when I was karting, I completed this image which we used for our Kickstarter page. The picture is dramatic and the bold text gives a clear indication of what the subject of this documentary is. The blue shadow on the text enables it to stand out and add another layer to a dramatic poster. The importance of strong branding is to show the tone of the project as well as it's professionalism. This along with the trailer I created, enabled us to have a fundraising page with a lot of information and visual material.

After our branding was complete we were ready to launch our project. We had worked effectively to have a fundraising page that had a lot of effort put into it. We know the effort put into the page will draw in possible donators as it is visually pleasing and shows our concept well. We were wary of sharing a basic fundraising campaign with little effort, as we knew it would detract from the professionalism of the project. Time spent creating a well thought out campaign will hopefully bring in more donators.

The project launched and had great support from the very first days. We received just under £200 in the first 3 days, already going through the 1/4 goal. We were very happy with this early progress and time spent creating a visually pleasing and well thought out campaign helped lead to these donations. We have until the end of January to reach our £800 goal if we do not reach that goal our project will not have succeeded. If that is the case we will not get any money as Kickstarter runs an "ALL OR NOTHING" policy to help protect donators. We are confident we can reach the goal and we believe the time spent creating this page would be worth it. 

Update - Monday 10th December

Our early success on Kickstarter continued as we have now received over £350 of our £800 goal. We are still less than 2 weeks into our 8-week fundraiser and to have made this much progression has enabled us to be very confident that we will reach our goal.

We have had contact with a number of people who said they will donate in the next few weeks and we will continually share the page to help create further backing.

We are aware there may be an influx of donations after Christmas, as people will be saving their money for that. We hope to get a boost in the new year to hit our eventual goal. Overall, progress has been fantastic and we are excited to see what further donations we receive.