Plan Outline

I created a draft outline of the narrative our documentary should follow. I followed the conflict model to plan out the ideas:

Beginning – equilibrium (1-2 minutes)

• Identifying skate culture as “self”
• Questions: what does skate culture mean to you, why do you do it etc.
• Follow skater in one journey like Hill Street
• Location: Somewhere in London, near south bank, Brighton seafront?
• Close up and long shots
• go pro footage
• Inspiration:

Middle – disruption (1 minute)

• People saying why they disagree with skateboarding
• Location: People along south bank
• One person in their house, mum/teacher or something
• Questions: how do you feel about skate boarding, what negative prejudices do you have towards it?
• Visuals: archive footage of skaters misbehaving

Middle – Recognition (1 minute)

• Skaters acknowledging its misconceptions
• Questions: What preconceptions do you think people have with skate culture, etc.
• Locations: Southbank, House of Vans, The Level
• Visuals: Skaters hanging out with each other in big groups, looking anti-social, smoking etc.

Middle – Attempt (1-2 minutes)

• Justifying its culture, influence on mainstream culture, community aspects
• Visuals: fast paced shots of skaters performing tricks, cutaway footage to match things they’re talking about

End - New equilibrium (1 minute)

• Conclusive points on skate culture
• Location: Film during sunset at Hove Lagoon/The Level
• Visuals: Get some cliché looking into the sunset shots
• Questions: do you think people will change their minds about skate culture?
• Would you ever change because of what others think?

Location Research

Today I went into central London to get a better feel for the locations that we had chosen to use.

I first went to visit the Southbank skatepark:

I was worried that the lighting would be pretty poor for filming, since it's under a tunnel/bridge. However it seemed to look okay when filming on my phone, even though it was a really gloomy day. The bright graffiti stands out also, which will work well to emphasise the art side of skate culture.

There was also a large group of boys sitting around, seemingly aimlessly, which is useful for our film as we want to represent skaters in an observational style.

Next I went to the House of Vans. I asked them if it was okay to film there next week, and they said it would be fine to turn up on the day, as long as it doesn't get too busy. I also got their contact details to double check with them.

I think this would be a good place to film, as it represents culture aside from just performing tricks. For example when I was there, I spotted a group of teenagers dancing to rock music. In the House of Vans they also have film screenings, and art exhibitions. 

Assessment 1

Today we submitted our first assessment. It did not go as well as I had hoped, as unfortunately the editing was left until last minute. A few problems arose, for example it was difficult to find a computer room which had the latest software. We just about finished editing, an hour before the deadline. 

The video above shows what we submitted for our pilot. I think if we had more time we could have made it a lot better. As a director, I will push the editor in our group to start working on the video way before our next deadline.
We use fast paced shots in the beginning of the pilot and then slow motion shots in the second half. I think in our final version of the film, it would make more sense to have slower shots in the beginning then increase the pace. We also used lots of shots of skateboarders performing tricks, which was extremely repetitive. I think that we need to film way more cutaway shots of other related iconography. I'd like to include footage of skaters hanging out with each other, in order to represent skate culture more clearly.

Day 2 Shoot

To prepare for our shoot Jessie and I experimented with using the go-pro cameras:

We initially found it quite difficult to figure out how to use all of the buttons, and all the extra equipment (for example grips), however it was better for us to master it before we got to the shoot.

The go-pros filmed in great quality, with a slight fish-eye effect. They were also useful for shooting in slow motion, which we'd like to use in our film. Go-pros are also known for their attachment to skateboard videography.

Before the shoot, we also drafted some questions to ask our subjects:

• Please state your name and that you give permission for us to film
• How long have you been skateboarding?
• Do you come to the Level very often?
• What made you want to get into skateboarding?
• How do you feel about skateboarding culture?
• Do you think that skate culture exists as a subculture itself, or is it just a sport?
• Do your friends skate as well or do you do it on your own?
• What negative perceptions do people have of you skateboarding/skate culture?

For the shoot, we filmed again at the Level to get some more footage for the pilot. We filmed in slow motion, using the X70 camera, of skaters performing tricks. This was to add to dramatic tone of our documentary.
We interviewed two boys who we saw skateboarding in regards to their thoughts on skate culture. It was useful to receive the opinions of actual skaters, as it was more personal, pertaining to the "self" aspect of the brief.

Pitch

Feedback from pitch:

We need to make sure that we're properly focused on the brief; we have to make a clear focus on skateboarding as a subculture, not just about the sport itself. We will make sure to tailor our interview questions towards skateboarding culture, however it may be a bit difficult to visually represent this.

Day 1 Footage Review

I looked over the footage we recorded this week to see what is useable or not. Some of the footage that was recorded handheld was way too shaky to be used. Also some of the footage was not in focus. I noticed that some of the footage we supposedly recorded was missing, as it seemed like the camera person had forgot to press record. I understand that this is an easy mistake to make, but from now on we must be careful to avoid such mistakes. As a director I should make sure that everything looks okay before filming.

Most of what we filmed was quite good as we captured lots of skateboarders performing tricks. These would all make great cutaway footage.

I placed all the short cuts into a bin so that the footage would be easily accessible. Moreover it means that the editor wouldn't have to look through all the footage again, he'd just have to select the best cuts to put together. I roughly cut together some similar shots from different angles in order to create a match on action effect. I will leave it down to the editor to tighten up the sequence.

Additionally, I used the rest of the cutaway footage to put into a sequence that we could use for our pilot. This included some ambiguous shots for example of a lamp post with skate shoes off of it. This will set the tone for our documentary as it represents skating culture. I think the pilot should be slow paced with a voice over in order to show 'equilibrium'. However a lot of the shots we had were quite fast, following the action of the skateboarders. I think that in our next shoot, we should record some more ambiguous and establishing shots.

Viewing Log - Long Live South Bank

Long Live Southbank, commonly known as LLSB, is a non-profit organisation campaigning for the protection of the Southbank Undercroft skateboarding area from redevelopment. 

The documentary follows the conflict model structure. The 'equilibrium' begins with a brief history of the skatepark and its architecture. This is denoted through the use of archive photographs and a voiceover interview from an architect.

• It is filmed quite artistically, with low contrast, creating a gritty tone reflecting skateboarding culture. 
• It features a range of different subjects giving their opinions, from local skaters to an MP.

The 'disruption' is then revealed through the narrative, as a voiceover talks about the plans for the skatepark to be moved. This is emphasised through the change in pace, with longer lasting images, and much slower and emotional music.

The subjects 'recognise' the situation and one speaker says that the council plans "to get rid of us". The proposed argument for the story is heightened by presenting reasons against the council's decision. For example they state that there are already many shops in the Southbank area, therefore there is no need to build a retail park.

In an 'attempt' to resolve the issue, various skateboarders discuss what it means to them and why they do it. They argue in their favour that skateboarding demonstrates "young people who do care" and it's not just an act of rebellion.

The 'new equilibrium' is formed by presenting shots around the skatepark, allowing the audience to think.