The Digital Archive Group

Barrington

Documentary

Entry Description

BHS-TV students went to HARPO Studios to create a documentary about the digitization of the photo archives of Oprah Winfrey

Judge 1

Positives: Good job! This is a sharp, professionally shot piece with a base of very good interviews and a tight structure. The subject matter is interesting, and there isn’t a wasted moment. It’s generally quite enjoyable to watch.

Improvements: This is very different than all of the other documentaries it competes against… and I would actually not consider it a documentary on the same level. It’s more of a promotional style journalistic feature. As a true documentary, I’d love to see you alter the style a bit to convert this to a compelling short film (change pacing, add music, alter soundbites). But again— for what it is (news feature), I do think it’s a solid piece. I’m sure you’re aware, but you’ve got some problematic audio issues with George Burns’ interview. I’m afraid there’s really not much that can be done about this in post; you’ve just got to make sure to wear headphones during the interview and make sure it doesn’t happen in the first place.

Judge 2

Positives: Interesting and captivating piece! Very cool b-roll shots. Great interview content. Good job!

Improvements: Sound was the biggest struggle in this piece. The mic was placed too high on George's shirt and rubbed on his chin, interfering with the sound. It's important to listen to the audio as you're recording and always ask to re-do a question/answer if you don't get good audio. Overall, George's interview sounded muffled. I would've had the founder looking off to the side, rather than into the camera.

Judge 3

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Judge 4

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