Gibsons: Star of Chicago - ID# 185
Glenbrook South
Documentary
Entry Description
Gibsons: Star of Chicago
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/9 8:48 pm - KEEPERS: Really well done corporate-style video promotion of an iconic restaurant. It didn't feel like a traditional documentary but it's a great piece for a long-form advertisement. The production value was on the whole really well done. The interview set ups were well done and dynamic. The broll was well shot for the most part and you had execllent coverage of the restaurant as a whole. IMPROVEMENTS: I think the documentary needed a more central focus. It felt a bit stale in terms of the content. Again, it felt more like a corporate long-form ad. There is definitely a place for that type of work! My biggest issue is that the only sound driving the story comes from the interviews. You need to also have some broll sound as well. Waht I really wanted to see interstitially between interviews were a few moments of broll with sound so we can see/hear Chris coming into work, interacting with staff, see/hear the waiter doing this thing. see/hear the sizzle of the steaks hitting the pan. These sounds and moments give the viewer a break from only hearing from interviews and allow them to get a truer sense of the subject...in this case, Gibsons. In terms of editing, make sure you align your broll to your aroll (interviews) at times shots felt thrown in and didn't always relate to what was being said in interview. Consider using more than one song in this piece. The song you chose is great, but any song in a documentary is going to get stale if it's looped for 5 straight minutes. I would argue you need at least three songs: 1 for each thematic section of your documentary. Overall, great work! Keep telling stories and sharing them with us!
- 2/24 2:52 pm - STORY: For some reason, the style of this video seems more like a corporate promo video than a documentary. It’s like a long-form commercial for Gibsons that would be on their website. So, on the one hand you made a really nice video. On the other hand, I’m not sure this works as a documentary because it’s too generic. It doesn’t really give us a clear focus (it jumps from family history to business practices, food to customer service, employees to customers). PRODUCTION: The footage and b-roll looked great. It’s clear that you had access that most people wouldn’t have, which gave you the opportunity to get a lot of great footage. But sometimes the b-roll that you were showing on the screen wasn’t related to what was being said in the interview. Some of your b-roll was WAY too underexposed to be usable (see the clips at 2:22 and 4:13). When he mentions Hugo, where was the b-roll / picture of Hugo? Be careful on your audio mix; your old-timey jazz music got loud during a certain section and started to drown out the interview audio. As a reminder, when mixing your audio levels, your primary audio (interviews, voice overs, dialogue) should be between -6 and -12 on the VU meter. You have your secondary audio (natural sound, sound effects) which should be between -12 and -18 on the VU meter. Finally, you have your tertiary audio (music beds) which should be between -18 and -24 on the VU meter.
Judge 1
Positives: Great job keeping the history of Gibson's brief as an introduction, before jumping into what the restaurant stands for and what they're all about. Great mixture of interviewees and b-roll.
Improvements: Music was a bit loud during certain parts. I think explaining "Hugoisms" earlier on, before it is mentioned, would be ideal, as I was confused when Chris first mentioned it.
Judge 2
Positives: Great use of old and new footage and photos to tell the story at the beginning of the video. The audio levels were good. Levels were consistent. The background music fit very well.
Improvements: The edit pace was a bit choppy and therefore distracting at times. Shots could have been up longer or shorter where appropriate. The story was edited to where I didn't understand how to follow the story at times. It was uncohesive. Some times the B Roll didn't fit the interview.
Judge 3
Positives: I loved your broll and use of drone videography. Very smooth camera work overall when putting together your broll overlays. I got a really good sense of place and your visuals did a great job illustrating what was being talked about. Your sound recording was really great! All interviews were recorded well, which can be tricky with all the people you have. I also thought your music choice was great and fit the piece really well. When sound is done poorly it can really bring the viewer out of the film, but when its done well, like in your film, the viewer may not notice it as much which lets them dive into your story, the most important part of the film as much as possible. Well done, I really enjoyed your film!
Improvements: I'm not sure about the two cameras on opposite side of your subject, it felt a bit jarring to bounce between those two angels. I would suggest still use two cameras, but have one tighter in on your subject or at least on the same side of your subject. Good job thinking to film with two cams though, this gives you more options in the edit! I think there was a bit too much narrative/dialogue packed in, you have a great story but I would have liked more "breather" moments. It felt like it was moving a bit too fast, like I was trying to "keep up" with the film at times. It's hard to "kill your darlings" but I think your film would be stronger if you removed a bit of the narration, or maybe anything that could be considered redundant.
Judge 4
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Judge 5
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