Bulldogs Forever - ID# 244
Riverside Brookfield
Documentary
Entry Description
A short cut of a documentary that tells the story of this years varsity football team and their roots.
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/12 9:26 pm - KEEPERS: This was a really good documentary in terms of its overall production value. Really great work with the broll from the sidelines to the photographs. Well filmed and documented. Your interview setups were really well produced both inside the locker room and outside on the field. Great demonstration of your ability to film with natural and produced light. Audio was also top notch. The editing of this had great pacing and flow. It was kept visually fresh and appealing throughout the piece. IMPROVEMENTS: All of your player interviews were framed with the players on the right side of the frame. This can make the look stale. A great tip is to interview one player on the right side of the frame and then the next on the left. That subtle change provides a different look and feel. It also makes it a bit less jarring when you cut from player interview directly to player interview. Use more natural sound in the documentary. I wanted to hear the players joking around, the sounds of whistles, the sonic atmosphere of practice, versus camp, versus gameday. There wasn't enough of that element. Also look for opportunities to use that nat audio as transitional moments within the story. In other words, take 3-5 seconds of broll w/natural audio to play out between one story element and another. That keeps the entire piece from being one solid wall of talking heads. Work a bit more on your music production. At times it felt a bit beddy without a ton of emotional pull. Look for songs that are dynamically different from one another but still work within the piece for each story element. Great work, overall!
Judge 1
Positives: absolutely fantastic cinematography great title cards great production quality all around
Improvements: -there's really no throughline to the story. it's all over the place full of very generic football stuff that didn't really engage me even as a football fan. understand maybe the team just doesn't have much that interesting going on but it's your job as the journalist/documenatrian to figure out where the story is and hone in on it, otherwise pick something else. I learned nothing from this other than some kids played dinosaurs together
Judge 2
Positives: great presentation. had all the knock out quality of something you would professionally see produced on ESPN (sets, lighting, interview variety) also, really great story telling recalling the past games by the students themselves.
Improvements: I wouldn't make things too romantic. Its only high school. and your best years are way ahead of you. When you start statements off like "who I am today.." usually your expecting it from some one old like me, not a promising kid like you. I'm making an example off you because there is something you don't want to do with documentary film making is hyperbole. You want the facts. not something romanticizing. take a step back, why are you playing foot ball? is it for scholarship, recognition, popularity. be more clear and mindful about your motives asa story teller and you'll find you'll not only ask better questions, but have an easier time editing your doc in post.
Judge 3
Positives: Great use of music. Loved the B-roll composition. The set and lighting for the interviews were really creative. (good to remind talent to sit up straight).
Improvements: I lost interest in the story. It seemed to repeat that football brings young people together over and over. You can ask more interview questions to have more to work with.
Judge 4
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Judge 5
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