Photoshoot Plans and Drafting
Magazine Film Review:
Layout of Review - Here is a template that I made on Microsoft word, demonstrating the layout we want to have for our short film review. I have developed the conventions of a typical magazine film review layout, which include a tagline, dominant image, plot, directors' names etc. In addition to this, I have added something extra that only Sight & Sound Magazine have - a key point from the film or article quoted in a different colour, bold and in bigger font. For example (quote from Khi Graham):
"You need the dedication to do it so yeah, I'd say it's important."
We will try and select the best quote from one of the interviews that reflects the overall message of the documentary.
Dominant Image
Our idea for the dominant image is a long shot of a group of skateboarder's within Southbank Skate Park or from our local skate area in Lloyds Park to reflect our intended message of the subculture. This image will be a key part of the magazine film review as it should be one of main things that catches a reader's attention, along with the original title 'It's Not Raining' and tagline.
Khi Graham is the "protagonist" of our documentary because our interview questions were mostly answered by him, whereby he gave the most effective responses when asked. The image to the left shows a photograph we took while filming him, which is the one that we plan to use in our magazine film review. Being that our film is a documentary, we want to capture the realism so we will not ask him to come and do a photoshoot for us. The photograph is great because it is bright and colourful, which will hopefully catch the readers' eye and stand out amongst the text. The brightness of the image additionally reflects the positive message we are trying to portray about skateboarders.
1st Draft:
Inspire, inform and change perceptions. The purpose of this documentary short is clearly to use expositional and observational modes to give an insight into the benefits behind skateboarding, while the message directors Ashley Fontaine and Tamuka Walker want to get across to the audience is the 'positive side' of London's skateboarding subculture and how important skateboarding is to those who take part in the sport. Not only do the directors want their short film to be inspirational to those who skateboard, but it may also be that they want to reach out to the wider community of people who do not skateboard. Perhaps their intended audience is therefore anyone from young teenagers to those more mature in age who have an interest in documentary films and the art of skateboarding.
Mention:
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If I knew anything about the subject before I watched it
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What I expected to see
This documentary short has been filmed in an array of places within London, from a local skate park, to the “home of skateboarding Southbank.
Mention:
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1970’s footage of community in Southbank Skate Park.
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Shots used at the skate park (close up of skateboarder, long shot of the community there and panning of graffiti on walls)
In particular, the main interview at 'Slam City Skates Store' was insightful as the film captures a more personal insight into skateboarding from a worker, who was also a contender of a skateboarding competition. The discussion reveals the determination needed to be a skater, along with his view of the skateboarding community in London, offering both positives and negatives as "some skateboarders would rather turn their backs on a kid than help them" improve their skills. This interview is a key part of the documentary since it allows the audience to grasp the whole sport, but in a succinct yet informative and interesting way.
Mention:
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Voiceover used to explain the meaning behind the title
Overall, the technical aspects of this short film are pretty impressive. The young directors have done well at capturing the raw essence of the skateboarding community within London through a range of camera shots and angles.
Mention:
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Drawbacks of a documentary (quite a lot of talking via interviews and voiceovers that need to keep the audience engaged even if they don’t know the subject of the documentary; may not appeal to them.
They have also managed to document the different age groups involved in the sport, reinforcing their main message. The footage chosen to document is sharply focused on the purpose of the film, while the additional instrumental music in the background compliments the documentary short, bringing it to life and thus making the continuity smooth throughout.
2nd Draft: (Changes were made after a discussion with Tamuka)
Inspirational and Insightful: Ashley Fontaine and Tamuka Walker are East London filmmakers with a passion and flare for conveying simple yet powerful messages about topics in today’s society. Documentaries are a “creative treatment of actuality” (John Grierson, 1926) and these two have successfully managed to capture the authenticity behind London’s skateboarding subculture. By using expositional and observational modes, this documentary short gives an insight into the benefits behind skateboarding and how important the sport is to those who take part in it. The message of the “positive side” of London's skateboarding subculture is cleverly communicated and aids in changing the negative perceptions of those skaters in society. ‘It’s Not Raining’ is mainly composed of interviews, a voiceover and establishing shots. The film’s effectiveness allows it to be appealing to those who skateboard, but also to the wider community of people in society who have no knowledge of the sport. Perhaps their intended audience is therefore anyone from young teenagers to those more mature in age who have an interest in documentary films and the art of skateboarding.
Before stepping into the world of skateboarding, I knew the bare minimum about the topic; my basic knowledge only stretching to the knowing of a few beginner’s tricks and skateboarding brands such as Nike SB. Since amateur filmmakers tend to make short films, my expectations were confined to a vision of a film with a weak storyline and poor shot compositions like those skateboarding videos on YouTube. However, Fontaine and Walker’s choice to use an intimate documentary style short film with captivating interviews was a powerful way to communicate the skateboarding community, conveying the daring action sport in it’s full glory.
The documentary short has been filmed in a multitude of places within London, from a local skate park, to the place known as “home of skateboarding” in Southbank. The 1970’s archive footage demonstrates the evolution of skateboarding, while the vibrant graffiti that covers the walls of the skate park enhance the creativity that may first come to mind when you think about the sport. The main interview at 'Slam City Skates Store' in Shoreditch was especially insightful as the film captures a more personal experience into skateboarding from a contender of a skateboarding competition. The discussion reveals the determination needed to be a skater, along with his view of the skateboarding community in London, offering both positives and negatives as "some skateboarders would rather turn their backs on a kid than help them" improve their skills. This interview is a key part of the documentary as it allows the audience to grasp the whole concept of the sport, but in a succinct yet informative and interesting way.
On screen text and visuals to explain the film’s title added a unique touch and created a huge impact on the film’s meaning: motivation is the key.
Overall, the technical aspects of this short film are pretty impressive. The young filmmakers have done well to capture the raw essence of the skateboarding community in London through a range of camera shots and angles, showing the different age groups involved in the sport and thus reinforcing their message of the positive vibes within the cohesive subculture. The footage chosen to document is sharply focused on the purpose of the film, while the additional instrumental music in the background compliments the documentary short, bringing it to life and thus making the continuity smooth throughout the fascinating journey the audience are taken on.
Key Point Chosen for Quote
"Everyone skates man, every walk of life, every type of person."
- Joe Thompson
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We have decided to use this photograph for the dominant image as after discussion, we agreed that we would prefer to use one of the photographs we took while filming since it's more authentic. This image (taken during our practise film session during the summer) is great for our magazine film review as it shows a community of skateboarders that fit into different agr groups. It also looks very natural and links back to the type of documentary we are conveying; the observational side means the social actors behave as if no filmmakers are there.
We plan to create the magazine film review using 'https://www.lucidpress.com', since its a free online design tool for brochures, flyers, newspapers and magazines.
Film Poster:
Here is the photograph we have chosen for our documentary, it was taken while filming in one of our locations - Lloyds Park. We thought it would be best to use naturalistic, observational image such as this since that's what documentaries are all about, nothing is staged.
This image in particular was chosen because it's a great depiction of the skill level within the sport. The skateboarder is also standing in an intriguing angle, which may attract our audience. The prop is also key in telling the audience what the topic of our documentary is about - the use of a skateboard clearly indicates that we will be exploring this sport.
This skateboarder (Jake) features in our home video footage at the end of our short film.
We plan to use Adobe Photoshop to cut our the skateboarder from the background, in order to replace it with a background of our choice, possibly a block colour since the sky looks very dull.
Combination of Colours we Plan to Use:
Font we Plan to Use:
It's Not Raining (Helvetica)
OR
It's Not Raining (Lucida Sans Unicode)
This film festival logo will also be on our film poster. We have had permission from the company to use it as our sixth form is in partnership with them, since it is in the Walthamstow area. By adding this, we are sticking to the convention of documentary short film posters that include supported festival company names.
By Ashley Fontaine