Short Documentary Blog Post

1- The narrative starts with Jeremy Mccgraw, he describes that as a kid he loved being in the dirt. Motocross was the perfect experience for him to fulfill this pleasure and he wouldn't know what else he would be doing if he stopped motocross. Ashley Fiolek is Jeremies friend, Jeremy helps her out at the Honda track for upcoming races. Ashley is deaf and we understand some pain that she goes through when she gets applause from people and she can't hear how well she is doing.

Jeremy usually competes in the X games but this time he is a game commentator. Jeremy's friend who compete in the X games say this is good because they dont want to loose to him again. Jeremy talks about how brethtaking it is to watch the freestyle at the X games. He says you think you might get used to it but it is always an amazing experience. "They make my hairs stand up."

Jeremy races of off road trucks at T.O.R.C. (the of road course). As a child Jeremy loved Rick Johnson and to day he gets a chance to meet up with him. Jeremy and Rick are both competitive racers. "We race with every fiber in our body."

Jeremy describes that it is good to have friends especially if your the new because you need pointer on how you can improve. Jeremy races at POWDER MTN., he says that it is always fun because of the camaraderie.

Jeremy says that there are 7 on the team: 5 got 1st place and 2 of them got 2nd place = His team is really good.

Jeremy only has one problem with his job, he travels TO much and he misses his family. Although this is a downer Jeremy has made it into the MOTOR-SPORTS HALL OF FAME.

2- Theshots are definitely varied. There are shots that follow the off road vehicles and some camera lenses are placed in front of the rider while they race. The interviews are interesting, Jeremy sits in a chair and the camera pans across the room as he is answering questions (with him still in the shot).

Definitely the shots are varied enough so that we don't get bored. Due to the action music and the action that goes in the documentary the shots change very quickly. For example during the interviews, there will be a close-up and while they are still talking the shot will be the beginning of a shot reverse shot. The camera always follows the off road trucks and when they mess up the camera swiftly zooms in on the failure but this is to add some tension because everyone is already off there seats hoping they will succeed in the trick.

3- The editing is not that great because while there is an interview b-roll cuts in and we see what is going on in the world of motocross. Obviously this sport is breathtaking, nail-biting, and gripping experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat so it is very compatible to have action music throughout the film. The only time that these motocross racers don't have action music playing is in the morning. During the morning these guys wake up in a calm environment.

As the soothing music plays this shows that these people are ordinary people with a passion and a dream for what they do. Jeremy says: "Bacon and eggs, i can do bacon and eggs any day." This quote is a quick and easy tool to help us realize that they are the same as us that they would eat bacon and eggs for breakfast just like almost everyone else.

Documentary PrePro

Documentary Pre-Production

Purpose: To show the importance of ELD English classes.

Contacts: Students enrolled in the class. The teacher that teaches ELD.

Interview Questions: Teacher Questions: GET THERE NAMES Can you describe to us what ELD is? What is the average number of students in an ELD class? How many ELD classes do you teach in a day? What are some challenges that come with teaching students how to speak English? Who regulates the difficulties of the assignments you assign? Do you feel that assignments are too easy for the students or if they’re too hard? When do you know to move on to the next level in teaching these students? Do you feel that students perform better in school based on learning to understand English better? Can you describe to us why ELD is important and why it should stay in the curriculum? There is a saying: “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” So when life gives you students, what do you make THEM into? How much do you love your job and what is your favorite part about it? Students’ questions: GET THERE NAMES

Where you born in the United States? If not where? Is English a second language to you? How long have you been taking ELD? Why are you taking ELD? Has your English improved since you have been taking ELD? For example, has it gone from a C to a B? Does the homework challenge you hard enough so that you do better? General Flow: In the beginning, we will see b-roll of the teacher teaching her class and we will fade to the actuall interview with the teacher describing what ELD is. In the middle, the teacher will tell us challenges about what she does in her job and then fade into the interviews with the students describing us how ELD has helped them. In the end, the final questions will pop up and the teacher will tell us how she transforms teens (that have just moved to the country) into successful students. Then she will tell us what she loves about her job and what the best part about is. Shot List- B-roll of classroom being taught CU- interviews with teacher and students Walking shots- me following the teacher throughout the day. 180 degree shot- panning the camera 180 degree around the teachers head CU- Students working hard.

Scripts: No script can be written yet due to the fact that i do not have my shots yet. the script will be written when i have filmed my shots. Intro: There are many levels in English studies but ELD helps students out more than we would ever expect. ELD helps shape our students of tomorrow. Closing: the closer will be the lemonade question.

Baraka

1- Baraka, created by Ron Frickle and Mark Magidson, is a film with no plot but rather a deeper meaning of the world around us. In addition, Ron Frickle and Mark Magidson's production makes us think differently about the events happening across the globe.With all of the beautiful shots taken around the world we as individuals must find out our own meaning to what we see.

Baraka is a specifically designed movie to heighten the viewers awareness about the traditions, lifestyles and the devastation that man ,animals and nature itself can create on the planet.

Above is a screen shot taken directly from the film, it shows how a simple oil fire fire can summon such destruction and terror on a landscape and the intensity of a volcano (right side picture)

Altough Shot Durations are prolonged to a certain extent to where the viewer can't take it anymore, the scenery changes. This developing technique is used to first, draw in the attention of the viewer; two, let them absorb the information given to them; three, process the information gathered.

The shots shown above are from Maui, Hawaii. They are from different time frames but each one of these shots were prolonged to about 30 seconds (a lot longer than the average 3 second shot). This is paramount because it exemplifies the way the directors are able to capture there audience with such camera work. It is interesting to see how after a 30 second shot we can move over to another location a few miles away and still be interested in the landscape with another 30 second shot (we might even be looking forward to it).

Why is the film titled Baraka?"

Baraka; meaning "breath" in Persian Sufi (Islam), is the title because with each breath you try to capture the essence of the situation around you. The word 'baraka' is a message to tell us that you need to stop and pay attention to your surroundings for a change and notice the smallest details.

Actors and Locations:

In the film world, directors are constantly looking for actors. But what better actor is there then the true being you are trying to impersonate? The directors of this movie intended on one goal: to show the people of how other peoples societies function. Embarking on this mission required two things which were: ordinary people (as actors) and there society (as the location or setting in which they inhabit).

Narrative Structure:

A theme to take away from this film is that everyone, in every part of there lifestyle, religion or culture is different. Some might be more similar than others but there will always be something that separates an individual from the rest.

Editing:

The way the movie is edited is edited merits some spotlight. Each shot is pieced together in a way so that each shot either connect through a deeper a meaning or is simply just a transitioning tool.

Sound:

According to the different shots, a partially different sound or music/soundtrack plays. Obviously, each shot has a different pace and intensity depending on location. As a result the editors or sound designers change the the track to something up-beat or slow passed so we understand the level of stress in an environment.

For example, as factory workers work in a factory we can imagine how it is for them to keep up with there work and stay on schedule all the time. Therefore, the music is up beat and moving quickly.

We have another occasion where we see the life of large portion of indian population living in a slum or a type of downtown where the buildings are a wreck. the next shots are of graveyards showing that there lives are as dull as the deads. therefore there is slow-passed music.

2- The film is expressing a planetary perspective critiquing the modern world. it is saying that the people in our current century are not as caring nor observant of the different cultures and severity of situations around the world. The film also tells us that we as humans spend so much paying attention to ourselves that we've become ignorant about the beauty that surround this planet.

3- Baraka brings us several messages such as taking care of our planet and praise it for its true beauty because every time something man made is created it ends up in the dumb like the dumb seen in the film. We receive the message by looking at landscapes around the world and it says that natures pure beauty should be enough to please man kind.

4- The absence of voice affected the goal of the global perspective in Baraka by letting the action in the shots or the actions by the people speak louder than words. so to make the actions speak louder the editors removed any speech or dialogue.

5- Answered above.

6- We watched Baraka in order to be exposed to different editing techniques and concepts. I have never thought about connections so much in my life with this movie and after though i have seen this movie it does not encourage me to travel because most of the shots creeped me out but taught me a thing or two about our planet.