DMCC Evaluation
For this module, we were as a group, assigned to create a three minute documentary based around the landmark Spurn point. The aim would be to cover one or more of various aspects associated with that area, and to produce a focus based documentary that was interactive and media rich with content.
As part of the assignment, we were designated particular roles to carry out throughout the process. This was to ensure that the workload was spread evenly, and so that everyone had a part that would hopefully align with their strengths.
My roles were to be; an interviewer, to oversee the scripting, and to present the documentary.
As part of the process, we used a programme called Basecamp, which enables the group and the lecturers to communicate, set roles, create, and share data with each other, to enhance and aid the projects development.
My first use of basecamp was to get to grips with the site, and its features. I liked the to-do lists that were placed on there, as it gave clear indication to what roles and responsibilities we each had.
I placed a link to a video on YouTube onto the site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnqSwLZTLo
This link was to a documentary about Spurn Point which featured many aspects, of which we as a group at that particular point may have chosen to work on and research further.
I completed some research on the history of the lifeboat, of which I attained of a website. I also gained small research on the world war two aspects from the same website.
World War two
For centuries Spurn was owned by the Constable family, the Seigniors of Holderness, who lived at Burton Constable. When the War Office wished to establish Spurn Fort to protect the Humber in World War I, it leased the peninsula from the Constables, and in 1925 the War Office bought it from the Constables by compulsory purchase. Between the wars only a few military personnel remained at the Point. Spurn Fort was re-armed and manned during World War II. While the army was in control, the sea defences were well maintained, and after the war most of the personnel who remained were busy on that work. During the period of international East-West tension known as the Cold War in the early 1950s, Spurn’s role in coastal defence was reassessed, and for a while the military returned, and even built new hutments near the Warren. However, by about 1956 the Ministry of Defence had decided that Spurn no longer had any useful military role, and prolonged negotiations began with interested parties concerning its future. The Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust (now the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust) was interested in establishing Spurn as a nature reserve, whilst other, mainly local people wished to buy it for development as a recreational facility, probably a caravan or chalet site. In the end the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust bought Spurn in 1959. The Trust could not afford to maintain the defences, and they are now crumbling away. At the northern end of the peninsula only about three yards (or three metres) of land now separate the high tide mark on the Humber from the high tide mark on the sea.
The Lifeboat
Since 1810 Spurn has been the base of the Humber Lifeboat. Established at the end of Spurn Point because so many ships were being wrecked on the Stony Binks, the lifeboat has had many distinguished coxswains and crew, who have been involved in numerous dangerous rescues. Between 1810 and 1910 the lifeboat was operated by Hull Trinity House, and after that date by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The lifeboat is manned by the only full-time permanent crew in the British Isles, and since 1819 the peninsula has been home for both the lifeboat crew and their families.
The first houses stood on the Humber side of the peninsula not far from the lighthouse. In 1857 they were replaced by a new terrace of houses on a site now taken up by the Point car-park. In 1890 a school was erected nearby, and Spurn children were educated there until 1945, when the school was closed and the children were taken daily to Easington or to secondary schools in the area (as they still are). In 1975 the families moved into modern houses a little further down the Point. Dave Steenvoorden is the present Superintendent Coxswain of the Humber lifeboat, The Pride of the Humber. http://www.skeals.co.uk/spurn.html
As part of research, there were also programmes and documentaries online and on TV that may have helped us to gain wider knowledge.
The programme autumn-watch, featured on BBC 2, concentrated on Spurn point, and the wildlife associated with it in this episode. It featured the bird migration and how the habitat is best suited to all the different species of bird that pass through Spurn to migrate each autumn.
The type of documentary they gave on the place is not too dissimilar to one that we may have wished to. Watching this gave me some insight and ideas into what we could have covered in our documentary. It also gave some ideas for camera viewpoints for particular areas, such as in the lighthouse. Overall, this research gave good insight into the work and type of implements put in place to protect the wildlife at Spurn Point itself. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b015ydlb/Autumnwatch_Live_2011_Episode_2
So far in the project, we had not decided on a particular aspect we wanted to cover. As a group, we visited Spurn point for the first time, and after some deliberation over the coming week we decided to concentrate on wildlife of the area. Further research was beginning to get underway, and then the direction and focus for the project changed, to covering wartime, in particular, world war two. This would now focus on Spurn Point’s development, the role is played in world war two, and how the place has changed, adapted and evolved from this.
We visited Spurn Point on the 14th of November; there were three of us including myself which attended. We went to gain aspects of good footage for the video, and to also gain some photographs, and look for any ‘vox-pops opportunities.
As the development of the project was becoming leisurely, I decided that we should push ahead and complete some of the roles that were assigned to others, to ensure that we could keep to a timescale and complete what needed to be done efficiently. The attendances of other throughout the weeks, had meant we had little correspondence with them, also making it very difficult to track progress, and keep on top of what people had or had not done. This meant that certain parts of the project had fallen behind, so I took some photographs whilst at Spurn on this visit, which may have been used in either the footage or placed in the archives.
After this visit I also left a message on Basecamp for the viewing of the group:
‘Hi Everyone,
Today, me, Mike B, and Mike O, all went to spurn to do more film work and photography. We have gleaned more of an idea about what footage we will use in the documentary, and had also found some good spots for pieces to camera for the introduction and closing.
We will work on a script to go with the footage so that it fits together seamlessly.
Mike B is going to put a couple of the videos on YouTube so that we can view them and give our input on which is best or works well together.
After doing this, we can work the script to the pieces, and then visit Spurn to do the introduction and closing in a couple of weeks’ time.
When we have chosen the footage, the script will need to be completed to go with it fairly quickly, so that we can get back to Spurn before winter sets in and the roads are too bad to drive on.
I will then do the introduction at Spurn, then we should just fit the pieces together.’
As one of my roles was to oversee scripting, I placed a whiteboard on Basecamp so that the people whom will write the script can place their ideas, and any drafts could have been edited and constructed. This could be used by any members of the group, and could help to have made the process and editing of the script more accessible.
After some weeks passing, the script had not taken shape, so I decided that I would write the script. At this point, there were only a couple of the members from the group attending and participating in the developments of this task. As I was also going to be presenting the documentary, I would have wrote the beginning and ending to suit the rest of the script that had been done. As this was not what occurred, I wrote the majority of it based around the footage we had already gained on our prior visit, and between me and another member of the group, we storyboarded, and planned the shots and pieces that would go into the documentary and wrote around this.
This is the first draft of the Script, of which I also placed in the Writeboard on Basecamp
Script for Spurn Point
‘Context: Set for young audience, aged between 7-13. A quirky but informative approach, with short and snappy points.
Introduction Piece to camera (Jason) (approx. 20 seconds, with 10 second music intro) – (Jonny)
Hi we’re at Spurn Point, on the Yorkshire coastline. Spurn is an interesting place that has a fascinating history. Today, we’re going to take a look at how this ever changing place played such a vital role for this area during wartime.
Main Body (approx 1 min 20) Audio voiceover
Spurn point was used as a Military base during world war two.
(Lighthouse shooting) This is the current Lighthouse, but as you can see, the statue figure of the old one still remains as a reminder of its war torn past.
(Fort and Bunker Shooting) Ruins of the bunkers and military fort tell a story of the journey this historic place has been on, as here lays (rests?) the only surviving features.
(Pillbox shooting to coastline, still to film) The hollow concrete of the Pillbox was the first line of defence, built to protect the mouth of the River Humber from sea and airborne attacks. It was placed on the frontline, armed with a gun aimed out to the North Sea, where the attacking fleets would have passed to enter the Humber.’
We set a context and a target audience group for the documentary as we felt this may give more focus, and we could therefore work on the wording and approach for the piece to camera pieces.
After more weeks of no progress, it seemed as though it would only be I and one of two other members of the group that may participate in the project. There had been no response to emails, and not much activity through Basecamp. I was advised that the whole approach to the script and the documentary should have been projected in a more media savvy and media rich context. From this, I decided to write a message on basecamp, to try and give the others an opportunity to become involved and help progress the project.
‘Hi guys,
The script we have so far is very formal and straight. I would like to do something different, on advice), only problem is we need to have some ideas. The content is probably o.k. but we should do something different and inventive with it really.
We can only do this if we all have an input.
If not, we will just stick to how we are doing it, as that is the only way we are going to get it actually finished.
We don't have a great deal of time, but we do have a lot of photos, a lot of video footage, and stuff to work with.
I know I have done the script pretty much, but I did it in the simplest and straightforward way as we have other stuff to do and needed to get somewhere with it.
Scrap the piece to camera that I was going to do, if we can come up with something original and different we can make it really good.
The script is in the Writeboard to edit. Go in there put your ideas in and make something good out of the information I have already put in there. Save a new version, then we can all edit and keep working on stuff, and see what we like.
Jonny, look for some really inventive music, put maybe 5 different short snippets, stuff you have found that we can use, or stuff you have written. Evaluate them and tell us why you think they will be good or bad.
Maybe they might set a tone for our script.
If we don’t get a move on, then we will have to stick to my formal crap that I've written. It’s basic, and does the job, but why do that when we can do something inventive?
Let’s see if we can get some ideas floating for Monday. There’s nothing wrong with going and recording some voiceover stuff first. It doesn’t have to match identically to what we are seeing on screen. Show not tell, and all that jazz.
If we have nothing new by Monday, we will stick to what we have.
Destroy my formal crap and Get editing people’
I sent this message as I thought that every other formal approach such as emails and Basecamp progress reports were not working. This did not have the desired affect either.
My roles for the overall project had developed somewhat. I had become a script writer, script editor, presenter, photographer, planner, designated driver, and general tidy upper of the other work that had not been completed.
I had sent other messages and completed all of my assigned roles so far, apart from the filming of the documentary introduction and closing itself.
After the final chance for other members of the group to participate had passed, on the final week of term, we completed the final script, and visited Spurn point for what would be the final time.
Had we have had the opportunity, we would have liked to have visited this time, to work on some behind the scenes footage, and to do a mockumentary and possibly another cut for a more comical approach. As we had the struggles with getting work completed of the original piece, this was not possible, which was disheartening in the fact that the amount of effort projected by some of us, could then not be transferred in to doing other versions that may have improved the whole capacity of the project.
The final visit to Spurn went true to form with the rest of the project. As we arrived in the early afternoon, the gates for vehicles to pass were closed, therefore meaning we had to walk to the lighthouse from the entrance with the equipment in tow.
As we arrived there, the light had fell, as mid-December sunlight does, and we had to film at a different location. Problems surfaced with the wind conditions meaning that the sound quality was affected. Also, the lack of light and cold conditions meant that there was not much room for error with timings and how the projection of my voice and background could be altered. This was disappointing, as had we have been able to visit at an earlier date; we may have done a completely different documentary.
Overall, the project on Spurn Point could have had a completely different outcome. We could have made a more interactive, media rich, and unique piece that could have been showcased and placed on blogs and internet sites.
Due, in no small part, to the lack of commitment, effort, production, and general respect for the whole module, and for the other people in the group, the task was a complete failure.
I would have loved to have completed one or two more versions of the documentary; possibly a corporate one, a humorous one, and an interactive based one, that may have been something comp[lately unique. The use of Basecamp was good idea, as it should have been a good way to communicate, but it did provide a space to front ideas, and place work and organise workloads. The location of Spurn Point however, did cause some difficulties, with travel, and with expenses. I would have liked to have done this at a closer place, although at the current location, I still visited on every possible occasion, as I was one of only two members that could drive.
Had everyone within the group produced the goods, and stuck to their tasks, I do feel that the project would have been a huge success, as the ideas and capabilities of the group as a whole would surpass what we ended up producing.
My involvement and role within the project I feel became pivotal. As a vast amount of work, research, and commitment was shown, to ensure that the task was still completed, although not to the standards that it should have been. I enjoyed working on something where I could use skills in writing, researching, producing, editing, and designing, as I feel these are all skills which need to be acquired and developed to become a successful journalist.
The task has taught me and made me understand the importance of teamwork, and how not to let insufficient aid from others, hinder a possible success to the highest possible outcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment