Documentary

Introduction/Reflection

The documentary project was a unique opportunity that required students focus in on a specific person, group, place, or issue/idea. We all took different approaches to the project, and studied our subjects in English, digital media, and our elective classes. For my personal documentary in film class, I chose to research the effects of juuling/vaping, especially with teens. My partner Katherine and I, interviewed two users, an outside high school witness, and two doctors to get a variety of opinions on the topic. We also went on many outings to get b-roll of the settings where they are used to provide the viewer with more to look at.

Reflecting on the project overall, this has probably been one of the most difficult things I have ever had to make. I chose something very difficult to document- taboo and illegal. There were many times that I considered stopping because it was just too much of a stretch to continue, and I knew it would be easier to document something more simple and accessible. However, the issue was too prevalent and interesting to me and I knew that I would come out with a much more interesting piece if I stuck with taking a risk. This all made it a huge challenge to find people that were willing to be interviewed and provide us with information that would be helpful to the context of the film. Eventually, after contacting several people (especially doctors), I was able to find two experts who agreed to help.

Research Paper

In our English classes, we also had to write papers about the same subject. This definitely helped me to understand the issue better to produce something that I was truly knowledgable about, and helped me move forward. I used information from the internet and from my interviewees, as well as my own opinions to complete the paper.

KateA- Documentary Paper for website

Film Class

Mockumentary

The Mockumentary was a more light-hearted in-class assignment we did to prepare ourselves for the real documentary unit. It gave us a chance to learn how to record audio, sync audio and video, and about the different types of shots used in this style of film. For my group, we decided to act as though we had a secret SD card dealing business at school.

Documentary

Production

Digital Media 

Photo Gallery