For our third larger-scale project of the year, we were asked to produce a short op-doc (short for opinion documentary), or a short and opinionated documentary film that allows for the expression of a perspective on a particular topic, that strives to capture a "snippet" of life.
With that being said, I'm excited to share with you the process of creating:
Does This Make You Uncomfortable?
An op-doc exploring different generations' current reactions to feet, specifically focusing on Generation Z, and what their opinions allude to about the generation, further exploring the developmental process and impact of social norms on a group of people. (Focused on the U.S.)
I was uneducated
My view of what a documentary was before this project was very limited and one-dimensional, as I assumed all documentaries had a similar feel: straightforward and observational. While the purpose of a documentary doesn't necessarily negate those preconceived ideas, the research I did in and out of class through watching a range of documentaries that serve the same purpose (capture a "snippet of life"), yet took almost completely different stylistic approaches to serve the perspective being expressed deeply inspired me.
It opened my eyes to the endless possibilities that come with this genre, as well as the type of person that it takes to capture this "snippet of life" as focused and sincerely as possible, with traits including quick thinking/ adaptability, attentivity (good listener), and ability to focus on the bigger picture being some. These are all traits that I resonate with, so not only did the research get me excited for my own production but it also excited me that the characteristics that make up my existence concerning everything I do/am involved with (my relationships, school work, my artistic pursuits...) are the core to telling this type of story, personalizing the genre of film for me. Overall, the central focus of telling a personal and raw part of our existence and how all production choices hone in on that and embrace it in personalized ways really drew me in and intrigued me regarding my own project.
Exploring all facets of the genre
The first documentary we watched in class was I Think This Is the Closest to How the Footage Looked, a 10-minute Israeli New York Times op-doc by Yuval Hameiri. It is an implicit showcase of grief, with a unique form of storytelling to tell the story of a grieving son who accidentally rewinds film tape and erases footage of his mother before her death, using household items to recount past events and desperately trying to recreate the lost footage. It was heartbreaking once I realized what it all meant, especially because of the way they told the story, a key lesson that I learned while researching this genre.
The inclusion of the rewinding of film tape to the few seconds he had left of his mother is shattering, even more, due to the quiet atmosphere created that holds so much emotion. This is in the top 2/3 favorites, if not my favorite documentary I watched for research, specifically because it immediately dismantled the mold that I previously thought that docs had to fit into, ultimately allowing me to experiment in the way my group and I would approach our topic and also had some effects in editing such as the film/ tape sound in the title shot.
Tape rewinding, 7:00 (NYT op-doc)
Does This Make You Uncomfortable, 1:10
NYT Op-doc, 0:20
(Raw, unedited footage)
While that first documentary really shaped my approach for the rest of the process, they all had such a strong impact on my approach, as analyzing production choices led me to want to embrace the endless avenues I could take for my own production.
The documentary American Promise showed me the dedication on the creator's side to capture the "snippet of life" that they're trying to get across, setting up standards for how detail-oriented and intentional I wanted to be with my own ventured topic, as well as having a true purpose of exploring the topic. It also opened my eyes to the different ways you can get personal with a documentary, as with other productions such as the Netflix episodic documentary Abstract: The Art of Design, the production scale is much larger, yet still remains personal to the subject through its own creative choices of b-roll.
This documentary surprised me in its range of b-roll types to keep the viewers engaged, as well as how every single production choice brought the viewer into the specific world of the subject, being that the series dives into different art forms.
This production along with New York Times', A New Wave op-doc, allowed me to extend my range in visual expectations of a documentary and showed me that you can tell a personal story while simultaneously having a cinematic feel to your production. Lastly, the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop probably had the most influence on our final product. While I will get more into production choices in later blogs, the structure and development of narration in this production intrigued me. Its implicit nature towards a bigger concept/ topic slightly reminded me of the first doc I had watched, and I felt deeply that I wanted to obtain that same feeling of developing an idea and leaving it in the hands of the viewer to make something out of it. Before I forget, BANKSY IS A GENIUS.
American Promise, 2013
Exit Through the Gift Shop, 2010
Abstract: The Art of Design, 2017
A New Wave, 2024
Reflections
This first stage of the process where I was awakened to the world of documentaries, as you can tell by how much I have written, was not only obviously the basis for the choices I made for the rest of the process but also genuinely intrigued and tugged on a part of me that I didn't expect it to. I would've never guessed that the genre would be so versatile yet have such a profound core in all of its productions.
I think I got so much out of this stage because I was very intentional and involved in the viewings of the docs, taking chronological notes throughout the whole film on production choices and their effects on my perception of the "snippet of life" being focused on.
Some American Promise doc notes
American Promise BTS talk notes
Some Exit Through the Gift Shop notes
Some Abstract: The Art of Design notes
Overall, I learned a lot during this stage and took a lot of lessons for my production such as...
- It's not only about what you want to say, but HOW you say it, as every choice will ultimately affect how the audiences perceive and receive what you want to say in the first place.
- Because all production choices have such a decisive effect on the audience's relationship to what you want to say, it's EXTREMELY important to always be putting yourself in the place of the viewer and consider how the choices you're making tie into your purpose.
- To be attentive during interviews!!! Make subjects comfortable (especially with my chosen topic).
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