Evaluation for module

I have enjoyed this module, exploring documentary which is something I haven't done before. It has been very interesting. i found challenges in adapting to the different software which is used within this institution but this means that I have come out with new skills.

I have made drastic improvements from when I created my preliminary documentary task on a students first day at sussex in a pair. My editing and filming skills have also improved and I have learnt to be able to work with people despite our differences. I feel that the subject was chosen out of panic after our first solid idea fell through due to the subject not communicating with us properly, so I found myself unpassionate an uninterested in our themes which made motivation for this task difficult but I have very much enjoyed the filming and editing aspects of the piece.

One challenge in particular we faced as a group was that the people we were filming were incredibly difficult to communicate with and despite us being clear from the start with what we were asking them insisted that we make it into a promotional video. This made questioning very difficult during the interviews as the subjects kept altering their answers to make it promotional. In the editing stages we found this challenging to be selective in a way that removed parts of the answers which seemed unnecessary.

I also feel that some members were more involved than others and definitely spent more time working on the project long term. Which i guess is all part of working as a team- you will always come across those who will slack in their contributions. I also found that one member gave the group an uneasy atmosphere by throwing tantrums in our online group chat and using profane language towards the others which is a real shame because in the end we produced something I am quite happy with. This means that I will avoid working with this person again. Although I have been able to develop in my ability to work as a team through this experience .

I feel like I could have used more techniques and film theories in my work such as the rule of thirds to make it more professional. I also feel that my camera skills and planning skills could improve- I am a very improvised person. I dislike the idea of being restricted to a storyboard which is something I need to improve on, I have learnt from this experience that planning is key.