Production Journal

Authorship: What role will you as the creator play in the video.  Will you narrate, ask questions from behind the camera, be a character in the video, remove your presence from video, or a combination of the former options?  How does this method help the message of your project?

• I am removing my presence from the video. Even though my mom is the subject and the film is about family connection, I do not want to have a presence anywhere in the video. I think this will shift the focus from my connection with my mom to the way my mom connects with her whole family, which is where I want to place the focus.

Content/ Interview Questions: Make a list of no less than 5 interview questions for each interviewee. As you create the questions think about the relationship between what you to include in the film and what questions might generate that material.

• Why do you think it is important to stay in touch with family who lives in a different area?
• Do you think that if you did still live nearby it would be easier to connect?
• Did your connections with family growing up influence how you connect with and try to stay connected to your own children?
• How has technology helped or hindered connections?
• Have major family events affected your connections with them?
• How did you connect with your family while growing up?

Shots: Make a detailed list of shots you NEED for the video and shots that you WANT for the video.  This list should include locations, b-roll shots, and the shots of the interviewee.

• Need: Medium shot of interviewee, close up of interviewee, b-roll of family artifacts
• Want: Specific shots of things in our box of artifacts, interviewee on the phone with her mom having a conversation
• No specific location necessary, want to film in the home

Anxieties and Obstacles: Look through what you have written about so far and think through any obstacles or anxieties you have about your production plan.  Write them down and brainstorm alternative plans.

• Lots of dogs and people in the house
  • Alternative plan: Find a different room to shoot that is quieter. 
• Captions for some photos for b-roll are handwritten and may not be too legible
  • Alternative plan: Show the text, but maybe add a caption as well