"I've been encouraging documentary filmmakers to use more and more humor, and they're loath to do that because they think if it's a documentary it has to be deadly serious - it has to be like medicine that you're supposed to take. And I think it's what keeps the mass audience from going to documentaries."
- Michael Moore
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/documentary.html#MmShIZKJBgkLuqUF.99
- Michael Moore
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/documentary.html#MmShIZKJBgkLuqUF.99
Choosing a specific topic for such a BIG PROJECT as my economics documentary is NOT an easy task. It not only requires the need to choose a topic I am extremely passionate about, but I also need to see the holistic view of it. I am good at choosing a topic that I want to learn about, and even sometimes, I have an idea before we have to chose. But for this topic, some reason it just hasn't been that way.
I interviewed people, talked to my teachers, asked my peers and even looked up possible topics in Google and my answer was still the same, "I don't know what I want to do for my documentary" - I told my class.
In class, we spent about 30-minutes brainstorming possible ideas for projects. We wrote them all on the white board in order to get ideas.
I interviewed people, talked to my teachers, asked my peers and even looked up possible topics in Google and my answer was still the same, "I don't know what I want to do for my documentary" - I told my class.
In class, we spent about 30-minutes brainstorming possible ideas for projects. We wrote them all on the white board in order to get ideas.
Soon after, a friend of mine, Augusto Otero, talked me into his project. He has been wanting to focus on how big shopping centers such as, Ripley and Saga Falabella confuse the costumers into buying a product by monthly payments because it looks much "cheaper". I had a special connection to this idea because I remember asking my dad every time that I wanted an expensive product to buy it in monthly payments if he didn't have all the money right now.
Before doing any type of project, it is important to acknowledge a couple of things:
Before doing any type of project, it is important to acknowledge a couple of things:
WHy? | How? | WHAT? |
Before any project, you must have a reason behind why you want to do it. Phones where invented in order to enable better communication between the society and world. Shoes where devised with the purpose to have a much more comfortable walk or run. Headphones where originated in order to have a private moment for those tunes that you specially like. I think you getting my point...
For my why, I want people in Lima and possibly the other apartments to be aware of what is going on. I especially want them to be aware of how dangerous it is to pay for a product in instalments because of taxes. It's just not fair to trick these people.
For my why, I want people in Lima and possibly the other apartments to be aware of what is going on. I especially want them to be aware of how dangerous it is to pay for a product in instalments because of taxes. It's just not fair to trick these people.
Then comes the how; you must have some type of plan or idea behind your why. You must plan out how you want to assemble your idea into something visual. It can be by a video, pictures, TED talk, movie or even a book. Just have always in mind that you must persuade and at the same time inform your audience in an
Personally, my desire is to produce a short documentary, 15 - 25 minutes max. One of the main reasons behind why I want it to be this long is because I hope for the message to be passed around. Screening more evidence directly connects to action and hope for a change. Augusto and I, are going to visit Ripley and Saga Falabella in order to make a couple of important tests. First, if people are aware if this is going on. Secondly and most important, to see if the workers are Ripley or Saga F. are willing to answer some of our questions regarding the topic. If they are not, consequently this will show that they are hiding something or not willing to tell us the truth. A couple of things might happen because of this. One, we might get kicked out of those places or, number two, we might be kindly helped by the employees.
interesting, yet serious tone because this is something important. Personally, my desire is to produce a short documentary, 15 - 25 minutes max. One of the main reasons behind why I want it to be this long is because I hope for the message to be passed around. Screening more evidence directly connects to action and hope for a change. Augusto and I, are going to visit Ripley and Saga Falabella in order to make a couple of important tests. First, if people are aware if this is going on. Secondly and most important, to see if the workers are Ripley or Saga F. are willing to answer some of our questions regarding the topic. If they are not, consequently this will show that they are hiding something or not willing to tell us the truth. A couple of things might happen because of this. One, we might get kicked out of those places or, number two, we might be kindly helped by the employees.
Lastly, you must have a specific target. You now have a reason behind why you want to do your project. Continuously, you have a how you want to do it and you must lay out a couple of pros and cons effects of your project. Finally, you need a special target of people that you are aiming to inform. Authors of children books are focusing on attracting the eyes of young kids.
For my project, I am planning on focusing on a much more major scale of people. By this, I mean that I want older/teenagers to be informed of this. I must be aware that some of them might already know about this issue. Without a doubt, people from all ages can watch by documentary but, I am specially focusing on teenagers and adults, 16+ years to be exact.
For my project, I am planning on focusing on a much more major scale of people. By this, I mean that I want older/teenagers to be informed of this. I must be aware that some of them might already know about this issue. Without a doubt, people from all ages can watch by documentary but, I am specially focusing on teenagers and adults, 16+ years to be exact.