Today I would like to analyse two documentaries on the subject of American Tragedies. The first of these is the Chanel 4 Documentary, "The Hunt for the Boston Bombers" which I feel is a very relevant documentary as it reviews the catastrophic event and the days leading up to the capture of the two terrorists involved. It offers a unique insiders view of the situation both the police and the FBI were faced with, and the difficult decisions that had to be made.
Naturally, the documentary begins with the Boston Marathon bombing and the horrendous impact it had on the Boston community, including victims, police officers, residents and the President. Vivid reconstructions of one of the victims shows how the FBI came to the conclusion backpacks were used to harbor the explosive devices and led them to identifying two suspects which needed to be found as soon as possible as more attacks were believed to have been possible.
As the documentary progresses, a lone policeman on watch at a US university is shot without seemingly any cause and there is a car-jacking turned police shootout in which one of the suspects is killed whilst the other escapes. Again, reconstruction is the key to this documentary, cut between eyewitness accounts and FBI narration and feelings at the time, to give a sense of the urgency, danger and pure terror experienced by all involved.
There is then a slowing down of progression, with a full lock down of Boston to do house searches with a S.W.A.T. team in which the FBI is not present and merely listening to radio feedback of all clear. When this is lifted, the focus falls to a resident who has featured earlier in the story as an eyewitness, who tells of the amazing yet bizarre events that followed. It is revealed he decided to go out into his garden and do some routine maintenance on his boat now that the house lock down had been lifted. He tells of the shock when he discovered a man's body in the boat and rushed to phone the police.
The man was identified as the second suspect and the focus now turned to the F.B.I's procedures and decision to get him out alive. With the use of flash bangs, S.W.A.T. team and overhead helicopters this was finally achieved and the suspect surrendered. I feel the use of eyewitness interviews, reconstruction and archive footage give the viewer an effective insight into events and empathy for all involved, however I do feel the conclusion of the documentary lacks an explanation. After a year, surely someone must have been able to get to the bottom of why the two men carried out the attacks other than being simply labelled "terrorists". On the whole I would highly recommend this documentary as a realistic insight into the terror experienced at the hands of these two men and the massively draining impact it had on the F.B.I. because, as humans, the whole experience is described as "exhausting".
The second documentary I have chosen for my analysis in comparison to "The Hunt for the Boston Bombers" is on a subject a little older but very much still relevant to American Tragedies today. This documentary is "The Massacre at Columbine" by Zero Hour.
In contrast to the first documentary, this one is very focused on why two teenagers went out on the biggest school shooting mass murder in America of all time. Diary extracts and actual quotes from home videos show these two seemingly quiet teenagers to be narcissistic, egotistical psychopaths, intent on "speeding up the process of natural selection" and getting revenge for what they believe was mistreatment as children. The documentary also tells how the two boys had watched "Natural Born Killers" and the influence of this film had made them feel they wanted to replicate the actions of the two main characters, Mickey and Mallory.
Eric, one of the killers, claims he is a social outcast because of other people and not because of himself; he believes him and his accomplice are "above humans" and merely "have the bodies of humans". He also admits to self-awareness of what he is about to do to the innocent people at his school. This gives the viewer both and insight and a deep hatred for the seemingly evil mentality of this teenager and gives them a feeling of dread about what is about to follow due to this boys actions.
This documentary begins by revealing most of the story in terms of outcome. I believe this directorial choice was made because of how infamous the event is in America, as most people already know the events that happened and because the aim of the documentary is to give more of an insight of why instead of what happened in the Columbine Massacre of 1999. Interviews with fellow classmates describe how it just seemed like a normal day at school and how it was weird for Eric to not show up for a test, let alone skip two classes in a row.
It makes for tense viewing as the decisions of both Eric and his two fellow classmates, both of which are known to be disliked by Eric, place themselves unknowingly in or out of the murderous rampage that follows. Dylan expresses his anticipation of the attack in a home video and another home video is shown in which Eric and Dylan show off their arsenal of weapons and how easily they have hidden and lied to their parents about them.
As the killing spree progresses, violent reenactments cut with archive 911 calls build tension and fear for the viewer. With constant reminders of timings, it is amazing to see how much can happen in the space of a few minutes. Half way through the documentary it is announced that the killing spree is horrifyingly only just about to really begin despite numerous killings and injuries already sustained by many. The story goes on to the horrific rampage on the library, murdering and injuring over 50 students at point blank range. The reenactment realistically portrays the horror the victims faced, and this makes the audience empathise further with them.
At this point the focus of this documentary seems to be point the blame at police and security failure. Eric had made threats against one of his classmates to kill him which the police hadn't done anything about the previous year. He had also been charged with a felony for breaking into a car and stealing electrical equipment but instead of jail had attended an anger management class in which in the report he handed in he claimed to want to control his anger but in his journal had expressed extreme hate and anger towards the owner of the vehicle claiming "he should be shot" for being so stupid. On top of this, apparently the school security guard had never heard of him before and had no knowledge of his past. It also points out that at any point the parents of the boys could have searched their rooms knowing particularly that Eric was on anti-depressants known to have side effects including rage and irrational thinking.
This all does seem relevant as if this failure of security and more communication had existed, the massacre could have possibly been prevented. However, I think it is unfair to blame this solely, as Eric and Dylan seemed completely messed up by their previous years experience and influence of the film, Natural Born Killers, which they incidentally named their attack in their journals and home videos. I think the influence of the film on the young boys is very important as, in terms of certificate, they were below the age rating and should not have even seen it. I do not think Natural Born Killers would influence someone to go out and commit a glory mass murder like the two characters it portrays if they were of the correct age, however I do feel many children are allowed to view a lot of content that is too old for them and at this very influential stage of their life it can lead to fatal attacks on innocent people like the Columbine Massacre. I feel it is very important for only the intended audience to view films of this nature, both from a safety and creative point of view and, despite the film achieving critical acclaim from many, for a mislead child this could help them to set their views on what is right and wrong.
The documentary ends with Eric and Dylan killing themselves following their now lack of ammunition and direction in their killing spree. The voice over states that the attack led to police reviewing their tactics in case of similar attacks in an aim to save more people. Even though this may be true I think the underlying problem, as with the Sandy Hook massacre, is the easy access to ammunition by many young people in America. Many parents keep weapons in their house with a permit and in the wrong hands these weapons do not provide protection, but quite the opposite. I feel guns should be completely limited to those who need them, not be viewed as a right of possession.
These two documentaries are of very different directorial and editorial style in which American Tragedies are presented. This is because the Boston Bombings documentary is for informational purpose whereas the Columbine Massacre documentary is mainly for an examination of cause and prevention with hindsight. Both are majorly important and relevant today as these are not just one-off events. The public needs to be informed and taught how to look out for the signs of a potential threat to both the public and themselves and new laws need to be put in place against suspicious individuals to prevent future attacks for whatever reason based on the facts unearthed by these documentaries.
Links:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-hunt-for-the-boston-bombers/4od
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwxoDRYJ7_M&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuwxoDRYJ7_M&has_verified=1
Monday, 21 April 2014
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Sound Roles in Studio Productions
This year I had an interest in discovering and learning first hand about the role of sound in studio productions. Sound is an area I didn't really explore during my first year of university but as my experience of editing has progressed I have realised the importance of recording good, clear sound whilst the camera is rolling.
I was given the role of sound assistant for the filming of Middlesex Now in November 2013, which was a magazine show involving various elements relevant to students of Middlesex University, with a live band playing the theme tune and in between sections of the show. I began with a tutorial with Barry which took me through all the basics of studio sounds and which was very insightful.
My role included setting up the presenters and guests with radio mics, testing the mics on the person to see if sound levels were good in the sound room and keeping tabs on battery life. My role also included sorting out foldback for the presenters through the use of ear pieces as well as micing up the band, and arranging foldback for the members through use of on stage amplifiers. As the band were a three piece, non-vocal group there was no need for a vocals mic, however mics on the drum kit, bass guitar and keyboard were set up and checked. I also set up an audience mic as the director wanted to hear the sound of clapping in between sections of the show.
Through my experience as sound assistant I wanted an opportunity to be sound engineer so as to explore further sound in a studio environment. This opportunity came on the February production, Quote That, a comedy quiz panel show. Two episodes were filmed on two consecutive Thursdays and I feel it is important to reflect on each separately as they each came with their own trials and tribulations.
For the first show 7 radio mics were required for the host and guests, and an audience mic was needed for the sound of clapping at appropriate moments. We also had two channels of VT Sound. As sound engineer I took the sensible decision to group team 1 (radio mics 1-3) and team 2 (radio mics 5-7) together so each could be controlled as a whole and only be turned on when relevant. I left the hosts' mic and the audience mic separate as these needed to be operated on their own, but I grouped the VT sound channels together so as to operate these together. I felt this set up worked well however due to my inexperience on the sound board, unfortunately the final sound on the record was a little low in volume. I feel I learned from the experience of being sound engineer as a whole and this aided me the following week.
Unfortunately, when arriving to set up for show two of Quote That, Barry was off sick and so unable to help the sound team. Being head of sound, and with my past experience, I took on the responsibility of trying to set up the elements I knew how to. I managed to get the radio mics and audience mic working with the help of Erim and the assistants however there was a struggle to get VT sound working. I moved on to trying to sort out the sound for the sting which was a new element for this show. The sound needed to be played from a laptop and connected to the sound board to play on one of the channels. As the cable wasn't long enough to reach the laptop to simply allow it to be put on a channel at the end of all the already assigned channels, the sting was assigned to channel 1 and I moved all the wiring so that the other sound elements were all moved up a channel. Danny helped set up the VT sound a little later and we tested this worked before he left.
I then set about testing the radio mic sounds and adjusting the gain and volume levels with the help of the sound assistants. We then tested the audience mic by getting the audience to do a sample round of applause and tested and adjusted the gain and volume levels of the sting to check it was at a good level both in the studio and on the sound board.
I ran into difficulties 5 minutes before the record as I had left the sound room for a couple of minutes and in this time the volume levels of the channels had all been turned down and the gain levels been reset to their original state. I'm not sure how this happened as according to the sound assistants no-one had been in the room and when the director announced we were recording without checking I was ready I had to reset the channels as the show was recording. I found this highly stressful and although I had feedback the sound was fine on the record I feel it would have been better with the settings I had previously had. Another mistake was that the sound assistants forgot to check the radio mic batteries before the record and so unfortunately one of the guests mics ran out of battery during the show. We quickly changed the mic to our spare mic on channel 9 however this could have easily been avoided.
I feel my experience of sound assistant in the first show helped me to direct my team as head of sound on the second and third shows and I feel I completed both roles to the best of my ability. In conclusion, sound roles have been the most interesting and complicated studio roles I have undertaken and I feel I would like to carry on gaining more experience in this area to improve my sound skills.
I was given the role of sound assistant for the filming of Middlesex Now in November 2013, which was a magazine show involving various elements relevant to students of Middlesex University, with a live band playing the theme tune and in between sections of the show. I began with a tutorial with Barry which took me through all the basics of studio sounds and which was very insightful.
My role included setting up the presenters and guests with radio mics, testing the mics on the person to see if sound levels were good in the sound room and keeping tabs on battery life. My role also included sorting out foldback for the presenters through the use of ear pieces as well as micing up the band, and arranging foldback for the members through use of on stage amplifiers. As the band were a three piece, non-vocal group there was no need for a vocals mic, however mics on the drum kit, bass guitar and keyboard were set up and checked. I also set up an audience mic as the director wanted to hear the sound of clapping in between sections of the show.
Through my experience as sound assistant I wanted an opportunity to be sound engineer so as to explore further sound in a studio environment. This opportunity came on the February production, Quote That, a comedy quiz panel show. Two episodes were filmed on two consecutive Thursdays and I feel it is important to reflect on each separately as they each came with their own trials and tribulations.
For the first show 7 radio mics were required for the host and guests, and an audience mic was needed for the sound of clapping at appropriate moments. We also had two channels of VT Sound. As sound engineer I took the sensible decision to group team 1 (radio mics 1-3) and team 2 (radio mics 5-7) together so each could be controlled as a whole and only be turned on when relevant. I left the hosts' mic and the audience mic separate as these needed to be operated on their own, but I grouped the VT sound channels together so as to operate these together. I felt this set up worked well however due to my inexperience on the sound board, unfortunately the final sound on the record was a little low in volume. I feel I learned from the experience of being sound engineer as a whole and this aided me the following week.
Unfortunately, when arriving to set up for show two of Quote That, Barry was off sick and so unable to help the sound team. Being head of sound, and with my past experience, I took on the responsibility of trying to set up the elements I knew how to. I managed to get the radio mics and audience mic working with the help of Erim and the assistants however there was a struggle to get VT sound working. I moved on to trying to sort out the sound for the sting which was a new element for this show. The sound needed to be played from a laptop and connected to the sound board to play on one of the channels. As the cable wasn't long enough to reach the laptop to simply allow it to be put on a channel at the end of all the already assigned channels, the sting was assigned to channel 1 and I moved all the wiring so that the other sound elements were all moved up a channel. Danny helped set up the VT sound a little later and we tested this worked before he left.
I then set about testing the radio mic sounds and adjusting the gain and volume levels with the help of the sound assistants. We then tested the audience mic by getting the audience to do a sample round of applause and tested and adjusted the gain and volume levels of the sting to check it was at a good level both in the studio and on the sound board.
I ran into difficulties 5 minutes before the record as I had left the sound room for a couple of minutes and in this time the volume levels of the channels had all been turned down and the gain levels been reset to their original state. I'm not sure how this happened as according to the sound assistants no-one had been in the room and when the director announced we were recording without checking I was ready I had to reset the channels as the show was recording. I found this highly stressful and although I had feedback the sound was fine on the record I feel it would have been better with the settings I had previously had. Another mistake was that the sound assistants forgot to check the radio mic batteries before the record and so unfortunately one of the guests mics ran out of battery during the show. We quickly changed the mic to our spare mic on channel 9 however this could have easily been avoided.
I feel my experience of sound assistant in the first show helped me to direct my team as head of sound on the second and third shows and I feel I completed both roles to the best of my ability. In conclusion, sound roles have been the most interesting and complicated studio roles I have undertaken and I feel I would like to carry on gaining more experience in this area to improve my sound skills.
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Music Video Assignment
As part of our first term practical exercises, in groups of three, we were required to produce a music video for any of the songs on the Now That's What I Call Music 53 album. Our group decided to choose You and Me by Disclosure featuring Eliza Doolittle as the track for our London-based music video.
Our music video follows the story of Charlie who loves to hang out with his friend Mike playing video games and pool. However, as the music video progresses, the viewer finds out Charlie is missed at home by his partner, Gemma, who feels he is never there and never helps her around the house. Following an irate arguement Charlie leaves Gemma to hang out with Mike and rejects her calls.
During a hallucination while out drinking with Mike, Charlie sees Gemma on a table behind him sipping a beer. When he looks away and looks back she is gone and he realises he needs to go home and sort things out. On the run home, Charlie imagines coming through the door and hugging her, along with remembering the good times he's had at home watching T.V. with her.
In reality, Charlie arrives home and checks what appears to be the empty flat. As he approaches the living room, the viewer sees Charlie's shocked reaction but not what the cause of this is. This leaves what happens next to the audiences speculation and imagination.
The main purpose of the exercise was to allow all members of the group to gain experience of using a Sony XD Camera. This equipment is a popular camera within the industry due to reliabilty and stability. However, this camera also comes with the practical issue of being very weighty and complicated to use in comparison to the cameras we were using last year, JVC HM100.
The second purpose of the music video was to experience editing using Avid Media Composer. I found the experience challenging but worthwhile, as I now feel I would be able to use it as an editing tool again without needing to take as much time as I did on this music video.
As a group I feel we worked very well together, each bringing our individual skills to produce an interesting and coherent music video, however I do feel more practice with the Sony XDCam is needed to master the techniques required to gain the exact outcome, technical-wise, we want for future productions.
Our music video follows the story of Charlie who loves to hang out with his friend Mike playing video games and pool. However, as the music video progresses, the viewer finds out Charlie is missed at home by his partner, Gemma, who feels he is never there and never helps her around the house. Following an irate arguement Charlie leaves Gemma to hang out with Mike and rejects her calls.
During a hallucination while out drinking with Mike, Charlie sees Gemma on a table behind him sipping a beer. When he looks away and looks back she is gone and he realises he needs to go home and sort things out. On the run home, Charlie imagines coming through the door and hugging her, along with remembering the good times he's had at home watching T.V. with her.
In reality, Charlie arrives home and checks what appears to be the empty flat. As he approaches the living room, the viewer sees Charlie's shocked reaction but not what the cause of this is. This leaves what happens next to the audiences speculation and imagination.
The main purpose of the exercise was to allow all members of the group to gain experience of using a Sony XD Camera. This equipment is a popular camera within the industry due to reliabilty and stability. However, this camera also comes with the practical issue of being very weighty and complicated to use in comparison to the cameras we were using last year, JVC HM100.
The second purpose of the music video was to experience editing using Avid Media Composer. I found the experience challenging but worthwhile, as I now feel I would be able to use it as an editing tool again without needing to take as much time as I did on this music video.
As a group I feel we worked very well together, each bringing our individual skills to produce an interesting and coherent music video, however I do feel more practice with the Sony XDCam is needed to master the techniques required to gain the exact outcome, technical-wise, we want for future productions.
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Recent Work Experience
From April 2013, over a five month period, I managed to secure a work experience placement with a Television Production company, Clearstory. Clearstory specialise in factual programmes, including their award-winning documentary, Gypsy Blood. As I have a keen interest in documentaries this was a very exciting opportunity for me.
I began working on two separate BBC programmes based on World War 1 and 2. This gave me increased experience in researching and assisting the production manager with call sheets and the managing directors expenses claims. I also assisted in transporting equipment to Germany for one of the film shoots. This gave me an insight into all the different roles of a production office and how each member relies on the others to make an effective production team.
Further to this, in July, I was given another opportunity to gain experience, this time as a runner on a factual studio show, Sex Box. As well as aiding the production team with the logistics of the show, I also met more experienced runners who both assisted and educated me on the role. I thoroughly enjoyed working on the studio production and do feel, as a result, this is an area I'd like to get more experience in.
Overall, I found my work experience with Clearstory both insightful and interesting; I would love to gain more experience in the industry, especially in factual production.
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
My Profile
My Profile
Name: Danni Barron
Email: dbarron94@live.co.uk
Location: London, United Kingdom
Transport: Public
Additional Information:
I currently hold a provisional driving licence.
Primary Role Specialisms:
I have experience using Final Cut Pro and limited experience of using Avid Media Composer to edit short films. I also have running experience.
Secondary Role Specialisms:
I have a keen interest in screen-writing and directing, as well as the use of lighting and sound to create specific effects, both in a single camera and studio setting.
Genre Specialisms:
Editing
Directing
Sound
Statement of Intent:
I hope to develop my knowledge and skills in the areas of editing, sound and lighting further throughout the remainder of my university course at Middlesex University; making effective use of the equipment and research materials available to me at this time. I also hope to gain further work experience and find shadowing opportunities relative to my job areas of interest to prepare me for work as a freelancer when my course has finished, predominantly in the area of editing.
Availability:
I am available for work most week days around my university work.
Previous Work:
Job Title: Work Experience
Title: Doha Heroes
http://vimeo.com/37910182
Job Title: Runner
Title: Sex Box
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/sex-box/4od#3584081
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