Documentary Pre-Production Continued

This week, I devised a very rough storyboard idea so that everyone in the group is on the same page.

Alongside this, I worked on a rough outline the script would take. Overall, the documentary will start positively. The concept of palm oil will be introduced fairly neutrally and towards the end of the documentary, the message will flip and look into all the devastating effects palm oil has on the Indonesian rainforest. I used some facts as examples, however these will be changed when we actually go on to write the script.

I then worked on two different tests. The first test was a rough idea of how the words would appear on screen. 

Positives

• The paper flapping in the wind worked best, the fire test was also successful
• The paper fits with the subject of deforestation

Negatives

• The words will be scanned in on the scraps of paper, rather than as they are here, typed on digitally
• The water test was slightly too subtle

I then tested the transitional point between the stop-motion and the collage. This involves strips of paper (representing the palm oil crop) coming through the cardboard, taking over the floor space.

Positives

• The third test was my favourite and will work in the stop-motion set
• I liked the first test as well, and will work well if combined with the third test

Negatives

• I had to animate blindly as my camera isn't compatible with my stop-motion software
• The camera is shaky because I had to take the photo by touching the camera
• The window was open so the lighting varied from photo to photo

Me and Daisy then split up the designing and building of the plants where she'll be working on the aesthetics and outer layers of the plants and I'm working on the under-layers and mechanisms to move them. We picked 9 varieties of plants to make for the forest. I made these designs for the under-layers of the plants.

As a group, we collated our tests and work together for the pre-production pitch. The tutor was pleased with the amount of work we had managed to get done and told us to carry on with what we were doing.

What Went Well

• The rough storyboard helped me explain to the group the overall idea I had for the film
• The tests worked how I expected them to and will be used for the final film
• The designs incorporate materials that are easy to source and show as little of the nylon thread as possible (so the rig-removal stage is reduced)
• There are a variety of plants for the forest, and importantly, they're all native to Indonesia

Criticism

• Splitting the work on the plants between the outer and under layers will mean that me and Daisy will both need to get the scale right for the two layers to fit together when built
• The tests were loosely put together just so I could get the gist of the outcomes. For the real thing, we'll use a proper camera, animate with proper software, control the lighting etc.