It is bizarre to think that this semester is already at an end. Although directing my 495 Documentary has been a trialling time, I am thankful for all that I have learned. I learned that I must scout for a suitable production team in advance and require a portfolio of previous works in order to determine whether or not their style will be suitable for my film. This was my first film as a director and it was extremely difficult to maintain a clear picture of what I wished to convey throughout production. I am quite happy with the storyline created through the interviews, but I wish I had time to re-shoot or schedule an additional film shoot to gather more in-depth answers. I also learned that you should constantly be thinking about b-roll. My team shot hours of b-roll footage, but we forgot to gather more diverse b-roll (such as establishing shots that depicted an organization's building).
My experience with Waterfowl(ed) has also clarified that directing documentaries is the career option I wish to pursue after I graduate. I find the puzzle in filming a documentary absolutely fascinating because you see the story unfold before you at every shot and how each individual you interview is interconnected. As an anthropology major as well, I found myself curious to expand the project into a cultural ethnography on the people to advocate to help the environment and wildlife while others do not within our societal culture.
Druscilla and I have one final meeting to finalize our Post-Production plan. I will be completing the finishing touches to the film once my brother has created a musical score to accompany it. Hopefully Waterfowl(ed) will be accepted into some film festivals!
