Consuming and Creating: A Balance

Hello everyone! Another week, another set of blog posts. Let's get right into it.

    One of the main things I wanted to upgrade in this documentary that I did not get the chance to fully accomplish with Counter Conformity was the extremely stylistic, staged B-roll. I LOVE stylistic visuals. I love them. Despite getting staged footage for my last documentary, I really wanted to go all out and developing a whole set for this one, carefully selecting the mine-en-scene and using it to create a feeling that matches the content being discussed in the interviews. 

    Although, I'm not sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, but my personal style in terms of B-roll is not commonly seen in most documentaries, making research or finding inspiring examples pretty close to impossible. Regardless, I have been watching some documentaries here and there to see what others have done (after all, a huge part of being a creator is also being a consumer). These are some I found:

THESE DAYS

    I will be honest, I did not have the time to finish watching this documentary, but I definitely want to when I get the chance. This piece is about people in their early 20s and how they manage themselves as they go through life, constantly asking questions and trying to figure out who they want to be. What I thought was interesting (even though it is done in a lot of documentaries, especially on more "home-style" platforms like YouTube) is the fact that the interviewees are never shown, only heard. I think that this combination of profound storytelling and handheld video makes it seem like you are talking with the interviewees one-on-one, having an intimate conversation in an empty room. The camcorder footage of nostalgic images also bring in more of a personal touch to it, augmenting that "human" feel and allowing audiences to connect with the message.

    I honestly like showing the interviewees since viewers get to connect with them personally, however I do see the value in submerging the audience completely, using footage to engulf them in a world created for them to not only further understand the concept, but also increase their attachment to the piece. Before watching this, I was expecting to cut to the interview clips or at least showing the interview clips in a creative matter (ex: having the clips edited onto the screen of an old TV), but now I might experiment with not showing them at all, focusing only on the stylistic B-roll I plan on getting. Decisions, decisions, decisions...

THE FUTURE IS FLUID

    This was actually a documentary I had used as inspiration for Counter Conformity, since of course it discussed gender fluidity and expression while simultaneously showcasing this in a stylistic way. I think that even after searching endlessly online for something like this, I have not been able to find much. Because of this, The Future is Fluid has remained in my YouTube Favorites Playlist for a while, allowing me to go back and re-watch from time to time. After so many views, this is what I personally think about it:

- What I like: Stylistic B-roll! Shocker. I love how no matter what is being shown, you can tell that whoever made it shot and chose their footage carefully. I especially love the shot in the documentary's thumbnail, since it is very obviously staged yet aesthetically and visually pleasing (the subjects themselves, the corner of the wall looking like a line between them, the color palette, etc.). It may not be the most conventional thing to do for a documentary, but I really think that it brings up the piece's artistic value and sets it apart from other documentaries. This is the level of visuals I strive for. The shots of the non-binary dancer in action are also stunning. 

    Also, this documentary does not show the interviewees (much like "These Days"), but I'm not sure if it is as effective. I think that not being able to see the interviewees' faces keep the audience from forming a connection with the speakers, which I think takes away from the piece. This is why I am probably going to make the whole "interview or no interview video" decision once the editing process starts, since I'll have a much better idea of what to do then.

- What I would do differently: In this video, they have a larger amount of interviewees (thirteen) compared to what is usually seen for a shorter documentary (most likely to emphasize that gender fluidity is becoming more popular around the world, not just in a specific country or region). Even though they are discussing the issue thoroughly, it prevents the audience from getting to know each interviewee, which in my opinion makes it less personal. Gender fluidity and expression is extremely personal; and not being able to fully understand what it means to each of them makes it seems more surface-level than it could be. This is why I tend to stick to no more than three interviewees, but again, that's just my style.

AFTER BIRTH: IS IT SELFISH TO CARE ABOUT YOUR BODY?

    I LOVE the New York Times Op-Docs, which is why it has been one of my main sources of inspiration (and in a way, research). They always tend to choose documentaries that discuss controversial topics, mainstream subjects through a fresh angle, and/or tell stories in unique ways (I think this is the closest to how the footage looked was absolutely beautiful and soul-crushing, I HIGHLY highly recommend).

    In this documentary, they discuss pregnancy but through the lens of mothers that struggled with their self-image after birth. Even though the production is simple, the topic is certainly not. A group of a few women talk about how this change in their bodies resulted in a change within their romantic and sexual relationships, their connection with their children, and their confidence. I absolutely love how they discussed such a taboo topic in the realest way possible, each interviewee being fully honest and going over pregnancy's physical and emotional effects. I think it also did a great job at portraying women as strong and independent since they had to go through these changes by themselves, all while having to take on the immense responsibility of raising a child. 

    For this upcoming documentary, I would love to also be completely real and allow each interviewee to fully express how they feel about the male gaze, since being completely honest makes everything feel genuine and raw. I really enjoyed this documentary and would love to incorporate all of this into my next project.

    Anyway, hope you liked what I found! I plan on watching more and more throughout the process of making this project, that way I can learn more about making documentaries and hopefully find other pieces that inspire me to create. I'll make sure to post them once I find them!