Disciplines
Broadcast and Video Studies | Communication | Film and Media Studies | Film Production
Abstract (300 words maximum)
How can the processes of documentary filmmaking be used to tell a story through a subject? The first documentary, led by Professor Choi with the team as production assistants, consists of a story highlighting a young Korean-American girl whose family is determined to help her reach her aspirations in competitive archery. In the pre-production phase, analysis of other documentaries was conducted to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses to implement or avoid in our documentary. Professor Choi’s previous documentaries were also studied to gain a sense of his unique poetic and participatory styles to replicate that in the current documentary. Through these processes, a sense of teamwork and production skills were developed, which is at the heart of producing a successful documentary. Then, field-work was executed by utilizing a mirrorless camera and other equipment to capture the subjects in person with various shots including establishing shots of the overall surroundings, the practice session, and her dad instructing her. Finally, each member composed an opening sequence to help Professor Choi implement the best aspects of each in his own, with feedback given to Professor Choi on his final version of the documentary prior to submission to various film festivals. The second documentary showcases a KSU baseball player who shares his story of setbacks and family values while trying to make it to the MLB. Following the processes learned from previous experiences, we are currently in the production phase, capturing interviews and footage at games, with the goal of submitting to the KSU Film Festival. Through the course of our research, we discovered that to successfully tell a story through a subject: B-roll should be sequenced with a precise beginning, middle, and end, different paced shots capture the attention of the audience, and an inciting incident is necessary to thrust the story forward.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Communication & Media
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Sangsun Choi
About a Bowshot Away Documentary
How can the processes of documentary filmmaking be used to tell a story through a subject? The first documentary, led by Professor Choi with the team as production assistants, consists of a story highlighting a young Korean-American girl whose family is determined to help her reach her aspirations in competitive archery. In the pre-production phase, analysis of other documentaries was conducted to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses to implement or avoid in our documentary. Professor Choi’s previous documentaries were also studied to gain a sense of his unique poetic and participatory styles to replicate that in the current documentary. Through these processes, a sense of teamwork and production skills were developed, which is at the heart of producing a successful documentary. Then, field-work was executed by utilizing a mirrorless camera and other equipment to capture the subjects in person with various shots including establishing shots of the overall surroundings, the practice session, and her dad instructing her. Finally, each member composed an opening sequence to help Professor Choi implement the best aspects of each in his own, with feedback given to Professor Choi on his final version of the documentary prior to submission to various film festivals. The second documentary showcases a KSU baseball player who shares his story of setbacks and family values while trying to make it to the MLB. Following the processes learned from previous experiences, we are currently in the production phase, capturing interviews and footage at games, with the goal of submitting to the KSU Film Festival. Through the course of our research, we discovered that to successfully tell a story through a subject: B-roll should be sequenced with a precise beginning, middle, and end, different paced shots capture the attention of the audience, and an inciting incident is necessary to thrust the story forward.