I am just starting to realize that I am actually going to Tahiti to film a documentary. I am torn between excitement and fear. As usual I think: What if I am not good enough? What if I produce complete cr*p? To add to the pressure, some of my classmates told me they were looking forward to watch my piece. Well, don’t get your hopes too high because I have 5 good reasons to be worried about the final result.
1. The story
I want my documentary to be about the layboys of Tahiti but let’s face it: it’s more of a subject, not a story. Discrimination among the ladyboys of Tahiti would be a story but I am not sure I have the ability to report on that.
3. the angle
I always had trouble trying to focus on something specific in a story. Basically, when I am covering an event, I always want to include all the details. My documentary is no exception.
Right now, I am desperately trying to tie up two different angles: the story of the ladyboys of Tahiti from the historical point of view and the problems they face in their daily life. But if I emphasize the historical side too much, I could end up sounding like a textbook.
2. the peg
The peg is summarized into a question: why now? What’s makes the story relevant at that particular time? I am fully aware that my peg is completely nonexistent. The only reason why I am still going forward with my idea is because I really want to cover it. I hope that a lot of digging while I am on location will magically unveil the newsworthiness of my piece.
4. camera skills
We used to go out every week to film a news package when we were producing the program “The World Tonight” but it’s been a while since I touched a camera. Plus, I will shoot with a JVC which is new to me and I still don’t feel comfortable with it yet.
5. characters access
In my proposal, I included an indicative timetable. Emphasis on the word “indicative”. I managed to contact almost everyone on my interviewees wish list and they all agreed to meet me. However, when I called back this week to get a confirmation, it was impossible to get in touch with my main character. I guess it could potentially be a big problem but I could always try to see this as an opportunity to change (find) my angle.
Leave a Reply