UPDATES - Grouping

Due to much consideration, Amy Durbin and I have decided to join forces and work on our documentary together.

We will be keeping the idea of Alex Curtis and from now on will be editing, filming and planning each stage of the documentary together.

First Filming & Editing Session (15th September)

Filming

Today I filmed the talking head interview with Carlisle Winston-Smythe (Alex's manager). I'm really happy with how it went as we got the whole scene filmed and, although it's a relatively short scene, I think the mise en scene and framing of each shot looks professional.

 

Editing

I used Final Cut Pro X to edit this scene on, and I am very happy with the outcome. I was able to cut each clip very precisely and was also able to remove a lot of the background noise, which in my opinion makes the scene look more professional and clear. It also makes the scene easier to watch, as the viewer doesn't have to try and listen to what Carlisle is saying over the fuzzy background noise.

The Scene Itself

Production Schedule

We have kept to our production schedule and managed to film this scene on the 15th, like we intended to. However, we also edited this scene on the 15th and therefore we are ahead of schedule on the editing side.

Documentary Research

Brüno

Brüno was released in 2009 and was produced by Universal Pictures. It was aired in the USA originally and the filming locations were:

Amman, Jordan

Bethlehem, Palestine

Carrollton, Texas, USA

Jerusalem, Israel

Anniston, Alabama, USA

Bangaluu Club, Berlin, Germany

Bentonville Village Inn, Arkansas, USA

Berlin, Germany

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas, Texas, USA

Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Washington, District of Columbia, USA

I think the target audience for Brüno is young adults between the ages of 16 to 35 as some (if not most) of the humour is quite crude and therefore many teenagers under the age of 16 may not understand it and therefore wouldn't find it funny. I think the reason the target audience is up to 35 years old is again because of the crude humour. A lot of older people dislike crude humour as it is distasteful and often offensive.

"Brüno is a gay Austrian fashion guru. He has his own fashion based television show, Funkyzeit, the most popular German-language show of its kind outside of Germany. After he disgraces himself in front of his Funkyzeit fan base, he is ruined in German speaking Europe. He decides that in his quest for worldwide fame, he will move to Los Angeles and reinvent himself. Accompanying him to the US is Lutz, his former assistant's assistant. Lutz is the only person left in his circle that still believes in Brüno's greatness. Brüno goes through one reinvention of himself after another, ultimately straying to areas far removed from his own self. Perhaps when Brüno finds an activity that he truly does love, he will also find that über-fame he so desperately desires." - IMDb

Borat

Borat was released in 2006 and was produced by the same company who produced Brüno, although obviously Borat was produced first. Sacha Baron Cohen stars in both and played a main role in writing both of them.

The filming locations include:

Moroieni, Romania
Glod, Romania
Roanoke, Virginia, USA
California, USA
Virginia, USA
Adolphus Hotel, Dallas, Texas, USA
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Brandin' Iron Saloon, California, USA
Dallas, Texas, USA
Four Seasons Kosher Bed & Breakfast, Massachusetts, USA
Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, LA, California, USA
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Los Angeles, California, USA
Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Maryland, USA
Salem Civic Centre, Salem, Virginia, USA
South Carolina, USA
The Block At Orange, Orange, California, USA
Washington, District of Columbia, USA

I think the target audience for Borat is the same as that of Brüno, as they are both produced by the same company and written by the same man, which means the humour is very similar and so is the way in which it has been made.

'Kazakh TV talking head Borat is dispatched to the United States to report on the greatest country in the world. With a documentary crew in tow, Borat becomes more interested in locating and marrying Pamela Anderson.' - IMDb

Animatic

This animatic is quite basic and not very detailed. The reason for this is that, because Alex is quite a funny person, I didn't want to plan the scenes an excessive amount because I wanted it to feel more natural instead of looking rehearsed.

I have included a more detailed plan of each scene below.

Scene 1

In scene 1, the scene starts with the camera man knocking on Alex's bedroom door and him still being asleep. After this situation is sorted, Alex begins his morning routine, while explaining just how important the day ahead of him is.

Scene 2

Scene 2 is quite simply a talking head interview with Alex over a cup of coffee (either in a coffee shop or in his kitchen). 

Scene 3

After leaving the coffee shop (or his kitchen), he is attacked by fans and begins signing autographs for them. They all have a magazine open on the page of the article he featured in (see separate blog post).

Scene 4

In scene 4, Alex visits his old school, Chauncy, to invite his old head master to the announcement later that day. As he walks through the corridors, the year 7s cower away from him because of his shear power. The conversation with the head master is not shown as there is a 'no filming' sign on the door. Convenient.

Scene 5

Scene 5 shows Alex as he is preparing himself to go on stage. There is a voice of God and Alex does various warm up exercises.

Scene 6

This scene shows Alex taking a deep breath and walking on stage, and then the shot fades to black and the title 'End of Part One' fades in.

*Additional Scene To Be Added In Editing*

This scene is the talking head interview with Alex's father. I haven't allocated it a scene number because I wanted to wait until I began editing to see where it looked more natural.

UPDATES - Scene Outline & Characters

I have decided that I would like to include a talking head interview with Alex's father, between scenes 3 and 4, or between scenes 4 and 5, depending on where it looks more natural during editing. I think it would be fun to see how his Dad (actually played by my Dad, not his own) talks about him and also to hear about how Alex was as a child.

For example, I think if we heard an anecdote from Alex's childhood about how he used to march around the living room in his tiny shirt and tie and demand his little sister to get him juice and things, hence the start of a life full of power.

Alex's Dad's character is obviously a new edition to the character list and his costume can be found on the original character list, where I have added him onto the end.

Characters & Costumes

The Man Himself - Alexander Curtis

Alex will be wearing two different costumes due to the fact that the cameras will be following him all day. This means the first time we see Alex, he will be in his pyjamas and slippers and then after he gets up and begins his morning routine, he will be wearing a smart grey suit, a white shirt with an extraordinary tie and a large gold watch. All of this is to show that he is powerful within Ware and needs to look presentable for his adoring fans and, of course, the paparazzi. 

The Man's Babysitter - Alex's Manager (Played by Zac Meli)

Alex's manager, Carlisle Winston-Smythe, is a very intelligent and well spoken man and because of this he should also be well dressed. This will include black suit trousers, a grey suit jacket, a black shirt and a red tie. He will also be wearing glasses to make him look more official and more intelligent. He has known Alex since he was a young boy and therefore treats him like a sort of honorary nephew, even though they are not related at all. Carlisle is around 38 and enjoys golf, sudoku and the occasional stroll along the river with his wife, Leanne.

The Man's Eyes and Ears - Alex's Bodyguard (Played by Kayleigh Clancy)

Alex is a very important member of the community, and because of this, he needs a security guard. Although the security guard's full name is unknown, Alex often refers to him as Greg. We are unsure as to whether his name actually is Greg, however it pleases Alex so we haven't asked. This bodyguard will be in nearly every shot of Alex when he is out in the public eye as this is when he is most vulnerable to crazy fans. The security guard's costume is pretty basic, as we don't want to distract the attention of each shot away from Alex. The costume includes black trousers, a white shirt with a black tie, a black jacket (leather if possible) and black aviator sunglasses. The body guard does not speak unless spoken to. In fact, we are not even sure if he speaks English.

The Guy Upstairs - The Voice of God (Voiced by *insert name*)

The voice of God is very important in this documentary, as when Alex is out and about and trying to avoid excessive amounts of attention, he often cannot explain to the cameras what he is doing or why. For this reason, a voice of God will be used to explain to the viewer what Alex is doing and how he feels about the current situation he is in. The voice of God will ideally be a very British accent, from a male from between the ages of about 45 to 80. This is because the voice needs to sound intellectual without sounding like the voice of a teenager. I think this would make the documentary more professional overall. The voice of God will obviously not be wearing a costume.

The Crazies - Alex's Fans (Played by *insert names*)

Alex is adored by all sorts of people in and around Ware, and so when he is spotted in public, his fans often go crazy. Alex describes them as the 'crazies' but always has time for them, limited though it may be. These fans do not have specific costumes as they are just regular people. Throughout scene 3 (while Alex is signing autographs), I want to include a few talking head interviews with a couple of fans, just to get an idea of how they Alex has inspired them and how much they love him.

The Man's Inspiration - Alex's Father (Played by Tom Booth)

Alex's father has always been an inspiration to his son, contributing massively to Alex's huge success. Already retired at the early age of 49, Alex's father, David Curtis, was a successful man himself in his youth, but gave all of it up when he met his wife, Jessica, and decided that he wanted to start a family. Alex has followed in his father's footsteps since he was just 8 years old and has always aspired to be as successful as him. David Curtis is comfortably retired, and so his costume will be smart casual. This includes a Ralph Lauren polo (of any colour) and smart black trousers. He will also be wearing sunglasses, even though he will be inside, because he does not want to risk damaging his eye sight by exposing it to too much studio lighting.

Initial Ideas Pitch & Feedback

My Initial Ideas Pitch

Feedback

Positives: 

Nice ideas in terms of style.

Good sense of humour coming through already.

Research also suggests the comedic tone of the documentary.

Negatives:

1. In need of a title.

2. Boost scene 4 content - does it link to him going on stage?

3. What is the use of the priory as a location?

My Response To The Feedback

1. In need of a title. The reason I have not chosen a title is because I wanted to wait until after I had filmed the majority of my footage. This is because I wanted to name my documentary after something Alex says during the actual feature. I think this would not only generate a random but also relevant title, but would reinforce the idea that the documentary is completely based on Alex.

2. Boost scene 4 content - does it link to him going on stage? Scene 4 is all about how he got to where he was. the reason he visits his school on this particular day is because he wants to personally invite his old Head Master to his announcement later on in the day. While Alex is at his old school, he interacts with old teachers, adoring fans and year 7s who have been taught about his importance.

3. What is the use of the priory as a location? I would like to use the priory as the location for the announcement itself. This is because the old priory building has a hall that we could possibly use and this would be quite easy to fill with people, or create the effect that it was full of people. I also think a short interview with Alex before he goes on stage about how he is feeling etc would be good and I want to film this in front of the old priory building.