Documentary Filming Process

Interview with Aaron Reed (Body Builder):

• This was conducted in the interviewees house as he mainly trains from home. I went alone to this film this interview and  spent a lot of time ensuring that everything was set up the correct way to ensure that it would be a swift and easy process to do conduct the interview by myself.

• I set up all equipment and created good and relevant mise-en-scene as I had to work with a plain background. I placed supplements on the tablet next to where the interviewee was going to be sat. I gave Aaron a copy of the questions before I started filming to he could think of some responses. I then gave him clear instructions of where to sit and how to sit in order for the interview to follow general codes and conventions.

• Unfortunately, I had to film this particular interview three times. The first time I had difficulties with sound and mise-en-scene, so I went back to re-film the interview and when I looked over it, I again still felt like the mise-en-scene wasn't right. After both these times I was happy with the third and final interview, which is the one in our documentary.

• It was also difficult to film alone as I had to make sure that I was sat in the correct position for Aaron to talk to me and to ensure he was looking in the right direction and work the camera as well when I wanted to change shot during the interview.

Interview with Julie (Hearts Gym Manager)

• Rhiannon and I went to Hearts Gym to talk to a gym manager to get their perspective on the topic. We also wanted a woman's view of the topic as I felt the documentary was becoming gender bias. Even though we were in a gym, it was difficult to find a place with correct mise-en-scene that portrayed Julies role within the gym. We finally decided to use Julies office.
  For this particular interview I manned the camera, in order for us to get a range of shots to break up the interview slightly. Rhiannon took the role of the interviewer and asked Julie all the questions.

Interview with Rakesh Morar (Body Builder)

• A couple of days after Rhiannon and I had gone to film Julie, we both went to film an aspiring body builder. This time me and Rhiannon switched roles and I became the interviewer and Rhiannon took control of the camera.

Vox Pops:

• Again, I went out on to Break Road to film vox pops for the beginning of our documentary. Luckily enough, most of the people I asked to answer my questions agreed to be filmed. I gave them a big poster that included images of different types of body builders, ranging from toned, muscular, and very over the top. It also contained pictures of women body builders. I asked them what they thought of the people on the poster and to describe them in three words.
• However, it was again very difficult to control the camera whilst having to take on the role of the interviewer again.