Critical Evaluation

Critical Evaluation

During this project I worked across a range of different roles including; researcher, producer, director, sound recorder and editor. 

Pre-production

Pre-production for this project started quickly, as I am also working as a researcher on the Documentary aspect of the Black History live exhibit I already had most of the contacts I needed and through them I gained more.
I emailed various people who worked at MACA (Carol and Yassmin) where I received my brief and was able to easily keep in contact with them making sure I was sticking to what they wanted., called Pam who ran the group where the subjects of our interviews met and emailed people who work at the Chatham Dockyards for help with things like safety of artifacts.

I found looking through things like newspaper archives were the most fruitful for things like when the S.S. Empire Windrush Docked in at Tilbury. I also found that contacts I already had (like my father) where they had personal experience in things like the Army were a lot more helpful then an initial google search. This gave me a much richer understanding of the topic and meant I could talk more confidently about it during interviews.

My role continued by going to the Sunlight Centre where I was able to meet a range of people who came to England for multiple different reasons at various times, we were able to (over a few weeks) build up the trust with people we were talking to and get some really good stories included in our recording. 
One weakness I did have was the initial intimidation of interviewing elderly people as I've only had experience talking to people my own age in that manner. However I was quickly able to adapt to the situation and the initial discomfort which meant I could get on with my job of taking notes even if I wasn't comfortable in the situation. 
One strength I had during my research was organization,I had printed and electronic copies of research I had done as well as spreadsheets where information we had been told was organized and easy to understand.
Another strength I had was time management, planning interviews, meetings, edit times and other pre-production necessities around work that is already on going was done through time tables (made for each shoot day) and tick lists. 
This meant that I did all the work I needed to on time, as well as having plenty of time to do it.

Production

Production for the commission took two days over all. We sat each interviewee down and made it seem conversational so that they wouldn't be intimidated by the recording equipment.


Before we did any recording I asked a member of the course to talk me through how to use a zoom microphone, which I picked up easily.
1 strength I had during the production was that I was very organized, I packed extra batteries (as zooms and clip mics are known for going through batteries quickly), printed out charts that had the interviewees and their stories so Zak (the interviewer) was able to have a brief about them, I also had a shooting day schedule for both days and made sure to transfer footage onto two hard drives as back up. This meant that there was no chance of loosing any of the recording, we would always be on time and knew what we were talking about.

Another strength I had was I made sure I was as relatable as possible for the interviewees. Whilst talking to one gentleman about the Army I noticed he was rather closed off and unwilling to talk so I mentioned my family's relation to the Army, this opened up a further conversation with him and he was a lot more talkative.
One weakness I had was writing open questions for the interviews which meant that the answers I got weren't always self contained, either meaning they had to be cut or a bit of editing was required to make it understandable.

Post production

Post production only lasted a few weeks, I worked with Zak in the editing process.
It started when Zak wrote the transcripts out and I highlighted/rearranged the information we needed to include.
I then used premier to put the rough audio tracks into order after cutting them into smaller tracks.
I then sent it over to Zak who made it sound clearer and run smoothly when being listened to.

One strength I had during the editing was that, because I knew what MACA was looking for (through my constant communication with Carol), and having questions that got to the point I was able to go through the transcripts quickly and easily picking out relevant information.

Another strength I had was good communication with Zak, by consistently talking with him and collaborating with him about what should and shouldn't be included and what should go where.
One weakness I had was time management, I underestimated how long the edit would take and ended up being behind my ideal schedule. However I was able to then have more information in the final tracks, as well as being able to take my time over editing them instead of rushing them.

Something that I didn't do as well was to manage my time as well as we didn't meet the deadline with our fine cut, however we will continue with the edit to the best of our ability for the client.

Things I did well

Overall I think my organisation was really good, I had hard copies of all my research I did so it could be taken to interviews, I had time tables for shoot days that allowed things like traffic and I kept in contact with everyone I was working with so everyone knew what I was doing and when.
Another thing I think I did well was my research, I kept my research on track and relevant to the subjects that were getting spoken about which is something I often struggle with. I managed to get into archives for more in-depth research and I ended up with a good contextual knowledge of the country at the time people were arriving.

Things to improve on

One big thing I can improve on is my confidence. I need to be sure that I know what I am doing and I need to believe in my abilities more, this will make interviewing and meeting people easier and could mean that I learn information about them quicker.

Research into my roles

Research into the roles I did during my commission process

Researcher

The role of a researcher within television is to develop programme ideas, using their understanding of the industry and the requirements of the project, they'll then give their findings to the decision makers within the show.
They also check facts, work across all genres of televisions of production.
They need to understand and work within, relevant legislation and regulations. They can be briefed by the producers or other 'decision makers' about programme ideas and then carry out further development on their idea.
"They also identify relevant data, contributors, locations or archive material, collating and assessing information from various sources, and ensuring that legal, compliance and copyright requirements are met." *1
Researchers also carry out preliminary telephone/face-to-face interviews to assess potential contributors and their availability for inclusion in their project. During production they arrange transport for the contributors, greet them, brief them and escort them to the studio or location.

My role as researcher meant that I did the research into the most important subjects that would be relevant to our participants.
In this case these were, the Army and Nursing. 
I also did background/contextual research into life in 20th century in Jamaica and 20th century in England, to see what they were coming from and what they came to. I also did research into the Empire Windrush, which gave me a more board contextual research point, I looked into doing research into oral histories and atmos sound as these would be massively beneficial towards the recording and editing itself.
As part of my role I also was in regular contact with Carol (one of the people from MACA), Pam (from the sunlight centre) and various people from the Dockyards. 
As part of my contact with Carol I often talked to her about ideas that I had for the exhibition and how it could look/sound.
I sorted out potential stories with Zak (who also worked on the commission).
The way we sorted through the different stories was by making multiple visits each with a different intention; the first few visits were intended to build trust with the members of the group to make it easier for them to tell us their stories, as time went by we wrote more notes and asked more questions until we decided on our final four stories.
From there I sourced the contact details for the management of the Sunlight Centre and Zak called them, we were able to get a room for the recording which meant we were able to get a clear audio.

Director

Directors are the people who are responsible for the 'creative translation' of a film's script into actual images and sounds onto screen.
They are in general responsible for a film's artistic look.
They may have an input in writing the script or they can get hired after the script is already written.
"They must develop a vision for the finished film and work out how to achieve it" *2
During the pre-prod, Directors make crucial decisions these include; selecting the right cast, crew and locations. They direct rehearsals and performances when the film gets to production. They also manage tech aspects like, camera, sound, lighting, design and SFX.
In post they work closely with editors to help them reach thei final version of the film.

My role as director meant that I had to get together 4 stories that are interesting and informative as well as relatable. I brain-stormed my ideas for how I wanted the recording to sound and what I wanted to cover in terms of questions.
I had an input in writing the the questions/script for the participants too and tried to make them as conversational and as natural as possible. 

Sound recorder

Sound recordists (production mixers) record the sound, either on location or in a studio. They monitor the quality of the sound recording through headphones and work closely with; the director, boom operator and sound editor. *3

My role as a sound recorder started by getting the equipment and and asking a member of the course who is proficient at sound to run me through how everything works. 
She got me used to the zoom and answers any questions that I had.
During the recording I had to make sure the clip on mics were in places that would not be brushed easily by arms or clothing (this was harder then I anticipated and required a slight bit of trial and error). I also had to have extra batteries with me as the Zoom is well known for eating through them.
My role required me to recored the sound at the right levels, making sure it didn't peak but also making sure that it could still be heard.

Producer

The producer has the overall control over on every aspect of the production and their responsibilities span over then entire production. They bring together/approve the cast and crew, and then go on to create an atmosphere where strengths in people can flourish.
They are accountable for the success of the finished film. Producers secure rights, choose screenwriters and story edit teams. They raise the funding and supervise the development process.
In pre-prod the producer will bring together key creative members of their crew including, the Director, Cinematographer and Production Designer as well as key cast members. 
Producers will also approve locations, studio hire, final shooting script, production schedule and budget.
When in production they're responsible for the day-to-day smooth operation of the crew. Producers approve all script changes. During post they are expected to liaise with the director and the post production department.*4

My role as producer meant that it was my responsibility to gather stories together ready for recording, I did this by seeing who had the most to say, and who found it easier to talk to us in an interview.
As I was involved in all points of the production I was able to liaise with Zak (who also worked on the commission) about the edit and the overall sound of the recording.

Editor

Editors work closely with the Director, making rushes into sequences that make sense.
They work closely together before shooting, deciding how to get the maximum out of the screenplay.*5

The role of editor was split between myself and Zak, my role was to put the audio rushes into order.
I had to put them into a conversational sequence whilst cutting Zak out so it was one string of vocal recording uninterrupted. I then sent that over to Zak where his editing role was made a lot easier and quicker.

The initial research into roles meant that I was able to fully understand what my role was and what was required of me, it meant I wasn't taking on other jobs that were unneeded therefore was able to get the work asked of me done quickly and efficiently.  
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*1- Researcher (TV)- creativeskillset.org/job_roles/308_researcher_tv
*2- Director- creativeskillset.org/job_roles/758_director
*3- Sound recordist-creativeskillset.org/job_roles/312_sound_recordist
*4- Producer - creativeskillset.org/job_roles/757_producer
*5- Editor - creativeskillset.org/job_roles/2940_editor

20th century Jamaica

Research into 20th century Jamaica

1950's

In the 50's the Bauxite (an aluminium ore) industry as well as the tourist trade assumed prominent roles in the Jamaican economy (how ever the gains from these industries didn't do much to help solve Jamaica's underlying economic problems).

Jamaica joined the other British Caribbean colonies in '58 to form the "Federation of the West Indies" (a referendum in '61 saw the majority of Jamaicans voted for withdrawal from said federation). *1

1960's

On August 6th 1962 Jamaica became an independent state.*1

Quotes about Jamaica from interviewees

"When I lived in Jamaica, Jamaica was a successful country. We never had the hardship that hurts it now. Because we used to - I came here just before independence. And we used the same currency as England, because England made our pound. The same pound I use in Jamaica is the same one I spend here. It’s changed a lot, because when England went decimal and we went dollars that’s when it began to slide. But still I don’t think it’s as bad as other countries. Because you have other countries in the Caribbean that’s worse than Jamaica"

"In Jamaica you’ve got a couple of kids you’ve got the backup. We didn’t come with our parents, we were adults so we had brother and cousins or whatever but we didn’t have any family to look after your children. You have to work and have nannies or these little ladies who retire, we had a lovely one called ‘Nora’. She was really good, my baby girl was at home and I could leave her there and I’d go off to parties with my husband She was a really nice lady"

"In kingston, you can trust the child you put out front playing and if she wanders off there’s eyes they’ve seen where she goes who she goes with but up here it was quite different"

Overall I found researching Jamaica from the internet less productive then actually asking people about it. From out interviewees and other people at the Sunlight Centre we were able to get a real feel for the community spirit which was heavily felt in Jamaica compared to when they arrived in the UK.

I will use this contextual research to help me understand what they were travelling from when they left Jamaica.

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*1- "Jamaica" - www.encyclopedia.com/places/latin-america-and-caribbean/caribbean-political-geography/jamaica#HISTORY

Oral history interview research

Oral History interview research

As part of my contextual research I listened to various oral histories and noted their use of sound in their interviews.

Interview with, Abrahams Ivor, National life stories: Artists' lives *1

Interview with, Adams Anna, National life story collection: Artists' lives *2

Interview with, Gay Bernard , National life story collection: Artists' lives *3

Interview with, Marshall Harold *4

Johnston, Laurence National Life Story Collection: Lives in Steel *5

These interviews all use a single microphone per person

CDs loaned to me by member of group (unable to link)

These interviews are grouped and have one microphone per 6

Use of Atmos in recording?

For atmos research I went to the Chatham Dockyards to the "Ship beneath the floor" exhibit. 

The extract of Equiano's diary being read out whilst have waves in the background were really effective in putting the listening into the readers shoes. It was good at creating atmosphere and added drama to the extract. 

This is something that I'd like to include in my project as it will hopefully provide the similar effect of atmosphere that the "Ship beneath the floor has".

What did I learn?

From these interviews I learnt the importance of open questions, by having open questions the interviewee can expand with greater detail on their answers.

I also got an appreciation for the clear audio, in comparison to the CDs I was loaned where audio was disrupted by doors and children crying. It highlighted the need for a clear and audible recording. It also showed the difference between having the microphone focused on one person, where you are actually able to hear the thoughts and opinions of one person compared to a group, where everyone one is talking at once.

How did I use this?

I used this research during the production, I made sure we interviewed one person at a time and used clip mics for a closer audio recording.

The pro in doing this is if they are a quiet speaker then they won't be lost when talking to a microphone a foot away from them compared to one clipped onto them. The con is it's easier for the audio to peak and clip mics can be easily brushed by arms and hair.

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*1-Abrahams Ivor, National life stories: Artists' lives 1/7 -sounds.bl.uk/Oral-history/Art/021M-C0466X0121XX-0001V0

*2-Adams Anna, National life story collection: Artists' lives -sounds.bl.uk/Oral-history/Art/021M-C0466X0257XX-0001V0

*3-Gay Bernard, National life story collection: Artists' lives-sounds.bl.uk/Oral-history/Art/021M-C0466X0057XX-0100V0

*4- Marshall, Harold  National Life Story Collection: Lives in Steel

*5- Johnston, Laurence National Life Story Collection: Lives in Steel

Military research

Structure of the British Army 

Broadly speaking the British Army is made up of 2 halves, the regulars (full-time soldiers and units) and Army Reserve (part-time soldiers and units). 
It has two functions, Administrative (the people who look after the pay, recruiting, discipline etc.) and the Operational (preparing to go to war, going to war or assisting with civil emergencies such as flood/disaster relief.

Sub-units (known as Company, Battery, Squadron depending on unit capbadge)
Within a Company you then have Platoons (generally made up of 5 squadrons) and Sections.
A Company is approximately 150 x soldiers.
A Battalion/ Regiment is approximately 650 x soldiers.

1-star headquarters commanded by Brigadier.
2-star headquarters commanded by Major General.
3-star headquarters commanded by Lieutenant General.
4-star headquarters commanded by General.


Royal Corps of Transport (RCT)- was Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) until 1965 - became Royal Logistic Corps in 1993.
Royal Army Ordnance Corps - became Royal Logistic Corps in 1993.
Army Catering Corps - became Royal Logistic Corps in 1993. *2

(1) The ranks within the British Army are as follows;

Officer cadet

This rank is held during initial officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Second Lieutenant

This role is normally held for 2 years, after which the individual is responsible for leading up to 30 soldiers in a platoon or group, in both training and on operations.

Lieutenant

This is a role normally held for up to 3 years. Lieutenant's usually normally command platoons or troops of around 30 soldiers, how ever as their experiences progresses they get more responsibilities. 
They can also gain specialised skills outside their unit.

Captain

Captains normally get made second in command of a "sub-unit" of up to 120 soldiers. They're key players in planning and decision-making processes, they also have tactical responsibility for operations on the ground as well as the equipment maintenance , logistic support and manpower.

sub-unit second in command
battalion Ops Officer
battalion Int Officer
staff officer within headquarters

Major

An individual will be promoted to Major after 8-10 years of service, normally a major will be given command of a "sub-unit" of up to 120 officers and soldiers with responsibility for their; training, welfare and administrations both in camp and on any operations, as well as the management of their equipment.

sub-unit commander
quartermaster
battalion second in command
Paymaster
staff officer within headquaretrs

Lieutenant Colonel

Lieutenant Colonels usually command units of up to 650 soldiers, containing four or five sub-units. They're responsible for the overall effectiveness of their unit in terms of military capability, welfare and general discipline. 

battalion/ regiment command
staff office within headquarters

Colonel

Colonels aren't usually field commanders they'll typically serve as Staff Officers, working in a major on a headquarters, between field commands at battalion/brigade level. It's the lowest of the staff ranks and they are the principal operational advisors to senior officers.

staff officer within headquarters
command a group of units
Arms & Service Directors

Brigadier

Brigadier is not considered to be a General Officer rank by the British Army more so a Field officer rank. 
They can command a brigade or be a director of operational capability groups.

command a brigade
work within a headquarters

Major General

Hold senior staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence and other headquarters.

commands Divisions
work within a headquarters

Lieutenant General

"Lieutenant Generals command formations of Corps size and other commands in the UK and overseas, and hold very senior staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence and other headquarters."

General

"Generals hold the most senior appointments, such as the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of the General Staff, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Commander in Chief Land Forces."

Other ranks

Private

When they complete their training all new soldiers start as a Private, however the title can vary between: Trooper, Gunner, Signaller, Sapper, Guardsmen, Rifleman or Kingsman, it all depends on the corps/regiment.

Lance Corporal

A promotion to a Lance Corporal can follow after phase 2 training or after 3 years as a Private, they're required to supervise small teams of up to 4 soldiers called a section. They can also have the opportunity to specialise and undertake specialist military training.

Corporal

After 6-8 years in the Army (and depending on the individual's ability to lead) a promotion to Corporal will typically follow. Whilst in this rank the opportunity to gain trade and instructor qualifications can be gained. Corporals are given command of solders and equipment such as tanks and guns.

Sergeant

A sergeant is a senior role of responsibility, promotion to be a Sergeant typically happens after 12 years of service. 
They are second in command of a troop or platoon of up to 35 soldiers, their responsibility for advising and assisting junior officers.

Staff/Colour Sergeant

After a few years as a sergeant, promotion to a staff or colour sergeant can follow.
"It's a senior role combining man and resource management of around 120 soldiers, or even command of a troop or platoon"

Warrant Officer class 2 (WO2)

This is a senior management role focusing on the training, welfare and discipline of a company.squadron or battery of up to 120 soldiers.
WO2's act as senior advisors to the Major in command of the sub-unit and may also end up being chosen for a commission as an officer.

Warrant officer class 1

This is the most senior rank in the British Army, it's typically reached after 18 years of outstanding service.
WO1's are the senior advisors of their unit's commanding officer, they have welfare responsibilities of up to 650 officers and soldiers and equipment.


Overall this research will be massively beneficial to me during the interviews as it gives me a basic knowledge of how the army is structured and the general chain of command it follows. 
This will also help me build conversations and ask more detailed questions to interviewees who were involved in the Army.

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(1) "Ranks"=www.army.mod.uk/structure/32321.aspx
(2) "explanation of terminology" my dad who spent time in the Army

Dock Yard research

Dockyard: Location Research

My final commission will be exhibited in the Chatham Historic Dockyards as part of the "Black History Live" project.

As part of the research into how I'd like things displayed in the project (in terms of photos, artefacts etc.) I went to the Dock yards and looked around the room where it would be. This also helped me during the editing/scripting of the recordings as I had an order in my head to work to making things quicker and easier. 

To help me visualise how I'd like things to work before I consulted Carol I drew out diagrams and took notes on how things would work in the exhibition. As well as how it would all work together as one cohesive exhibit.

After I did this I emailed Carol asking her opinions about it;

After doing this I was able to edit the sound clips accordingly as well as ensure that pictures of the interviewees were taken.