This week, our group continued developing the foundation for the documentary, which in large part has been informed by the first interview we have been able to conduct. In reaching our overall goal of exploring perceptions of safety in Regent Park through the experiences of both parents and their children, we feel that we have taken a huge step forward.
From Lexie (on conducting an interview):
“I couldn’t tell if our interviewee or I was more nervous. Probably her… Probably.”
We also conducted our first interview with a mother from the community, which marked an important step in beginning the production process. The interview gave us an opportunity to practice using the cameras and microphones while learning how to structure and adapt our interview questions to generate real conversations. We began identifying which questions encouraged more detailed and reflective responses and which ones needed to be adjusted. It also helped us recognize practical considerations such as sound quality, camera positioning, and how to create a comfortable environment for participants.
From Lexie (on camera angles):
“I couldn’t find an angle I liked, everything felt too sterile. In the coming weeks, I want to keep experimenting, but we may be limited by the first interview footage in terms of keeping consistency.”
From Renee (capturing audio and camera works):
“After letting the excitement and nervousness settle in, I became really aware of what was happening in the recording studio. Of course, the audio was nice and clear, but the thought that maybe our interviewee was a bit nervous got to me. I started wondering, maybe we could have given all of us more time to bond and perhaps meet up with her somewhere outside of the recording studio, so it doesn’t feel so head-on (?). I did catch myself feeling the need to nod or smile here and there, reminding myself to be human, because although my full focus was on the camera and listening carefully to the audio, our interviewee was sharing something personal, and they are just as shy or nervous, so acknowledging what is being shared might allow them to feel more comfortable and heard, as well as, this was a chance for us to understand a small fraction of the people in this neighbourhood.”
As we continue this project, we hope that in the coming week our group will do a better job of allocating our workloads and identify additional tasks for members while interviews are underway. This could be video editing, capturing b-roll, or doing research.
After the interview, our interviewee informed us that a friend of hers might potentially agree to be interviewed, which was a relief for our group, as time is running out and we are still at an early stage of the project.
Then after briefing with the professor about our first interview, she surprised us by offering to connect our group to the founder of the Mothers for Peace group that Adriana mentioned was a member.
From Alpha (note taker):
“Because this was our first “serious” week, having an actual interviewee and all, some of us kind of found ourselves in a situation where we didn’t know what to do and what role we should take up for the day. In the end, all five of our group members just cramped into the studio”
For next week, we will be dividing our roles, such as having a group for the interview and the other will be scouting for outdoor footage.
The team members of Yellow Brick Road are Lexie Young, Renee Chiu, Alpha Vu, Makita Depradine and Ali Joya.