top of page

Media Studies A2 level

by fabyan damsyiq azhar

COMPONENT 3

introduction

As of now, I will be using this website to document the whole component 3 without the preliminary exercise [in a separate website https://fabyan204.wixsite.com/fabyan-damsyiq-ae3-c] because I was having trouble with the storage limit. I figured that I might have a lot to do so I might need that extra space. 

To start off, I will be choosing to do the documentary package for component 3 because there is an idea that I want to explore and has a pretty high chance of being original at least in my country. Compared to the other coursework packages, it seems that the idea that I have for the documentary is simple enough and easy to grasp as well as I can see myself doing it. I will elaborate on this idea in the Pre-Production Planning.
*THIS SITE IS BEST VIEWED AT 67% ZOOM.*

research & analysis

I find doing research and analysis for documentaries a little difficult because the difference between them is that movies are scripted and documentaries are candid moments where the camera follows the subjects. So, I'm not really sure what to base my analysis on. Films follow stories and plot [they have symbolism, codes and meanings]. Documentaries normally follow an itinerary. Films have more implicit content while documentaries are more explicit. To make this easier, I will be conducting my research and analysis on a documentary about an area and its interconnecting events. These events miraculously tell a fleshed-out story of corruption, human condition and redemption.

This documentary is called The Cannibal Warlords of Liberia by Vice. I know that Vice is quite controversial. They mainly target edgy topics sometimes to the point that it is tasteless but during this era of vice and the documentaries produced and this one alone, I find really good and impactful. It is one that stuck with me and could be my favourite.
Here is the link to it: https://youtu.be/ZRuSS0iiFyo
This documentary follows Shane Smith, the producer, Myles Estey, a journalist in Liberia and the crew as they travel to Liberia to know more about the long running civil-war along with its oddities. 

This documentary is a mix of observational and participatory documentary as it involves the neutral observation of the filmmaker while also momentarily shifting the focus to the crew to show what happens to outsiders influencing the situation.

The documentary starts with an establishing scene of the producer elaborating on the background of Liberia and the basic facts of how the country erupted into civil war. There are archive footage of interrogations and soldiers to give an image on how dire the situation is even back then.

The corrupt government has caused uprisings of rebel leaders fighting to gain control over Liberia and Shane Smith wants to know what happened to those surviving. 

 
The first part of the documentary is meeting their 1st ex-warlord, General bin Laden. The interview was cut short because of hectic conditions in the red light district. People in the district have heard how the crew bribed the police station to get him out of jail and for how much. General bin Laden talked about how ex-warlords who were mostly drugged-up cannibals are the only ones helping the community despite the atrocities they committed. Activities include masonry, woodwork, teaching martial arts and such.
 
After that, they went to try to survey the UN’s activities in Liberia and along the way they met a Liberian journalist named Nagbe. He took them to a slum called West Point to show them what the UN has ‘done’ to help. The crew toured the slum to see the conditions and interviewed the inhabitants who are afflicted by the terrible conditions. Prostitutes, rape victims, children smoking heroin and such. My favourite scene was when a kid came up to them and asked if he can rap for them. This gives them the 'answer' that the UN has done little.
Then, they met another ex-warlord, General Rambo. They had a fuller interview with him as it was held in an abandoned rebel headquarters. He talked about the problem of the country [post-civil-war] is littered with ex-warlords who all grew up fighting, ending up in poverty and because of that, anything can happen anytime. He added, when the UN leaves, people like him can overthrow the government in 2 to 3 hours.
After that, they interviewed another ex-warlord who is now a pastor, General Butt-Naked aka Joshua Blahyi, who Vice did an article on before. He is one of the most feared generals during that time. He talked about his ritualistic practices before going to battle drugged up and naked with beliefs that he could disappear and bullets won’t hit him. One day, he had a vision that caused him to come to his senses and retreat from the war. He later converted into Christianity and started a mission. Joshua went on to show him ‘his Liberia’. It is a great contrast to what is shown in the first half of the documentary. This part of Liberia is hopeful. Ex-child soldiers are receiving rehabilitation from the violence that they are raised in.
The documentary is mostly filmed handheld with archival footage and infographics to provide further context to the viewer which is a convention in documentaries. Camera angles didn’t really matter as long as the subject is in the frame. What I notice is that they put neat details in the editing. During interviews or conversations, the camera cuts away from the speaker to other subjects that align with what they are saying to connect and give emphasis on their words. I want to incorporate this into my documentary. Below are examples.
Nearing the end of the documentary, Shane felt confused and skeptical towards Joshua and his mission considering that he killed around 20,000 people. He grew to like him due to his charm. He recalls what General Rambo had said about the UN leaving and what will happen. He asks a provocative question to end the documentary ''will Joshua return to being General Butt-Naked?'' People around here are all victims of conflict. Each adapted one way or another. This kind of moral theme or philosophy is an aspect that I try to adapt into all of my works not just this documentary. I will apply it when necessary and try not to force it. However, for this documentary that I will be making, there would not be a lot of that because the subject matter would be simple.

Comparing it with other documentaries, the interviewer or the producer normally takes the backseat and let the subjects take the light but I like how they included Shane, the producer to appear in most of the documentary as it gives personality. This shows connections he makes between him and the subjects humanizing them and not just for the sake of documentation. The interviews that he conducts mostly are like casual conversations yet deep and insightful.

I don't really have any technical elements in mind to take inspiration from this documentary other than its gritty camera work. However, this documentary inspired me to make something that concerns people not just something that looks cool. The human condition aspect of this is what I want to take from it. The use of characters driving the story rather than being plot-based. This is a philosophy that I will try to follow from now on. Yet, this is the thing that I struggle most with. I cover this insecurity with my technical abilities and using plot. It is a thing that I have to work on to get over and this documentary might be the door that I have to go through to get where I want.

Adopting that aspect, I will give the technical aspects my own twist just to make it stand out more and make the scenes more dreamy especially the editing like a music video.
This concludes my research and analysis.

pre-production planning

idea

The idea is to follow around a group of garbagemen as they go about their day. This idea might be a little too ambitious for a school project but I use school as an excuse to get me off laziness and as a way to force myself creatively.

The idea started as I thought about a local short film made by Syafi Halim called 'Simpati'. The film is about casual racism in Brunei about a Malay boy befriending a Chinese girl causing a rift between his older brother. Then, I was curious about what do other minorities experience daily. So, I thought about the occupation that is one of the most stigmatized among Bruneians and that is being a garbageman. Now, the theme is not really racism but more of representation of these people. People don't really appreciate them enough and I wanna make something human that captures moments. Meaning that I don't focus on anything specific but more on everything. So, I want things to be neutral. 

Firstly, I need to do research on the local garbage disposal company that most of the people I know hires called RKS Sampah. I have to come up with a list of requests to the company to make filming and planning easier. Then, I'll inform my tutor of this requests so he can write a formal letter of permission on behalf of the school. 

Here are the requests:
 

  • The workers' schedule so I can plan the day.

  • Permission to follow them in their truck

  • Permission to interview them

  • I have to know what they are like

  • I want to hangout with the friendly ones who are open to talk

  • Permission to film in the building where they start and end their day

  • 1 day of filming with another optional 1 day of filming depending on how the shots turn out

letter

Not all requests were mentioned in this letter because it is better to arrange a meeting with them in real life for that. The name of the film in the letter is a fake one because I haven't named it yet.

documentary title

I'm planning for the name to be an extract of what the workers say in the interview perhaps a phrase maybe. So, that the viewer would have this kind of small moment where they realize ''wow, they said the title of the movie,'' something like that.

documentary script

I made a rough script because I don't have their schedule yet so I can't really predict anything as I don't really know how their company works. There's very little information in the internet to use as research material. This script is very likely prone to change. So, I only put in shots that are essential for me to capture while the rest will be up to me on that day thus, acting as a shotlist. Furthermore, there's little information online on how to write scripts for documentary. This is what I came up with.
I like putting b-rolls because unlike observational footage, I get to have a little more freedom and fun with it in terms of the angles as long as it is in the context of the film. The purpose of b-rolls are for establishing the context of things in a quick way.

Music is put there to maintain attention of the viewer, to give style and enhance the beauty of the shots if they come out beautiful that is. Text is to give more direct information that is simple and short yet important to let the audience know where and when things take place.

The observational shots are the most important as it is the foundation of the documentary. This is where the main events of it takes place and has to be filmed with absolute clarity.

The interviews are there to give an insight to the subjects thoughts whether they associate or dissociate from their surroundings, the answer is presented through their words. Note that questions will be asked throughout the film if it urgent and in the moment. As I said before, I wanted this documentary to be neutral. The tone can be determined by the personality of the workers, their behaviour and their general outlook of things brought forth by their words. 

However, I do believe that during the day itself, it would completely subvert my expectations. I just have that gut feeling. Could I even socialize with the workers? My limited vocabulary in Malay might hinder my progress. Could they be insufferable or bigoted? I don't know. Either way, I'll film everything. 

I will elaborate more on this and the shots in my Product Development. I will also make a proper screenplay once I am done with filming.

location/subject

We have sent the permission letter already and it has been a week since then. They still have not replied. So, I have to think up some backup plan. The easiest thing to do is just send the same letter to a different company to see who replies first. 

A few days have passed, the company didn't want to be filmed so my tutor looked for other companies as I'm in too deep in the garbage to change my documentary. He helped me call up 4 more companies and only one said yes and were enthusiastic enough to be filmed. The company is called Noracon Sdn Bhd.

The big boss of the company named Gopal Ramesh gave a few contacts to call. They got a yard for the garbage trucks near my place in Bebatik. So we are going to be filming there. In terms of logistics and the worker schedule, he gave us the supervisor's number.
This is the only picture of Gopal I could find of him and his company. As you can see the company doesn't only do garbage disposal but also cleaning mosques and things related to cleanliness and sanitation.

equipment

  • Canon M6 Camera

  • Gopro

  • Tripod

  • lavalier set

Missing details can be found in Product Development because much of the information to form proper plans I still don't have.
MEDIA STUDIES A2 LEVEL

by fabyan damsyiq azhar

bottom of page