Morgan on Ken Burns's 'Jazz'

      In his piece on the american musical movement of jazz, Ken Burn combines expert interviews, archival photos and footage, to create his conservative piece about america's favorite improvisational music. By juxtaposing relevant photos with information given on-screen the information becomes accessible to the audience. Burn's style invokes the audience to apprehend information without biases or opinions; he aims to present genuine historical information through the words of people that know what they are talking about. Also, by linking relevant photos and footage to the spoken word, Burns keeps the viewer focused on supportable information (words: Louis Armstrong was a musician from the projects--> picture: Louis Armstrong as a kid living in the projects).
      Now, this filmmaker's relation to our project became very clear after the first 10 minutes of the film. He constructs visual and sound in a way that will maximize the viewer's apprehension of information: nothing more, nothing less. Our project lies in the realm of a Ken Burns film because its adherence to historical subject matter. If we are to follow in the steps of Ken Burns then we must looks at his pacing and his presentation of B-Roll.  His his speed of  B-roll revelation is something to note, because it slowly progresses in and out of the image. Also, he used a lot of dissolves and when pertinent can come handy when attempting to move the unmoving image. Basically, he produced a film that maximized education and minimized sensational entertainment. (Less Errol Morris--> more history channel). This documentary is historical and thus necessitates a factual based documentary. However, depending on where exactly Brad wants to direct the film, its has potential to deviate from Burns's pics (think irrelevant images+ put over factually based narration= create different meaning).

New Production Budget

Pre-Production Unit # Rate/Day Days/Weeks Total Cost In-kind Cash Vendor Photocopying $15 $15 Production Phone 1 $190 $190 Total (Pre-Prod) $205 $190 $15 Production Transportation $100 $100 Storage/HD $118 $118 Camera Package Canon Canon 7D 1 $17 7 $200 $200 lensrental.com Lens 2 7 $84 $84 lensrental Canon Tii 1 4 $48 $48 lensrental Sound Package Recorder 1 $35 per wk 6 $140 $150 Avalive Boom 1 $25 6 $150 $150 AbelCine Pole 1 $8 6 $48 $48 AbelCine Lavs 1 $75 6 $450 $450 Abelcine Lighting Package 1 $125 6 $750 $750 AbelCine Catering $50 $50 Transportation $100 $100 Gas Statio Petty Cash Laptop 1 $1,350 $1,350 Apple Production Supplies Batteries $30 $30 Expendables $20 $20 TOTAL PROD $3,638 3348 $300 Post Production Computer 1 $2,500 $2,500 Apple Sound Software 1 $700 $700 Avid Editing Software 1 $300 $300 Apple FCP Hard Drive 1 $118 $118 Amazon Head Phones 1 $96 $96 Amazon TOTAL (POST) $3,714 $3,714 Distribution DVD's 50 $15 $15 Amazon Festival Entry Fees 4 $100 $100 Shipping 3 10 $30 $30 U.S. Post Total (Distrib.) $145 $145 TOTAL (COMPLETE) $7,702 $7,252 $460

Production Budget

Considering the subject matter and the time span of production, the production's budget will come primarily out of the crew's pocket.  As it stands now for the estimated budget, the majority of expenditures will be in production. I've set aside a maximum of $250 dollars for production. The majority of the  production expenses pertain to travel (gas) and supplies (batteries, photocopying research). Next to production, the only real major expense of the total production is festival submissions. I am setting a maximum of 100 dollars for festival submission. This will allow for the submission to  3-4 in-state festivals. Conclusively, the estimated budget for the entire production is $270. Following is the breakdown of the budget.

Pre-Production

Petty Cash $10

Total Pre-Production: $10

Production: 

Transportation: $100 (Gas)

Production Supplies:

      Batteries: $30

      Expendables: $20

      Photocopying: $20

      Other: $10

Craft Service: 

      Food: $50

Total Production: $270

Post-Production: 

Distribution: 

     Festival Fees: $100

     Postage: $10

Total Post-Production: $110

TOTAL COSTS: $390

     

Production Timeline

Pre-production and Production Timeline


February
10th-12th- Interview Father Bob at Saint Mary's and additional B-roll at church
                  - B-Roll Sunday Mass
                  - Crew Meeting
                


17th-19th- Possible Interview and Additional Footage in Mt. Olive
                 - Possible St. Mark's Interview
                 - Group Meeting


24th- 26th- Possible Theologian Interview 
                  - Plan B for Mt. Olive
                  - Research
March
2nd- 4th   - Crew Meeting
                  - Possible Raleigh Dioses Trip 
                  - Research and piece together found footage/images


9th- 11th - Crew Meetings
                 - (Open Week)
                 - Plan B for Dioses Trip 
                 - Research and piece together found footage/images


16th-18th- Crew Meetings
                 - ( Open Week)
                 - Research and piece together found footage/ images


 23rd- 26th- Crew Meetings
                   - Wish a Trip to New York to burial site of Father Price at Marykroll


30th- April 1st - VISIONS
                    - Crew Meetings
                    - Transfer Footage


April 10th- FINISHED WITH PRODUCTION
                    - Transfer Footage
April 17th- Completed first cut


May 1st   - COMPLETED FINAL CUT
                 

Equipment Needs

For each week of production our group will utilize a consistent amount of equipment.
This weekend for our first weekend of shooting (Feb 12th- 12th) we will use the following:

(Interview and B-Roll List) Canon 7D

Canon Tii**

Sticks

Arri Kit

Boom mic (sennheiser)

h4n recorder

2 xlr cables

boom pole

Shure Mixer

Wireless Mic**

25 ft. stingers X4

gel bucket

**Considering we will be shooting mass at St. Mary's this weekend, we thought as a good idea to have another camera(man). Also, we will be doing the interview inside a very echoey room, so saw it as a good idea to have some sound options with the lav and the boom.

For the following weeks of interviews, we will use the same equipment (as long as we continue to have access to it for the duration of the semester.)

Hugh on Devotional Cinema

         After reading Devotional Cinema I realize the importance and power, more so now,  that film has; especially film that is true to its own nature. This short book illuminates the possibilities of film by presenting the most important factors one must be aware of. Dorsky explains how devotion, in regards to film, can bring about an entirely different more fulfilling experience. Dorsky explains the two basic types of time present in film, being relative time and nowness. He also says that shots and cuts, when complimenting each other, can open up wondrous moments of exploration. He says you cannot have one without the other, and that they are cinema's primal handmaidens. I really enjoyed this section of the book especially, because it presented the same information I've been taught over and over in the simplest most informative way possible. I found this quote by Dorsky to sum up the main idea of shots and cuts, "The shots, as moments of luminous accommodation, ripen and expand and are popped like soap bubbles by the cut. The cuts re-declare the clarity of the shots, restating the primal clarity of the view."
          While I find Nathaniel Dorskys viewpoints beautifully articulated and profoundly interesting, I don't agree with everything he says and stands for, because I think he tends to bring to much of the ethereal, inner soul type attitude to what is ultimately a personal conquest. But I do think that films that are more enjoyable and more spiritually gratifying, are ones where the filmmaker has allowed their true nature to mix in with a personal connection to an unbiased ideal. I think this book will help me in my film career because I have more of an awareness to vision, and the power of film now. I feel as if now I can approach a film with a clearer sense of connection, and appreciation.

Finalized Project Description

The Tar Heel Apostle

            We will follow the campaign currently in progress to have Father Thomas Frederick Price, a Wilmington priest, declared a Roman Catholic Saint. We will interview a specialist on Father Price in Mt. Olive, NC, Father Robert Kus of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and Paul Townend of St. Mark’s, in order to understand why Father Price is worthy for sainthood as well as the process and qualifications thereof. While examining the sainthood process, we will explore what it means to be a saint, who is worthy of the title, and what a person and his/her supporters gain from sainthood. We hope to encourage people to consider what role religion plays in modern times.

            While many films about religion are serious and formal, we’d like ours to be lighthearted but respectful. By discussing the subject of Catholicism in this manner, we hope to make an enlightening and approachable documentary. Also, we want the film to be smooth and professional looking which means no handheld shots, no vox pops, and the film can’t look gritty.

            While the most obvious target audience is Catholics who are interested in different aspects of Catholicism, our intent is to make an informative documentary for non-Catholics. Therefore the film appeals to both religious and secular filmgoers. It’s also appealing to North Carolinians or anyone interested in American history.

            We will seek out funding from different church groups or Christian filmmaking societies that would enjoy financing this film. The film will be distributed through film festivals in North Carolina, though we believe the film has the potential to be picked up by film festivals throughout the US.