Shoot One - Dunstable Downs

In this documentary i want to include shots of Will sitting on top of the hills in our home town, to show where he grew up and where he lives, giving a sense of the type of person he is and what inspired him to want to travel. I chose this location purposely as its a nice scenic view and expresses a sense of adventure, relevant to the narrative of the piece.

For these shots i used two different lenses on my Canon 700D - 50mm f/1.8 and 10-24mm f/3.5 - 4.5. I also used a fig rig for a smoother pan shot and a tripod for still shots. These are the shots i want to include at the beginning of the piece, in the introduction and at the end of the documentary as a round up to the beginning of the story.

Here you can see i have experimented with a variety of shots and angles, ranging from extreme closes ups, close ups, mid shots, long shots and extreme long shots. I followed the 180 degree rule, experimenting from within that zone, the distance and composition of where to put him within the frame. I also experimented with moving around with the camera, using the fig rig for a steadier pan. I wanted to do a shot where i walk backwards, away from the subject, showing the environment around him and creating a meaning of where he got his love for the world and the outdoors from. 

During the opening sequence, i want to use the extreme close ups, close ups and mid shots for the introduction of who the documentary is based on. These shots allow the viewer to connect on a personal level as we are right in close to him, almost invading his personal space. During this, I am looking into adding a atmospheric backing track, with a voice over from Will, talking about travelling and how his home town with its open scenic views has inspired him his whole life to travel the world.  

Ideally, i would like Will to make up his own quote for the beginning of the piece. However, as an example i have suggested possible things he could say to help the process to get him thinking about what would fit well and grab the viewers attention, as it is vital for the piece that the opening sequence is strong as it determines weather the viewer continues watching or loses interest. 

A suggestion was:

"I love my home. I love the open space and the sense of freedom, i love how the thought of it makes me feel alive. I want others to feel like this. My decision to volunteer was simple. Help others, help them feel alive and appreciate life and all the wonders of the world". This is just to give him an idea of what he could say but i want him to put in his own words how it feels to travel and how he was inspired from his elders, friends and scenic location from our home town that all led to his decision to volunteer and spend a long time away from home, following his ambitions.

In discussion with Will about what he could say, he showed me a picture of a canvas that is on the wall in his kitchen which has been there his whole life, which he says has inspired him subconciously with his outlook on life.