Filming Day_1

So today we actually started the practical side of this project after about 4 weeks of paper based preparation. I went to the Viridor Waste management site in Burgess Hill today and was shown around the site by Fiona Bussel, who's in charge of the communication management and I've spoken to her a few times on the phone when trying to arrange times to visit. I watched some four docs tips last night about documentary making and learnt a few tips in preparation for today such as when interviewing, to just acknowledge the people just with facial expressions and to try and keep quiet apart from when asking questions. I was kind of rushed through the tour and was under-prepared as I didn't have time to get the headphones set up so I could hear what was recording through the mic and it wasn't until a few minutes through that I managed to get her permission to actually record her presenting what she was telling me. But after that, I got some real good footage and an interview with one of the guys on site.

Overall, the experience was really interesting and I actually learnt alot about recycling and waste management, as well as putting some of my video production skills into the real world. But I did really discover how difficult it is to create a documentary with 1 person. Just having another person to help with the camera would've made such a difference but I've got to keep going on with what I have really. I went into the burgess hill town centre and took some photos for the video and some footage of a bus. I also went to Haywards Heath train station and filmed a bus pulling in and then filmed some more presentation by the Sainsburys recycle bins but it was really embarassing doing it by myself with all the passers by, but I guess it's confidence building really. When I got back home, I filmed the presentation introduction to the film but it took around 40 takes in the end because I either had the shot aimed wrong or ended up caught on my words (2 disadvantages of not having other people to help). Although, I think all the outtakes will look good in the credits of the film and will add a nice comical effect to finish the film off. In a few minutes, I will do the last shot of the day, which will be putting the camera tripod on the side of the road and film some traffic passing by to use as cutaways in my video and increase the video speed.

Tomorrow will be the last day of filming as I head off to Olus Enivironmental to find out about their processes and I actually found out today that the green waste from Viridor goes over to Olus! What a small world, eh? It should be good fun and I'll try to get as much footage as possible. I was also contacted today from one of my parents friends, who runs a woodchip boiler in forest row which is a form of Sustainable technology and he told me to give him a ring back tomorrow and we may be able to arrange something. So if I can fit a meeting in after Olus, then I will be able to get even more footage! So we've acheived quite a fair bit today, but only half of the filming battles is won!