Tomas caused a delay

ITINARARY FOR TOBAGO TRIP        SAVING POWER X 4

From 29th October - 31st October 2010

Date	Time	Function	No.	Location
29th Oct.	PM 9:45 10:05 10:30 11:00	Depart Piarco Arrive in TAB Have light dinner Sleep	1 2 3 4	Piarco Int'l Airport Crown Point Int'l Airport Judy's Home away from Home Judy's Home away from Home

 

Date	Time	Function	No.	Location
30th Oct.	AM 6:30 7:00 7:10 7:50 8:50 11:10 12:10	Breakfast Head to Fort Milford Arrive at Fort Milford Head to Store Bay Head to Pigeon Point Head to Hermitage Hermitage (Close Documentary)	1 2 3 4 5 6 7	Judy's Home away from Home Fort Milford (Intro)    --0-- Store Bay Pigeon Point Hermitage Bay    --0--
30th Oct.	PM 2:10 3:10 7:00	Depart Hermitage Arrive at base & rest * Unwind / Leisure Activities	9 10 11	Hermitage Bay Judy's Home away from Home Anywhere the wind takes us

 

Date	Time	Function	No.	Location
31st Oct	7:00   12:05 1:05 1:25	Some beach   Check-in Depart TAB Arrive in POS	1   2 3 4	- - Anywhere  - -   Crown Point Int'l Airport Crown Point Int'l Airport Piarco Int'l Airport

*  Please walk with appropriate clothing for *unwinding.  Of course, this depends on the success of the morning shoots

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 Well above was the detailed itinerary for one of our final shoots, to be done in Tobago!! Tickets purchased it was just to board the 9:45 pm flight. However due to the "Tropical Storm Warning" placed on the country, we decided as a group to forgo that trip, until another time. 

This decision was a safe call, but at the same time...it is sort of pushing us back a bit with our production.

The Production assistant tried her best to get us on the next weekend flight(which is this weekend -the long weekend) but that proved unsuccessful. Not a surprise really as of course there are tons of people heading over for the long weekend. It does seem however that our trip to the sister isle would be next weekend.

So as I suggested to the group it was best we get what we can now now with the free time, hopefully my group agrees. This suggestion was made so we could just to shoot what we can right here with a wasted weekend..so the Introduction for the documentary is still to be done...this weekend is a fabulous opportunity to do that! One area for shooting the Intro would be at the Hyatt water front. I also mentioned in chatting with Trixie(the producer) the lookout in Morvant, which gives a spectacular view of the city and surrounding in Port Of Spain or even Lady Chancellor which also offers a similar viewing. Also we should be doing alot of the cutaways as well at various points of Trinidad on Saturday! Trixie will however mention to the Director the most recent thoughts. 

Also I will head across to Trixie's on Friday(the Divali Holiday) to begin bringing our heads together for the  construction of the narration. I have already been viewing a few documentaries to get a feel of not only the sound of the narrator but what sort of limit was placed on the information provided...as we need to remember it is a 10-15 minute documentary! I am 95% complete with the questionnaires...as I am converting the information to graphs and pie charts etc. That information is needed to contribute towards the narrations. I have not received all the questionnaires distributed but that obviously was expected. 

Another challenge we have encounter is the unavailability at the minute, of the representative Michelle Low Chew Tung from TDC (The Tourism Development Company). Trixie mentioned if indeed the availability issue continues then we will have to resort to a telephone interview with her and simply using the audio. I am hoping if we are left to that last resort I can organize to do it at ebony where we do have the facilities to do that. 

So at this point paranoia hasn't fully stepped in but there is hope. Well I too the unplanned free time to search for some literature that would assist me in my role as Sound Engineeer! 

READING:

I located this book on Google books called The documentary film makers handbook By Genevieve Jolliffe, Andrew Zinnes. This book offers vital information in the execution of my role. It is certainly a book I will share with my group mates to assist us all in pulling off this great documentary. 

The books offers advice from the importance of silence sometimes over any audio or bed at all. it states "Appreciate the power of silence. Sometimes the best tension is created when nothing is being heard"  Jolliffe and Zinnes (2006). The book also makes mention of use of sound effects to assist the delivery of the footage, as well as to be wary of one's selection of beds. As with that choice you don't want draw the attention away from the viewing of the documentary. 

 

 

Most recent events

After yesterday's meeting with our Lecturer we sailed on smoothly to a perfect finish of our project. Trixie unfortunately was not able to attend this meeting due to work commitments, however Simone (the Director) lead the discussion in informing our Lecturer as to where we are at present and what would be out next step.

It was agreed that once one of the footage with a bit of bad audio due to faulty equipment back in our shoot at Yarra Bay, was consider improper to use, we will be heading back to a re shoot at Yarra a date to be announced. Mayaro seems to be one of the scheduled places that will be marked off the the carded events,as we can obtain more primary date (vox pops) at another beach.

 In an informal discussion with the Director we tossed around ideas for the sound of the footage, from sound effects to music beds. 

Some of the sounds she requested  included "crickets", rewinding record,sound of  the national instrument, and other caribbean related as well as Trinidad and Tobago related beds. I suggested some tracks such as: 

• Nah leaving by Denise Plummer, 
• 3 Colours by Bungi, Faye Ann, and David Rudder
• My Land by Roger George.
• Brotherhood of the Boat by Brother Marvin

Tonight I read though some links shared by my group mates, with myself on the destruction of beaches along the same coastline as that of Columbus bay. The articles(see below) indicate the present determination to do what is needed to save and work on issues of that part of the country coastline. 

 

http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2010/07/19/sea-claims-lands-houses-icacos
http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2010/10/19/backhoe-unclog-icacos-tributaries-1000-day
http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2010/10/18/more-relief-icacos-way

Next meeting is carded for November 4th. So until the next blog..

Unable to attend

Yesterday my group members conducted an interview with representatives of the IMA. Unfortunately due to work(as I was on air at the time of the scheduled interview) I was unable to attend and fulfill my third role of interviewer.

However both the producer and the director did shed some light on how the interview went. All thumbs up they said. The interview started at 9:30 and lasted maybe an hour, we gained all the required information needed from both interviewees on the scientific end of some of the beaches in this country. The persons interviewed at the IMA done.

I viewed a few documentaries for the main purpose of tapping into the sounds used to compliment the footage, from sound effect to beds. Particularly one called T&T Eco Destination Video. So I have gained an idea on what sound(local music) would fit well with the Saving Power Production, it also gave me hints for when I narrate the piece. Earlier today I went through a book today called Radio production by Robert McLeish which wasn't mainly on Tv Production but shed some light on production of sound.

I was really hoping to have completed the results from the questionnaires by this weekend but I still await the 25 questionnaire from Sherrece, which she may have brought to class today, but unfortunately I wasn't able to attend. Fingers crossed by Monday. 

Well that is it for tonight

Macqueripe and Chagville

Another element of our needed research took place today across in the western part of Trinidad. The group met at 9 am and headed to our first location Macqueripe. Well one of the first surprises we noticed was the faulty microphone we received for filming this weekend, as we began setting up for the shoot. Luckily we walked  with the lapel microphones which indeed we had no choice but to used primarily instead of secondarily as planned.  

At first it was a bit difficult just like Maracas to get willing participants for our project...as most persons again shied away from the on screen publicity. As agreed by our Lecturer we aimed for a total of five persons on each shoot. Again I interviewed all persons for the Vox Pops, it was a joy to do that. 

Our second location was to Chagville. Honestly I couldn't see what was the attraction for many to this beach...which seemed un-kept and didn't possess the accompanying landscape. However at this beach we gained the opportunity to interview a life guard off camera. This Lifeguard provided us with answers to some vital questions pertaining to things beach goers should look out for. Practices they should get involved in or should not get involved in. As well as answers to other pertinent questions that viewers should be privied to know. 

So all in all it was another satisfactory day for us the members of Saving Power! 

Tonight I worked my other role as a researcher for this documentary. I worked on Trixie's responses from the questionnaires she distributed on the Excel sheet...another long night after a long day. I should have the rest of the questionnaires from both Sherrece and Simone by week end. 

J

Time to tally!!-Stage 1

Well it is 1 am, exhausted but onto another project. I decided to begin the process of putting together the data, part of the Quantitative part of the research for this Production for which i am responsible. Data has been entered on an excel sheet(for easy access) from my respondents for the minute. As the other members hand in their responses I will continue my part. The information from this will be essential for preparing the narration for the documentary. 

As mentioned earlier the group members have agreed, to give me the questionnaires by weekend. 

Most recent happenings ...Its good so far

One of the first issues raised at all today pertaining to the project was from Trixie making us aware that the interview with representatives of the IMA is now confirmed for the 25th October,2010. Unfortunately due to work...I won"t be able to attend that scheduled meeting. 

Well the meeting started at 5:30pm  with only three members as...Simone is currently out the country with a well needed break.  Todays meeting was to show Ms Sampson some of the footage recorded so far, one tape viewed was the "Vox Pop", the "Sunset" Clip and the shoot at No Man's Bay. Ms Sampson was pleased with what she saw as well as satisfied with the amount of persons interviewed for the vox pops(five per beach). Only one small suggestion to the Camera woman to capture footage in SP and not in LP. Other than that...we on.

As for the sound/audio, Ms Sampson was pleased. I was like "whew" because I was a bit worried (as mentioned in the last blog), but I heard the tapes as well and it was fabulous. A huge smile!

I kindly asked the present members to walk with the questionnaires to begin collating the results. The sooner the better as other assignments will soon  pile up and this too will become difficult to accomplish.

 Everything else went fine for now, an unto the next shoot...at Macaripe and Chagaramas.