Getting ready for editing

 Hello! After completing research about video editing software, I have finally decided on a service that I will use to edit my docuseries. The video editing software I decided to use is... 

Adobe Spark

Take a look at the user interface:

Simple to use

This video editing software is very easy to use. The entirety of the workspace can be accessed through just four tabs! When adding footage to the video, Adobe Spark automatically sets the size of the video in order to best fit the style of the screen you are using for the shot. This makes it easy to use images and clips of different sizes all in one video. In addition, adding audio is a breeze. By pressing the red button, a user can input voice-over into the clip and all music can be controlled under just one tab. With a simple user interface, Adobe Spark was the best choice for editing software.

Work from anywhere

Adobe Spark allows you to work from home or on the go, wherever you need. On the Apple App Store, iPhone users can download the Adobe Spark app, where they can access and edit their projects on their mobile devices. Adobe Spark can also be easily accessed via the internet. By searching for the app, a user can log in to their adobe account and access Adobe Spark through their browser. This reduces the number of apps a user would need to have open at one time and makes editing a breeze. The adaptability of this video editing software made it a perfect choice for my project.

Now I have to begin developing the bulk of my extract. Stay tuned for more!

Check out my Instagram!

 Hello! Last week, I decided that I will create a social media page for my docuseries on Instagram. I decided to use Instagram because it is the best service for reaching my target audience and because it primarily uses images as a way of sharing information. Take a look at my page here:

https://www.instagram.com/agnp_official/

Informational Posts

One element that I decided to include on my social media page is informational posts. These postings contain general information about nature, the environment, and the National Parks. Take this post as an example:

This post contains an alarming statistic about global warming. When potential viewers are viewing this page, the informational posts will serve to educate them. From animal species to global warming, informational posts serve to evoke a psychological reaction from the viewer. For example, in the post above, the statistic serves to scare/"wake up" the viewer. After reading this post, the viewer will be more cognisant about the environment, which will make them more likely to watch the docuseries. These informational posts do a great job of getting potential viewers interested in the topic so they will be more willing to watch the production.

Engaging Visuals

Another element that I made sure to include on my social media page is engaging visuals. From vibrant colors to breathtaking images of nature, the visuals that are on my media page were handpicked in order to best grab the attention of my target audience. 

The beautiful pictures of nature, like the one shown above, serves to attract people to the social media page. When a potential viewer sees an engaging image like this one, they will be more likely to click on the post and browse the rest of the page. With that, it will be more likely that the user ends up watching the docuseries, as they ended up seeing the rest of the content on the page, including flyers and advertisements that work to encourage users to watch.

Docuseries Promotional Posts

Another element I made sure to add to my social media page is promotional posts about America's Greatest National Parks. Although these posts are not as eye-catching as the others, they serve a very important purpose of giving users the information they need to actually watch the production. This includes the full name, the date of release, and where to watch. As users begin to browse the page after clicking on a more engaging image, they will see these promotional posts which would give them the tools to go through with viewing the piece. These postings are some of the most important ones on the whole social media page, as they directly serve to market/promote my docuseries to my target audience.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more!

Getting Started with the Socials

Hello! As I get deeper and deeper into this project, I am beginning to work on the minor tasks that I was assigned. One of the minor tasks for this project is to develop a social media page for an original docuseries. I have been brainstorming platforms to create this social media page on, but after some research, I have decided on a platform to use. The social media platform I will use for my docuseries' social media page is…

INSTAGRAM

Target Audience

One reason I decided to use Instagram for my docuseries’ social media page is that it is the platform that will best help me reach my target audience. As stated in my previous postings, the target audience for my docuseries is men and women ages 13 to 30. According to Statista, more than half of global Instagram population worldwide is aged 34 years or younger. This characteristic of Instagram makes it the perfect tool to reach my target audience with. In addition, I will ensure that my social media page is filled with colorful images and engaging information in order to keep the attention of my younger target audience.

Engaging visuals X Important information

Another reason I decided to use Instagram for my docuseries’ social media page is that it is the platform that is best for sharing visual content, specifically images. Instagram uses an interface where users can scroll through an endless stream of content from profiles that they have followed or that are suggested to them. By creating an Instagram profile for my docuseries, I will be able to bring my brand to the hands of viewers, as information about my docuseries will show up in viewer’s feeds and encourage them to watch my product.

Now it’s time to start building my social media page and continuing with the production of my extract. Stay tuned for more!

Brainstorming Interviewees

Hello! Last week, I learned during my group meeting that it would be best to switch up my idea for the interviewees for my 5-minute extract. At first, I wanted to interview an employee at the airboat tour operator company and one of my peers who live in Weston. However, after the group meeting last week, my classmates suggested that I should choose older people to interview instead of younger people. They said that because Weston was founded in 1996, older interviewees who have lived in Weston since they would be able to give a much more in-depth account of environmental changes in the Everglades than younger interviewees. I started brainstorming new interviewees and have come up with a few ideas. Take a look:

Ira and Lori Solomon

Ira and Lori Solomon are 18-year homeowners from Weston, Florida. Over the course of living in Weston over the past two decades, they have seen firsthand the beauty of the local flora and fauna as well as the environmental issues they face. From their backyard, Lori and Ira get a glimpse of the Everglades ecosystem, as their house was built on land that was formerly part of the Florida Everglades. Ira and Lori Solomon are equipped to discuss local environmental issues and urban development, making them great candidates for interviewees for my docuseries.

Laura Ashley

Laura Ashley is a seasoned science teacher from Cypress Bay High School. At CBHS, she leads the AP Environmental Science course. In this course, she discusses a wide range of environmental topics, many of which apply to the environment right near her school, the Florida Everglades. Laura Ashley would be well equipped to discuss environmental issues from a more large-scale perspective, as well as giving her personal experiences living in South Florida.

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a United States congresswoman who represents Florida’s 23rd district. She is a seasoned politician who has much experience dealing with environmental policy, as she represents the district where the Florida Everglades lies. I know Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz personally, as I served as a congressional intern for her during the Summer of 2020. For this reason, I will have an easier time reaching out to her for an interview. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is well equipped with knowledge of environmental policy, specifically regarding the Everglades. For this reason, she would be an incredible candidate for an interviewee of my docuseries.

I will have to reach out to these people and see if they would be open to being interviewed for my docuseries. In the meantime, stay tuned for more!

Spontaneous Filming Day

Hello! Over the weekend, I got a large portion of my filming completed. I needed to find a scene that would exemplify the beauty, liveliness, and magic of the Florida Everglades. So, I brainstormed with my girlfriend she suggested a place that I didn’t even think of: Flamingo Gardens! Flamingo Gardens is an Everglades wildlife sanctuary, complete with a variety of local plants and animals that could be found just nearby in the Everglades. The facility finds permanently injured, non-releasable animals in order to provide safe refuge to them. Their goal is to remind visitors that they are destroying wild habitats and that they must act now or the Everglades may lose its rich wildlife heritage. Take a look at some of the shots I got while visiting Flamingo Gardens:

Aviary

At Flamingo Gardens, there is a walk-through enclosure called “The Aviary.” Here, beautiful Everglades birds roam the pathways, swim in the cool water, and fly around from tree to tree. This encounter was the perfect place to get stunning, vivid, and close-up shots of birds. With the help of some bird food provided by the facility, I was able to take some incredible shots of the local birds in this encounter. It looks so real, almost like I’m in the wild!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JFiUkbIOyxuVTCGxWAv5oO_EHXDRn3Tm/view?usp=sharing

Flora

Flamingo Gardens is scattered with gardens and natural areas that are filled with beautiful Everglades Flora. From massive trees to leafy plants, to colorful, blooming bushes, Flamingo Gardens has any plant you can think of! In the reflection garden, there is a forest of plants to see. In addition, eye-popping peacocks roam around these areas, making the encounter that much more filled with subjects for my filming.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15I7Q-KpxXip2FzJOeMbvuIsn25lkZ-ah/view?usp=sharing

Fauna

There is no shortage of fauna at this facility! Flamingo Gardens has a huge load of fauna, from bears to otters, to alligators, to flamingos! All the species that they have at the park are rehabilitated animals that can be found Everglades. This allowed me to get clear, close-up footage of these animals without me having to deal with the unpredictability of the wild. With this footage of Everglades fauna, I will be able to engage the audience in my 5-minute extract.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HKypbvVm00NgP6WJQdpwDDrC7TPe7D4S/view?usp=sharing

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more!

Filming Locations

 Hello! As I begin the production portion of this project, I now have to start deciding where I want to film this project. Within a 6 mile radius of my house, there are countless beautiful Everglades locations that would be great to obtain documentary footage at. Take a look at some places below:

I-75 Overpass

The area circled in red on the map above is a long, dirt stretch of land that runs parallel to I-75. It is nestled between a man-made canal and the vast, open Florida Everglades. This elevated stretch of land is perfect for getting effective, beautiful shots of the Everglades landscape, as there are no man-made objects that can be seen from this vantage point. This location would be awesome for footage of the flat, open Everglades landscape.

Neighborhood Backyards

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L_CH8Y52mrXp8j-khkCIE5Skt1HtrJ4R/view?usp=sharing

This clip is just one of the many locations around Weston that exemplifies the suburban development that occurred in the Everglades. As seen in the clip above, development in Weston was made right on top of what used to be the flat plains of the outskirts of the Florida Everglades. Today, you can still see the remnants of what used to be right from your backyard. Backyards in Weston, such as the one shown in the clip above, look just like the Everglades and even contains some local wildlife, like alligators and the American White Ibis. These locations are the perfect way to depict the relationship between the Everglades and suburban development.

Airboat Tour Operators

The three points of interest shown on the map are the airboat tour operators near me. The vast green area surrounding the City of Weston represents the Florida Everglades. Not only does this screenshot exemplify how close I live to the Florida Everglades, but it shows how the City of Weston was a cookie cutter city that was built in the middle of the Everglades. West of the city is a whole new world; by driving 15 minutes, you are transported to an enviornment that is like no other. The two tour operators that do private airboat tours are Everglades Holiday Park and Sawgrass Recreation Park. On their website, Sawgrass Recreation Park priced a private airboat tour at $165 for 30-minutes while Everglades Holiday Park priced a private airboat tour at $35 for one hour. After researching pricing, I have decided to call Everglades Holiday Park and see if they have any employees that would like to be interviewed while on an Airboat tour. 

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more!

Group Meetings #2

 Hello! Today, during class, my peers and I participated in our second group meetings. At this meeting, we were given the chance to bounce ideas off of each other and improve our projects with the suggestions of our other peers. Today, I learned a lot during the group meeting. Take a look:

Interviewee Changes

At the group meeting, my classmates recommended that I choose to interview older people over younger people. Because Weston, Florida was founded in 1996, younger interviewees would not be able to give as in-depth of an account of environmental changes in the Everglades as older interviewees. Older interviewees who were in Weston since it was founded would be much better equipped to discuss this topic because they were actually here since the beginning and have seen the changes occurring over the years. For this reason, I will start brainstorming older people that I can interview for my production.

Editing Software

At the group meeting, I shared with my classmates that I was having trouble finding a program to edit my 5-minute extract on. Last school year, my school organized a free student subscription to WeVideo, a video editing software platform that is easy to use and effective for any video project. This year, however, the discontinued our subscriptions, so now I am left with no editing software for my A level portfolio project. My classmates suggested that I research Premiere Rush and Videoleap editing software. My classmate, Sil, said that Premiere Rush is "the iMovie of the Adobe Suite." This is important for me because I am not the most skilled editor, and I need a program that will accommodate my editing skill level. My other classmate, Trinity, said that she uses Videoleap editing for her projects and shared that she has not had any problems with it and enjoys using the service. I will need to research these services and see which would be best for me to use for this project.

During the group meeting, I got a TON of helpful feedback from my peers. They gave me many important suggestions that I will use to diversify my ideas and improve my project. Here are some things I found I need to get done after talking to my peers:

To-do List:

• Research Premier Rush and Videoleap editing software
• Gather local's footage of recent flooding incidences
• Must credit in blog and in extract
• Brainstorm filming locations
• Brainstorm older interviewees
• Call airboat tour operators
• Find best time to come to interview an employee
• Reserve private airboat tour

Today's meeting was a huge success! Stay tuned to see me dive into the production portion of my project!

Production Preparation

Hello! As I begin to transition into the production process, I have started to plan out how I will complete my filming for this production. I now plan on focusing on the more intricate details of my filming, including interviews and specific shots that I need to obtain.

Equipment Test

I have reached out to my friend, Josh, who has started to gather his drone equipment and test it before we begin filming. This week, he went to a field to test his equipment and it was a success. He said that his drone was working properly and the batteries are charged up and functioning. He practiced some camera maneuvering techniques, including following a moving object, pans, and tilts. He reported to me that his equipment is ready for filming and that he has learned new maneuvers for his drone. I am excited to see what kind of footage we are able to obtain with this tool! Check out this clip that he took during his practice flight!

Airboat Research

The second filming tool I planned on using for my documentary extract is an airboat. Because I don't own an airboat and (sadly) don't have any airboat owner friends, I will have to get a seat on an Everglades airboat tour if I want to obtain footage via boat. I live in the city closest to the heart of the Everglades, so airboat tours are not too far away from me. In fact, Sawgrass Recreation Park (found here: https://www.evergladestours.com/) offers airboat tours that are only 15 minutes from my house! Other airboat tours in my area include Loxahatchee Everglades Airboat Tours and Rides (https://www.evergladesairboattours.com/) and Everglades Holiday Park Airboat Tours and Rides (https://www.evergladesholidaypark.com/?utm_source=GMBlisting&utm_medium=organic). I will have to book a tour and prepare for filming within the next few days.

Interviews

Throughout my research, I found that most documentaries utilize interviews in order to move the piece forward and integrate information within it. For this reason, I have decided to facilitate interviews of South Florida locals for my production. Featuring their perspective of the Florida Everglades in the modern day will allow me to integrate information in my documentary that will help inspire viewers to care for America's national parks. The interviewees will provide a first-hand perspective of the current climate changes that are occurring in Florida's ecosystem. Here is a list of people that I am considering for interviewing:

• Marley Solomon- lifetime Weston resident, high school student
• Shelby Schultz- lifetime Weston resident, high school student
• Airboat driver/operator

Now, its time to begin turning these ideas into reality! Stay tuned for more! 

Progress Update

 Hello! I am now 5 weeks into my A-level portfolio project. I am transitioning out of the pre-production/research phase and into the production phase. I wanted to take this moment to document the progress I have made thus far. Take a look below and see what I have put together already.

Taking my idea and running with it

As of March 10th, I have finalized my idea for my docuseries, including my plan for my 5-minute extract. I decided to create a docuseries titled "America's Greatest National Parks" and create a 5-minute extract from its pilot, titled "The Florida Everglades." During my extract, I plan to talk about the Florida Everglades in the modern-day. After brainstorming and getting advice from my peers, I decided on this subtopic for my extract because I thought that it was most exemplary of my subgenre, observational/sociological explanation, and will best help me achieve my purpose of inspiring viewers to care for the national parks. Right when I finalized this idea, I got right into research and developed all the information I need to create an effective extract. The brainstorming process was made much more smooth due to the help of my classmates, who helped me diversify my ideas and choose the topic that was best for my project.

Production Preparation

As I begin to transition into the production process, I have started to plan out how I will complete my filming for this production. I have already developed outlines and breakdowns for my extract, but now I will have to focus on the more intricate details of my filming, including shot types and interviews. In addition, I have reached out to my friend, Josh, who has started to gather his drone equipment and test it before we begin filming. He plans on completing a test run this week to ensure that his drone will run efficiently during filming.

Getting started with the socials

Even though the 5-minute extract is the main component of this project, I still can't forget about the side tasks! Recently, I have started to look into the social media component for this project. My task is to create a social media page for my Docuseries. I know what I want the page to look like, with lots of colors, shots of national parks, fun facts, promotional posts. I have to decide between which social media platform I want to utilize for this component. I want to choose a platform that will best cater to my target audience, in order to encourage them to watch this documentary. I will have to brainstorm and facilitate more research before making a decision and beginning development.

Upcoming group meetings!

On March 17th, my classmates and I will be holding our second group meetings. These meetings allow us to bounce ideas off of each other and diversify our projects. I plan on sharing my blog platform with them and asking them for feedback about any part of my project. There is nothing specific I want to ask them this time, I just want to know if they have any suggestions for new ideas or reservations about my old ideas. In addition, I plan on helping my other classmates by giving them suggestions for their projects and walking them through the stages of planning and development.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more! 

Extract Topic Research

Hello! Over the past few days, I have conducted research for the topic of my 5-minute extract: "The Florida Everglades in the modern-day." Take a look at what information I found!

Climate Change

• The terrain is flat and surrounded on three sides by rising seas.
• Effects include:
• Sea Level Rise
• South Florida sea-level measurements are consistent throughout the region and some measurements date back to the 1840s, making it one of the most complete records in the United States. The monitoring station in Key West measured the average rate of sea-level rise to be 13 cm per century. This finding is consistent with the global estimate as well.
•  This human-caused accelerated warming threatens to outpace the ability of flora, fauna, and processes of the Everglade to adapt.
• Seawater leaks into freshwater ecosystems and salinates equifers. 
• The Everglades are already feeling these effects.
• Change in weather patterns:
• Storms and hurricanes
• During the past 20 years, tropical storms and hurricanes have become more intense.
• Hurricane wind speeds and rainfall rates are likely to increase as the climate continues to warm.
• Flooding
• Since 1958, the amount of precipitation during heavy rainstorms has increased by 27 percent in the Southeastern U.S., leading to a larger flooding problem.
• More intense rainstorms can increase flooding because rivers overflow their banks more frequently, and more water accumulates in low-lying areas that drain slowly. Sometimes, the water remains in these areas for days.
• Warming waters
•  Coral bleaching, or the whitening of coral due to loss of algae, occurs because of rising water temperatures. Rising temperatures harm the algae that live inside corals and provide them food. Coral bleaching weakens corals and can eventually kill them. 
• Coral reefs provide critical habitat for a a range of species and small shell-producing animals are important parts of the food chain, as they are the prey of larger animals. 
• Warming waters could harm Florida’s marine ecosystems, fisheries, and tourism.

Urban Development

• Change in species behavior
• Flora
• Northwest of Everglades National Park in the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, mangroves have expanded and grown inland into what were previously freshwater environments. 
• In the Florida Keys, freshwater pine forests are shrinking and are being replaced by plants that live in saltwater
• Fauna:
• Out of 1,200 species tracked by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory, 25% are likely to lose at least half of their current habitat due to sea-level rise alone. 
•  Florida’s species ability to migrate and adapt to climate change is severely compromised now due largely to human modification of the terrain. Up to 76% of 236 surveyed species were deemed unlikely to be able to relocate inland in response to rising sea level due to urban development.
• Sea-level rise+urban development=recipie for disaster for native species.
• Pollution
• Pollution levels have exploded due to urban development.
• There was a vast increase in farms that use chemicals. Run-off brings these chemicals into the Everglades' rivers and streams. High levels of phosphorous and other chemicals poison the waterways, such as the Kaloosahactee river and other estuaries, and wreak havoc on Atlantic and Gulf Coast marine species.

How to Help

• Reduce carbon footprint
• Recycle- lower amount of trash that goes into a landfill.
• Carpool- Reduce the number of cars that are driving on the road and polluting the environment.
• Don't waste energy- Turn off appliances and unplug them when not in use
• Put a weatherstrip on windows and doors- Keep the heat or cooling from escaping your residence, reduce the runtime of your air conditioning is running. 
• Replace vehicles with electric cars- Transform from fossil fuels to renewable energy

All of this information is really important for developing this extract. Stay tuned for more!

Sources:

https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/climatechange.htm

https://floridaclimateinstitute.org/docs/climatebook/Ch12-Stys.pdf

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-08/documents/climate-change-fl.pdf

Why discuss National Park in the Modern Day?

 Hello! As you saw in my last posting, the topic that I will be focusing on for my 5-minute extract is "National Park in the Modern Day." Although this topic was not one of my final choices, I decided that it would be the best one for me to cover, as it is engaging, informative, and best exemplifies the purpose of my docuseries. Take a look at some issues relevant to the Florida Everglades in the modern-day:

Climate Change

One of the most pertinent issues in the Florida Everglades today is the impending risk of climate change. This is a complex topic, yet an important one. If we do not act now, Florida's ecosystem may not survive for future generations to see. The purpose of my docuseries is to inspire viewers to appreciate the national parks and work to preserve them. The beginning of the episode would work to inspire viewers to appreciate the national parks while the end of the episode (5-minute extract) would be a call to action that would inspire viewers to preserve them.

Loss of habitat/extinction

Another pertinent issue in the Florida Everglades today is the increasing urban development which has reduced the habitat of native flora and fauna. Some species have adapted to these changes, but others have been pushed to the brink of extinction. By including this topic in my 5-minute extract, I will be able to capture the attention of my viewers by showing them something that would appeal to their heartstrings and evoke feelings of sadness. I mean, come on! Who wouldn't be saddened about these animals being harmed? In addition, who wouldn't want to take action to solve the problem all together? This topic will be effective in both engaging the audience and achieving my purpose.

After my genre research...

I found that this topic would best exemplify my subgenre: Observational/Sociological Explanation. Through my research, I found that observational documentaries record everyday life without intrusion, while sociological explanation documentaries explain an aspect of life in order to inform or persuade viewers. For this reason, I decided that my subgenre "blend" would be best represented by this topic because it can be covered simply from a "fly-on-the-wall" perspective to explain a "slice of life" and persuade viewers to act a certain way. These emotional, complex topics will best represent my observational/sociological explanation subgenre in my extract.

For these reasons, I decided to cover this topic for my 5-minute extract. Stay tuned, as I have a lot more research I need to conduct for this topic!

Extract Breakdown

 Hello! For my 5-minute extract, I have chosen a subtopic that will best help me achieve my purpose of inspiring viewers to work to preserve the national parks. The subtopic that I have chosen is:

National Park in the Modern Day

For this subtopic, I have developed an outline for how I want my extract to look. Take a look below:

1. Series Intro- coming back from commercial break, "You're watching America's Greatest National Parks..."
2. Climate Change Discussion
1. Global warming- increase in CO2 emissions
1. Present statistics and data to show global changes
2. Impact on wildlife and overall ecosystem
1. Present statistics, data, and images
2. Present local testimony/interview
3. Call to action
1. Why you should help
1. Utilize empowering music/audio to appeal to emotion
2. How you can help
1. Utilize empowering music/audio to appeal to emotion

Why interviews?

After completing my research of docuseries, I learned one thing that I plan to replicate in my extract: the importance of interweaving interviewers throughout the documentary. The presence of interviews in a documentary allows for further information to be presented to the viewers. Interviews allow the topics presented in the documentary to be properly addressed without ineffective narrations or voiceovers. Interviews guide the topic of discussion in a documentary. For example, in Explained, interviews were used to provide information about the topic being discussed as well as provide for transitions between topics. In my extract, I plan on using testimony/interviews of Florida locals in order to provide insight into how climate change has affected Florida's ecosystem.

Stay tuned for more!

Genre, genre, genre

 Hello! In order to effectively develop this portfolio project, I must have a clear understanding the genre conventions regarding documentaries. For this reason, I conducted research about documentary genre conventions. Take a look at what I found:

Genre: Documentary

    Conventions include:

• Handheld Camera Shots to develop a sense of realism 

• One subject is often the topic

• Interviews with experts or participants in the topic

• Narrative Voiceover to lead the audience through the topics of the documentary

• Documentaries highlight an aspect of culture, thus fusing opinion and subjectivity together

• Use of Parallel Editing to link key scenes

• Use of Archive footage to support filmed scenes

• Achieve a variety of different purposes, including to entertain, inform, educate, or shock viewers

• Selective editing to develop purpose and meaning within the piece

• Use of establishing shots and close-ups (interviews)

• Can be observational, interactive, reflexive, or expository in format

    Documentary Subgenres: Documentaries come in many formats, each constructed in a way that works to achieve a specific purpose. Documentary subgenres include:

• Observational- Aims to record everyday life without intrusion; fly-on-the-wall filmmaking
• Sociological Explanation- Explains aspects of life in order to inform or persuade. 
• Expose- Pushes audience to reflect on their perceptions and rethink their idea of truth.
• Nature-Presents animals and other aspects of nature for the viewer's pleasure.
• Mockumentary- Critiques current events, modern society, human lifestyles; resembles a real documentary
• Commentary/opinion- Discuss a topic in order to persuade viewers to believe a certain perception of truth.
• Biography- Discuss the life of a historical person; attempt to comprehensively explain a person's life story.

Documentaries- A slice of life

Documentaries are products that illustrate an aspect of daily life. While some documentaries have more fictional undertones, a majority of documentary productions discuss a real-world topic in an informational manner. For example, Explained, my case study, discusses a variety of general topics in order to convey the informative side of an aspect of society. From music to E-sports, the purpose of an episode of Explained is to document a slice of life and present the information in an informative way for the viewer. For my series, I am discussing national parks and illustrating the topic in a way that will inspire viewers to care for them. I plan on doing this by highlighting the national park in the modern day in each episode. By showing how modern issues like climate change and deforestation are harming the parks, I will inspire them to want to make changes in their behavior to protect these parks.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more!

Docuseries Breakdown

 Hello! I have finally decided on a subtopic for my docuseries extract! Now, I want to map out exactly what my idea for the docuseries is. This will allow me to effectively create a social media page and develop a brand for it. Take a look:

Series Title: America's Greatest National Parks

Subgenre: Sociological Explanation/Observational Documentary

Target Audience: Male and females ages 13-30

Purpose: To inspire viewers to appreciate the national parks and work to preserve them.

Amt. of seasons: 1

List of Episodes:

• S1E1: The Florida Everglades
• S1E2: Yosemite National Park
• S1E3: The Canyons (Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion National Parks)
• S1E4: Glacier National Park
• S1E5: Denali National Park and Reserve
• S1E6: Badlands National Park
• S1E7: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
• S1E8: Shenendoah National Park

General Episode Structure:

• Introduction
• General facts about the park (location, area, ecosystem)
• Park history
• Unique park attractions
• Flora and fauna
• National park in the modern day (in response to climate change, deforestation, loss of habitat, pollution)

Each episode will follow this general episode structure but will discuss different national parks. For the sake of this project, I will have to select one of the sections of the episode structure to represent in a 5-minute extract. 

Having this breakdown of my complete docuseries idea will allow me to create an effective social media page for my project. While in the 5-minute extract I will be only discussing a specific subtopic related to the Florida Everglades, the social media page will feature clips/photos from the entirety of the docuseries. By having an idea of what the rest of my docuseries would look like, I will be able to effectively develop a brand through my social media page.

Now, my idea is developed enough for me to begin creating an outline for my 5-minute extract. Stay tuned for more!

Docuseries Research

 Hello! In order to develop an effective series for my project, I searched streaming services to find a docuseries that I could use as a case study for my research. The docuseries I researched as a case study is Explained. Take a look at this series breakdown:

Series Title: Explained

Subgenre: Sociological Explanation

Purpose: To inform viewers using in-depth explanations of various topics.

Amt. of seasons: 2

List of Episodes:

• S1E1: "The Racial Wealth Gap"
• S1E2: "Designer DNA"
• S1E3: "Monogamy"
• S1E4: "K-Pop"
• S1E5: "Cryptocurrency"
• S1E6: "Why Diets Fail"
• S1E7: "The Stock Market"
• S1E8: "eSports"
• S1E9: "Extraterrestrial Life"
• S1E10: "!"
• S1E11: "Cricket"
• S1E12: "Weed"
• S1E13: "Tattoo"
• S1E14: "Astrology"
• S1E15: "Can We Live Forever?"
• S1E16: "The Female Orgasm"
• S1E17: "Political Correctness"
• S1E18: "Why Women Are Paid Less"
• S1E19: "The World's Water Crisis"
• S1E20: "Music"
• S2E1: "Cults"
• S2E2: "Billionaires" 
• S2E3: "Animal Intelligence"
• S2E4: "Athleisure"
• S2E5: "Coding"
• S2E6: "Pirates"
• S2E7: "The Next Pandemic"
• S2E8: "The Future of Meat"
• S2E9: "Beauty"
• S2E10: "Diamonds"

General Episode Structure:

• Introduction of topic
• Theme Song/ Title Sequence
• History of topic
• Notable figures in topic
• Testimonial/Interview
• Developments from topic
• Impact of topic on the modern world

From creating this breakdown, I now understand how a docuseries utilizes consistent structure in order to achieve their purpose with every episode. By studying Explained, I will be better equipped to develop a docuseries that I will feature in my project. Stay tuned for more!

I have found it!

 Hello! After brainstorming possible filming techniques for my project, I have been able to weigh out which subtopic would be best for me to address during my 5-minute docuseries extract. Here's what I decided:

History of the Everglades

This topic would be very effective, as there is a lot of history to cover about this national park. In this extract, I would highlight how the area was first discovered, who its first inhabitants were, and how the land has changed after years of suburban development. This would be a subtopic that is rich in information to discuss, but my main problem with it is that it will be hard to obtain B roll footage for it. Other than aerial and ground shots of the terrain, this topic would require me to get other footage, like land being developed, native people living on the land, and more. There isn't much B-roll that I have the resources to obtain, and I would have to rely heavily on the footage that I can obtain.

Native Everglades Flora and Fauna

This topic would also be very effective, as there is a thriving ecosystem in the Everglades that is home to plants and animals alike. In this extract, I would highlight the incredible wildlife that can be found in this area, including native and invasive species. This subtopic would also be rich in information to discuss, but my main problem would be that the footage may be hard to obtain because of the unpredictable nature of animals. On the day that I am filming, there is a chance that I don't see any animals or have a hard time getting clear shots of them. This complex filming subject will make it much harder to create an appealing documentary extract with the resources that I have on hand. 

Here's what my classmate, Camille, had to say:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/171mYf2sg0mEu9Pe48WlQPRv23j71zplG/view?usp=sharing

Here's what my classmate, Trinity, had to say:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JmH754WZoV8DxAVyrbg1MZTXyHEnqnl1/view?usp=sharing

Stay tuned for more!

Filming Techniques

 Hello! Over the weekend, I took some time to brainstorm how I will be able to get footage for my topic: The Florida Everglades. In my group meeting, my classmates were skeptical that I would be able to obtain enough strong footage for the extract, as the landscape can be difficult from a videography perspective. Here's what I came up with over the weekend:

Drone Shots

My good friend, Josh, owns a DJI Spark drone like the one in the picture. With his drone, he likes to fly it at high altitudes and see the incredible, flat landscape that surrounds our neighborhoods. He takes incredible shots of his house and surrounding streets has played around with filming some cinematic shots, like following a car. I reached out to Josh over the weekend and he said that he would collaborate with me in obtaining footage for my documentary. We plan to meet in our surrounding areas to obtain footage of the Everglades when it is time to film.

Footage Via Airboat

One idea that was suggested to me during my group meeting was to obtain footage while on a recreational airboat tour. It would be the perfect chance to capture astounding footage of the landscape from the ground. This will allow my viewers to see the Everglades from another perspective and will get them to pay attention to the vast amount of vegetation and wildlife. For this to be effective: I will have to obtain some stabilization equipment, as I don't want to get shaky shots during my single opportunity on the airboat. I will have to ask around with my peers and see what I can find. 

Back to the topics

As written in my last posting the sections of the pilot that I can represent in my 5-minute extract include:

• History of the Everglades
• Everglades and The City of Weston
• Native tribes in the Everglades
• Climate Change and the Everglades
• Native Everglades flora and fauna

After reviewing my methods of obtaining footage, I feel that it would be best to narrow it down to two possible topics that can be best conveyed with my filming methods. They are:

• History of the Everglades
• Native Everglades flora and fauna

I will have to continue to plan out my documentary and allow my process to select my topic. Until next time, stay tuned!