What Makes a Great Documentary?

        When scrolling through the television channels, most people’s first instinct is to quickly pass over documentaries.  The purpose of a documentary is to educate the audience on a particular subject, not to have them fall asleep.  What, then, turns a documentary from flat to exceptional? 

               

        To start, here are some things to avoid when making a great documentary founded by award winning director, Col Spector.  First, do not avoid having an overall theme or subject.    Making sure the documentary has a specific purpose that makes it worth watching.  Second, when choosing this topic, do not fail to make it something worth the audience’s time.  In other words, pick a topic that will be great for a documentary, which is not necessarily the same as a great topic for a TV series or movie.  Next, do not create a documentary with poor film techniques- no one wants to watch a show that looks thrown together. With using proper film techniques, this also includes the music that will accompany the film.  Avoid bad music because this could make or break the film.  Finally, do not go into making the film with a blind eye.  Having a vision for the documentary will help to create a path that producers will want to take when creating the film, which will then hopefully bring about the same vision to the audience. (Spector)

               

        Some additional techniques to making a great documentary include the setup.  “Finding the story, assembling the team, filming and editing are all part of the process that makes a documentary successful” (documentary tube).  This includes the interviewing process of a documentary as well.  It is important to survey/interview people with meaningful questions that will benefit the documentary as a whole.

Works Cited:

Spector, Col. "5 Simple Mistakes Documentary Filmmakers Make." Raindance Film Festival. Web. 26       Sept. 2014. 

"What Makes a Good Documentary Film?" DocumentaryTubecom Watch Documentaries Online for             Free RSS. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

The Writting Process

Coming up with this proposal has been an adventure.  It is certainly a learning process and a great way to start off the college experience.  While working on this proposal, I have learned a lot about multiple facilities on campus which has allowed me to focus in on what I really want to discuss with the class. 

When I first found out about the project, I had no idea what I was going to do.  It hit me one day when I was on a run that because I live on north campus, it is a terrible hassle trying to go to the one gym that students go to on campus.  This frustrated me because I am trying to do everything I can to stay healthy while at college, thus my proposal idea was created.  I live in one of the best dorms known to college students, yet the access to the gym is huge problem.  To me, the solution is simple; create a workout room in the new dorms. 

A problem I see appearing with my proposal is that it may not appeal to the whole audience, so continuing on with the research may be a challenge; however, I have faith that my north campus peers will be eager to continue on with this proposal.  Also, there a multiple facts built up in that can attract potential group mates.  I made sure to appeal to everyone’s desires while plotting my idea. 

If my idea is one that is chosen to be continued, obviously I would be thrilled.  More importantly, though, I think it would be a great investment for the university as well as its students.    

The Johnson Center

In addition to some of the main attractions on campus such as the legendary W.T. Library, Rupp Arena, and White Hall, the University of Kentucky is home to one of the best recreational centers: The Johnson Center.  “The Johnson Center‚ located on Complex Drive‚ is a state–of–the–art recreation facility that is designed to provide choices and opportunities for healthy living” (Johnson Recreation Center).  Students, as well as faculty members, are able to use this gym at basically any time they please thanks to its lengthy hours of operation.  Users of this gym are also spoiled with an abundance of fine equipment as well as workout classes.

            During the week, the J.C. is open from the crack of dawn at 6 in the morning for the early birds on campus and doesn’t close until midnight.  The hours on the weekend are not as lengthy as they are during the week, but for those who enjoy working out on Saturdays and Sundays are able to for most of the day. 

            This multi-purpose facility has something for just about everyone.  For those who love to improve their cardio, there is a four-lane elevated jogging track as well as a cycling studio.  For those looking for something more fun, there is a rock climbing wall, four racquetball courts, as well as basketball courts.  Then, at the end of the day for those who can’t wait to get clean again, there are locker rooms filled with showers to wash off.  In addition to traditional weight lifting, the Johnson Center also offers group fitness classes.  Some of these classes include yoga, Zumba, Pilates, and cardio hip hop to name a few.  There is a lot of fun to be had at the Johnson Center for everyone.

http://www.uky.edu/studentaffairs/campusrec/facilities/JohnsonCenter

4 Paws for Ability

4 Paws for Ability

                Walking around campus, you might have noticed some furry friends accompanying your fellow classmates.  Naturally, your first thought was probably, “why on earth is there a dog in my math class?” followed by the even more instinctive, “I have to go pet it”.  While talking to the owner of this puppy, you realize that they are not actually an owner, but a volunteer.  Your classmate is most likely working with the 4 Paws for Ability foundation, founded in 1998 by Karen Shirk.  The purpose of this foundation is to allow volunteers to basic train puppies and allow them to interact in a community so that they can be donated as a service dog to a child with disabilities.

                 The founder of this organization was suffering from a disorder known as Myasthenia Gravis (MG) which is a neuromuscular disease.  She thought of the idea for the business when her friend suggested getting a service dog to help with her disease, but all agencies turned her away.  This motivated Shirk to create an industry that would guarantee service dogs to those in need.

                 4 Paws is looking for new volunteers every day to raise these puppies so that they can change the life of a small child.  The big question every college student is asking, though, is how to become one of these volunteers.  The solution is simple: just reach out to the organization!  There, they will inform on how to take care of the dog to make it the best puppy for the children.  Cost is not an issue either.  The organization provides all volunteers with the proper food, grooming, and veterinary assistance the pup will need in order for it to stay healthy.  The dogs are not the only ones benefiting from this service either.  In addition to the children receiving the service dogs, the volunteers who spend time with the puppies are also gaining a lot from the experience.  These students learn the fundamentals of taking care of another body, which can then teach numerous amounts of lessons. 

The happiness of many lives is just a phone call away!

 http://4pawsforability.org/

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College Young Life

Starting college is starting a new chapter in your life.  College is the time to explore what you really enjoy, do what you thought was never possible, and expand your knowledge to incredible depths.  There are so many activities on campus to be involved in; athletics, clubs, Greek society; but how do you know where you will fit in best?  One organization that is known worldwide is Young Life.  

Young Life develops a community filled with caring people, smiling faces, and lifelong friendships.  There are leaders that welcome new people each and every day, eager to get to know them and tell them about themselves.  Outsiders to the community look upon this group of people and ask themselves, “what about these people make them so different”?  The answer is easy: love.  Not just any type of love, but the best kind you will ever find.  The love that bonds this community and makes it so close is a love from up above that fills their heart, soul, and mind.  The purpose of Young Life is simple- to share truth to younger kids in hopes to better their future. 

This organization was founded in 1961 and has since been reaching out to students across the nation.  Young adults volunteer their time to delve into a younger community such as a high school or middle school and immerse themselves into that community.  Numerous hours are spent by these leaders getting to know the kids and sharing the most important thing they have ever been taught.  Young Life isn’t an organization telling people that they are a bad person if they sin or saying that there is no hop

e for you if you do not love Jesus.  No, this is an organization enlightening those who have either never heard the truth, or who have and have simply disregarded it, encouraging them to see what they have seen in the light of the Lord.

My encouragement to you is to explore this community.  See what they are all about because it just might change your whole life.  I know it has changed mine.       

http://www.younglife.org/Foundation/Pages/ResourcesAndPartnerships/default.aspx