Today, in 497, Professor Silva observed the progress of our project, Greater Heights. After watching what we had done thus far, he addressed some of our questions and concerns.
First, we asked him about our opening vox-pop section. We had received comments in the past that this segment was a little too lengthy and that we might benefit from removing some responses. This is a difficult choice to make. We like all of the answers the interviewees provided. They are all diverse and offer very different perspectives. Yet, I do agree that the length of this opening section is too much. Perhaps it would help to reduce the number of questions being asked. Or, maybe we should remove one of the subjects entirely. I have already been debating deleting the "woman on the bench." Her answers are often very slow and don't seem to aid the opening section much. She might be the reason the vox-pop segment feels as drawn out as it does.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Professor Silva addressed something that both I and my partner have been worrying about. What we have done thus far feels a little too much like a promotional piece. This is because the film, as of right now, is structured around different parkour participants each individually giving their opinions on the sport. Professor Silva believes that mixing interviews together around different topics and/or themes will steer the project away from being a commercial about parkour. This might also help us better achieve the director's intentions: to address the myths and/or stereotypes associated with parkour. Doing so would make the film more accessible. It would apply to more than just parkour participants.
Because of our meeting with Professor Silva, my partner and I have decided to continue subclipping topics from interviews. We will then each dedicate ourselves to different topics individually by creating different sequences. Doing this separately will help us get through all the topic faster. It will also allow us to be creative in different ways. Once we have finished all the topics we will assemble them into a rough cut. At that point, and even as we approach that point, I believe we will better achieve our goals for Greater Heights.
