Chipping Away

I am still chipping away at editing topics for Greater Heights. So far I have completed topic sections on the benefits of parkour as it pertain to children, as well as the stereotype surrounding parkour. Professor Silva has advised me to continue this process of editing topics, with hopes that, when done, I can piece together the rough cut like a puzzle.

The first section, benefits of parkour as it pertains to children, is quite lengthy at the moment. It is over five minutes on its own. This is because I sifted through all the interviews and extracted any and all pieces that fit into the topic. In doing so, however, there is much repetition in what people say. Many interviewed individuals discuss how parkour instills confidence in children and allows them to overcome their fears. While this is a great point to include in the edit, repeating it over and over may cause it to lose its value. Professor Silva suggested I choose the clip of the individual who discussed confidence best, and delete the others. That would help save time and strengthen the claim.

The second topic section, stereotypes of parkour, is a bit more challenging. Not too many individuals touch on this topic in their interviews. Due to this fact, I have broadened the topic section to include subjects that seem closely related to it. These subjects include: injuries during parkour, the legality of parkour, and the dangers of parkour. It seems to me that all of these subjects could fit under the umbrella of parkour stereotypes. However, it is also a bit more difficult to find B-roll that fits this topic.

Throughout this process, my partner, Emilie, has also been working in this fashion. She has been addressing topics such as the structure of parkour classes, and defining parkour. There is, undoubtedly, much information in the former. During shooting, she obtained many great interviews with teachers on the structure and technicalities of parkour classes.

One thing that worried me in working in this manner, was the possibility that I would inadvertently repeat clips across topics. For example, I may accidentally use certain B-roll multiple times. Professor Silva suggested I not worry about that, however, because it is nearly impossible to avoid. Besides, if I use clips more than once, I may find that they work better in a different place than I originally intended.

Another fear of mine is finding a place to fit the vox-pop. Finding a place for this type of interview has always been a struggle of mine. In most of my attempts, it seems forced or rushed. In my opinion, vox-pops need to motivated. Thus, my next task will be finding this motivation, searching our story for a place to put these pedestrian interviews, if it needs it at all.