Evaluation

Here is my overall Evaluation of the project as a whole.

Idea + Pitch + Research

Originally I was thrilled to start my very own project for my Final Project, though it seemed to be a lot more difficult than I had foreseen.

First I had a multitude of ideas for a potential project, but after thinking it over for a few days I finally settled on going for a documentary video on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run.

First I went and did extensive research onto the topic, which was easily done as it was a manga series I had recently read and found quite enjoyable.

After doing the necessary research, I began to create a pitch presentation for my tutor to get the idea greenlit for approval to begin pre-production for. The presentation went smoothly and was excited to begin working on my last project.

Pre-Production

I began creating a mind map of what I'll need for recording and creating my FMP idea using MindMup. Once I created the mind map, I needed someone to interview for a documentary based video, Luckily I had a close friend who also read Steel Ball Run, and was actually the one that recommended it to me, now all I had to do was have them sign permission to be featured and filmed in my documentary.

I began writing a list of equipment for my interview and began to happily wait to begin the interview over the Easter holiday. Production: At first the recording session was going mostly smooth, but later I had some technical problems and other problems. An individual said to not worry booking a third camera, as they would lend me theirs, only to back out of the agreement at the last moment a day before the recording session. I also ran into two other problems with the cameras, one was nearly out of power and required a different battery charger than the one I had, and both camera's would not record all the interview footage properly.

With this outcome I was very disappointed with what had happened, though Luckily I was able to get another recording session using Discord and recording on OBS which is further detailed in the production page. I was glad that I was able to get some footage for the documentary.

After the interview I then began creating a simplified script to create my voice over that would appear at the beginning and end of my documentary. I first started recording at the sound studio at college but I disliked it and found myself to get really annoyed at my own voice, I tried later at home and found it slightly more better and tolerable. And with that I had recorded my voice overs. Though I personally don't like hearing myself babble on endlessly.

Marketing

When it came to marketing I had an amazing idea for an opening, but sadly it was nothing more than and idea, one that I had no idea how to properly bring it to reality.

However, I managed to come up with another idea for marketing, with it being an ending sequence much similar to that of an actual JoJo ending. I ended up using I'll Be Lucky Someday by Glen Campbell. It was funny enough, a very fitting song for Steel ball Run's protagonist Johnny Joestar.

While I was sadden that I couldn't do the first idea, the ending idea ended up being something I found quite enjoyable to create and had a lot of fun brainstorming ideas for the structure and sequencing of it.

Production of documentary

Now for the documentary itself I honestly was having a lot of problems with it, not just the file corruptions that I unfortunately experienced, but just how and what do I do this video.

When originally starting to create the documentary and splicing the audio, I honestly started to feel resentful of what I was creating and just found myself overall disliking what I was making.

Then when I had to redo the entire edit I tried to go with a different approach and started to feel more confident in the work I was making, though I was only able to get to a four minute mark. I was doing good progress on what I had made so far. When I started to further edit my documentary I started to think that this would've been easier had I done this as a review or as a video documenting my personal experience with the manga rather than doing a traditional documentary video for it.

The interview was reasonably ok at best, though it was rather slow and lacked proper substance and I personally just did not like it.

I honestly wish I had gone with a different direction for this project. I feel that I'm not reaching the best I could've reached with this topic. A lesson I have learned for future projects.

Overall the idea for my project was promising with a lot of passion, however I just wasn't able to execute it the way I wanted it to go, which is rather disappointing. though I was able to learn to not make these same mistakes the next time I wish to make a project.

In the end when I got to editing it once more, I did as many improvements and additions to it as I could and what I got was something I found a lot more better than what I originally had, the inclusion of the ending sequence made the video personally a bit more better, though I wish the video itself were just a few minutes longer, similar to my Metal Gear Solid V video.