Major Project: Research-Learning To Grieve: George Shelley

Major Project: Research-Learning To Grieve: George Shelley

Continuing with my research into relevant and useful source material to use as inspiration to guide/inform our documentary. I felt it would be a good idea to look into another BBC Three documentary since the last one I researched seemed very close to the style we were after. This time I looked into the documentary "Learning To Grieve: George Shelly". Below you can read the notes of my findings after watching this short film. 

• We get some background on the presenter right at the start of the documentary.
• Nice use of establishing shots
• Presenter visits their old home town and other sentimental places, in order to reflect.
• Old photos used
• Quiet but really effective background music.
• The documentary uses cutaways in a unique way (most of it is B-Roll) so it adds to the story without distracting from what is being said.
• Use of extreme close ups as reaction shots.
• Shots of presenter fighting back tears (we then connect to them on an emotional level).
• Subtle use of heartbeat sound, really effective touch.
• We talk to contributors that really add something to the story; family, friends, nurses etc.
• The handheld camera helps everything feel raw.
• Interviews are mostly uncut so we hear the presenters true unedited thoughts.
• As the narrative moves forward the presenter takes time to regularly reflect on what’s been happening and how their feeling.
• It isn’t immediately clear why we are going to talk to certain contributors or even who they are (feels a little random at times).

• We watch the presenter performing one of their “hobbies” as a method of working out their emotions but also distracting themselves from them.
• Shots of presenter hugging, breaking down and looking into middle distance as they deal with their overwhelming emotions.
• Text is used to make and explain/expand on certain points.
• Two shots, reaction shots and reverse shots.
• The presenter talks a lot about what’s happened and how they feel about it, but not so much what they’ve learned.
• When the presenter is at a low point all other audio is cut. Our focus is on them and only them.
• Great mix between PTC’s and voice over.
• Some tangents e.g. the one about the presenter’s sexuality were nice to see but felt a little irrelevant to the core of the narrative.
• Effective Depth Of Field in shots and possible use of colour grading for added effect, something I hadn't previously considered in my editing notes.

Closing Thoughts

• A really effective documentary that connected us with the presenter on an emotional level much better than several of the others we have looked at.
• We get a rich understanding of the presenter's background and life, through the places he visits, people he talks to, and stories he tells.
• Overall narrative arc didn’t seem that clear. The documentary is about learning to grieve but it isn’t made overtly clear exactly what we’ve learned.
• Similar storytelling techniques to what we’re after, but we’d have a clearer and more fleshed out narrative.

Overall Relevance Score 7/10