Apply for interview Ace cafe london

I already sent this email to Ace cafe London.

Hi,

My name is Mark. I’m a student in Nottingham Trent University. My major is MA film practice. I’m very interested in Ace café and café racer, so I want to make a documentary about Ace café and café racer. I really want to go your café and interview the owner of Ace café and some café racers. Because I know Ace café is a very famous café and has a long history. I want to know some history story about Ace café and café racer. I hope we can have a relax conversation. Then I want to record some Ace café events. Simultaneously, My crews start to interview Ace café Beijing; I also want to research the cultural development in China, because motorcycle culture has a huge development in recent year. ‘Café racer’ comes from England and I hope to research what is real café racer?  I sincerely appreciate you can give me this valuable opportunity to know Ace café and café racer. If you feel free you can contact me, I hope we can meet you on 9^th March. I notice calendar of Ace café, it will hold a British bike night with triumph. I think the event is really suitable for my research project. If you wish to know more about me, my project or the MA Film Practice at NTU then please feel free to contact my project supervisor.

Hope to hear from you soon"

Kind regards

Mark

In addition, I also contact Ace cafe Beijing, they accept the interview but now is spring festival holiday, so my crews only interview them after the holiday. I read a book about documentary interview I will finish read next week, I constantly write my notes.

Anthony Q. A. (2008). The shut up and shoot documentary guide. Oxford: Elsevier’s Science & Technology. 334.

Senna

This week I watched this classical documentary again and I analyze the Senna's last match in San Marino Grand prix in Italy May 1st, 1994. Overall, Senna crashes scene has 33shots and main shot size are close up shot and extreme close up shot. Director use many close up shot to express emotion of Senna and paves the Senna's death. Compare with other documentary, the scene use long take more than others, because it can give audience a suspense. You never know what will happen next second. In addition, the documentary gives me many shooting methods, I cannot use first person perspective but it has many other way and shooting angles that can help rich my documentary. 

References:

IMDb. (2012). Senna. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1424432/. Last accessed 27th Jan 2016.

Broadway session & Film 'Room'

This friday is our first Broadway session. Everyone is so excited to go to Broadway cinema. Roger and Paul introduce Broadway cinema. Roger give us a lively session. Firstly, Roger help us to eliminate intense emotion, everyone need to reopen the door and introduce yourself. It is looks like a weird practice but it is really make us more relax.Then we know how to setup all the equipment, camera, sound, light. Each one do the different works. I think I'm good at photographer, but I'm poor in keep the mic above my head, because I put the mic in the frame when we interview Eric. Then Roger told me, I need to keep the mic in a position and find a corresponding point on the wall. It will help me keep the mic stable. Because Canon C100 is used by us in a first time so we acquaint the camera a while. Next week we will go to Roger's house to study. I really expect this valuable learning opportunity as well.

'Room' is directed by Lenny Abrahamsonand in 2015. The film according to Emma Donoghue's novel <Room>. The film is tell the story of a girl Joy is deceived by neighbor, then she was locked in a small room for 7 years. She was raped by the the neighbor and she gives birth a boy(Jack). Every mom want to create a safety and wonderful atmosphere. Although, they already trapped in the 10 square meters, jack fantasy a magic world but Jack start unsatisfied with the small room. Joy start make escape. The film actually express to what is freedom to people. Freedom and mother love which one is important. Joy attempted to suicide to agree with her fault. In fact, no matter what Jack still said: but you're my mom. I am so touched in that point. In addition, many shot from the eyes of Jack give us a very special feeling. we empathize Jack  eager to know the unknown world. Overall, it is a really touching film.

References:

IMDb. (2015). Room. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3170832/. Last accessed 24th Jan 2016.

Track shot

This monday, Deborah taught us track shot. First we build tracks and mark start point and finish point. Then tripod is installed to the slide. Finally, position camera on tripod.
Firstly, we try to track shot. one person push tripod, another one look at monitor of the camera.

we practice glidetrack to shoot Eric weak up. This is a very interesting experience.From his leg to head. 

I can use these equipments and camera movements to shoot Ace cafe interior. Something are significant in this cafe.

Documentary Treatment

Synopsis: the documentary will be surround ‘café racer’ in Beijing and London.

Story structure:

Past:

Ace café shop in the North West London. The owner of Ace café shop experienced social transformation. The café shop owner has great changes with the café racer. Ace café is not a café shop that is a pub actually.

The café shop is ‘café racer’ gathering place. It is a famous theme café shop in the UK. Nowadays, Ace café shop has opened six countries that include China.

Present:

China: Ace café shop, is a Chinese-English culture incubator. Most of people do not know the niche culture in China. However, people who love motorcycle and rock music must know Ace café. It is like a milestone in motorcycle culture. Many Chinese ride their vintage motorcycle gathering here. They can enjoy rock music and share refit experience. Many people like this niche culture.

Thus there are two storyline makes the film more complexity.

Main characters: an old man with his motorcycle and a young man with his motorcycle.

UK: An old man talk about what is café racer. He enjoy refit his small displacement motorcycle and he like mechanical, hate electronical. When he was young, he like riding on the street that he define café racer. But now he has redefined what is café racer. His life already connects with Ace café and café racer.

China: A young man who was an overseas student. When he studied in the London, Ace café left him a deep impression. He keens on study the motorcycle and he refits his motorcycle to style of ‘café racer’.

Sharing some interesting things about café racer when he was young. I.e.: How do you know the café racer?

The two characters share their competition experience. Their family whether support their career. They live through hard times because the culture still niche today. They insist to love café racer. Why?

Style: A men’s documentary makes men like to know ‘café racer’. Making the documentary storytelling. Café racer representative rebel and challenge a sense of top speed. The documentary avoids the dry documentary style of talking head interview.

Format and other production information: the topic of documentary is café racer historical movement.

The Thin Blue Line

The Thin Blue Line directed by Errol Morris in 1988. The film use 'restore crime scene' to record a case involving the killing of a police man in texas 1976.  A homeless people is accused of killing the police man. Director Errol Morris interview the suspect Adam and three witnesses. Via different people to describe the case in different angles. Morrison help Adam clear his name. The thin blue line is between justice and totalitarianism. In the narrative perspective, Morris have not shown a result to the audience but to interview different people in the case. Audience could notice changing inside of each people. In the end of documentary, director use criminal psychology to analyze criminal. Harris is criminal in the case and he is a cold blooded murderer. 

I pick a first scene of crime in the film. From 5:18 to 7:27. I statistic the shot number, shot size, camera movement, contents,sound and length. Basically, camera movement usually use static shot. Because this is a documentary need to performance more natural, it is not use camera movement to express characters' emotion.

Overall, the scene express a intense emotion to use many extreme close-up shot. Detail can make a the crime more intension. In addition, different angles shot can make audience to know the environment more comprehensive.

 For example, a high angle shot introduce surrounding environment. It is a great angle to restore the character relation. 

This documentary is a reflexive documentary and Errol Morris is a advocator of the reflexive documentary. Errol Morris's documentary not only portray social issues, but also to comment on the reliability of documentary making itself.

Reference:

IMDb. (1988). The Thin Blue Line. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096257/. Last accessed 20th Jan 2016.

About phase 1 feedback and interview structure

I got phase 1 feedback last thursday. Via supervisors give me comments, I need to do more analysis of film and television practitioners. I want to evaluate shot and cinematography of documentaries so I need to know film grammar. I already to watch some television documentaries and documentary films. In addition, my documentary fuses characters of reflexive and observational documentaries. Because I want to present a part of the social and historical of process and transition of cafe racer.

About real Health  & Safety and ethical implication for this project, I will change my shooting plan, for example  I will not attach GoPro camera to motorcycle. Because it is allowed on the street. I will use some found footages. As supervisor said: ' it is a opportunity for you to show comprehensive understanding of professional practice.' Simultaneously, post-production is a important thing I need to improve in this term. 

About interview, I make a structure of interview. I read 'Documentary Storytelling' by Bernard, it is talk about decision a casting that is a very important thing, offering a means of adding complexity and balance to the overall film. Because you need to make a suspension and filmmaker do not want to audience have a same issue in a same perspective. 

I make a interview a proposal.

Interviewee: older cafe racers, young cafe racer, culture acceptor  in China.

What is cafe racer in your mind? 

Why do you like cafe racer?

How do you know cafe racer? (parents or friends...)

Can you talk about your motorcycle?

Why you  like cafe racer than large displacement sport motorcycle?

Can you share some interesting things ?

About Chinese cafe racer and owner of the Ace Cafe shop some special question.

Why you want to open a Cafe shop about Cafe racer?

It is a niche culture, how do you know that?