Yvonne's Evaluation

Team JYRC consists of Joe, Yvonne (myself), Ryan, and Chris. Our documentary is based on a young British gentleman by the name of George. George Payne is a close friend of Joe and they both attended a Hong Kong University together not too long ago. George was coincidentally in London when Joe visualized making a documentary on him. What makes George special is that he has been exposed to Chinese culture and feels more at ease in Hong Kong rather than his home country of Britain. In addition George is about to embark on a Semester at Sea program shortly after filming finished. Originally, we hoped to capture how George's constant travel or "restlessness" reflected how he is just trying to find his place in the world, just like most people our age. Our intended audience is for young people like ourselves searching for a place where they belong. During the filming process much of our initial proposal had changed and we began to focus more on George the individual, rather than George the restless traveler. Throughout the documentary, his journey reveals much more than his cultured spirit, but his life ambitions, childhood dreams, relation with his family, and his independence as an individual. The film begins with George sharing his shallow thoughts and ideas of where he would like to see himself in the next five to ten years. But as the film progresses, the viewer may notice how George’s ambitions and mannerisms are the result of his childhood and upbringing. Furthermore we hope to present George as a universal character that one may relate to when undergoing the transition from college to the work place. Being young and in control of your future while facing many decisions is experience that many can also relate to.
Walking into the class, I thought that all films were the same. I didn’t know much about how documentaries were made and how the process was so spontaneous and unexpected. I really enjoyed taking this Documentary Filmmaking class because I learned how the process of filmmaking is harder than it looks. I came into the class with no experience or background whatsoever on film. Not only that, I was not familiar with the logistics and software involved. I would say I was quite overwhelmed with project but under the direction and guidance of Joe and Ryan, I felt a little more at ease with the whole thing. I don’t think I had a distinct role in the group, but both Chris and I assisted our group with anything they needed help with. Most of the time I found myself next to Ryan while he edited, observing and giving him feedback on his edits on the film. Joe, Ryan, and Chris were really fun to work with and I learned a lot from each of them. Being able to contribute my perspectives and opinions on George and important filmmaking decisions was more than I could ask for because I had no background in any of the technical part of the process.