Question’s galore (this is a big one)

  1. What is the ‘controlling idea’ (Robert McKee) of your portrait? In other words, what is the most interesting thing about your participant/interviewee that you want to communicate?
  • The most interesting thing about my interviewee is her immense passion for her job. She’s a primary school teacher but has discovered that (rather than following the money and working at a large town/city school) she much prefers to teach in rural schools where there are <20 students in total.
  1.  How is your portrait film structured?  (Remember there might be multiple forms of structure employed)  E.g. Discussion and depiction of an event or process? A Journey? Use of voiceover narration? Other?
  • My film doesn’t follow a typical narrative structure though it does build from her simply explaining what she likes to revealing the hardships and struggles of small school teaching. Therefore I would say the structure is generally a discussion.
  1. What do you want your audience to make of your interviewee? (e.g. What are you saying through them and/or human nature, human folly, or noble human inspiration?)
  • I want my audience to admire her passion and strive to be as happy as she is in their own future occupations.
  1. How is your portrait being narrated? Why? How does it affect the structure?
  • The portrait is simply Rosalie discussing her passion alone, with no other voice coming into the film. After I asked my questions she kindly repeated them back through her response so I was able to edit out my own voice.
  1. What role will the ‘found footage’ play in your portrait? For example, reinforcement? Ironic counterpoint? Contrast? Comparison? Other?
  • I aimed for the found footage to reinforce the happiness and humour of Rosalie, as well as adding in the primary school vibe as she discusses her Primary school teaching occupation. Mainly the found footage clarifies certain parts of the discussion that I felt were important features of her story.
  1. Does your portrait have a dramatic turning point?
  • It does not have a dramatic turning point, but it gradually grows a little more pessimistic as Rosalie voices that she was once fired over budgeting issues. However with true happiness she laughs it off.
  1. When does this turning point occur in your portrait and why? At the beginning? At the end? Two-thirds through?
  • it occurs at the end as I wanted the audience to be left with an insight to her light personality as well as having them left thinking about the difficulties that rural schools face in continuing running and how my interviewee is still supporting the small schools with all her heart.
  1. How does your portrait gather and maintain momentum?
  • It gathers momentum through the quick cuts between film, rather than leaving a break I crowded the responses together to keep the interest of the audience, rather than have them be distracted in breaks.
  1. Where will your portrait’s dramatic tension come from? The gradual exposition of an overall situation? A volcanic, climactic moment? An impending change or crisis? The contrast between what the interviewee talks about and the found footage?
  • The gradual exposition of her situation as it becomes clarified that rural schools are a ‘dying breed’ and need people like Rosalie who are passionate enough to keep fighting the monetary issues that come along with small country schools.

10. Does the portrait have a climax and/or resolution? Outline them.

  • The only resolution I could offer is the exclamation “I love my job”, that reiterates her persistence and clarifies that she is indeed employed and still obsessed with her career.

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