watch 'The Rainbow Nation' short documentary

A short student documentary highlighting the impact of South Africa's harrowing history in a now multiculturally vibrant post-apartheid world.

Directed, filmed & edited by Aaron Dunleavy.
Shot on location in Cape Town and Kenya on the Canon XA10.

https://vimeo.com/55869700

Thanks, hope to hear your feedback.
Aaron.

If this is a student film then you have a really bright future ahead of you. Great shot composition. Regarding editing the story, i feel there was a missed opportunity to really grab the viewer from the beginning.

The first minute is crucial. You need to give your viewer a taste of whatever the emotional turmoil of your subject is. Just a tease but enough to make the viewer want to invest in watching the rest.

Editing is an art form in itself. You don't want to build a story on a continual slope going upward but a mix of highs and lows. Speed the pace and then let it breath. I felt your piece was in one gear the entire time and though beautifully shot, I lost interest in the content.

If I were a teacher I would give you a high grade.

bellabell said:

If this is a student film then you have a really bright future ahead of you. Great shot composition. Regarding editing the story, i feel there was a missed opportunity to really grab the viewer from the beginning.

The first minute is crucial. You need to give your viewer a taste of whatever the emotional turmoil of your subject is. Just a tease but enough to make the viewer want to invest in watching the rest.

Editing is an art form in itself. You don't want to build a story on a continual slope going upward but a mix of highs and lows. Speed the pace and then let it breath. I felt your piece was in one gear the entire time and though beautifully shot, I lost interest in the content.

If I were a teacher I would give you a high grade.

Click to expand...

Thanks mate, your comments mean a lot.

It is indeed a student film, I went out there without a brief and had to arrange all the interviews and shoots myself as well as filming and editing everything. I appreciate what you say about the edit, if I'm being honest I could've had a lot more footage to cut away to but due to time constraints it was hard to get everything I needed. Could you give me an example of how you would've structured the edit differently, what would you have cut to instead? There's still time to make changes after all!

Thanks,
Aaron.

AaronDunleavy said:

Thanks mate, your comments mean a lot.

It is indeed a student film, I went out there without a brief and had to arrange all the interviews and shoots myself as well as filming and editing everything. I appreciate what you say about the edit, if I'm being honest I could've had a lot more footage to cut away to but due to time constraints it was hard to get everything I needed. Could you give me an example of how you would've structured the edit differently, what would you have cut to instead? There's still time to make changes after all!

Thanks,
Aaron.

Click to expand...

I will watch it again tomorrow and write some ideas down for you.

This is looking super professional, very well done! Also I'm in love with your video called, "Help the people". You did everything right in it! What camera and gear do you use?

Joshua Lloyd said:

This is looking super professional, very well done! Also I'm in love with your video called, "Help the people". You did everything right in it! What camera and gear do you use?

Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments! I was going to post the People Help the People video but as it lacks a proper narrative I wasn't use which category to post under. I used the Canon XA10 for both of those videos, it's a stunning camera - all the features of a fully fledged high end camera with a professional sensor in a shrunken down form factor which is perfect of travelling as you can take it in your hand luggage. For interview audio I used a Sony tie clip mic straight into the XLR of the XA10.

Cheers,
Aaron.

Hi Aaron

I watched the clip again and I think you need to tie the influence of art with the history of apartheid from the beginning. We don't really know what the story is about until half way in when you begin talking about art.

When I watched the film, I thought we were going to talk about apartheid from a tour guide perspective. When you introduced Noor, I thought he was going to be part of the tour guide to show his museum and then all of the sudden we were talking about art and I felt Kim was not part of the equation at all.

Break your short into three movements:

Part I - Set up
Brief statements to set up the problem and subject. The editing should be a little faster paced. If you have access to more than one selection of music, use a more intense piece at the beginning.

Kim Bevan - I'm sad and embarrassed that was our way of life, the way it was
Noor Ebrahim - We couldn't go anywhere, I couldn't sit in the train with a white person
Emma Vandermerwe - There's something very South African about the art and it comes from the people, environment...the history, politics

(just use one impactful statement, saving the rest for other sections)

Now you have set the stage we are going to talk about how apartheid has influenced the art. We know what the film is about.

Part II - History
Now, slow it down and use your current music. Let the edit breath. Tell the backstory.

Use the interviews from Kim and Noor to tell their personal experience of apartheid.
Include Noor's statement about District 6 and how it was an all inclusive, cosmopolitan area and the government didn't like it.

Part III - Current situation
Pick the pace back up. You can even go back to your Part I music or if your original music piece builds enough, it can play to the end. You want the audience to feel a sense of hope after an ugly history, art is your hero.

Johan - Art scene has blossomed
Emma Vandermerwe - Art is influenced by past.
Kim - hope for future.

Do you have any statements from Noor about current art scene? I know he dwells in the past with his museum, but was there anything else to include him in the last section?

Again, great composition and shooting. Editing is storytelling. I have this story synthesis by my desk at all times. It applies to film narratives and even documentaries.
http://www.blakesnyder.com/downloads/synthesis.pdf