Journal Entry Assignment #1 : Critical Incident

Beginning in January 2007 until the early spring of 2009, I worked on a documentary project about the Muslim community in Boston. The process involved interviewing over 25 different people in a variety of settings. As I moved forward, I found that each interview taught me something new. Each time when I went back to log the tapes of an interview, I learned a little bit about better lighting, how to capture better sound, or even just the basic skills in how to pull more information and better sound bytes from my subjects.

An example of what I mean is illustrated in how I conducted one of my first interviews compared to my last. One of my early interviews with the Islamic Society of Boston's Imam was in his office. There was not too much light, and I tried to do my best with the light kit I brought a long. However, I didn't take into effect a number of things:
-The brightness of LED screen and the importance of Zebra lines
-Disconnecting the phone in the office

My first problem was that I only judged my picture by the color LED screen. I did not use Zebra lines to see if the light was actually a set right. I did not White Balance correctly, (albeit I could always tell when the picture was really off by the screen). I adjusted the gain too high, when I probably would have been better checking the iris or ND filters first.

Second, at one point in the interview, the phone rang during a very bad time. I wish I had simply asked about the phone and to see if we could have disconnected it in the office for the duration of the interview.

However, by the end of the film process, rookie mistakes like these were behind me. I was in much more control of the lighting for each shot (versus the shot in the dark process it had been early on), and I was more aware of my interview surroundings.

If I had not had critical incidents like the experience in the Imams office, I would not have learned from mistakes and improved my skills as a film maker and journalist. It's good for me to remember that every mistake is an opportunity to learn. This rationale keeps me staying positive and motivated to do my best work while also be willing to take risks.