Documentary Research

Research is a vital part of making a documentary. If we do not have enough research, we would not know what to expect, or rather, what kind of unexpected issues to expect.

Before today, I thought animal communication is a totally new subject. But in fact, my research tells me that it has been existing for quite a while and there are many videos on animal communication on youtube! To see how other people do it gives me more ideas on what I want to cover in my documentary and what to expect.

Besides, we also did our location research after class and decided to use Royal Botanic Garden, mainly because it is nearer to the city. None of us drives so we have to rely heavily on public transport. The closer the park / location / garden to public transport the better as we do not have to carry all the equipments and walk long distance.
We went to Flagstaff Garden to have a look as well.




It is a beautiful park i must say. Unfortunately, the size of the park is too small and it makes it harder for us to film an interview because the camera can easily capture trams and cars passing in the background. Sound would also be a major problem if we were to choose Flagstaff Garden to do the interview.

Not only Royal Botanic Garden has a huge lake (and a quiet garden), it is also an ideal place for people to walk their dogs. As Robin suggested, it would be great to have people walking their dogs in the background as we interview Caroline.

However, one major problem shooting outdoor is the unexpected weather and lighting. Thus it is crucial for us to do a weather check before deciding on a shooting date.