Interviews
Interview #1
For my first interview, I asked Hannah questions about her life. This was the first interview that I've done in a long time so I learned a lot that I forgot to do. The shot is too far away and the audio isn't very strong. The background is pretty but Hannah looks too small. Since the camera was further away, the rode mic caught too much wind but is still definitely usable. Next time I need a closer and cleaner shot.That will involve getting closer to the person and making their head was taking up most of the screen. I need to add music and a title next time to make it more interesting.
Behind the Camera
While I was DP, I would change a couple of things. The angle is too far away so it makes him look tiny. Also the audio is a little too fuzzy because the camera was far. Bringing the camera in closer would make the shot and sound better. Next time I would also try to direct the person being interviewed to try to repeat the questions a better so it's better for the editor and the final video. Its hard to remember to do so it would have helped him to be reminded.
Being Interviewed
This is Tate's interview where he interviewed me. I wasn't very nervous so I think I did a pretty good job but to be honest I'm not a fan of Tate's editing. He didn't use very good photos and kept the questions he asked me in there even though I repeated them for him. Next time I think we need to get a little closer and higher up because I'm really insecure about my chin and the angle isn't good on me. I think my answers were well said so I'm proud of how it came out.
Interview #2
Same Interview
My second interview was Mia. This was a lot better than my first. The shot is a lot closer and lower so it makes Mia a lot better. She looks stronger. I tried to ask simple questions and make it interesting but next time I'm hoping we could have a better question theme. It look us a long time to find a good spot to do the interviews but I think it worked very well and looks professional. I think the only thing I would change is possibly the lighting because it seems to wash her out a little bit but it's not bad at all. The audio is also a little messed up because we didn't use the mic correctly but it still turned out well.
This is actually my interview because Mia formatted the card before Jordan could get the interview she did with me. So our videos are pretty much the same but she edited it differently and had some different parts which I liked because it made it more unique. It came out great. Next time the audio and lighting should be a little bit better so next time I will make sure it's better.
Behind the Camera
Being behind the camera is something new for me and I'm getting used to it. The camera angle is pretty good but the sound isn't the best. That is something that hasn't been going too well and hopefully the last interview I can do better. Also the people in the background were very loud and I had to tell them to stop multiple times but they wouldn't listen. Mia's computer isn't working for some reason so she could not add it to Vimeo. Jordan and I do not have the video.
Interview #3
For the last interview, I interviewed Tate and it went very well. I tried to ask him random questions that would make it more interesting. The angle of the camera is great and I actually set it up so I'm pretty proud of myself. The audio is pretty bad because someone was mowing the lawn and we moved twice to avoid them but they kept following us. I did my best with editing and I think it came out pretty well. I have also realized that I haven't added any music or titles to the interviews that I have done since I wasn't in the room for instructions and had to edit based on memory but next time I will be more professional and had a name title and background music.
Behind the Camera
Personally Sophie's interview was great but the editing wasn't my favorite. I also had to step in and help Tate with questions because some of them were too hard for her to answer. Next time I would talk to him and help him with his editing. I loved some parts though were he added on to them which is something I would love to learn from Tate. The camera shot is great but the sound is a little messed up that should be fixed next time.
Being Interviewed
I really enjoyed being interviewed by Sophie. She asked me hard but unique questions that made the interview interesting. Next time I need to make my answer neater and easier to understand. I wasn't very loud and I messed up on some of my grammar so I need to be more aware of that this time. The camera shot is great and makes me look okay. The sound should have been a little better but it's not as bad as the other videos taken at the same time.
Documentary Review
I enjoyed this documentary a lot unlike some other films I’ve seen in the past. It was engaging, suspenseful, and emotional. The interviews were so well said and interesting to watch. Scenes were created to put you into their world were creative. It really made the story come alive then just seeing pictures from the past. The point of view given is a technique you only see in documentaries, where the camera is the person or the camera is behind them so you can’t see the faces. Wardle did a very good job with making the plot interesting. Everything that kept happening was an unexpected twist. I’m a huge fan of how this story was told and shown from interviews, pictures, and the unseen characters reenacting the boys life. One thing that I would have liked to see if more of a timeline. I was confused about what was happening when they got older. Also what's happening now, nothing about their life together now was talked about. Do they get along now? What have they been doing? I understand that the documentary was about them meeting and discovering their truth but I would like to know how their lives are playing out.
Three Identical Strangers
Directed by: Tim Wardle
Three Identical Strangers is a story about triplets being separated at birth. Eddy Galland, Robert Shafran, and David Kellman met when they were 19 years old when Eddy and Bobby coincidently went to the same community college. They had no idea that they were a triplet. Louise Wise Services was the adoption agency that gave them up for adoption on July 12th, 1961, separately. The birth mother, who was just a teen at the time, had no idea that they were separated. Each boy was adopted to a different style of families- low, middle, and high class families- all with one adopted sister from the same agency. The documentary tells the story of them developing their relationship together and finding the dark truth behind their adoption.
I would recommend this documentary to anyone who enjoys suspenseful films. The story is so unexpected and crazy to hear. I don’t understand how someone is capable of splitting triplets up and having a specific plan on how to give them up for adoption. People in this world are cruel and lie about things that you wouldn’t even question. Eddy, Bobby, and David suffered 19 years without knowing about each other. They have spent the rest of their lives trying to figure out why Louise Wise Agency would do this. I’m just fascinated by the mystery and the story of them coming together. When I was reading the reviews and looking at some articles, I learned a lot more that wasn’t in the movie. The triplets were actually quadruplets but the fourth baby died during birth. Also this film was made for the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and eventually was picked up by Raw TV and CNN Films to bring the movie to network companies like Hulu, HBO, and more. This documentary is one that I would always recommend and would love to watch again.
