Commissions - Developing Our Ideas

We have been working on our idea for some time now and since our tutorials with Zoe and Helen they have really given us some things to think about. We as a group made ourselves a open word document where we can all pitch things to each other and edit word documents. We have been adding character Logs and we have been editing our synopsis and pitch.

Narrative / Style:

Our documentary will follow the perspective of the presenter, Alex Hargood, as he embarks on the task of discovering why fewer teenagers are seeking to drive.  The main focus of the documentary will be to see how a young person (Alex) copes with having his car locked away, so we can see the benefits and drawbacks of using public transport and other means of travel to get him through his daily routines.

The narrative will be split into three main segments.  The first segment will follow Alex when he has access to his car to see how much he relies on it and to gain some insight into how he found learning to drive and getting out on the road over the last two years.  This part will also feature Alex’s dad, Jim, as he reminisces driving in his youth and reflects on how it has changed since the 1970s when he learnt to drive.  From this we will cut to interviews with a teenager learning to drive, and a driving instructor to get a fresh outlook on the process young people go through when learning to drive and taking their test.

After this, Alex’s keys will be taken away and he will head out to carry out his day-to-day activities on foot, by bicycle and by public transport.  These activities will range from going to get some groceries, going to university and going to visit his girlfriend in London.  During this segment, we will see how he copes without relying on his car but also as he reflects on how much it costs to run a car.  We will then cut to an insurance broker who will discuss the financial aspect of driving and why young drivers in particular are having to pay so much for car insurance and how this is having a negative impact on them.

The final segment will feature Alex reflecting on his time without his car and discussing what drawbacks and benefits there are to driving and not driving for a teenager like himself.  Will he decide to rely on his car so much?

This is our overall narrative that we are aiming for, Helen did mention to maybe focus on how insurance has changed over years. She also wants us to change the wording of our pitch she feels like 'Struggle' shouldn't be used within this documentary because no-one will feel sympathy for someone who got their car taken away for a couple of days.