The Pencil – Video Documentary
I chose to do my documentary on the pencil, likely because I really like pencils. I chose to write with one over a pen as much as possible and even over typing if I can. The style of the documentary is inspired by a late night talk show. I am lucky enough to work at a school with a green screen (just a really big green sheet hung over some poles) so I was able to take advantage of it, most of my project was filmed in front of it. I also have to thank my two wonderful co-workers who made appearances in my video. They both did a great job making sense of a script I gave them with little to no time to prepare. There were a few challenges, mainly my own awkward acting abilities and finding a time to film at school when it was quite enough. You’ll hear several loud bangs in the video, unfortunately I couldn’t stop the school caretaker from doing his job after school. Regardless of my comfortableness in front of the camera, I had a lot of fun working on this and I did learn a surprising amount about the pencil.
Video Link
Script: ETEC 540 – Video Documentary
Your video was very original and fun to watch! The pencil facts scrolling at the bottom of the screen was a nice touch as well:)
Your presentation was very informative, as I had never pondered the complex process of making a pencil and the problems that needed to be solved (blending graphite and clay, and getting the lead into the wood case).
It’s interesting to note how the introduction of new technology is typically associated with high cost and becomes more affordable with time.
Great job!