Finding a topic
So for this project, we were told to create a 7 minute documentary on the topic of our choice. I decided to work with my friend Bailey, who I've worked with last year in AS. We got together and started planning our documentary. Bailey suggested we do something centered around an all girls band named Visions of Venus (VOV), whose members go to our school. She wanted to focus on how this band deals with misogyny, however I noted that this is a massive topic, that can't be condensed down to seven minutes without poorly representing the situation, and frankly, since Visions of Venus is a small local band, they don't have experience with misogyny in the music industry. Once my teacher walked by and asked about our topic, we told her this and she had the same sentiments. So, back to the drawing board.
I suggested we do something surrounding architecture since my mother is an architect, so we would have easy access to models and plans for b-roll. But, both Bailey and I didn't feel connected to this at all, and we wanted to produce a documentary on something we would enjoy. So, we stuck to the music track, and that's when I came up with a pretty good topic. We decided to focus on how Visions of Venus deals with maintaining/creating their band, while still being high school students. Our teacher loved the idea so how all we had to was get in contact with the band members.
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| Image taken from VOV Instagram |
Getting in contact with VOV
I went to Visions of Venus' Instagram's, where they have a link to contact them in their bios, so I sent them an email explaining the purpose of Bailey and I's documentary and asking if they were interested in being a part of our documentary. In case they declined our proposal, I have a friend who is in a band and would have been willing to participate.
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| VOV Instagram |
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| VOV link tree |
Bailey and I also realized that VOV would be performing at our school dance a few days later, so we decided to get footage of them there, since we were both going. Several days later, I finally got a text from Cameron, the bassist for the band. She texted me saying the members were definitely interested in taking part in our documentary. Below are the texts I received from Cameron.
Our first dilemma appeared when Cameron told me that only two members, her and the singer Ari, actually go to our school. This means the drummer and guitarist, Caileigh and Morgan, are far less accessible to film as they both live 45 minutes away. So, I asked Cameron if Morgan would be okay with Bailey and I going to her house , since that is where they rehearse, to get shots of their musical process, their interactions, and their interactions with one another. However, she let me know that her house is very far away, and she doesn't think Morgan's family was comfortable with us being there since they don't know us. Therefore, I planned with Bailey to go to VOV's gig at Carolina Ale house on November 22nd, where we'd be able to get interviews with the remaining to members. I also planned a day to meet up at Ari's house to get her and Cameron's interviews done.
Research and Planning
I found it interesting that VOV's color scheme revolved around the color purple. So I decided to research the use of purple within the music industry. Unlike other local bands, they have a sole defining color, which was very well chosen stylistically. Parasomnia is another example of a local band which formed earlier this year. However, they have no set color scheme, their IG and dressing suggests a basic “rock” look (reds, blacks). VOV on the other hand, has had purple since day one. They are easily recognized by their signature shade of purple, and the members often correlate their wardrobes to incorporate purple, while allowing their own style and personalities shine through.
This choice of color is also well selected because it is deeply rooted in rock music culture. The color was popularized in the industry in the 60s because it was a blend of the primary colors, and because it was very ambiguous in relation to music. It was later used by highly successful artists such as Prince and Deep Purple. It is also a color associated with femininity, which works well for VOV being an all-girl band. Source
This was one of the main reasons I agreed to focus our documentary on this band. After looking in-depth at their Instagram, I realized how well done their marketing is, especially for such a small local band of high schoolers. Aside from this use of this purple theme, they have excellent photographs, and they create video content following trends ideal for their target audience.
In the meantime, Bailey and I created an outline for how the documentary will be be structured, as well as a list of questions that we will ask the girls when we meet up with them (see below).
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