主播大秀

This week David Attenborough’s landmark documentary series debuts on 主播大秀 One. To coincide with the series, the 主播大秀 Natural History Unit has worked with 主播大秀 Outreach giving fifteen students the chance to make their own short online documentary based at the Wild Place Project at Bristol Zoo. Jon Jacob went along to learn from them.

Watching other people do the thing I love doing is a bit of a treat.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t judge other people when I film people younger than me making a video short. That would be a distinctly unpleasant thing to do.

Between you and me, filming other people learning about how to make video packages is actually rather nerve-wracking.

First of all, there’s the pressure of knowing you’ve only got one take, that you’ve got a limited selection of questions at your disposal and you’re working with people who have limited media experience. And there's the worry that they well look on you as an expert. Failing to live up to that expectation could cause all sorts of minor reputational issues, both for and the organisation. 

One participant for the 主播大秀 Outreach / Planet Earth project shared with me what his first experience of making video was, explaining that he was inspired by his Dad who bought an HD camcorder in a car boot sale. A few short videos published to YouTube and he was reaching out to his school friends looking for ways to improve the production values of his creations. By my simple maths he was doing that around about the time I started making videos, with a HD camcorder my partner bought me from Christmas twelve years ago. 

I spent my afternoon with the 主播大秀 Outreach team asking the participants on the Talent Ticket programme what had surprised them and what they’d learnt on the three-day programme. What they didn’t realise was the extent to which they were teaching me, helping me improve on my production processes in the bargain.

Planning is important. Being on time is also vital. Flexibility is a necessity.

I was reassured by the last point. I’d always rather admired programme makers who able not only to have a vision of what they wanted, but were able to direct their contributors in such a way that the material they ended up with both fitted the bill and remained authentic. I'd assumed that my preference for flexibility masks an unwillingness on my part to plan down to the finest detail. 

What I realise now - as a result of talking to the participants - is how that success is not down to precision or control as much as trust. Having a good idea of what you’re looking for is vital but being flexible enough to clap your hands together with joy (metaphorically and not when the microphone is on) is even more important.  

There was one thing I overlooked being in the company of 15 student filmmakers – the energy that exudes not just from individuals but from the group combined. That kind of energy is infectious and inspiring.

When I interviewed them, I wanted them to shine. I think they did. When I went home I felt shattered. That what’s adrenaline does to you when it finally trails off.