Hey Lauren, You seem to have honed in more on just what kind of story you are trying to tell here, and what kind of subject/ target audience you are aiming for… keep it up!
I am kind of worried about your “Different groups that I can interview” list, as I am worried that you may “bite off more then you can chew”… but it might be nice to have more then you can use to give you different options/ routes to go with this things.
- Your interviewee’s are good (young and lively), but I feel that Robert is really nervous and kind of “skittish”… is that just hw he is or do you think its because he knows he’s being recorded?
- I don’t remember the exact questions you had set up for you interviews, but you seem to be getting very thorough and precise comments/ responses from both Robert and Sandra. They are giving you personal experiences, insight on the situations, etc. I hope you are this lucky with all of your subjects (I am kind of concerned with your elderly clientele)
- I love Sandra’s “nana”… I miss mine! But I HATED her comment about Native New Yorker having the “best buffalo wings in the entire world”… as any SANE person knows that Oregano’s has the best wings in the entire universe!!!
I grew up in a house the believes in tipping, and I usually tip 20% for good service, 18% for okay service, and 15% for bad service… and I have tipped 0% once before, but the server deserved it (or didn’t deserve it) 100%. I think some people take pride in their tipping skills, while others have rules for tipping, etc. You should get some very interesting stories out these people, and it will give your film a very “fresh” feel.
i feel the same way about robert, sometimes i cant understand what he was saying. im not sure if it was the tape messing up or if thats the way the guy speaks but i found it difficult to understand what he was talking about. If you plan to use this guy it might help to speak to him for a LONG time, it sounds like hes excited to speak to you, and is rushing to get it all out. If he slowed down a bit, i know he would have great things to say and would really help out with your doc. I liked it when he talked about the times when he did not tip as much. It really shows us the differences between how people think. Since i personally would not feel comfortable deducting in the circumstance.
I really enjoyed Sandra's pre-interview. I liked her story about the time when she didnt tip, in that instance and under those circumstances i probably would not have left a tip either. I think that this is a really great angle for you, plus i think it would help to speak to as many people as possible, since everyone has experience with going out to eat and tipping.
Oh Ian, you and your craziness. The Oregano's people have been slipping you subliminal messages apparently. You just THINK they have the best wings!!
So I know you said Robert has a stutter. That does suck, but unfortunately this is a case where it is very important that we understand him clearly. Maybe if you could have him slow down when he talks it would be better. But if not I would probably recommend not using him. :(
I won't comment on my own interview cause that would be weird.
I also agree with Ian about too many categories, but I know that you were just trying to come up with as many as possible. I know you're not really going for all of that.
I'm looking forward to your documentary. Especially when you start getting people in there that don't tip and stuff like that. Gonna have lots of contrasting views going!
Lauren this is awesome! Whoever thought of the idea of zoning in on tipping is a genius! :) (just joking) So I love all your categories for groups to interview, but there are 15! So I thought about it and I thought you could take out one of the first three (different ages of servers talking about tipping) but then I changed my mind bc which one would you take out? The over 40 one? No cause you need that over 40 opinion. Can you take out any of the other 2? No, because those age groups tip way differently! So I came to the conclusion that you should keep the first three categories and the next three categories bc they are basically the same thing only with customers. I love the two servers talking about tips and two customers talking about tips and two servers one non server talking about tips because I feel, depending on who you get to interview, that these people can provide a different aspect to this doc and they will keep the doc fresh and lively. I would cut the big groups, 2:1 ratio (two servers one customer and vice versa)and the two customers/2servers) because I feel that you can cover what they'd say in the other categories you have here. The one I really like is the server/customer conversation bc that is something I'd be interested to see. Umm yea sometimes I couldn't understand Robert. Did you give him some sugar or something before interviewing him? Lol. I think he'd be good to interview if you could just slow him down as Sandra said. I'm really looking forward to your doc. Keep up the good work! Let's talk because I'd really like to help you out on this project.
So far so good! It's nice seeing this side as well and echoes a lot of the same opinions I have about tipping as a customer. The focus on tipping also makes this project a lot less of a daunting task.
I like that you have a lot of groups that you could interview. It gives you more options, but just make sure that you don't end up getting too much of the same information. I do like the idea of a group of servers talking together since ideas will flow more with more heads, but it'll also be good for the more personal one on one interviews. I guess what I'm saying is that variety will be key to keeping us interested.
I agree with Robert being hard to understand at times. I understood most of it, but he does tend to speed through a lot of his lines in the interview that I had to do a double take of the conversation.
Also, I'd check to see whether you can say specific names of restaurants or not. It just seems like an issue that could become problematic.
I think your list of potential interviewees is pretty good. I would maybe even try to get more that way you will have more decisions in the editing room.
I think it is a good idea to interview people in groups and interview people as individuals. You will be able to see how people act differently when they know they are being judged by other people.
Looks like you really got on your shi.... stuff. Lots of interviews on way! Just make sure you ask them all the right questions and push them to answer in depth (but you probably already know this- duh)
One thing I am worries about is how honest people will be when talking about tips. That could obviously add to the documentary but just make sure your interviewees are willing to be as truthful as possible.
Also, make sure that all your interviewers don't end up saying the same thing cause it can get repetitive!
Looking forward to seeing the whole thing!!! Great job!!!! Love it! I think this will be a very interesting piece!
My biggest complaint is about the guy from the sound montage. I think it might be a little easier to follow him when we can see him but I found that he tripped over himself a little a few times and a spoke pretty fast, that just took me away from what he was saying a little. About halfway though he slows down a lot (probably because he's a little more comfortable now) and it was better.
Anyways, keep up the hard work. Documentaries are not easy. The success of this project will all depend on your research and pre-production.
I am working on another student's documentary this semester and what I've found is important is to look EVERYWHERE for stories and relevant people who might add something to your topic. Especially with something like restaurant service, everyone has a story (or opinion). It's just going to be difficult to spot the ones that will add the most to what you're trying to say.
I liked what Sandra said about her mother raising her family on a servers job. This will be great to show how the people who serve you in the restaurant business do have lives and sometimes your tips make a huge difference.
As for the guy, he made a good point of where you eat depends on your tip. Although I think Sandra gave you more to use in your doc. The Native New Yorker example was good, and I don't know if you can mention the name of the place, but you could probably still use most of her story.
Also what Sandra said about tips should be given to servers who go "above and beyond", this is true and another good point. As a server, I am looking forward to seeing what points you make in this doc, there is definitly some misconceetions of tipping, and so far you are hitting on them.
Nice job on your deliverable this cycle, I really liked how you laid out the a series of subjects from ages 18-80 in order to examine the generational gap between our generation and previous ones. That should yield some very interesting results. Overall, you seem to have great coverage on the different people who you will be interviewing so hopefully you will have a lot to work with when you get into post. I listened to the sound montage and my only criticism is that for a documentary it would be better to get the subject on camera instead of using a recording because it is visually less interesting to the audience.
Well, what can I say? Good stuff, most people have touched on what I've got. Zoning in on tipping = good idea. Now there's no issue of what the true focus of your doc is and I think it's not only going to make your entire filming process easier, and the end result that much better and interesting. This is such a simple, everyday thing but even these few interviews show how one person may have a very different idea or opinions than the next, and that's what gonna make this really interesting. So good job getting a variety of people and ages, that's what gonna reveal the meat of this doc, if that makes sense (I guess I couldn't think of a better word than "meat").
Seems like you're on the right track, so hooray, looking forward to more.
I really like the first guy. I'm only a few seconds in and I really believe this guy. He sounds like the everyman. I would of liked to have heard more from him.
I really like how you're cutting in between people and not stating the question, instead just having bites of people speaking. Gives me a really good idea as to how this is gonna look on screen.
Overall, I really like this. I think this is well on it's way to fruition. I'm just excited to see actual video cut together. You definitely honed in on something specific and I'm interested as I listen. I'm curios to see how you tell a story with all of this.
-How about the view of a server under 18? Someone in high school who lives with their parents and doesn't depend on their tips to pay bills.
-Yeah, I think the age breakdowns that you have aren't really helpful - what I mean is that this is an economic issue and the financial situation of an 18 year old is typically vastly different than that of a 30 year old, whereas the difference between a 30 year old and a 40 year old probably isn't all that much - reevaluate how you're breaking these people down - I would go with high school (disposable income, no bills), college (paying for school, paying for bills), 30s and on (starting/maintaining a family on tips), older than 65 (medical bills, addition of social security, possible retirement?)
-I also don't really think it's helpful to have two servers vs one customer and the like - you're ganging up on that one person and you're going to end up with interviews that are whiny and show more of these people's personal thoughts than a good general overarching opinion on the matter (and of course personal thoughts matter, it's a documentary, but I think you understand what I mean - people are just going to start getting bitchy and then you'll lose the audience, there will be no sympathy for them)
-The one on one server/customer interview would work, you should definitely get that.
-What do you mean two servers one non server? Are you expecting to get someone that's never before eaten in a restaurant? I really don't know what you mean by this one.
-I understand that this is a pre-interview, but I hope you're not interviewing Sandra for the actual film. As lovely as she is as an interviewee, you should find people you don't know. It will be good practice if you plan on making docs after school, and you should be looking for experts anyways - whoever that would be for a subject like this (people who go out to eat 'x' number of times per week, for example)
as far as groups go to interview i think you should just stick to a few large groups with different ages and a few 3-4 person groups with various age differences. I think separating groups by age and interviewing them that way is unnecessary i think what is most important in these groups is non-servers and servers, i agree that you should not have one on two interviews because the two people WILL gang up on the other one.
on the sound bites i can not understand the guy half the time sorry! Sandra has a good interview but i think what she says and what you ask, with the exception of her own personal family tipping standards, kind of goes without saying and the answers are obvious and not very shocking or revealing about the issue. With the exception of the Native New Yorker server.
you should ask people if they honestly think they are more willing to tip less for bad service or if they are more willing to tip more for really good service. just a good question to see what matters more to them....
Hey Lauren,
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have honed in more on just what kind of story you are trying to tell here, and what kind of subject/ target audience you are aiming for… keep it up!
I am kind of worried about your “Different groups that I can interview” list, as I am worried that you may “bite off more then you can chew”… but it might be nice to have more then you can use to give you different options/ routes to go with this things.
- Your interviewee’s are good (young and lively), but I feel that Robert is really nervous and kind of “skittish”… is that just hw he is or do you think its because he knows he’s being recorded?
- I don’t remember the exact questions you had set up for you interviews, but you seem to be getting very thorough and precise comments/ responses from both Robert and Sandra. They are giving you personal experiences, insight on the situations, etc. I hope you are this lucky with all of your subjects (I am kind of concerned with your elderly clientele)
- I love Sandra’s “nana”… I miss mine! But I HATED her comment about Native New Yorker having the “best buffalo wings in the entire world”… as any SANE person knows that Oregano’s has the best wings in the entire universe!!!
I grew up in a house the believes in tipping, and I usually tip 20% for good service, 18% for okay service, and 15% for bad service… and I have tipped 0% once before, but the server deserved it (or didn’t deserve it) 100%. I think some people take pride in their tipping skills, while others have rules for tipping, etc. You should get some very interesting stories out these people, and it will give your film a very “fresh” feel.
Great job!
hey lauren,
ReplyDeletei feel the same way about robert, sometimes i cant understand what he was saying. im not sure if it was the tape messing up or if thats the way the guy speaks but i found it difficult to understand what he was talking about. If you plan to use this guy it might help to speak to him for a LONG time, it sounds like hes excited to speak to you, and is rushing to get it all out. If he slowed down a bit, i know he would have great things to say and would really help out with your doc. I liked it when he talked about the times when he did not tip as much. It really shows us the differences between how people think. Since i personally would not feel comfortable deducting in the circumstance.
I really enjoyed Sandra's pre-interview. I liked her story about the time when she didnt tip, in that instance and under those circumstances i probably would not have left a tip either. I think that this is a really great angle for you, plus i think it would help to speak to as many people as possible, since everyone has experience with going out to eat and tipping.
Oh Ian, you and your craziness. The Oregano's people have been slipping you subliminal messages apparently. You just THINK they have the best wings!!
ReplyDeleteSo I know you said Robert has a stutter. That does suck, but unfortunately this is a case where it is very important that we understand him clearly. Maybe if you could have him slow down when he talks it would be better. But if not I would probably recommend not using him. :(
I won't comment on my own interview cause that would be weird.
I also agree with Ian about too many categories, but I know that you were just trying to come up with as many as possible. I know you're not really going for all of that.
I'm looking forward to your documentary. Especially when you start getting people in there that don't tip and stuff like that. Gonna have lots of contrasting views going!
Lauren this is awesome! Whoever thought of the idea of zoning in on tipping is a genius! :) (just joking)
ReplyDeleteSo I love all your categories for groups to interview, but there are 15! So I thought about it and I thought you could take out one of the first three (different ages of servers talking about tipping) but then I changed my mind bc which one would you take out? The over 40 one? No cause you need that over 40 opinion. Can you take out any of the other 2? No, because those age groups tip way differently! So I came to the conclusion that you should keep the first three categories and the next three categories bc they are basically the same thing only with customers. I love the two servers talking about tips and two customers talking about tips and two servers one non server talking about tips because I feel, depending on who you get to interview, that these people can provide a different aspect to this doc and they will keep the doc fresh and lively. I would cut the big groups, 2:1 ratio (two servers one customer and vice versa)and the two customers/2servers) because I feel that you can cover what they'd say in the other categories you have here. The one I really like is the server/customer conversation bc that is something I'd be interested to see.
Umm yea sometimes I couldn't understand Robert. Did you give him some sugar or something before interviewing him? Lol. I think he'd be good to interview if you could just slow him down as Sandra said.
I'm really looking forward to your doc. Keep up the good work! Let's talk because I'd really like to help you out on this project.
So far so good! It's nice seeing this side as well and echoes a lot of the same opinions I have about tipping as a customer. The focus on tipping also makes this project a lot less of a daunting task.
ReplyDeleteI like that you have a lot of groups that you could interview. It gives you more options, but just make sure that you don't end up getting too much of the same information. I do like the idea of a group of servers talking together since ideas will flow more with more heads, but it'll also be good for the more personal one on one interviews. I guess what I'm saying is that variety will be key to keeping us interested.
I agree with Robert being hard to understand at times. I understood most of it, but he does tend to speed through a lot of his lines in the interview that I had to do a double take of the conversation.
Also, I'd check to see whether you can say specific names of restaurants or not. It just seems like an issue that could become problematic.
I think your list of potential interviewees is pretty good. I would maybe even try to get more that way you will have more decisions in the editing room.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a good idea to interview people in groups and interview people as individuals. You will be able to see how people act differently when they know they are being judged by other people.
Looks like you really got on your shi.... stuff. Lots of interviews on way! Just make sure you ask them all the right questions and push them to answer in depth (but you probably already know this- duh)
ReplyDeleteOne thing I am worries about is how honest people will be when talking about tips. That could obviously add to the documentary but just make sure your interviewees are willing to be as truthful as possible.
Also, make sure that all your interviewers don't end up saying the same thing cause it can get repetitive!
Looking forward to seeing the whole thing!!! Great job!!!! Love it! I think this will be a very interesting piece!
My biggest complaint is about the guy from the sound montage. I think it might be a little easier to follow him when we can see him but I found that he tripped over himself a little a few times and a spoke pretty fast, that just took me away from what he was saying a little. About halfway though he slows down a lot (probably because he's a little more comfortable now) and it was better.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, keep up the hard work. Documentaries are not easy. The success of this project will all depend on your research and pre-production.
I am working on another student's documentary this semester and what I've found is important is to look EVERYWHERE for stories and relevant people who might add something to your topic. Especially with something like restaurant service, everyone has a story (or opinion). It's just going to be difficult to spot the ones that will add the most to what you're trying to say.
Keep it up!
Hey Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI liked what Sandra said about her mother raising her family on a servers job. This will be great to show how the people who serve you in the restaurant business do have lives and sometimes your tips make a huge difference.
As for the guy, he made a good point of where you eat depends on your tip. Although I think Sandra gave you more to use in your doc. The Native New Yorker example was good, and I don't know if you can mention the name of the place, but you could probably still use most of her story.
Also what Sandra said about tips should be given to servers who go "above and beyond", this is true and another good point. As a server, I am looking forward to seeing what points you make in this doc, there is definitly some misconceetions of tipping, and so far you are hitting on them.
Keep it up.
Lauren--
ReplyDeleteNice job on your deliverable this cycle, I really liked how you laid out the a series of subjects from ages 18-80 in order to examine the generational gap between our generation and previous ones. That should yield some very interesting results. Overall, you seem to have great coverage on the different people who you will be interviewing so hopefully you will have a lot to work with when you get into post. I listened to the sound montage and my only criticism is that for a documentary it would be better to get the subject on camera instead of using a recording because it is visually less interesting to the audience.
Well, what can I say? Good stuff, most people have touched on what I've got. Zoning in on tipping = good idea. Now there's no issue of what the true focus of your doc is and I think it's not only going to make your entire filming process easier, and the end result that much better and interesting. This is such a simple, everyday thing but even these few interviews show how one person may have a very different idea or opinions than the next, and that's what gonna make this really interesting. So good job getting a variety of people and ages, that's what gonna reveal the meat of this doc, if that makes sense (I guess I couldn't think of a better word than "meat").
ReplyDeleteSeems like you're on the right track, so hooray, looking forward to more.
I really like the first guy. I'm only a few seconds in and I really believe this guy. He sounds like the everyman. I would of liked to have heard more from him.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you're cutting in between people and not stating the question, instead just having bites of people speaking. Gives me a really good idea as to how this is gonna look on screen.
Overall, I really like this. I think this is well on it's way to fruition. I'm just excited to see actual video cut together. You definitely honed in on something specific and I'm interested as I listen. I'm curios to see how you tell a story with all of this.
-How about the view of a server under 18? Someone in high school who lives with their parents and doesn't depend on their tips to pay bills.
ReplyDelete-Yeah, I think the age breakdowns that you have aren't really helpful - what I mean is that this is an economic issue and the financial situation of an 18 year old is typically vastly different than that of a 30 year old, whereas the difference between a 30 year old and a 40 year old probably isn't all that much - reevaluate how you're breaking these people down - I would go with high school (disposable income, no bills), college (paying for school, paying for bills), 30s and on (starting/maintaining a family on tips), older than 65 (medical bills, addition of social security, possible retirement?)
-I also don't really think it's helpful to have two servers vs one customer and the like - you're ganging up on that one person and you're going to end up with interviews that are whiny and show more of these people's personal thoughts than a good general overarching opinion on the matter (and of course personal thoughts matter, it's a documentary, but I think you understand what I mean - people are just going to start getting bitchy and then you'll lose the audience, there will be no sympathy for them)
-The one on one server/customer interview would work, you should definitely get that.
-What do you mean two servers one non server? Are you expecting to get someone that's never before eaten in a restaurant? I really don't know what you mean by this one.
-I understand that this is a pre-interview, but I hope you're not interviewing Sandra for the actual film. As lovely as she is as an interviewee, you should find people you don't know. It will be good practice if you plan on making docs after school, and you should be looking for experts anyways - whoever that would be for a subject like this (people who go out to eat 'x' number of times per week, for example)
as far as groups go to interview i think you should just stick to a few large groups with different ages and a few 3-4 person groups with various age differences. I think separating groups by age and interviewing them that way is unnecessary i think what is most important in these groups is non-servers and servers, i agree that you should not have one on two interviews because the two people WILL gang up on the other one.
ReplyDeleteon the sound bites i can not understand the guy half the time sorry! Sandra has a good interview but i think what she says and what you ask, with the exception of her own personal family tipping standards, kind of goes without saying and the answers are obvious and not very shocking or revealing about the issue. With the exception of the Native New Yorker server.
you should ask people if they honestly think they are more willing to tip less for bad service or if they are more willing to tip more for really good service. just a good question to see what matters more to them....