The documentary will focus on Dr. Kathy Jamison, our family’s vet. I will research the veterinary industry in order to better understand the general topic. Even though Dr. Jamison will be the focus of the documentary, I want to know more about animal health care, and show how much she strays from the “traditional” idea of a vet.
Main interview subjects will include Dr. Jamison, our neighbor who is a friend and owner of a “patient,” and perhaps other volunteer interviewees who are at the office while I am shooting. If there are no volunteers, there should be no problem. I could interview my mother, as she has gone to the vet plenty of times as well and is familiar with Dr. Jamison.
Most of the footage will be on-location at the office. I have spent a lot of time in the waiting room, and I know for a fact that I could easily shoot hours upon hours of b-roll (dogs, cats, birds, fish, talking birds; the sound alone is very entertaining), since so much is always going on. For interviews, the office may suffice as well, except for the friend/neighbor, who can be interviewed in her own house. I will schedule at least two days of filming at the office, most likely on weekends. I can interview the friend/owner anytime she is free within next two weeks. Interviews with Dr. Jamison will be filmed on location during the two shooting days.
This will be an expository documentary, considering the inclusion of interviews and extensive editing. I will avoid participating in anything other than interviews. The structure will focus on the words of the owners who bring their pets to Dr. Jamison, and then her own words and opinions on her job. If a major topic of interest happens to pop up while I am there, I may follow it throughout the piece as something to give the final project a more linear structure. There will be no narration. In my head I see a final product that somewhat mimics a history channel or TLC documentary. I will not, however, try to manipulate situations.
It would be ideal to have a crew of one to two other people. I already know one of my friends who would be happy to help me. He was part of the “mobile costume support unit” while filming Custodian, and he also had a cameo in Things In My Basement That Spin. The only factor in question is his reliability, which has not been a problem in the past. If worse comes to worse, I am able to do everything on my own.
Possible questions for Dr. Jamison:
What has your day been like?
What are your opinions on animals (more specifically those you work with)?
Why did you become a veterinarian?
What are some of your opinions concerning the veterinary industry?
Do you have monkeys, and if so, may we meet them?
Possible questions for Neighbor and other interviewees:
Where did you hear of Dr. Jamison?
Why do you choose her services over other vets?
Why do you think that Dr. Jamison is unique/special/awesome?
What past experiences with Dr. Jamison stand out in your memory?
What do you know about the monkeys?
