UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY SENIOR PROJECT 2012 - 2013
HATUN RUNA MARKUS AEDO MATTHEW WADE JOHNSON KAYLA NORTH MIKE ALGER
CLIENT PROFILE
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NAME
Hatun Runa
OWNDERS
Leslie Maloney Sally Ourieff
MISSION
Providing support for education, health care, and everyday domestic life in the remote South American town of Leymebamba, Peru, we are building strong partnerships and empowering the communities to carry out focused, sustainable projects that make a difference in their lives.
STATEMENT OF NEED Hatun Runa currently has a website, but their video is a slideshow of pictures along with Christian music in the background. It doesn’t explain who they are, what they do, or the impact they have in the community. Our group of UVU students set out to document their work, and create a promotional video explaining who they are and what they do.
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CLIENT GOALS Hatun Runa is trying to bring awareness on two dimensions. One, in the form of education and development on various crucial topics to and for the community of Leymebamba (the importance of health care from pregnancy to adulthood, education and continuing education, environmental preservation and native crop propagation are a few examples). The other is the people or communities on this side of the equation - they hope to engage, educate and cultivate interest and action from experts, donors, volunteers to support their mission. In direct response, Hatun Runa cannot change or fix anything themselves, but they can bring/create/develop tools together with the community to effect change.
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PROPOSED SOLUTION The plan was to film what Hatun Runa does in the summer of 2012. We wanted to show success in what they do, while still highlighting the need for further support. The video would be available for them to showcase online, but also to charitable groups they try to work with. Additionally, we planned to create a small documentary about the region’s cultural history and the threats that their curent practices have on the implications towards their past and their future. In this way, UVU could help to bring more awareness to Leymebamba in general which would further Hatun Runa indirectly.
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DELIVERABLES Promotional videos for Hatun Runa
A short documentary about Leymebamba and the Chahapoya culture
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SUCCESS METRICS By filming the struggles and daily difficulties of life in this area, the client would hope to have another tool at their finger tips to engage more people to action, in terms of resources, monetary donations, collaborations etc. Measuring a direct return on investment will therefore be difficult. What the client wanted, was greater awareness of the work they do. Hatun Runa is a relatively small non-profit, created by two women who have careers and families of their own. They are not a government endorsed non-profit, and little is known about the work they do outside of their community in Massachussets, and the city of Leymebama. The main short term success metric was therefore their own satisfaction in the final product. Long-term, the continued growth of their abilities and support they receive from others will be part of the overall success of their marketability.
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Additionally, the short documentary would be the first of it’s kind about the region of Amazonas, and more specifically Leymebamba. There is very little awareness of the mummies and countless ruins they have, built by the Chachapoyas. However, there is a danger that their current agricultural practices could permanently destroy what’s left of the Chachapoyas.
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TARGET AUDIENCES The promotional video developed for Hatun Runa will target other nonprofits or organizations that we could partner with, individuals or companies interested in supporting our work, granting agencies, etc... The second video will target a wider audience: people interested in tourism in Peru, culture of Peru, and more specifically, the Chachapoyas.
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KEY STAKEHOLDERS The primary stakeholder of the first video is Hatun Runa. This video will help put them on the map and hopefully increase the amount of help and donations they receive. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), individual donors make up for the greatest source of revenue for charity groups. Hatun Runa largely depends on individual donations. More awareness of their campaign would in turn lead to more donations and volunteers. Hatun Runa is also trying to achieve great support in funding and aid, by reaching out to companies and foundations, which make up close to 30% of the remaining revenue sources (NCCS). More awareness of Hatun Runa means that the primary stake holder, can obtain further funding, and indirectly benefits the town of Leymebmaba.
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The second video isn’t targeting donations or funding from other resources as much as it’s trying to bring light to what is being lost in northern Peru. It will largely be used to showcase the work UVU students can do, in telling a documentary narrative. We hope that it can be used as a project that helps bring awareness to contemporary Leymebamba as well.
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USER REQUIREMENTS This project targets a handful of usability goals. We narrowed the main identifiable goals down to learnability, efficiency, memorability, and satisfaction. Learnablity – We traveled to an remote region in Peru. One that few tourists visit. We worked in Spanish and with people that literally do not speak English. It was a test of how to work with a culture very different from our own, and the greatest challenge in this aspect was to learn how to get people to open up to something we all understand as humans. Efficiency – Certain parts of our trip called for us to work without any electricity for days. We needed to establish a good workflow 12
so that we didn’t waste power, personal energy, and our spirits. We needed to all use our talents and individualistic natures, and symbiotically work as a team. Memorability – This journey was an experience unlike anything else. We got to see sites that most others have never even seen in pictures, much less seen in real life. Few can say they’ve worked on a senior piece outside of the U.S. in the “eyebrow of the jungle.” Satisfaction – Satisfaction was not only be measured by how we felt when we arrived, but how we’ve grown after the project was completed. We did have times to relax and enjoy the wonderful location we were in. Satisfaction, however, meant that we were proud of our work, and proud of the time spent at the sites.
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FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS Hatun Runa has several projects that they’ve focused on each year. The year of this project, their biggest plan was to install solar panels in a remote mountain village called “Atuen.” These solar panels would allow the village to power refrigerators that could contain vaccines. Additionally, the client would like their other ongoing projects filmed (i.e. Helping Babies Breathe program, Organic Farming, English lessons, etc). Filming them working on these projects and interviewing them after their work is done will help them be able to explain the work they do to individuals and groups.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The only basic requirement for people to run the final product is a computer with internet acces that can play youtube videos. 14
PHASES & ROLES The preliminary phase was to scope out whether or not the project was “feasible,� meaning, would students would be allowed to embark on a trip and film this location? Second, we needed to find funding. It was difficult to find sufficient financial help for project, so we looked to individuals and the university for help. The client had to keep us informed about changes in plans and explained events and answered specific questions we had, since the location was so particular and unique.
DEVELOPMENT TOOLS We planned editing in Avid Media Composer originally, but ultimately decided to use Adobe Premiere with the CatDV plugin. There is more information on these softwares in the post-production sections of this book. 15
MARKUS AEDO PROJECT MANAGER
Markus focused on getting the project moving along while trying to discover the story throughout the whole trip and worked alongside the team to produce both final products. He also kept in close contact with the client in establishing clear communication.
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MATTHEW JOHNSON DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Matt worked to capture the director’s vision through finding and framing beautiful shots that aided the story of the region’s people. He also worked to tell Hatun Runa’s story in post-production. Editing would prove difficult due to the sheer amount of footage captured, but Matt was able to select only the most effective shots for telling each video’s story.
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KAYLA NORTH AUDIO PRODUCER
Kayla’s focus was on all things audio. She was responsible for making sure each person framed was heard clearly and audibly. Many interviews were done in Spanish, during which her goal was to make sure there were no distortions in the recording process.
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MIKE ALGER GRAPHICS / COLOR CORRECTION
Mike’s job was to do the graphic design of the design document and videos and make compelling and informative motion graphics and titles for the videos. He also processed color correction on the final videos establishing a cohesive look and feel.
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QUALITY CONTROL PROCESS As a team, we were all responsible for file organization and structure. We established a clear workflow so that our files were organized, and we maintained multiple backups.
TIMEFRAME This project was in the preproduction phase for more than a year. Much has changed since the initial idea’s inception. The principal photography was set to span from July 1st - July 23rd, 2012. From that time until March 2013 was the post-production phase.
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2012 01
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Pre-Production
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Travel & ShootingA
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sset OrganizationP
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rimary Editing
2013 01
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Secondary EditingC
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olor & Audio
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Delivery
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PROJECT SCOPE We planned to produce multiple short videos for Hatun Runa in addition to a documentative short film. We worked for 3 weeks in Peru. The rest of the time was spent editing. It was initially impossible to tell what the exact runtime would be for the documentary. We did aim for it to be a short between 10-20 minutes, though. The primary videos for the client would be broken down to two or three, each focusing on individual stories. We planned on capturing as much b-roll as we possibly could, both video and audio.
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BUDGET
INDIEGOGO
G.E.L. GRANT
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We were grateful to procure a grant in association with Utah Valley University’s Grants for Engaged Learning (G.E.L.) program. In addition, we created an online funding campaign using a website called Indiegogo. These resources aided immensely in the funding of the project’s expenses, shown to the right.
MISCELLANIOUS FILM ITEMS $72 INSURANCE $250 CONTINGENCY VACCINATION
HOUSING
$670
$400 $98
$1080
TRAVEL
$4103
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COMMUNICATION Initially, the relationship between Hatun Runa and Markus was established via emails:
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A Facebook group was created to facillitate in the planning process. The client was able to easily see and communicate with participants, students, and instructors, despite being located in another hemisphere.
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ORIGINAL ITINERARY July 1 Arrive to Lima July 2 Recover from flight, prepare for Leymebamba Pack for Leymebamba, Leave behind what is not being used at Nest Put equipment left behind in the office. All documents and money needed.
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July 3 4:00pm - Bus ride from Lima 10:00am - Shopping at Wong (walking distance) for snack and food for travels. Buy water bottles for trip on Bus to chechapoyas. Buy DVD’s for Santa Maria. 1:30 pm - Lunch, A big meal 2:45 pm - Leave Nest and get a Taxi 3:15 pm - Arrive at Bus Station 4:00pm - Bus ride from Lima Bus Ride Several Stops - Do Not Leave for more than 5 minutes at any stop. All stops are short and some stops will have food but do not count on it. 31
July 4 Arrive in Chechapoyas at roughly 3:30 pm and we transfer from the Bus to Fran’s small little bus. Arrive to Leymebamba at roughly 7:00pm. Straight to Hotel to drop off luggage and equipment. We will be eating at the BBQ unless we miss it. If not, we will be eating at the hotel. Still Photos will be taken at the BBQ and we will get oriented with the client. Very important, look alive. Go back to the Hotel and go to bed. July 5-6 Recover from trip, Film client working with programs (Helping Babies Breathe, Sierra Norte, Artisans, Madres de Salud, Keith Musket) –Be prepared for filming from morning to night. 32
Visit Museum- Just a walk through on this one. July 5 for sure we will be attending the Catholic church with Priest Padre Diego, sometime in the late afternoon. July 7-9 Pack all electronics for DIT. Bring camping gear. Travel to Atuen. By vehicle for first leg and than 2 hours by horse. Film client (solar panel installation). Run and Gun filming during this time. Always be prepared to shoot. Don’t forget to shoot reactions.
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July 9 Arrive to Leymebamba hopefully by Noon. This will be a day to shoot more interviews potentially. Gathering B-Roll of Leymebamba July 10 B Roll Museum, Film Dos de Mayo. Potential. July 11 B Roll Visit Kuelap- Leave in the morning. Takes 2 1/2 hours to get there. July 12 Interviews in Leymebamba. Potential. Call Bus Station in Chachapoyas for return tickets at Lunch Time. 34
July 13 Interviews in Leymebamba. Potential. B Roll July 14 Interview Danny in Leymebamba. Leave Leymebamba July 15 Arrive to Lima July 16 Celebrate Markus birthday July 17 Recover, Explore Lima, Interviews, Review footage
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July 18 Celebrate Kayla’s birthday, Review footage July 19 Recover, Explore Lima, Interviews , Review footage July 20 Explore Lima, Possibly see new Batman movie July 23 Travel and arrive back in Utah.
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Chachapoyas Leymebamba
Lima
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DOCUMENTATION To ensure the excursion would proceed without a hitch, we obtained all necessary forms for travel and filming. Interviewees agreed to sign a waiver explaining their understood involvement in the project. We also received documentation from the director of the Ministry of Culture for Peru allowing us greater permission and access to document culturally significant aspects of the country.
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AUDIO DIARIES 07-01-2012
http://bit.ly/13ZAdMO Newly arrived in Lima, Peru, Matt explains his experience traveling and his plans for shooting over the next several days.
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07-02-2012
http://bit.ly/11AxKVe An exhausted Markus expresses relief that the group has assembled and is ready to begin working.
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07-07-2012
http://bit.ly/ZLu3J9 Markus, Matt, and Kayla together discuss the production thus far together. Though they don’t agree on everything, they’re all glad for sufficient planning. 42
07-08-2012
http://bit.ly/13tB2cN Markus and Kayla on an uncommonly clear night in Atuen, Peru marvel at the visibility of the Milky Way. Kayla talks about the progress of audio production for the day. 43
07-09-2012
http://bit.ly/17VLkFY Returning to Leymebamba from Atuen, Kayla sees the city differently the second time around.
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07-11-2012
http://bit.ly/ZNGJ13 Matthew Wade Johnson pines for free Slurpees in the United States and reflects on the day’s work including b-roll, timelapse shots, and mud. 45
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POST-PRODUCTION Editing is largely a subtractive art. Like sculpting you must chip away at the parts you don’t need, and be willing to give up things you may have worked hours on. Markus doesn’t know how many drafts he worked on to finally get it to the 15 minutes currently in the short documentary, but it certainly reached the double digits. Each interview lasts an average of 45 minutes. With 10 interviews, the footage to pour through adds up. We chose to use Adobe Premiere as our primary editing tool. Editing in Premiere proved to useful for quickly facilitating working in different softwares such as After Effects and CatDV. Premiere handled the footage well and made editing not only fluid, but relatively simple.
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ASSET MANAGEMENT CatDV is an asset management software that helped out immensely in the editing process. Before we could really begin editing we needed to find to organize over 800 gigabytes of files. CatDV brings up every single data file and allows the user to add and edit metadata. We could organize footage by people, locations, time, events, etc. After all the metadata was entered, Premiere could use the CatDV extension to quickly import files we wanted.
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We continued to use a Facebook group as a convenient way to update each other on our individual progress and keep tabs on the project as a whole.
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GRAPHIC STYLES For lower thirds, maps, and logos, a graphic style needed to be established so that each piece would feel professional and cohesive. The videos made for the Hatun Runa organization would remain separate from the documentary, so they would have a slightly different style.
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Ultimately, influences for graphic elements came from the color pallet of both the Peruvian flag and the earth-tones found in the region. The primary textures present seemed to be the dirt of the ground, rough walls, and textiles of the Peruvian culture. At the same time, it seemed like there should be a foreign, sterile, labeling aspect to represent the documentarians and viewer. You can see this most prominently in the labeling elements of the documentary. There are also white ashes present representing the spirit of the ancient Chahapoya culture rising in the flames of modern Leymebamba farmers. Several iterations were created to explore possibilites with these elements, visible in concept images here.
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COLOR CORRECTION Some footage was shot on a Sony FS-100, while other shots were done with Canon DSLR cameras. There were resulting subtle contrast differences which could be potentially, even if subconsciously, take the viewer out of the experience. Color correction was necessary, as it is for nearly any production, to make the videos more cohesive.
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AUDIO EDITING Kayla’s main task in Peru was to ensure that all of the interviews had clean and professional sounding audio using a boomed microphone and a Zoom H4n. Additionally, she gathered ambient noise, room tone, and audio for b-roll so the post-production process would go smoothly. During postproduction, she edited all of the audio, which included noise reduction, equalizing, compressing, and leveling the dialogue, music, and audio b-roll.
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PRESENTATION AND DELIVERY In the end, we and our clients were pleased with the final result. We were able to produce several videos for Hatun Runa as well as a 15-minute documentary and even had extra footage to complete a video for a local women’s crafting organization in Leymebamba. The Hatun Runa videos will be presented on their website, the documentary will be submitted to multiple film festivals, and even the video for the crafting organization has gone on to be an international finalist in a festival sponsored by the World Crafting Council. Our work was also selected to be a showcased Digital Media project for Utah Valley University. Here, you see slides from a presentation given to university students, faculty, and potential employers during the showcasing event.
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FINAL PRODUCTS
http://bit.ly/ZjPmoM Hatun Runa promotional video
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http://bit.ly/12dZP4A 15-Minute Documentary
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REFLECTIONS As a team, we feel like we are grateful to have had such a unique and special opportunity. Proper planning and preparation led to not only a successful project, but one that succeeded with relatively few challenges. Of course, there were obstacles to overcome, personalities to work around, and deadlines to meet, but the process would have been much more difficult without a fantastic student team with a commendable work ethic. We are confident that the materials we have produced will be paramount to Hatun Runa’s mission of aiding the residents of the Leymebamba area, helping them to raise money for the necessary supplies. Additionally, the documentary is a unique vignette not only for an ancient culture, but for the current culture in the area, special to Peru ...and the world.
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SPECIAL THANKS TO Leslie Moloney Sally Ourieff Michael Harper Jan Bentley Robert Trim
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Cesar and Lisa Aedo Nina and Kelly Hubbard Rob Gregus Cherie Mockli Grant Skabelund La Casona of Leymebamba
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UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY 2013