Opening Sequence of Storyboard

This is my rough storyboard for my opening sequence of my final documentary to give myself an idea of how I wanted not only to start my production but also in what way I wished to present the subject matter to my audience. 

Further Research

This is an e-mail which has been sent on my behalf through Sam Middlewood whom I have previously interviewed over the phone on his opinions of the Tuition Fees.

Dear all,

Hope you are all well, and your respective Unions are enjoying, or looking forward to, your spring elections. Its certainly all go here at Brunel - haven't had a second to stop since January.

I was approached last week by an A Level student who is carrying out an in depth project surrounding the fees and cuts to HE. I helped her out with a brief phone interview gauging the opinion of the students and the SU. I said I'd pass this on, in the hope that some of you may have the time to do the same. Please see the below; 

Dear Student Union Rep,

My name is Emma Brookbanks; I am a student studying A Level Media Studies at the Marlborough School, Woodstock. I am writing to you as I am making a documentary based on the subject of the current increase in education and tuition fees for university.

In order to create a documentary which can capture an audience I need many opinions and view points based on my subject matter. Also with the current issue being high at your university, I was hoping you would be able to share with me and statistics or information which your university has released about their views on the increase in the tuition fees.

I hope to hear from you and if you would possibly contact me through email to potentially discuss your views on the subject, receiving any information or views would help me considerably and it would be widely appreciated.

Kind regards,

Emma Brookbanks

Cheers all,
Sam Middlewood
Vice-President Academic Representation

Seeking Permission For Results Day Filming

I have aimed to film several of my peers on results day in order to gain a realistic aspect of student’s lives and how they cope under such extreme pressure.



Dear Mrs Fenn,

I am writing to you to seek your permission to film the January Results day for students in 2011. I am requesting permission for this as my A2 Final Production is a Documentary which I have based on the current topic of the increase in tuition fees and if it is justified or not. I feel if I was able to film the students in my year receiving their results it will provide a strong sense of reality within my production as both you and I know it is a highly rewarding and emotional day for many. I can assure you that any students I do film will have previously been asked and I will ensure I will not film any students/teachers who have requested me not to.

I hope you find this request acceptable,

Yours sincerely,

Emma Brookbanks

Location Scouting and Filming Students

Today I began filming the three students which I am focusing my production on, Emily, Nicole and Abbie.


I have interviewed them all individually to ensure I get a wide range of viewpoints and to make sure none of them were influenced by the others; this makes my research more reliable.

I have aimed to film them all in locations which reflect a responsible learning environment as the girls all take their studies seriously and I hope to portray their commitment to their education through my production.

I have filmed Abbie in a class room; Emily and Nicole in a library and my teacher’s office, these intellectual locations has reinforced what each of the students are saying.

Challenges I faced when filming was to get a broad range of answers from my students as my topic is so focused on the rise in tuition fees I found it hard to get a range on footage but I have successfully avoided this issue by engaging with each student before filming to learn more about their personal concerns which I then asked them to talk about during filming.

Tuition Fees Questionniare Results

During my audience research I conducted a questionnaire based on the increase in tuition fees, before creating my production I received several startling facts about Students and their concerns about university due to the increase in tuition fees:


->67% felt that they would have taken a gap year if the fees were not to increase in 2012.

->13% said that the increase in fees did not effect the choice to continue to apply to university.

->89% of students said they were seriously concerned about the debt they will face after university.

As concerning as these facts are the most alarming one which I received was that:

->8% of my peers had decided not to go to university purely based on the issue of money.

From this I have learned that it is shocking just how much of an impact this is having on the young academics of our country and those with great potential such as that 8% are consequently loosing their futures.

Focus Of Documentary

I have decided to focus my documentary around specific students in order to allow a deeper connection with the audience as they see what students today are currently going through. I aim to do this in order to make my documentary more emotive and passionate to show how it is really effecting people's lives.

The first student I plan to follow is Nicole Marchand, she is currently in the predicament of deciding whether or not she actually wants to go to university. Her original plan was to simply take out a much needed gap year from education in order to confirm in her mind what course she would like to do and even if the option of university is the right choice for her. However due to the rapid appearance within the government about the increase of fees has made her think is it worth it? After not completely being sure if biology is the right route for her and after being forced by school to apply anyway she now feels that not being able to have a gap year may have forced her to take the wrong turn as she will go to university not 100% on the course, but she feels this is a better option than going to university now unsure about the course than wait a year and gain the triple debt.

Another student who I am studying is Emily, she however will be a less of a focus in my project as she is certain she is going to university but is now worried about her studies and is feeling more pressure than others as she knows if she does not get this vital grades of AAB then she will have to retake unwillingly and suffer through the increased fees with no choice.

Abbie who is my third student again will be in less on the lime light than Nicole as Abbie is well known for being an outstanding student but Abbie tends to differ from most students as she is in some aspects for the increase in fees which allows me to take a different perspective within my documentary.

Telephone Interview

After several e-mails between the Academic Vice President of the Student Union of Brunel University, Sam Middlewood, he kindly agreed to do a quick telephone interview to allow me to gather a diverse range of opinions; he had many interesting ideas which I hope to pick up on during my interview.

One key point in the interview which has initially made an impact on me is that at the moment Universities aren't currently providing an experience which is worth £3,500 and that he cannot possibly see how the University can improve the experience to be worth £9,000.

So after the interview today Sam has agreed to hopefully further me more contacts at other unions to hopefully further my research, I feel now that my project has really began to form its structure.

Tutition Fees Questionnaire

This is a questionnaire which I conducted amongst my peers to see exactly how students felt about the governments choice to bring in higher tuition fees.

Questionnaire


1. Are you planning to apply to university?



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2. Are you taking a gap year?



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3. If no, Would you have taken one before the increase in fees?



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4. Does the increase in fees concern you?



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5. Have they at all put you off going to university?

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6. Do you think they are justified?



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7. Do you university places will now be more competitive?



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8. Do you think universities should be allowed to charge top fees?



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9. Are you now concerned about your place at university?



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10. How do you feel you will cope with the debt?



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