In 2022 Jemima Halprin undertook to produce a video for her VCE Media exam. It is titled 'Little Little' and is about a Burmese refugee, Rashid, who arrived by boat with his family and is now studying at Swinburne University.
Past president Robert Fisher has shared this outstanding story of a young person’s learning journey making a video documentary. In telling the story, Jemima has clearly discovered some talents she was possibly unaware that she had - the story is reproduced below.
Little Little Production Story
Before last year, I hadn’t really thought about the power a single camera and tripod could hold. That was until I had the opportunity to direct and produce my very own documentary. An extremely rewarding, though at times challenging process, I quickly found a passion for this art form as a means for communicating important social messages and stories. Last year as a Year 12 student, I studied VCE Media, which gave me the opportunity to take control and steer this school project in a direction I envisioned. Having no prior experience in documentary filmmaking, it was an intimidating feat at first... From adjusting the length of a tripod, to editing with the platform Premiere, there were some important skills I had to grasp before I could take on this project and make it my own. Though equally, there were a lot of instances where I had to figure things out along the way.
Before settling on my decision to create a documentary, I remember reflecting on TV programs that particularly resonated with me, such as the docuseries Australian Story. This program intrigued me, as every time I would watch an episode, I always felt really invested in the subjects and their stories. I soon realised that what appealed to me most was the way in which individuals were given the opportunity to authentically tell their story, and I knew that this was what I wanted to emulate in my production. Therefore, I came to the decision to film a documentary for my assignment, pertaining to some of the conventions of Australian Story.
The next step I took in this process was to select an appropriate subject, who would be interested in sharing their story. I was referred to Swinburne University for individuals with a refugee background, and it was at this point that I was first introduced to Rashid, a business student currently studying at Swinburne University. We organised to meet up to begin filming, and I formulated some questions to get us started. When we both arrived at the shooting location (a local park close to his house), we got to know each other and began filming. I asked him some of the questions I had pre-prepared and that he was comfortable with answering, and I was able to capture some initial footage. Rashid was very open to talk about his experience coming to Australia, which allowed me to become more familiar with the logistics and factual side of his journey. However, when I got home later that night and began watching back the footage, I soon realised that something was missing; the genuine expressing of his story that I wanted to capture.
Feeling determined to get this footage, I organised to film again. We chose to shoot in his house, and I approached this filming session differently to the last. Instead of using a list of questions, I decided to conduct a more casual conversation with him. I guided the conversation by what I felt Rashid most wanted to discuss, and I allowed him to unpack topics that truly interested him. I remember we spent hours just talking, separated by a camera and tripod, having a real conversation. By the time we finished filming that day, it had got dark outside! That night, I uploaded all the footage onto my computer, and this was when I started to trim the shots. I did this by choosing the most relevant sections that would communicate to the audience the person Rashid truly is, aside from just his history as being a refugee.
After a few more filming days and editing nights, the first draft of my documentary was complete. More weeks went by, and I continued editing further drafts, as well as conducting some re-shoots, whilst receiving feedback from my teacher, friends, and feedback screening sessions at school. At last, the time came for me to submit. I felt so proud to submit the finished product, not only because of all the time that went into creating it, but also because I was able to share Rashid’s profound story. From only knowing a ‘little little’ bit of English when first arriving to Australia as a young kid, to now being an aspiring business owner, it is stories like these that need to be shared more in the Australian media. No fancy editing or complex transition sequences required – just a person, their story, a camera, and a tripod.
You can view her video HERE and is 6 mins duration.
By Jemima Halprin
