Documentary outline

Barcode Documentary/Skit Storyboard – Rachel Beatty, John Liberty, Dillyn Scott

  • Content Ideas:
    • Skit style segment similar to The Office (“day in the life of” a grocery/retail employee and how barcodes affect their work)
      • Narration of something along the lines of “what goes into making a service industry” ultimately talking about how barcodes make service industries that has exchange of goods easier
      • Rachel: I could be the front service clerk as I have experience working at Dollar Tree. 
    • Talking head scene
      • One of us posing as an employee talking about life at the store and how barcodes are used, something light hearted
        • “I just take an item and scan it and it shows how much they owe me”
        • Voice over of employee talking with shot of a barcode in the store
    • Rack focus of item on the shelf focus in on barcode of item or tag of item
    • B roll of us browsing the aisle as shoppers
    • Additionally, there could be a section on consumers and average citizens and have them answer trivia questions about barcodes to help them realize how important, but unnoticed they are every single day
      • “Barcodes do their jobs so well you don’t even notice them”
    • Rack focus of cash register in store scanning machine in frame
      • Compressed zoom ideally
      • On tripod, done manually 
    • Gather sounds of the store possibly for b-roll and ambient scenes
    • Example Trivia Questions: 
      • Who first invented the concept of the barcode as a means of improving the shopping experience? 
      • What year did the Universal Product Code as we know it enter into use in grocery stores? 
      • Which product was the first to be purchased with a barcode? 
      • Whose design was ultimately selected as the official barcode symbol which is still in use today? 
      • Do you think barcodes have an impact on your way of shopping?
  • Equipment:
    • Cameras:
      • Sony A7iii
        • Have two lenses; one wider (28-70) and telephoto (70-200)
      • various iPhones also capable of 4K video capture and have iMovie access
    • Video Tripod
      • Manfrotto video tripod 
    • Shoulder rig for handheld shots
    • Rode Shotgun mic rented from HCC
      • If not available use zoom field recorder — record audio to device
    • Lav mic for walking sections 
    • Condenser mic for voice over
  • Software:
    • iOS, macOS, iMovie, DaVinci Resolve

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