The Film
Filming Heart Surgeons on a previous documentary
This journey is about a lot of things, one of which is the opportunity to make a film. So what's it about? Well, I wanted to make something a little bit different than the standard 'personal journey' doc; one man versus the elements, here's what I did and where I went, etc etc etc. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that - it can be compelling, but I wanted incorporate another idea, perhaps even something not done before. So, combining my love for social justice documentary film,my passion for cycling, and my interest in sharing the experiences of others, I came up with 'The Cycling Reporter.'
Synopsis:
Leon will cycle solo from New York to Hong Kong meeting and interviewing people that inhabit his route. Some of the subjects will speak on the topic of social injustice, exploitation or inequality. Through these encounters Leon hopes to highlight their contentions via the role of an impartial reporter, and upload footage to www.leonmccarron.com along the way.This will create an immediate platform for the issues raised through the recordings. These are the interviews I have already set up. However some subjects will just tell their stories, and these are what I will search for and capture whilst in the moment. That cannot be planned. These are the stories of lives, love, tragedy, and experience. There are many fascinating unique individuals in the world with the ability to capture an audience just by opening their mouth, and I have made it my task to find them. A feature documentary will be compiled upon completion of the cycle, blending the interview footage with Leon’s personal story and experiences of the trip.
Proposal:
I will interview the people who make up the cultures within which I am guest. Inevitably, and essentially, the trip will hear from all races, colours, creeds and religions. I want to provide a platform for people who feel they are victims of social injustice, inequality, exploitation, repression, discrimination – I want to give these people a voice to have their story told. Before departing on this expedition, I will already have some wiling subjects in place at various points on my route. However it is crucial that I am also flexible to speak to those who come forward as and when I meet them. I want to retain a large degree of versatility regarding the subject matter as well - while raising awareness of injustice is my primary concern, I would also love to hear other thoughts and opinions I encounter. I feel that if someone is truely passionate about a topic close to their heart, it will make for intriguing viewing and listening. Therefore I will be constantly alert to anyone who has a message they want to deliver. Some of the content will be uploaded onto my website as I progress – I will be travelling with a laptop capable of editing the HD footage into short segments suitable for streaming. In this way the issues raised can be viewed immediately. My website already has attracted interested based solely on this proposal – the hope is that this audience will grow, and therefore awareness of the issues discussed will be raised.
Gradually the project will build an archive of the thoughts, opinions and contentions of a cross section of peoples from North America and Asia. To begin with their only shared commonality may be their placement upon my route, but by the end it will be fascinating to see the connections that arise from such disparate stories and lives. These recordings will be supplemented by the story of my personal journey – how the amazing sights and sounds of cycling across a continent affect me, tempered by the physical and mental hardships sure to be experienced.
Key to this journey is the variety presented to the viewer, with the diversity of each new leg offering compelling material. As the guide I am the constant, providing a clear and logical narrative; introducing events in such a way that I can convey not only the exotic but equally the familiar. This will avoiding the trap of audience detachment by actively encouraging empathy and affinity. It is also crucial that I remain as impartial as possible – the project’s aim to report the stories, not to comment on them. As such I will not be present in front of the camera during the interviews with subjects, and my voice will not be heard in this situation either. I will reserve my comments and reflections for after the interviews, and will not include these on the content that is published online – this will be strictly for the final documentary.
Synopsis:
Leon will cycle solo from New York to Hong Kong meeting and interviewing people that inhabit his route. Some of the subjects will speak on the topic of social injustice, exploitation or inequality. Through these encounters Leon hopes to highlight their contentions via the role of an impartial reporter, and upload footage to www.leonmccarron.com along the way.This will create an immediate platform for the issues raised through the recordings. These are the interviews I have already set up. However some subjects will just tell their stories, and these are what I will search for and capture whilst in the moment. That cannot be planned. These are the stories of lives, love, tragedy, and experience. There are many fascinating unique individuals in the world with the ability to capture an audience just by opening their mouth, and I have made it my task to find them. A feature documentary will be compiled upon completion of the cycle, blending the interview footage with Leon’s personal story and experiences of the trip.
Proposal:
I will interview the people who make up the cultures within which I am guest. Inevitably, and essentially, the trip will hear from all races, colours, creeds and religions. I want to provide a platform for people who feel they are victims of social injustice, inequality, exploitation, repression, discrimination – I want to give these people a voice to have their story told. Before departing on this expedition, I will already have some wiling subjects in place at various points on my route. However it is crucial that I am also flexible to speak to those who come forward as and when I meet them. I want to retain a large degree of versatility regarding the subject matter as well - while raising awareness of injustice is my primary concern, I would also love to hear other thoughts and opinions I encounter. I feel that if someone is truely passionate about a topic close to their heart, it will make for intriguing viewing and listening. Therefore I will be constantly alert to anyone who has a message they want to deliver. Some of the content will be uploaded onto my website as I progress – I will be travelling with a laptop capable of editing the HD footage into short segments suitable for streaming. In this way the issues raised can be viewed immediately. My website already has attracted interested based solely on this proposal – the hope is that this audience will grow, and therefore awareness of the issues discussed will be raised.
Gradually the project will build an archive of the thoughts, opinions and contentions of a cross section of peoples from North America and Asia. To begin with their only shared commonality may be their placement upon my route, but by the end it will be fascinating to see the connections that arise from such disparate stories and lives. These recordings will be supplemented by the story of my personal journey – how the amazing sights and sounds of cycling across a continent affect me, tempered by the physical and mental hardships sure to be experienced.
Key to this journey is the variety presented to the viewer, with the diversity of each new leg offering compelling material. As the guide I am the constant, providing a clear and logical narrative; introducing events in such a way that I can convey not only the exotic but equally the familiar. This will avoiding the trap of audience detachment by actively encouraging empathy and affinity. It is also crucial that I remain as impartial as possible – the project’s aim to report the stories, not to comment on them. As such I will not be present in front of the camera during the interviews with subjects, and my voice will not be heard in this situation either. I will reserve my comments and reflections for after the interviews, and will not include these on the content that is published online – this will be strictly for the final documentary.