Digital News: Maidstone Workshop Task

Maidstone: Is there anything good about it?

For today's task, our group (me, Aaron, Kate and Sam) are given a week to create a news package, focusing on showing what advantages Maidstone has for tourists and businesses. We have been given a minute and a half to shoot and should include interviews, actuality, a report, etc.

As usual, we began by researching the town of Maidstone itself - looking for its main attractions through advice sites such as Trip Advisor and the Visit Maidstone website itself. Below are some of the ideas which we could film:

    - Art and Crafts workshop experience (This Art of Mine)
    - Mote Park: Festivals
    - Kent life farm & events
    - Maidstone Museum
    - Shopping centre
    - Cleanliness: Zero tolerance on litter

This Art of Mine

We've decided to go for This Art of Mine. Based on a idyllic flower farm, this company allows tourists to explore ceramic paintings for themselves on weekends, as well as classes focusing on soft furnishing and textiles including how to 'sew your own underwear'. Where it is on a farm, the owner (Kate) also grows flowers such as roses which she uses for the workshops. We decided to do this as it is a clear example of a source of tourism in Maidstone as well as for having its own unique persona.

For more information, visit their site at http://www.thisartofmine.co.uk/

What are we going to do?

Our general style for this is mainly to be inviting and friendly as this is the same approach on which the company is giving, as it is used for entertaining its customers, allowing them to be creative. To do this, we are aiming to have little use of a reporter and instead allow the story to tell itself.

We rung up the organisation asking for permission to film at one of their workshops. The manager, Gemma and her daughter, Kate, said that it would be fine for us to film. However, the time we are planning on filming (next Tuesday afternoon) is a workshop for young children, meaning that we will need consent from all of the children's family. However, we have decided to film after this (on Tuesday night) where it is meant to be reasonably empty - making it easier for us to film as we will need less permission.

The presenter will literally only be used to allow the narrative to flow - to simply introduce and wrap up our story. We aim to focus mainly on the mother and daughter' owners, asking them a couple of questions to introduce what the purpose of the company is. We then want to show what exactly is being made and how it is. If we can, we will then try and interview the children to see if they are having a good time, which will then lead to the news report being wrapped up.

Below is the script showing how and what we are going to film.

The Art of Mine Script

The 'playful soundtrack' isn't entirely important - all we are looking for is for something upbeat and inviting for the audience, something which will keep them engaged and interested whilst we show our story.

Below are the idea of the questions we are aiming to use. We won't show these questions on our film as we want it to seem like its self-explanatory - making sure that we aren't forcing answers and instead they are wanting to tell us what it's about.

Interview Questions

Could you please give us an insight into what the building's history is and what it is used for.

We hear that this is a family run business, how did this all kick off?

How is this made? (depending on what they're making)

I will update you with our edited film and progress after we have filmed (next Tuesday)!