Establishing further contributors

As Producer of the documentary, I have been keen to establish contributors as early on in the filmmaking process as possible. Because this is a very current issue, I initially carried out some research online to find out what other businesses in the area have been commenting on in the local media as well as their own social media pages. From this, I noticed that a lot of the independent businesses around the whole Devonshire area, and not just Devonshire Street specifically, have been spreading the word about their disagreement on the demolition plans, and seem to form a very strong community around the area.

Because we already have vintage clothes store, Syd & Mallory contributing to the film, I thought it might be a good idea to gather a few different types of businesses as our main contributors, so that they all have different comments on the area and the situation, and are different types of people, although sharing a shared view. I sent emails introducing myself and the group and outlining our current documentary project to Moonko, an independent gift store, The Great Gatsby, a unique bar in the area and The Forum, a small, independent shopping centre and café on the corner of Devonshire Street. A few weeks after doing so, I had not heard back from any of the venues, so decided to chase them up via social media, as I understand that emails can often be misplaced or not caught up with at times. Within a few days, I received a reply from Moonko ,who thanked us for asking and said they will try to get back to us soon, as they are dealing with a busy time of year at the moment.

I also received an email back from John Hamilton at The Forum, who expressed a keen interest in our film and agreed to allowing us full access to the building as a space for any filming we need to take place, as well as expressing an interest for the staff there to help in any other way that they can. I have since arranged a meeting with John for Monday 17th November at 11.30a.m, to discuss our requirements as a group for the film.

At this stage, I feel quite positive and confident with the contributors that we have managed to gain interest from so far, and will continue to try and generate further interest amongst a few more people. I think visiting the stores and bars might be more effective in some cases, as having a one to one chat with somebody feels like a more genuine approach than an email conversation. After the meeting with John on Monday, I have organised a brief production group meeting to discuss the progress of the film, how the group members feel it is going, and everyone's views on what the next stages from here that need to take place will be, in order to move the production process along as effectively as possible.