Documentary Production: “Pursue Dreams Deferred”
Africans In Sports
Background and Challenge
The documentary “Pursue Dreams Deferred” chronicles Lisa Clayton.’s journey to achieve her dream of dancing en pointe, a story filled with personal struggle, determination, and triumph. Initially, Lisa worked with another producer, but the final cut fell short of her vision. Seeking a fresh perspective and a more cohesive and inspiring narrative, she reached out to JSB Video through Upwork. The challenge was to transform nearly 1,000 clips and close to 40 hours of raw footage into a compelling documentary that exceeded Lisa’s expectations and captured the essence of her journey.
Overview
- Project Name : Pursue Dreams Deferred
- Client : Lisa Clayton
- Category: Documentary
- Sub-Category : Personal Journey Documentary
Solution and Execution
JSB Video undertook the task of revamping the documentary with a focus on attention to detail, clear communication, and a passion for storytelling. After understanding Lisa’s dilemma, we developed a detailed timeline for the story and identified the need for additional footage to enhance the narrative cohesively. One of the biggest aspects of the reshoots involved conducting a detailed sit-down interview with Lisa to add a narrative throughline and pull out the emotional struggles she faced. Our approach involved creating a structured timeline for the documentary to ensure a coherent flow of the story, suggesting and integrating additional footage that would bring more depth and inspiration to the narrative, and meticulously reviewing nearly 1,000 clips and close to 40 hours of raw footage to select the best moments to weave into a compelling story. Throughout the process, we maintained constant and consistent communication with Lisa, valuing her vision and ideas, and providing valuable suggestions and honest feedback.
Over several months, we worked diligently to produce and edit a film that not only met but exceeded Lisa’s vision and expectations. The final product was a documentary that beautifully captured Lisa’s journey, her struggles, and her triumphs in a way that was both inspiring and visually captivating. The film featured a unique use of text on screen to emphasize the points made by Lisa, adding to the overall impact of the narrative.
Results
The documentary “Pursue Dreams Deferred” was completed to Lisa’s utmost satisfaction. The film, which tells Lisa’s journey to dance en pointe, was a testament to JSB Video’s passion for their craft, dedication to excellence, and commitment to making clients happy. Lisa was more than pleased with the final cut, and the documentary is now something she can proudly share with family and friends. The film was noted by its older female audience as beyond inspiring and has gone on to inspire many women to revisit long-forgotten dreams. The documentary was featured and won several awards at film festivals around the world, including several Best Documentary Short awards and a Best Female Protagonist award for Lisa at the Nevada Women’s Film Festival.
The measurable outcomes from the project were substantial. The series garnered a significant following on social media, increased viewer engagement, and positive feedback from both the audience and the athletes featured. The high production values and compelling content also attracted the attention of PlayersTV, resulting in the show’s acquisition and further expansion of its reach.
