Mugabe and the Media

This was my first time directing. Directing a documentary was tough, and we ran into a lot of roadblocks and story issues. When it came to making sure the (spoiler alert) twist landed well with audiences, we really struggled. Spending time on a project means you understand more than what the audience will understand. The skill of stepping back and recognising what isn’t coming across clearly is one I hope to get better at.

I discovered how hard it is to get across all the info needed for the story to work, especially in short form documentary. Looking back on it, I had a lot of control over what we filmed and how to structure it and I should’ve taken advantage of that, spending more time developing the story, rather than expecting the story to come out of the interviews.

If I could go back, there is a lot I would improve with this project, maybe even approach it from the beginning again. However, for where I was at the time, I am proud of what we made. What I learnt in hindsight about story creation and development, I learnt double regarding perseverance. I developed communication skills and leadership skills that are key when talking to contributors who are not used to being on screen, as well as keeping a crew on track when we seem to have hit rock bottom. I learnt problem-solving skills and built up the efficiency with which I could come up with solutions. Coming up with ideas and bouncing off other team members is something I enjoy because of this project.

As the Robinsons say in Meet the Robinsons: “Keep moving forward.”