Subject research

The subject research is very important in this documentary and it will be the foundation of where the storyline is built off of. As said in my initial ideas and linked in my client research post, I will be doing my documentary on the beauty of the north east and then finishing off with the culture of Sunderland. I need to find out information about the places in order to make an appropriate script.

For the documentary I will be recording in many different places such as Alnwick, Bamburgh, beaches and different cultures in Sunderland. Therefore I need to look into these places so I know where the best places to record will be. On Top of that I can also look into how people view the northeast and find things to reverse peoples thoughts on that topic. Another part I can research is different places of the northeast which are nice that I may not have not thought of previously.

Alnwick Castle:

In 1309, Henry Percy, great-great grandfather of Hotspur, purchased a typical Norman-style castle of motte and bailey form. In the following 40 years he and his son converted it into a mighty border fortress.

In 1475, the Barbican was built. The Barbican had numerous purposes. It stood as the first line of defense at the castle’s most vulnerable spot. Up until the 18th century this was the only entrance to the castle, apart from the concealed postern gate. 

Early in the 16th century, the castle was assessed and written off in defensive terms as not liable to abide the force of any shot or to hold out any time if it should be assaulted. 

During the 17th century, the castle fell into disrepair, both through neglect because the Percy family was mainly resident in the south, and through damages done in wartime.

Transforming the castle from a decaying garrison fortress to a palace was conceived in a high gothic style to the designs of the architects Daniel Garrett, James Paine and Robert Adam in the 1760s. Work on the parklands carried on in tandem.  Today, The Duke and his family share their home with Estates Office staff, American students from St Cloud State University residential programme and the general public. Recent years have witnessed an extensive programme of conservation, repair and refurbishment to the fabric of the building, both exterior and interior. Roof leads have been replaced; essential masonry repair and re-pointing has been undertaken, as well as conservation work and refurbishment of the interiors. Such works both preserve the castle and continue its development.

Alnwick is a place that many different families go to as well to explore and see what stands. In connection to the castle there is a garden which has many different water shows, as well as having a displays of a variety of different plants. Already people of the northeast know about alnwick and its beauty. However involving places that people already know about can remind them and introduce them into the different landscapes we have. Not everything that makes the north great is in Sunderland, some travelling may have to be made. This way, I will be giving off an image that all of these great landscapes are around Sunderland itself. Although some people may believe that Sunderland is a bad place to live, my documentary will make them realize how much beauty is on their doorstep, therefore making them understand how grateful they should be for the positioning of their city.

Within the Documentary itself I will talk about how the castle is a great family place, alongside the gardens. Walking through the castle I will cover such topics as the the amount of people that come every year, the features in the water park as well as the reasons it was built. 

This way, the audience can have a selection of reasons to visit. Whether it is for a family day out, a historic adventure or afternoon tea, anyone can enjoy the beauty of alnwick. Referenced back in my client research, I have previously worked on projects involving how the outdoors can improve mental health. Therefore, Alnwick Castle is a place where people can socialize, eat and destress all at once. It is the ideal place to be referenced within my Documentary. However, I will confirm this idea within my target audience research. 

Facts to include from Alnwick Website:

• The Castle was formed in order to protect and stand guard in the 11th Century, symbolizing status and power for the new Norman barons across the country. Featuring many forms of historic defences, including 2 metre thick walls, a 7 metre deep moat, two baileys and thick wooden gates.

• The Percy Family still live in the castle today. Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England, second only to Windsor Castle.

• Harry Potter and Transformers have been recorded at Alnwick Castle, so if your a die hard fan for either... It might be worth a visit.                                                                                                             
• Phases of the gardens as shown here. Plans in 1996 and construction beginning in 2000. etc.

Bamburgh:

From Bamburgh's Website, Bamburgh Castle is one of the most important Anglo-Saxon archaeological sites in the world. The museum houses a collection of extraordinary finds including the intricate, gold Bamburgh Beast and a rare pattern welded sword, reinforcing Bamburgh's importance as an Anglo-Saxon citadel.

Whether it is on Social Media , reviews or articles, Bamburgh Castle is well known for being the one of the best places to visit in the northeast. With its articulate architecture and bewitching beaches, it attracts over 150,000 people a year.  Therefore, including this piece of information it will make people who have not already been, to go and see what it is like for themselves. 

Contradicting Alnwick, I want to present Bamburgh as less of a historic place but more of a beach. This should give the audience a place to take the family for a big day out (Alnwick). Whereas Bamburgh can be more of a nice walk and beach to visit and relax on. 

Within the video itself I wish to talk about how many people visit Bamburgh and the small village that is nearby for food and ice cream. Presenting Bamburgh as a little village with a couple shops, good food and walks is a cheap day out for families of all social grades. Also due to the demographic, Bamburgh works well as the social grade are maybe just learning to drive and gives them a good place to visit after finishing. It could also give people in this social grade an idea of where they could take their younger siblings.

Durham City:

As well as being home to one of the UK's highest rated universities, Durham has one of the most diverse cities you can visit. Containing modern and vintage buildings, it is a great place to see the heritage of the county and its architecture.                                                                                                            The cathedral itself is one of the main reasons that people choose to visit Durham. Over time, the cathedral has become one of the many famous landmarks that you should visit if you live in the UK. However it is originally famous for being the largest and most intricate example of Norman architecture. It is also the first building to use the pointed arch successfully for structural support.                   As well as visiting the cathedral that is feature in Avengers, Harry Potter and Elizabeth you can visit the main city which is described as being "A captivating city with winding cobbled streets and a prominent peninsula crowned with the dramatic Durham Cathedral and Castle World Heritage Site"

Durham having the cathedral, city and nature walks, is a great place to take the whole family. Going to see the cathedral and having a relaxing walk is a good way to spend the day if your a walker. However, spending the day shopping and eating food wont be a trouble either within Durham. Catering for people of a wide psychographic, anyone could enjoy their time within Durham. If you also choose to attend Durham on a Saturday morning you can expect to see the local markets full of food and household items being sold on the streets. 

Once a year Durham also hosts the Lumiere show. Aiming to change the way we see urban buildings it brings together people from multiple different backgrounds. First displayed in 2009 as a one-off event, 75,000 people attended free of charge and since then it has happened yearly. Being the UK's largest light show, it is a great show to see and bring some of the family together. As well as the show itself, there are food stalls and performers throughout the city. Showcasing this within my documentary will support with encouraging people to plan a trip to Durham to see the place, even if they don't live locally.

Newcastle:

Newcastle was best known for its coal production and exportation during the 1800's until 1963. However, since then Newcastle has shifted its focus of income to the creative and cultural side of things. As stated here, Alex Jacobs took a trip to Newcastle and was shocked by how it looked. Imagining a dark and grey powerhouse of a city, he was stunned to see how colorful, bright and breathable the city was. Featuring the Sage, Baltic and concert hall on the river as well as many individual companies dotted around the city, Newcastle has managed to shift itself from a coal city, to a creative city.

As said on this website,  Newcastle is known for being a friendly, vibrant and diverse city with a good nightlife. If travelling from the south on the A1, you will be greeted by the angle of the north, one of the first things that you will see, signifying that you are in the north before even meeting a Geordie. 

Being a compact, but bustling city, Newcastle is never quiet. Featuring fast and efficient bus and metro  links, it is easy to see the town, shops, nightlife, galleries and the coastal suburbs within a day. 

People who live in Newcastle are often referred to being 'Geordies' are commonly mistook as being unfriendly people. However, once you tune yourself into the way they talk you soon realise that they are kind, friendly people. 

As mentioned, the nightlife is impeccable in the city and it isn't hard to find a place for a drink. Although there are clubs on the quayside it doesn't mean there is a lack of casual drinking places. The Bigg Market is well known for its pubs and bars and along the river there are a variety of restaurants overlooking the river and also giving places for you to sit outside on the warm nights. Featuring The Cluny,  The City Hall and the Sage it isn't difficult to see big artists live in Newcastle as well as upcoming talent. In connection with this, The Theatre Royal holds many acts throughout the year for you to see. On Top of this, Newcastle also has two museums showcasing the history of the City and one for the natural history of the City (Dinosaurs).

Once a dark dirty and grey dockside, the quayside has been transformed into a picturesque area at anytime of day. The bridges are stunning to look at and can be a experience in themself. You can see the collection bridges across the River Tyne within a mile radius of the city. The two oldest bridges are the High level Bridge and the swing bridge, opened in 1849 and 1876. In 1928 the Tyne Bridge was built and at the time was the largest arch bridge in the world. However, the newest bridge to the collection of seven is the Millenium Bridge. Built to link Newcastle and Gateshead, it is the first tilting bridge ever constructed. Knowing the historical presence of these bridges makes them that more unique and stunning to the eye.

Sir John Betjeman said he preferred Grey Street compared to London's Regent Street which is no easy task. 40% of the Georgian architecture still stands in Newcastle and some have modern additions made externally and internally.  Each part history can be seen within the city... Even back to the romans, due to a part of Hadrian's Wall being visible on Westgate Road.  Back then the City was just one of the forts built on Hadrian's Wall.

However this is not the reason for Newcastle having its name. Within the 12th Century William the Conqueror's son built a new norman fort was built. Given the name "the new castle", it was built in order to show the power and strength that they held within the north of England. Overtime the name changed to Newcastle and stuck with the whole city. 

Like any city Newcastle also has its own shopping centre known as Eldon square. A variety of shops are found here, from tech to clothing. In connection to this there is a street known as the locals as 'main street' or Northumberland street. It also hold shops such as JD, Mcdonalds, Vintage stores and many more. It is easy to find high and low end stores within Newcastle and it makes saving money a bit hard (if I do say so myself). 

If you are visiting for a while, hopping on the metro for 15 minutes can take you right to the coast and you could spend a day in itself walking from Whitley Bay to Tynemouth. Newcastle Urban and Suburban areas hold their own special type of beauty and it is hard to be bored or disappointed with the city and what it has to offer. It is a great place to take the kids for a weekend away, a stunning place for sightseeing and a bustling place for nights out.

Newcastle fits extremely well within my documentary as is gives people a best of (not both worlds) but all worlds. There is something for everyone in Newcastle and I would be shocked if someone said that they were bored and disappointed with their visit to the city.

Linking back to my brief, Newcastle works well with the client due to the fact that the client is about helping people become more active and improving their mental wellbeing. The city allows the elderly to have a nice stroll and a tea and coffee on the river, it allows young people to go out clubbing, it allows families to have a entertaining day, it allows people to listen to music, to look at art and lastly, it allows people to breathe and take in the city itself with its uncanny beauty. 

Sunderland - History and investment:

Outside of the northeast, a lot of people don't know much about Sunderland or have never heard of it before. Sunderland does not get the recognition it deserves when it comes to what it has to offer. 

However, Sunderland used to be one of the most important places in England due to what it had to offer. From this link we can see some of the historical things that have happened here. The main thing that Sunderland was recognised for was its shipyards. Sunderland used to be, at its peak, the largest shipbuilding town in the world and produced almost a quarter of the worlds vessels. Nissan, a Japanese car brand also opened there first manufacturing warehouse in Europe, in Sunderland. 

However, almost straight after the last shipyard was demolished, plans for building a University were put into place. As seen here, when the University was initially planned to be built, there was worry and speculation with the general public. People believed that Shipbuilding was part of Sunderlands culture and were sad to see that they were being destroyed. Trying to keep the heritage of the site, some of the buildings within the university have used the design and color, in order to remind people of what it used to be. 

Being a Shiptown of the world and then stopping completely, Sunderland has seen first hand the impact of this. A high amount of jobs were lost which made more people struggle and is one of the reasons Sunderland is as poor as it is now. 

However, this is about to change. Sunderland University, Fulwell 73 and many more are partnering to create a new, state of the art film studio. Seen here, the plan is to create one of the largest filmmaking complexes in Europe. Therefore creating over 8,000 jobs available for the people of the northeast.  With this amount of jobs and investment, it will be the the greatest economical change for the city since Nissan in 1980.  With over 20 different stages, the demand for these facilities will be extortionate, hopefully generating £334 million for the local economy every year.

Even though the plans are proposed to planned to prop up the economy, there is another factor that is making the council wish to build it here. As seen in this headline...

"proposals will support the creative ambitions being explored by Sunderland City Council, the University of Sunderland and North East Screen, to position the city and North East region to capitalise on the growing opportunities presented by film and media." 

From this we can infer that the plan is to make Sunderland a place of creativity and a capital for some of the best film production sources within Europe. Bringing more people to Sunderland, will bring in more economy and will also give the northeast a better brand and rep as time goes on. 

Within my documentary I plan to use this as a main point. Talking about the investment within the northeast will assist with my relationship with the client. The client (as stated in my subject research) is about assisting and helping people of all ages, through art. By including this within my documentary I will show my demographic the current jobs that will soon be available to them. 

Also by showing the investment within the Sunderland, it will show people from across the country who view my documentary that it is no longer a "dirty" or "grey" place to live, however it is a place full of creatives and modern technology. 

Shown in this article, a poll was taken and ranked Sunderland in the top 50 WORST places to live. Although to some people this was a shock. A majority of people agreed. "surprisingly many usually-proud city residents agreed with the rankings." This is a big shock considering most people of Sunderland are proud to be from Sunderland.  

Also on the article - 

One begrudging shopper said: "I think the majority of people now just wander off to Newcastle, as it seems to have a lot more to offer - that's my opinion," while another, argued: "There's nothing left here." This shows how the regular, patriotic people of Sunderland are starting to doubt their own city and what it has to offer. 

Sunderland - Things to do/ not:

There is a shortage of things to do within Sunderland itself as it is mostly filled with stores and shops. Granted Sunderland has a beach, restaurants and stores, there is a lack in the amount that can be done within the City. For example, you could spend a day in newcastle and only do a few things. Whereas you could spend a day in Sunderland and pretty much cover the whole place. 

Therefore, when it comes to my documentary I am going to attempt to leave out what there is to do in Sunderland, but rather focus on their culture and what they are built from. My aim is to show the people of Sunderland what is around them... Bamburgh, Alnwick, Newcastle etc. However, when it comes to Sunderland I want to talk about who they are as a people, what is being invested and why they should be happy to live where they are. 

In my documentary I will aim to make the people of Sunderland realise that they live in such a well-situated part of the country. By showing the areas around Sunderland first in my documentary, they will see what is nearby and maybe think "why is there nothing like that here". However all I am really showing is nice buildings and green spaces. The people of Sunderland will look at this and start to realise that there is nothing "nice" within the city. 

To contradict this, I will then talk about the culture of Sunderland and what is being invested in the city itself. Hopefully, this will make the people of Sunderland realise that their city may not have the best green spaces, but it is soon going to be one of the central hubs for filmmaking in Europe. Therefore, this will give them a reason as to why there is no green spaces. The city is being built for Art and creation and will result in a massive economic boost. 

Sunderland will be known not for its bridges, not for its castles, not for its walks, not for its pubs, not for its restaurants, not for the 'fun family things to do'. Sunderland will be known for its impact within the Film industry and that is what I wish to emphasize to my audience and make them feel proud of their city again.

So, we have made them realise that the city will become great again... How do we make them feel better now?

Culture:

The people believe that sunderland is on a decline with its status within the country. Therefore it is a good idea to show them what is good about their culture and how they are as people. On another note, this will make people not from Sunderland realise that they are not bad people and that they are just like everyone else. 

In the documentary I will be talking about how the people of Sunderland have one of the best football fanbase and how they are some of the friendliest people in the country. Being from the northeast and spending time in Sunderland myself, I believe that this is something I can speak about freely and do not need research in order to talk about it.