Homebirth – A Trial of Labour

Synopsis
This 15-20 minute documentary will focus on the contentious topic of home birth, and the way the recent changes in legislation will change the future of home birth in Australia. This documentary will explore the current issues surrounding home birth; such as the lack of indemnity insurance for midwives, and the recent health reforms in Australia that will impact on women’s ability to choose home birth.

Audience
The intended audience for this film is mothers considering the option of home birth, as well as women who have an interest in birth choices. Ages of intended audience will range from 20-40.

Goal
The aim of this documentary is to inform the public of the changes in legislation, and promote the rights of women to choose the mode of birth they desire, whether in hospital or at home.

Length
The intended length of this documentary is 15 minutes running time, but may be extended to incorporate extra footage and interviews up to a length of 30 minutes.

Style
The documentary will use a combination of documentary styles, expository and participatory, by using a combination of archival footage, participatory interviews and narration. Interviews will be filmed in a studio setting or in homes to make the interview more personal. Narration will push the narrative of the documentary forward by explaining the facts and figures associated with the issue. See The Business of Being Born (2008)

Sources
Sources of footage will include archival footage, participatory interviews, group discussions, and location shots relating to the theme of the documentary. Still images of home births or footage of births, may also be incorporated, as well as footage from the Birth Choices rally.

Soundtrack
Soft melodic instrumental, closing titles use a song with lyrics relating to the theme of the documentary. Music will be sourced by from creative commons content.

Interview Subjects
Independent midwife
Hospital Midwife
Pregnant mothers (home and hospital birth)
Women who’ve had both home birth and/or hospital birth
Possible Interview Subjects:
Doctors
Local MP /Health Minister
The AMA or AMA Victoria

Locations
Possible locations are the meeting room at Chisholm library, or a café/restaurant for group discussion, subject’s homes, and/or offices for interviews.

Examples of source material

My birth my choice rally

Homebirth Rally – Canberra

Archival maternity ward photos

Comments (1)

Documentary Style Examples

Filed under: Uncategorized — Crooked Angel Productions @ 1:25 pm

Leave a Comment

April 11, 2010

Scene Breakdown

Filed under: Uncategorized — Crooked Angel Productions @ 3:17 pm

SCENE BREAKDOWN

Act 1 Introduction 5 min

Scene 1

• Sound bites from interviews, with images of children

• Interview with director about her experiences and why she is making this film.

Scene 2 – Conflict

• Narration and archival photo’s

• Brief history of homebirth

• Sound bites from independent midwife, describing the challenges she faces in her profession

Act 2 – 10 min

Scene 3 – Opinions

• Group discussion with women about their experiences and how they feel about homebirth, director participating

• How the changes in collaborative care arrangements may affect them and their choices.

Scene 4 – Opposition

• Interview with professionals opposing home birth

• Archival images

Scene 5 – Independent Midwife

• The challenges she faces in her profession

• Lack of public funded birth centres

• Indemnity insurance

• Experience and independent midwife brings to homebirth

Scene 6 – Hospital Midwife

• What its like to work within the hospital system

• Birth options for women who birth at hospital

• The differences between midwifes in hospitals and midwifes at home.

Act 3 – 5-10 min

Scene 7 – Perspectives

• Individual interviews with women and their different perspectives

• Experiences of a woman planning a homebirth and how the changes will affect her plans

Scene 8 – The future

• Independent midwife how the changes will affect her personally

• Opinion of what will happen in the future

• Images of home births, and closing credits.

Leave a Comment

Treatment

Filed under: Uncategorized — Crooked Angel Productions @ 12:50 pm

Act 1 – 5 minutes

Scene 1 – Introduction

Fading in on images of babies and children, short sound bites from the interviewees, accompanies the images and introduces the contentious topic of homebirth. An interview with the director further introduces the topic of the film, as she explains her experiences with homebirth, and the reasons why she is making this film.

Scene 2 – Conflict

A voiceover narration is overlaid with archival photos of maternity hospital wards, and pregnant women from pre 1950. A brief history of homebirth in Australia, and the current crisis facing independent midwives. Facts and figures fade in and are overlaid with sound bites from an independent midwife describing the issues that she faces in her profession.

Act 2 – 10 minutes

Scene 3 - Opinions

The scene opens with an informal group discussion with women that have experienced both hospital birth and homebirth. The women discuss reasons why women choose homebirth, and how they feel about the changes in legislation and collaborative care arrangements. The director participates and drives the discussion to explore the main issues of homebirth and the public’s perception.

Scene 4 – Opposition

Revisiting some of the black and white images of labour and maternity hospital wards we talk to a professional that has an opposing view to homebirth that discusses the reasons why hospital births are a safer option. Statistics and percentages regarding homebirth are shown on screen with narration explaining the figures. Footage from the Birth Choices rally is shown to highlight the issue and the changing legislation regarding homebirth.

Scene 5 – Independent Midwife

The issue is examined more closely through the opinions of an independent midwife and the challenges she faces in her profession. Issues such as lack of indemnity insurance for independent midwives, and a lack of public funded home birth programs are discussed. We also discuss the experience that an independent midwife brings to the birth and how this may differ from a hospital birth.

Scene 6 – Hospital Midwife

Contrasting the experience of an independent midwife, we talk to a midwife that works within the hospital system and her opinion on homebirth. The interview discusses the reasons why she works within the hospital system and how this differs from an independent midwife. We also look at what birth options there are for women who choose a hospital birth, and how the changing legislation may affect her.

Act 3 5-10 min

Scene 7 – Perspectives

A section of individual interviews focus on the different perspectives of women who are expecting or baby or who have had a baby. The film follows the experiences of a woman planning a homebirth and how the changes may affect her planned birth later this year.

Scene 8 – The future

An independent midwife gives her opinion on how the changes in legislation will affect her personally, and what she foresees happening in the future. Images of homebirths will signify the final part of the film, accompanied by soft melodic music.

Comments (2)

April 10, 2010

Production Schedule

Filed under: Uncategorized — Crooked Angel Productions @ 12:38 pm

Production Schedule

Leave a Comment

April 9, 2010

Shot List

Filed under: Uncategorized — Crooked Angel Productions @ 12:41 pm

No.	Type	Subject	Action
1	CU	Images of babies and children	Series of images fading into the next.
2	MCU	The Director	The director talking about her experiences of birth
3	MCU	Images of birth	Slideshow of images of homebirth
4	MCU	The director	Continuing to discuss birth
5	MSU	Archival images	Slideshow of archival images of hospitals
6	WS Track LTR	Women in a group discussion	Women discussing birth and homebirth, camera follows the discussion
7	CU	Professional on birth	Interview with a professional opposing homebirth
8	MCU	Birth choices rally	Footage of birth choices rally
9	CU/MCU	Independent Midwife	Up close interview with an independent midwife
10	CU/MCU	Hospital Midwife	Interview with a hospital midwife and her opinions on homebirth.
11	MCU	Woman who had hospital birth	Individual interview with one of the women from the discussion group
12	MCU	Homebirth woman	Woman who had a homebirth and is planning another homebirth
13	MCU	Independent Midwife	Interview discussing the future of homebirth.