When given the assignment to create a documentary, I wanted to make sure I recorded
a topic was personally meaningful to me but would still be compelling to other viewers. My friends are one of the most important aspects of my life, and thus I decided to document their quirky talent of gathering in groups and playing the ukulele.
In starting this film, I first tried to get film of my friends casually playing the ukulele together on the weekends. This created very candid, genuine shots that showcased the relaxedness of how my friends practice their instrument. This also allowed for shots where they were giggling and being silly with each other rather than putting on a serious demeanor for the camera. In addition to these informal shots, I also interviewed my friends and infused the intriguing concepts they brought up into my 
documentary. I always made sure to interview my friends where I found them so that the film kept its laid-back, authentic theme. Thus, I ended up conducting interviews homey but not glamorous places, like the study room and dorm rooms. When doing these interviews, I decided to interview people who had different experiences and levels of ability with the ukulele to get a variety of perspectives about the ukulele and its culture. Thus, I interviewed a girl who had only started learning ukulele once she got to college as well as a boy who had been playing guitar and ukulele his whole life and knew the history of ukuleles. In my interviews, I kept the questioning mellow to reflect the informality of 
the instrument, simply asking them to talk candidly about whatever they wanted in terms of the ukulele and the ukulele community. This lead to a variety of alluring topics being brought up from the origin of the instrument to favorite bands and cord patterns.
After gathering all these shots, I constructed my film by organizing it in an ABAB pattern alternating between shots with music being played and shots without music. This allowed for easy transitions between the different songs. In addition, I tried to include information from the interviews with both personal experiences as well as 
concrete facts so that the documentary was intimate but still informational.
In the end, the different shots created a film that showcased the social environment surrounding the ukulele and the friendships born out of learning the instrument. Thus, I decided to title my film The Social Instrument. Altogether, I was satisfied with my documentary for it showcased my friends and their talents in a exemplary light.
Kelsey Kempner 