Generations

Generations is a short documentary that celebrates Indian culture through the integration of dance and family, accompanied by an original score composed and produced by myself, specifically for the film. The project aims to capture not only performance, but the development of cultural identity across generations

This portfolio reflects on the working process, project management, and the use of production technologies that shaped the final piece, alongside an evaluation of the final product and the collaboration with my co-creator, Aryan. It also considers how constraints, particularly time, access, and resources, impacted creative decisions, and how these limitations contributed to a more personal outcome.

The project began in March after my original concept fell through due to unreliable collaborators. Initially, it was intended as a comparative study of Western and Indian belief systems, exploring shared values such as spirituality, community, and emotional connection across cultures. However, as the production developed, it became increasingly difficult to sustain this broad scope without consistent collaboration and direction. This change allowed for a stronger focus on lived experience, ultimately transforming the work into a more intimate exploration of cultural identity. In this analysis, I will justify why I made such choices at each stage and will evaluate where the work could grow.

Aims, Vision and Collaboration

The original aim of “Generations” was “to demonstrate the union between Western and Indian beliefs. Those beliefs being the desire for community, passion and emotional connection, spirituality and balance.” This was a wide concept, and as production progressed it became clear that the strongest material I was gathering was specifically rooted in Indian family life, particularly the role of dance in weddings, in informal family settings, and in the practice of an aunt and several friends, including Aryan himself.
Additionally, this shift was important in terms of representation. It ensured that Indian culture was not generalised or simplified for comparison, but instead presented through personal stories and real family relationships. In doing so, it gave greater weight to individual voices and experiences, allowing them to define their own individual meaning of culture.

My initial collaborators were strangers, with whom I had no understanding of how there culture is significant to them. As time passed, and no real communication was evident, it became crucial that I find a like-minded individual who shared similar understanding of the project. I knew Aryan from the LCON Pop Choir, which we both attend, and as conversation developed within the rehearsals, we learnt that we had a lot of similarities in the way our families celebrate dance. This experience reinforced the importance of working with people who not only understand the creative vision, but also have a personal connection to the subject matter. See Appendix 1 to view Aryan’s social media platform, which showcases his ability to dance.

The revised aim therefore became a celebration of Indian culture and how, across generations within an Indian family, different parts of that culture are embraced, embodied and passed on, with dance as the central motif.
Although this was a late decision to make in the process, with not a lot of time to do so, I am content with the concept of the documentary as it meant it had an authentic voice, which is one of the projects strengths.

Project Management and Record Keeping

The project diary documents how deadlines were adapted and research redirected toward this more personal angle. Due to the compressed timeline and conflicting schedules, in-person collaboration was limited to three key meetings.
The first meeting, on March 7th, established the revised concept and initial musical direction. During this session, we discussed influences, thematic ideas, and how dance would function within the documentary. These early discussions were crucial in aligning our creative visionSee Appendix 2 for the inspirations within the notes I made during our first meet up.
The second meeting, on March 13th, focused on music development. I presented rough demos for sections of the documentary that required choreography. These demos were intentionally unpolished, allowing Aryan flexibility to interpret and respond physically to the music. This stage highlighted the importance of collaboration between composer and performer, particularly in projects where music and movement are closely integrated.
At this stage, I conducted a SWOT analysis to identify potential risks. Given previous experiences, I was particularly aware of the dangers of over-reliance on collaborators. Maintaining consistent communication with Aryan became a priority. Another major challenge was the Easter break, during which we would be in different locations and unable to film together.
To address this, I adapted the project by incorporating my own family and social network into the documentary. This decision solved logistical issues and strengthened the thematic focus on family and generational experience. During this period, I recorded interviews and captured footage of dance rehearsals within my family.
I also had the pleasure of dancing again with my aunt, Hema. We filmed rehearsals of dance practice for my other Aunt’s wedding. She had planned a surprise reception performance involving multiple members of the family. This Wedding took place on the 18th of April and so, was a last minute addition to the documentary. I had already confirmed the rehearsal videos’ use, and was pleasantly surprised when I was able to clip in a video of the performance. See Appendix 3 to view the communications between family members for the rehearsals.
The final meeting with Aryan took place on April 13th at the Leeds Conservatoire rooftop bar. This location provided a visually interesting and familiar setting for filming. During this session, we recorded interviews and dance sequences, completing the core material required for the documentary. Completing this core material in one session was also important from a production standpoint, as it ensured consistency in tone, lighting, and performance energy across the most critical parts of the documentary.

View appendix 7 to see progress on my timetable

Influences and Reference Material

Another strength in the making of this documentary, was my previous work on creating music for indian dance, such as Kathak and Bharatanatyam. See Appendix 4 to view my previous work. This similarly tested my abilities to write music using instruments such as the Tabla and Flute. Comparatively, myself and Aryan agreed that the music he would dance to, would be more lyrical. As a singer-songwriter, I was able to produce a track I believe works very well within the documentary. Whilst it needed to be lyrical, it also needed to have that “documentary feel.” As stated by Corner J (2002) “the dominance of journalistic and observational formats has, for different reasons, tended to place music in the margins.” Whilst relevant to truly understand the place in which music is present within the documentary, it is also important to note that it shouldn’t distract from the contents of the movie.
The documentary Rize (2005) demonstrates dance as a form of expression and survival. Its main theme of community and identity is similar to mine, although my documentary is much more simple and has a more fun aspect. Music and dance is central for both, and is stylised to create an immersive experience. This was what I intended the music to emulate.
Realistically, I knew that this smaller project, with which I was editing, would not be greatly cinematic, if I had more collaborators and time, this would be something I would look into. Therefore looking through social media, I found student documentaries like that of Justin Styvly (2025), who demonstrates what he could achieve in his room as a “Harvard film student.”

Use of technology

The documentary incorporates multiple recording methods, reflecting both necessity and creative choice. Interviews were captured in different formats depending on context and availability.

See Appendix 5 to view the questions I had prepared, based on my personal experience. These interview questions were not created as a generic set of prompts, but were carefully tailored to each individual participant in order to reflect their specific relationship to art, culture, and generational identity.
For Riya, the questions were shaped around the tension between academic responsibility and creative identity. As she is studying medicine, the prompts focus on how she negotiates a demanding professional path alongside her appreciation for creativity.
For my parents, the questions were structured to explore generational attitudes towards the arts.
For Aryan, the questions focused on identity, heritage, and artistic expression. As a dancer, his relationship with culture is embodied through performance, so the prompts explore how dance connects him to Indian traditions while also engaging with modern influences.
For Hema Foi, the questions focused on long-term engagement with dance and cultural transmission within the family.
For the University field recording. I used the equipment showed in Appendix 6. Aryan, having used this before, helped me film the videography in a professional way. We captured the audio on the microphone connected to the camera. This meant the audio was recorded directly in sync with the video, ensuring clarity and consistency between sound and image while also streamlining the post-production and editing process.
Voice memos were treated as source material rather than finished audio. They were typically recorded on phone by my friends, and sent via messages. The honesty of phone-captured material also became a stylistic asset, used deliberately at moments where the documentary leans into intimacy.
I recorded my parents myself over Easter Break, using my SM58, a Scarlet and Logic Pro X.
Logic was also the DAW I utilised for the production music, as it is the DAW I am most comfortable with. View Appendix 7 for an image of the logic file. Arrangement was where the captured material had to be made to mean something. Indian instrumental and vocal textures were placed next to Western harmonic and rhythmic material. Meanwhile, spoken word was layered so that each could be read distinctly, with its placement in the mix coordinated to the phrasing of the surrounding instruments.
Genre awareness shaped the broader expression. Documentary scoring tends towards restraint and motif, while the fusion tradition I was drawing on can sustain longer, more developed instrumental passages. I navigated between the two by keeping the more developed musical sections for sequences where image and movement carried the narrative, and pulling back to motif and texture under spoken passages. This is evident in the driving baseline in contrast to the picked guitar.
The dynamic shape across the ten minutes was deliberate. The piece opens sparse, and intimate. It begins free time which drastically moves toward the baseline with the tabla and drum kit. The dance resolves to a lyrical melody, which is then brought back to that driving A segment. This was paired with samples and loops sourced from Splice for textural and percussive material that could not be captured live within the project’s constraints.
Previous to doing the interviews and recording the dance, I had created a storyboard. See Appendix 8 to view the initial ideas for content. This naturally evolved into a more fluid, and slower approach. There is less motion than I had initially anticipated. This shift was largely informed by the interviews themselves, which revealed a stronger emphasis on personal narrative and emotional reflection rather than physical expression alone. As I began to edit the recorded dance sequence, it became clear that the strength of the piece lay in the subtle gestures rather than continuous movement. This allowed the viewer to engage more deeply with the meaning behind each action, rather than being distracted by rapid choreography or frequent scene changes. In practice, this also meant that I prioritised longer takes, minimal cuts, and ambient sound to preserve authenticity. Overall, the evolution from storyboard to final structure highlights the importance of adaptability within the creative process, demonstrating how initial plans can be refined through reflection and interaction with participant material.

8. Evaluation and Potential for Development
   Evaluating the product, “Generations” succeeds as a student project. The score is suitable for purpose, technically clean, and aligned with the documentary’s aim. I believe I have created am intimate documentary, which showcases indian family and culture.
   Evaluating the process, the pivot to a personal documentary produced a stronger piece than the original brief would have. However more time applied to the project would have inhabited a greater end product with more intricate detail and elaborate approach. I took on more roles than I would have liked, as the composer, producer, and project manager. The project would have benefited from a professional editor, videographer as this is where the documentary is lacking with my lack of experience in it. This would have allowed me to focus on score rather than attending to post-production. However it did allow for myself to create what I envisioned, and create a cohesive project with my collaborator, Aryan.
   Potential for development is substantial. With funding, the natural next step is travel to India to capture the beauty of the country as well as cultural differences living in the West. This would extend the documentary into a longer form. Within the existing project, more time with Aryan would have allowed deeper musical development. Funding would also create stronger connections with a larger group of collaborators as people respond to incentives. If there’s no reward (money, status, etc.), participation drops. (Baumol and Becker, 1978).
   This portfolio has traced the planning, research, capture, arrangement, processing and evaluation that produced the documentary, “generations”. The contingency plan worked, with my collaboration with Aryan providing additional technical support and creative input, which helped maintain both the quality of the footage and the efficiency of the shoot. The score sits authentically alongside the dance and dialogue at its centre. The piece has clear room to grow with further time, funding and a wider production team, but as we were under constraint, it is suitable for purpose, and a foundation I can build on.
9. 
   Bibliography

Baumol, W.J. and Becker, G.S. (1978). The Economic Approach to Human Behavior. Economica

Boxoffice | 4K Full Movies (2023). RIZE | DOCUMENTARY | Full Movie. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm3fMuUN9FM

Corner, J. (2002). Sounds real: music and documentary. Popular Music, 21(3), pp.357–366

justin styvly (2024). A Day in the Life of a Harvard Film Student. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0F_Y4wuLRo

APPENDIX 1

ARYAN

APPENDIX 2:

APPENDIX 3:

WEDDING COMMUNICATION

WEDDING SONG:

APPENDIX 4:

APPENDIX 5:

APPENDIX 6:

APPENDIX 7:

APPENDIX 8: