1. Introduction and Proposed Project
Introduction and Proposed Project
Our collaborative project is a documentary film that focuses on football coaching. We’re taking a biographical angle, following the journey of a coach and exploring his methods, philosophy, and approach to working with young players. The film will also look at the challenges and obstacles that come with coaching children. This project is a partnership between me and Max, a youth football coach based in Leeds.
Goals
My main objective is to highlight Max’s identity as a football coach and present his journey in an honest and engaging way. ‘A documentary filmmaker is someone who captures real life on film and then forms that film into an experience that can enlighten an audience’- (Molly Thompson, 2019) It emphasizes that documentary filmmaking is both about truthful observation and creative storytelling. His experiences, how he coaches young children, and what makes his methods unique will all be covered in this documentary. It also aims to support the growth of his coaching brand by helping him reach a wider audience, attract new clients, and strengthen his professional reputation. Once completed, Max can use the documentary on his website, social media platforms, and in future meetings with potential sponsors or partners.
My main Collaborator (Appendix 1)
My main collaborator is Max, a professional football coach based in Leeds who specialises in working with young children. He focuses on one-to-one training and small group sessions, helping young players build confidence and technical skills. Max has previously coached within the youth academies at Leeds United, Hull City, and Harrogate Town FC, giving him strong experience in developing young talent.
Appendix 1
Myself (Appendix 2)
I am a producer, artist, and engineer from Bangkok, Thailand, whose work is shaped by R&B, rock, and hip-hop influences, and I also have experience in sports video filming.
Appendix 2
2. Methodology and Rationale
I began the project by researching existing football documentaries to understand different visual styles, storytelling structures, and the overall tone commonly used in sports-focused films and found out that sports documentaries focus on actual events as they happen, not scripted or fake scenes ‘ Embrace the unpredictable nature of sports and let it guide your storytelling’(Foas, 2025). This helped me gain inspiration and shape the direction of my own documentary. I then arranged an initial meeting with Max at a coffee shop to discuss the project goals, filming ideas, and how we wanted to present his coaching story on screen.
For the production stage, I adopted an observational filming method, capturing real, unscripted moments rather than staged or rehearsed scenes. This approach allows the documentary to feel more natural and authentic. I will also conduct a short on-camera interview with Max to learn more about his background, coaching experience, and philosophy when working with young players.
In addition to the filming process, I researched the type of music that inspires me by analysing playlists on Spotify. This helped me decide on the sound and tone I wanted to create for the documentary’s original soundtrack. I also developed demo tracks and shared them for feedback during the early stages.
As the final stage of the project, I will ensure that all editing, music production, and feedback processes are completed in line with the planned timeline outlined in the Gantt chart (Appendix 3). Once the documentary has been refined and approved, I will prepare the final version for submission, making sure all required materials are organised, exported in the correct format, and submitted by the scheduled deadline.
Appendix 3
3. Inspiration & Influences
I found a football documentary on YouTube called “What It Takes To Be A Top Football Manager! | Ian Holloway”(League Of 72, 2023) (Appendix 4). It’s a great example for my own documentary because it shows a former manager talking about his experiences with different teams. The video clearly demonstrates the type of story and style I want to create, and it has become my biggest inspiration. I called him to explain my idea and then sent him the link to this documentary (Appendix 5).
Appendix 4
Appendix 5
Our vision is to create a documentary that shows the real day-to-day life of a football coach, starting from the beginning of their day. I want to bring viewers closer to the emotions, challenges and personal stories behind this career. My main goal is to help the audience feel connected — to feel like they are the coach and that they are part of the journey too.
My inspiration came from a Spotify playlist called “Documentary Cinematic Music.” (Spotify,n.d) (Appendix 6) I listened to all the songs on this playlist and felt that the style is very suitable as a reference for the track I’m going to create and use in this project. I will create five tracks using Logic Pro X, and each track will have a different mood and vibe, while still keeping an overall cinematic, mysterious, and exciting tone. Most of the tracks will use acoustic instruments—such as string sections, mellow piano, and orchestral elements—to express deep emotions and enhance the feeling of the documentary.
here’s are my 4 reference track that I wanted to sound like:
- https://youtu.be/Nn44UUoU3_Y?si=P1TB92DVHbmWsplu (e-soundtrax, 2025)
- https://youtu.be/-0SL1QItpkE?si=N79sDCAYjH49kYzR ( Music for video library, 2025)
- https://youtu.be/Z1zrHT7z1pQ?si=go7kNCU6JfbAwXGe ( MorningLightMusic, 2017)
- https://youtu.be/UX8Jg1GwFYM?si=_-uZMZ8Q9-bGog8z (BreakingCopyright – Royalty Free Music, 2020)
Appendix 6
4. Market Analysis
Nowadays, people are more interested in short-form videos rather than long ones, such as TikToks or YouTube Shorts. To research the potential of my project, I looked at similar content on TikTok and discovered that Bournemouth FC also created a documentary on YouTube and promoted it through TikTok (afcb,2025). I think this is a good strategy for promoting my video as well, and it could also help promote Max’s business at the same time furthermore, he can use my video to promote himself on his social media platform like TikTok (Appendix 7).
Appendix 7
My video’s target market will be influenced by people who use social media as their main platform. Online advertising has grown significantly, especially on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, which are now the most widely used platforms. The primary age group I am targeting is 25–40, as many people in this range are parents who may be looking for a football coach for their children. Another important target group is teenagers aged around 10–22 who might be interested in joining this coaching academy themselves.
4. Costs and Budgeting
Hypothetical Budget
Travel cost: •£12-£20 PER DAY for an Uber to Max’s house and Football pitch
Equipment Rental: •£30-£100 PER DAY for Gimball drone, microphone, Audio recorder, Lighting Kit
4G: £30 per month
Contingency: 5%-10% of my budget
Potential Funding
Grants: since my documentary project related with sport I could apply for youth coaching, sports development, and creative media production.
Youth coaching: Independent 1-to-1 coaching:
£25–£50 per hour
Sports Development: Freelance community coach:
£20–£35 per hour
Creative Media Production: Documentary filmmaker:
Paid by production companies once established
£0 (student/portfolio work)
£1,000–£10,000 grants
Crowd Funding: GoFundme, Kickstarter and Indiegogo are simple way to raise money by fundraising.
Personal Funding (Self – Funding): using my own money for this project.
5. Contingency/Risk Assessment
1. Filming Children (Safeguarding Risk)
Plan: Obtain written parental consent before filming. Ensure all children filmed have permission and follow safeguarding procedures to protect their safety and privacy.
2. Weather Conditions (Outdoor Filming)
Plan: Check the weather forecast before each shoot and have backup dates or indoor locations ready in case of rain, strong wind, or extreme conditions.
3. Equipment Failures
Plan: Bring backup cameras, microphones, batteries, and SD cards. Test all equipment before filming to avoid interruptions or lost footage.
4. Injuries on the Pitch
Plan: Maintain a safe distance from players to avoid accidents. Keep a first aid kit nearby and ensure filming does not block training sessions.
5. Audio Issues (Wind/Background Noise)
Plan: Use windshields on microphones and record backup audio. If audio problems occur, re-record scenes or fix sound during editing.
6. Data Loss
Plan: Back up all footage immediately to at least two separate storage locations. Organize files carefully to prevent accidental deletion or corruption.
6. Potential for Development
If I had the chance to work with Max again, I would love to do a bigger project. His coaching business has a lot of potential and could benefit from more promotion. Some ideas for the future include:
Make a professional commercial: Improve production quality and use it to attract sponsors or investors.
Use it as a portfolio: Both Max and I could show our skills for future projects or job opportunities.
Create a series: Make multiple episodes about coaching, competitions, or player development.
Workshops or tutorials: Use the footage for coaching lessons or behind-the-scenes content to add value to Max’s brand and attract more clients.
7. Evaluation Viability
Evaluation Viability
Based on presentation in Week 8/9 seminar with peer/tutor feedback and any other research. I think this project is viable because:
- Presentation feedback from the class shows that my project is clear enough (Appendix 8).
- We have recognised the value of the video and explained how it integrates into the final documentary.
- I have received the area of weakness in my presentation and have seen the problem so I could develop this to be better such as musical styles, research and tone of the film.
Appendix 8
8. Bibliography
Bibliography
(Molly Thompson,2019). What Matters in Documentary Filmmaking. [online] International Documentary Association. Available at: https://documentary.org/feature/what-matters-documentary-filmmaking?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 4 Dec. 2025].
(Foas,2025). Sports Documentary Filmmaking. [online] Filmsonashoestring.com. Available at: https://www.filmsonashoestring.com/2025/05/sports-documentary-filmmaking.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 4 Dec. 2025].
(League Of 72,2023). What It Takes To Be A Top Football Manager! | Ian Holloway: The Hotseat (Full-length Documentary). [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/TNsqiCdkn3E?si=G0vXDa8J7GVk9Hh9 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2025].
(Spotify n.d.). Documentary Cinematic Music. [online] Spotify. Available at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7eQiI0kyA88eKbLEj4rVIm?_authfailed=1 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2025].
(e-soundtrax, 2025). Music for Documentary and Intrigue Videos |Documentary Dark Background by e-soundtrax. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/Nn44UUoU3_Y?si=LUT8414-ZgvC_wog [Accessed 4 Dec. 2025].
(Music for video library, 2019). ROYALTY FREE Drone Music Background / Royalty Free Epic Background Music | MUSIC4VIDEO. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/-0SL1QItpkE?si=Pfu1yHTSaICGVaRT [Accessed 4 Dec. 2025].
(MorningLightMusic, 2017). Cinematic and Inspiring Background Music For Documentary Videos & Film. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/Z1zrHT7z1pQ?si=GVLKvlpfyNn2I2Cs [Accessed 4 Dec. 2025].
(BreakingCopyright – Royalty Free Music,2020). ⛰️ Chillout Music For Videos – ‘Far Away’ by INOSSI 🇸🇪. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/UX8Jg1GwFYM?si=nKeJAtmB1VVg-vxa [Accessed 4 Dec. 2025].
(afcb,2025). The Pathway – our academy documentary – drops 11 June. Witness the future in the making. [online] Tiktok.com. Available at: https://www.tiktok.com/@afcb/video/7513943354409864470?_r=1&_t=ZS-91vN6yrBxJN [Accessed 4 Dec. 2025].
