In class we have been examining the work of James Benning- it is evident in his films that his approach to noticing is driven by his intention to ‘actually look’. This is relevant to my own production, as I intend to create non-fiction work that is observant of reality.

Panse attributes this quality of his work to its evolving from an external structure rather than a preconceived idea (‘Land as Protagonist’, 66). By having a focus on the landscapes themselves, Benning demonstrates the relationships between nature, humans and machinery. In his interview with James Benning, Panse analyses Benning’s creative choices. One way in which Benning shows he views the sites as protagonists of their own is by listing the names of landscapes in the end credits of his films. He also encourages dropping subjective narrative in favour of looking at things, as it allows the filmmaker to focus on their environment.

An interesting point Benning makes is that the static camera allows for more focus on movement within the frame. By having a fixed viewpoint instead of shifting the camera, there is room for more attuned noticing of changes. New digital media is especially useful as it allows us to film complete stillness unlike film, as there no grain movement. He does this well in his scene from Ruhr, where a fixed camera documents cars as they pass within a tunnel. I would like to explore this in my work by including a number of static shots in addition to some mobile frames, to produce a more diverse representation of reality. I believe this will assist in creating an atmosphere of anticipation.

A quote I also particularly liked from the interview was his quote from Home Improvements [1985]: ‘Maybe nothing is true, except what’s out there and what’s out there is constantly changing’. I believe this best summarises his realistic approach to noticing with media.