Reflecting on my project work I feel that I have been mostly successful in responding to the prompt of tuning. My intent was to give the viewer the opportunity to contemplate nature through shifting between clarity and vagueness, and to notice unseen qualities within the park setting.  I feel that I was able to achieve this, as focusing and blurring certain aspects of the frame worked to draw attention to certain stimuli.  After looking at media inspiration such as the film Her I felt that this was the best way to tap into certain details that would otherwise go unnoticed.

I feel that the framing and composition of the shots was effective, as the use of mostly close up shots captured the noticing practice of tuning by amplifying the diegetic sounds that accompanied each shot. I picked this up during my test production, and the Robert Todd film Cove which demonstrated this technique effectively. I also liked the use of both static and dynamic shots, and how the use of static shots allows the viewer to notice more movement within the frame, as the work of James Benning explored. Planning my shots beforehand helped me establish what sort of footage I wanted to get and how much I needed.

I am satisfied with the equipment and location I chose; the setting let me tune into subtle elements of nature and the equipment let me get the best quality with what I had in terms of visuals and audio. Shooting in the early afternoon definitely helped get better lighting than if I had filmed later in the day, however if I were to film again I would aim to capture more footage in the morning for the best exposure. I tried to use as much of the footage I shot as possible, and didn’t cut out any more than I needed to so as to respond to the feedback I received. I also attempted to edit in a way that created a steady flow and aligned with the movement in each frame.

Areas I feel could have been improved upon are some technical aspects of the work; there were some shots that were out of focus where they could have been more clear, and the shots without the tripod were a little bit shaky which had to be fixed in post production. I also feel that I could have experimented more with the title font and colour grading to achieve a consistent visual aesthetic.

Something I learnt about noticing through this project was that tuning allowed me to perceive changes in the environment around me, such as the subtle movement of leaves or clouds moving over time. Although the location was familiar to me I found myself noticing qualities I usually don’t, through tuning into certain details and tuning out the bigger picture. I also built on my knowledge of nonfiction, documentary and avant-garde filmmaking. I aimed to record events that occur in reality while also presenting them in a unique manner.

In assignment 4, I would like to further refine my concept to explore the relationship we have with nature, and the interactions people have with their surroundings. One possible way of doing this is by drawing attention to the contrast between manmade and natural landscapes.

Before finalising my edit, I sought out some last feedback from peers in terms of what I could improve. Overall my piece was well received in terms of its approach to noticing, and my peers liked the framing and construction of each shots. They also felt the soundtrack complimented the diegetic sound in terms of creating a serene atmosphere. The criticism I received was that I could refine it further by quietening the volume of the music, making some of the transitions smoother and letting some shots run for a little longer. This would to give the viewer more time to take in all of the elements of the frame. As my aim is to produce a piece of film that uses tuning as a means of attuned noticing, I found this feedback helped me to identify areas I where could intensify this type of noticing.

I was inspired by the quote from the Uriel Orlow reading ‘Chris Marker: the archival power of the image’, which examines the work of Chris Marker, a filmmaker and photographer. Orlow states that Marker “present[s] films as archives, as collections and collages of visual, auditory and textual documents which themselves thematize the archival” (p. 438, 2002). I think that this summarises the kind of media that I aimed to produce, as I want to give the viewer an insight into nature through tuning into both audio and visuals. As a non-fiction piece, I would like my work to document real life, and emphasise the unseen qualities of the space I have chosen (a park setting).

Having now completed the final edit of my piece I have begun to think about what I want to do in terms of assignment 4. I would like to further explore the relationship we have with our environment in our everyday lives, and delve into how we interact with nature. I feel it would be an interesting idea to explore the patterns of noticing that are associated with this topic, as we often overlook the impact we have on our surroundings.

Throughout the editing process I have been keeping a few key concepts in mind. One of them is the idea of the ‘avant-garde’ documentary which is explored in the Scott MacDonald reading Avant-doc: Eight Intersections. In it MacDonald reflects on the ways in which documentary, a form of non-fiction media, is linked to avant-garde film. Macdonald describes both documentary and avant-garde film as  “alternative practices to commercial and narrative cinema”  (p. 50) with long-standing and evolving traditions. The experimental or avant-documentary will often delve into the ideas of city symphonies, visual poetry, personal and family histories, or contemplate nature. This informs my piece as I would like to use the noticing practice of tuning to contemplate nature, and draw on conventions from both documentary and avant-garde film.

As part of my research I watched an experimental documentary by Robert Todd. His 2012 film Cove is documentary as it depicts the real life figures of a woman, a boy and his dog living by the river. The film uses serene images of nature, flowers and trees to showcase life in the countryside, and paints it as lazy and idyllic. One way he does this is through using close up shots with a short duration. The quick pace offers the viewer little glimpses into his surroundings and creates a steady rhythm. An interesting aspect of his film is the way he demonstrates nature’s relationship with weather and time- Todd does this by filming the rain and the eventual setting of the sun.

By using techniques such as changing the film’s orientation (from vertical to landscape) and its aspect ratio, Todd follows conventions that are typcial of the experimental or avant-garde film. He plays with darkness, shadows and reflections to add a meditative quality to the piece, and enhances this by colour grading certain shots. Another quality I noticed that was similar to my work was the way he used the camera focus to shift between certain elements of nature such as the water and the trees. I would like to edit my work in a similar manner, that emphasises this relationship between nature, time and the weather.  This could be done through colour grading and altering shot duration.