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.