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Assignment 2: Interview Portfolio

Subject: Ben White, manager of Wunderkammer

Equipment: Canon 650D, 18-55mm & 55-250mm lenses, H4N Zoom recorder with lavalier mic

Edited with: Adobe Premiere Pro CC

 

First Iteration 

For the first iteration of the Wunderkammer documentary I decided upon a more conventional structure and aesthetic, using only footage shot within the store. I made the choice initially to film the interview without a camera, as I felt it was lazy and unnecessary to include talking head footage in such a short documentary; and this way I could make the subject feel more comfortable, and create a more relaxed atmosphere for him to speak calmly and coherently. This first edit is more inline with my usual style of documentary and I feel works effectively to give an impression of the store and the line of work despite not having the time to go more in-depth. The choice of vision is used to affirm the image of the store created in White’s narration. In editing the documentary, I left the title sequence to last, and would have preferred to integrate it into the film, however it could did not fit well anywhere without appearing while White was speaking. Ultimately however, by placing it at the start of the film, this sequence works to set the tone of the documentary. In future I would also like to spend more time upon editing, mixing and mastering audio, as although the recorded audio for this film is fairly clean, it could be far better with some time and knowledge applied to it. If I were to re-shoot this documentary I would perhaps include more shots with movement to create a more dynamic work, and incorporate music in order to allow longer stretches of film without the subject’s narration. Despite this, the relative stillness of the film ultimately reaffirms the setting, overall working effectively to replicate the tone of Wunderkammer for the viewer.

 

Second Iteration 

For the second iteration of the documentary, I was interested to see how much of a difference just a very small change could make. Without the manipulation of music, the full effect of this can be seen. By simply shifting the frame inwards, and blurring its edges, an entirely different tone is created within the work.

Wunderkammers in the old sense, were small rooms piled high with historical artefacts, scientific anomalies and the like.  A cabinet of curiosities, they afforded the viewer a peak into a particular microcosm of the world. The intention behind this iteration of the documentary was to replicate the feeling of peering into such a world. As White states, the Wunderkammer’s effect is like stepping into another world, stepping back from our own. Whereas the first was clearly more conventionally documentary – merely observing the scene, this iteration is more concerned with authentically replicating an experience, impressing the real life feeling of the Wunderkammer upon the viewer through its on-screen interpretation. The small frame invites the viewer in, drawing them to look closer, and making them feel as if they are a part of the film. It permits the viewer to feel as though they are looking into a time gone by, not least because the keyhole effect of the blurred, squared edges of the frame are reminiscent of Super 8 film. The result of this is a replication of the feeling encountered when one enters Wunderkammer in person, consequently showcasing its appeal and reaffirming the subject’s point of view.

 

Third Iteration

For the final iteration of the film, I was interested to see the effect of continuously contrasting the skulls and taxidermy from the shop, with vintage footage of their living counterparts; if it would taint the appeal of the shop, create a sinister undertone or undermine the subject’s narration. I experimented with editing in the living animals both before and after the dead. When placed after the dead artefacts, the living animals sharply remind the audience the reality of what they are admiring. When placed before, they offer a stark contrast, as the juxtaposition between alive and dead halts the motion of the screen. The film flicks between two subjects: hunted animals, or those in a zoo, and dead animals. In both these scenarios the animals are possessions. The resulting effect of the footage subtly remind us of our treatment of animals, whilst somewhat undermining the subject’s narration and the magic of the Wunderkammer that is felt within the other two iterations of the film.

Overall I am quite pleased with the films I was able to create, and the differing tones produced within each.