Select from one of the readings and briefly describe two points that you have taken from it. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you. 

In “Imagining reality”, Pawlikowski reminded any other aspiring film-maker out there to not blatantly record material, but instead place them in a way that you yourselves would see it. He pointed out the “problem” with current society is that film-making is accessible to anyone who owns an electronic device with editing capabilities. Film-makers are prompted to give their documentary form, to which is what that would ultimately define their work.

“The most successful documentaries nowadays seem to be those made by people with a lot of time on their hands, people who can stalk their subjects five or ten years or more…”. I find this to be an erratic issue as some documentaries like Modern Love – Beyond Love can have an idea revolving around a general theme, but it kept me interested through it’s style of execution and narration. If film-making is so accessible, it means that watching films should be effortless. I believe that with the abundance of platforms that allow you to watch videos could also mean that any good film, has the potential to “make it”.

In the lecture we screened a short film called ‘End of the Line’ – the film shot in Broken Hill. 

Please describe in 300 words or less if you think they achieved what they set out to do.

I feel that the producers have succeeded in terms of execution and choice of cast. “We want the footage to make the audience realise how small they are in comparison to nature,” I feel that their approach towards a documentary which has somewhat a mystic undertone has been successfully brought out through the sublime outback, along with the personalities that accompanied it, i.e. the elderly woman who went there just to spend the remainders of her life. I like the seclusion and isolation that is portrayed by the cast because it somehow compliments the entire setting of the documentary. I liked that the producers did not include a narration because the personality brought out by the people justified their intentions. In terms of aesthetics, some of the shots were beautifully constructed, in which, without any verbal explanation, carried meaning. Some shots, however, like the cutaways, were shaky and I think it, in a way, disrupted the calmness of the film.

Listen to the audio you recorded in Tute #1.  Here. Write a paragraph or two about your recording from a technical and/or “poetic” perspective.  

Consider:

What these sounds evoke for you.  What associations they have. 

Do any of your recordings suggest images?  What might they be?  

Do any of your recordings suggest the possibility of other recordings?

For me, the combination of the sound of a youthful crowd and the constant blaring of electronic dance music in the background portrays the effervescence of modern youth society. The muffled conversations further adds to the element of life, and makes the piece more alive, along with the slight impressions of wind blowing in the background.

Write your answer in your blog then insert the text here and the link to your post (Use insert link tool).

Listen to the first 10 minutes of Glenn Gould’s radio documentary, “The Idea of North”.

The idea of North 10min.wav or Files are here (experimenting with different sizes and file types) If possible, use headphones.  Record your impressions in a paragraph or two.

I was hearing a voice, describing the north, then voices, then it was just noise. There was so much going on during the intro I could barely make out what each person was saying, but I could, however, hear that there were 3 people. When the pace finally slowed down, the documentary shed much more light on the subject they were talking about, and with the introduction of background sounds, I could start to visualise the north. I still found it hard to focus over the prominent accents and background sounds – a train, and incessant wind. Overall, it was rather unsettling as there was an abundance of sound going on throughout the documentary, making it really hard for me to concentrate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this week’s lecture, scenes from Scott Ruo’s ‘Four Images’, Brian Hill’s ‘Drinking for England’ and Chantal Akerman’s ‘D’Est’ were screened.  Choose one of these, and consider, in a single paragraph, what might have intrigued, interested, displeased or repelled you.

In Brian Hill’s ‘Drinking for England’, the thought of using music and poetry to convey meaning in a documentary somehow conflicted with my inner filmmaker. Despite the idiosyncratic construction, I somehow managed to see meaning through the successful portrayal the relationship between a man and his unsettling conventions. To me, it brought a sense of accomplishment, for understanding something that I do not fancy. Ultimately, it left me perplexed at the level of complexity a documentary could be.

In 200 words or less please outline your goals, desires – what you want to get out of this semester. You will review this later in the course. Many will rethink this dramatically by the end of the course – this is a good thing.

I have always wanted to venture into a field which is fairly alien to me. Since the focus of this semester’s Film/TV2 would be documentaries, it would suit as a perfect opportunity for me to practice my skills, as well as learning how to create a new style of film. Based on what I experienced and learned last semester in Film/TV 1, I intend to improve on my ability to work with others, my cinematography, and to further understand the anatomy of a documentary.