Name: Carl Gibson s3324901
Film Chosen : http://vogmae.net.au/classworks/media/2010/kfilms/asianmeetsmelbourne/
‘When Asian Meets Melbourne’ (2010) explores the cultures of seven international students living in Australia. The film uses a blog style to communicate the feelings the students have about studying in Australia as well as some evidence of their culture in Melbourne’s central business district.
Content
The majority of the videos featured in ‘When Asian Meets Melbourne’ (2010) use the vlog or video blog format. The videos by each of the students discussing their experiences in Melbourne are shot by themselves, from a stand still camera or by a third party in a handheld casual style. Apart from the occasional edit the clips have no signs of post-production and serve to communicate to the audience in the most direct way possible, speaking to the camera. “Video blogs foster linking and conversations between content creators and their audience.” (Garfield, Tames 2006) They are able to connect with the audience on a personal level, as if you are sitting with them having the conversation. The simple subject matter used in the film caters to this style of film making. Much of the information we receive from the students in the film is about simple topics such as their favorite food, friends and university life and it is delivered in an informal way. The audience can see this in the first clip presented in the Korean category where the Monash University student JiYun introduces herself. The Video is shot in what appears to be a shop, based off the overwhelming ambient noise in the back ground. As she explains what she is studying the audience hears the response “yep”. This along with the shaky point of view camera motion gives the impression that you are having this conversation with JiYun and meeting her for the first time. Although this style of film making is often seen as being unprofessional and risks losing audience attention, it does create a scrap book casual style synonymous with university life.
The remainder of the content used in the film is still images and brief videos that aim to give the audience a glimpse at the student’s culture. Despite no voice over and little to no text explaining the images and videos shown it is assumed that they are various shots of places, objects and food from the six different cultures, taken around Melbourne. The images are often revolve around the theme of the students country’s pop culture e.g. films, television shows, video games etc. “Pop culture involves the aspects of social life most actively involved in by the public.”(Philosophy Now 2014) Many of the still images shown are of aspects of the culture university students would most be involved in or engage in. It is evident that this is a film made by students for students as a lot of the content depicted is what young adults would find interesting e.g. video games and action films, as they believe that it is an important part of their culture.
Interface
The film uses an interface not traditionally seen in Korsakow projects. What begins as an audience dictated experience with an evident beginning in the form of the student introduction then becomes a randomized collage of clips. The film uses south East Asian flags as its primary means of categorizing the content. Upon clicking on a country’s flag the audience is shown the corresponding student from that nation, linking the interface with the content. The audience sees this in the beginning. Five of the six flags are shown and the viewer can begin with which ever student they want. This nonlinear story telling is a Korsakow staple and makes the user feel as though they are in control of the experience and can view the clips at their own pace, connecting the user to the content. “The concept of linear film comes from the technical restrictions of the pre-computer era, which pastes the individual scenes together for eternity. That’s not the case in a Korsakow film. The scenes are linked to one another in a variable way.” (Thalhofer 2011) Although it is nonlinear it guides the user on a short path, as if the student’s video and the flag are linked. However that categorization seems to end there. After the first click the user is left to their own devices and the once thought out interface of having the 5 flags around the title screen becomes a randomization of clips. The interface is successful in allowing the user to view every video the film has to offer but does force the user to view the same clip multiple times.
Pattern
The film revolves heavily around the ideas of culture and what it is like to be interactive with people from the same and or other cultures. The film starts with a layout presenting five flags of countries of the continent of Asia. The motif of flags is prominent throughout the film as it aims to represent the differences in the Asian cultures and connect the audience to the content. The flags open portals into blogs by the international students from those countries and we are given a brief introduction on each student.
Each video is shot in the same pattern, opening with the student stating the question e.g. “Favorite dish in my country?” and then the student answers the question. Similarly the pattern of having the topic stated in writing below the video continues throughout the film. This unfortunately does not connect to the interface. The videos based on the students’ favorite dishes are not grouped together in the interface. Instead the preview pictures on the sides of the current video playing lead to a randomized clip about another student discussing a totally different topic. The Design of Korsakow specializes in not telling “the audience what to think; they have to think themselves.”( Thalhofer 2011) This film takes this idea to great heights by taking the audience on a random adventure after the first sequence.
Rome wasn’t built in a day but maybe this film was. Its slapped together style makes for an interesting parallel between students and University life style. After viewing the film the user will walk away having received the most interesting information from the more personal blogs rather than the still images of china town and other Asian orientated Melbourne locations. The lack of effort in the films design leaves much to be desired but it is able to accomplish what it appears to have set out to do, create a film that shows the social complications and benefits of being an international student studying in Melbourne.
References:
Garfield, S, Tames, D 2006, Media Revolution: Podcasting Part 2, New England Film, viewed 30 March 2014 < http://newenglandfilm.com/news/archives/2006/02/podcasting.htm>
Philosophy Now 2014, “Pop Culture: An Overview”, Philosophy Now a magazine of ideas, viewed 1 April 2014 < http://philosophynow.org/issues/64/Pop_Culture_An_Overview >
Thalhofer, F 2011, Interview: “I don’t want to be captivated”, The Goethe-Institut, viewed 1 April 2014 <http://www.goethe.de/uun/bdu/en7654604.htm>