Week 4.1 – Pitches and Pictures

As we get closer to the filming of our individual or group documentaries, we covered more of the details that need to be considered before filming. These included:

Break down the action into the different locations or events you need to film
What is the location
Who will be featured
What is the action
Factual information to incorporate
Aspect of the dramatic structure
Special visual/aural aspects of the sequence

We then covered what our pitch should address:

Why you have chosen the site
What change has taken place
What is at stake both for the places and for characters/community
What obstacles were faced in achieving or as a result of change
What research is likely to reveal

And what our pitch should do:

Evoke interest in the proposed film
Convince listeners that it is important, interesting and feasible
Be clear of the theme being presented
Why it is important to you
Be enthusiastic and passionate

Important: what can it tell us about the human condition?

We also compiled a list of quotes that pertain to the theme of memory and identity. Some that I particularly liked the sound of or thought worked well in the context of my film about the Preston Market’s narrative were:

“If memory is the thread of personal identity, history is the thread of community identity”
“Geography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends”
“Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives”
“Belonging implies very much more than merely having been born in a place. It suggests that one is an integral piece of the marvellously complicated fabric which constitutes the community”

After seeing the opening sequence to ‘Icarus’ and how they made use of quotes throughout the film, I thought if I were to take an artistic approach and incorporate a quote somewhere along the film, one of these would be most appropriate. We were also instructed to take a photograph that depicts one of these quotes. I chose the last quote, and while strolling through my neighbourhood, came across the Preston Town Hall which I thought was an appropriate subject that personifies this quote. Given how large it is and the fact I couldn’t capture all three features that I wanted to in one shot, I ended chose to take a few different photos from different angles. The first is of a plaque that ‘acknowledges the Wurundjeri people as the traditional owners of this land and pay respects to their elders past and present’. The second subject is the small shrine out the front of the town hall is dedicated to ‘the memory of the citizens of Preston who gave their lives and those who served their country during the Second World War 1939-45 and conflicts in Korea, Malaya, Bornea and Vietnam. Lest We Forget’. And finally there is a rainbow flag adorning the front of the building (though it is slightly hard to see). The Preston Town Hall has signified that Preston is a respectful and inclusive community, allowing everyone to feel a sense of belonging…“belonging that implies very much more than merely having been born in a place. It suggests that one is an integral piece of the marvellously complicated fabric which constitutes the community.”