Category Archives: REFLECTIONS

Warts and all!

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The process of showing my unseasoned work to a group is like hanging my knickers up on the line… or, I feel as though I’m offering you an insight into how I organise my sock drawer. It’s all so personal dammit! But I guess that’s the thing, it helps me be real about my creative process. The world gets to see it… warts and all!

The following paragraphs describe the characters who reside in my world, which I hope to hang on the line for my peers   this week.

MELANIE 

Melanie is a psychopath. She has been called Melanie the Malevolent but don’t be caught saying it, or you’ll be thrown into a kind of a purgatory for the living. Melanie’s punitive actions may include; carrying out wanton deeds, data entry and odd jobs within her vast empire. She is one of the many barons of this world though her madness makes her stand out from the rest. At face value, she is beautiful, still and calm, but underneath, she is a tempest of hate and retribution. Regardless, she has been venerated by her peers on account of her savage business tactics, killer instinct and cut throat attitude.

THE FREE-THINKERS

The free-thinkers are a collective of societal hopefuls who’s mission is to repair the atmosphere, socially and physically, through agriculture, humour, diversity, education and the dissemination of unbiased empirical research. They frequently put on stage shows; Shakespeare, Ibsen, Samuel Beckett and the likes. These take place at their secret lair which is deep underground.

BEECROFT

Beecroft is shrinking… well, he thinks he is. This is on account of the bouts of psychosis that he suffers, which are attributed to the abuses from the harshness of this world, addiction, and the psychological and chemical administration that is ritualistically delivered to him by his boss, Melanie. He is an addict. A slave to synthetic weed, whisky, mescaline, high powered blotter acid, heroine, crack cocaine, amyl and caffeine. Aside from frequent outbursts of fear and hatred, he is a nice guy. When he is not indisposed, he reads blogs posted by the free-thinkers, he whittles soapstone and communicates to friends through a clandestine network. NOTE: He is later, diagnosed with Morgellon’s Disease which could explain why he feels as though he is shrinking.

A description of my one scene film vignette psychological drama

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THE WORLD OF BEECROFT

The sun rarely breaks through the thick black smog. This world is, for the most part, shrouded in a black cloak…  both, figuratively and physically. The rare free-thinkers (who I’ll mention soon) facetiously call the atmospheric obscurity ‘the cloud of misery’.

Overpopulation has meant that humans must either scavenge or be the masters of those who toil. One must rule or be muled. In other words, leech or be a  mule.

But what happened? How did this world become so caustic? What is its internal logic?

Consumerism is the opiate, it has become a totemism, it has caused a social chain reaction where, the rapacious human appetite for material goods has become a collective addiction… everyone is a junky for something. If you’re lucky, it’s shoes and the latest gadget, if you’re less lucky, expensive morphine, and/or a need to gaze into the ‘lights’ of the gadgets that will cause neuralgia and a subconjunctival haemorrhage causing ones eyes to bleed now and then.

Genericised trademarks have become increasingly more common in this world. Some examples that you may know already are, Crayon, Texta, Aspirin, Kerosene, Sellotape, heroin, iPhone, Jacuzzi, Xerox to name but a few.

But in this world, things like; sex, the feeling that pop candy makes in your mouth, the feeling of when it exits the body, certain plant species, photosynthesis, mercenary, kill, starvation, are all genericised trademarks that have been applied to the lexicon. Therefore, some words have lost their legal status making them all the more easier to commodify and and by extension, justify.

For this world, it breathes  opportunity for the corrupt and the wealthy, the leeches. But conversely, it spells desperation for the poor who will inevitably become the mules.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for subordinates.

There is however, a talisman of hope for the less fortunate, as formally witnessed by the junky mule protagonist Beecroft. It is the uprising of free thinkers who’s mission is to repair the atmosphere, socially and physically, through agriculture, humour, education and the dissemination of unbiased empirical research.

However, such an agenda is damaging to the upper echelons of this society and they will do all they can to stop its progression.

My idea for a world of psychological drama

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In this post, I’m hoping to deliver the sense of my world, the aim is to make it as visceral as it can be.

I wish you the best of luck should you choose to sit through Annal Nathrakh’s Pandemonic Hyperblast, furthermore, if you’re a musician and you choose to attempt to play it… you are a freak!

Hats off.

The Script

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Attached to this post is the first instalment of my dark adaptation Treehorn. It is of the moment when Beecroft, the story’s protagonist, and Harvey, a pivotal character, first meet on the grounds of Hazel’s Estate. This scene is intended to function as the beginning of Beecroft and Harvey’s friendship.

Within this sequence, I have attempted to address issues of mental health, human intimacy and  social acceptance all in the backdrop of a lush green garden which, in this world, is a luxury that only the wealthiest can acquire.

What I think works in this piece, is the protagonist’s shift in emotion. He begins with rage and defeat but then concludes his arc with hope. I also find Harvey interesting and can almost envisage his jocular jovial manner,  though, he is probably understated in this scene.

This script could be improved further with more set detail. Hazel’s Estate should be opulent and teeming with useless ornamental trinkets that overtly emphasise wealth and social importance. I also feel that the title of this piece should be changed to Beecroft which apparently means ‘bee farm’ in Middle English. I envisaged that our protagonist’s thoughts would sound like a busy beehive — hence the reason for Beecroft’s name.

Treehorn-1is0v0v

‘What an elephant isn’t’

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In a 1991 lecture, actor and comedian John Cleese states that, “I always find that if two (or more) of us throw ideas backwards and forwards I get to more interesting and original places than I could have ever have gotten to on my own”. Although this is a powerful statement, I kind of feel like Cleese is preaching to the converted somehow. It resonated with me far less than other moments in the speech. Though not because I didn’t whole heartedly agree with it, but because I feel as though collaboration is innate. Further, the passage where Cleese describes ‘what an elephant isn’t’ (03:36) took my thinking into far deeper and more interesting places than collaboration.

For instance, collaboration has been the cornerstone of my creative existence! For as long as I can remember, the notion of bouncing ideas off a willing friend or associate has led to some of the biggest accomplishments of my life. Through attending university, team work is as much a prerequisite as it is a necessity, be it academically or socially.

Just this morning, I ran into a buddy and class mate Brydan who roused me from my morning, sleep-with-my-eyes-open-keypad-mash at the RMIT Student Hub. The interaction was social until it soon turned into an invaluable meeting that would significantly enhance my assignment and the way I think about writing character

At the time, a tiny fraction of my brain that was awake was attempting to ascertain why Final Draft was exporting unreadable .sex files as opposed to PDF’s. Brydan offered some advice on the issue and at last! A PDF was produced revealing the first pages of my script. He then asked if he could read it and without hesitation, I handed him my computer so that he could view the page on the screen.

After thoroughly reading my short script, ‘Buddy’ Brydan discovered an important aspect to one of my characters that I hadn’t (and probably wouldn’t have) noticed. Through profiling the character Treehorn’s socio-economic status, we worked out that he was from a wealthier family than first thought. Brydan deduced this by noting that in the script, Treehorn had had a gardener working on his parents property in the past which therefore implies affluence as groundskeepers are costly. Brydan quizzed me on this and as I responded to Brydan’s query, Treehorn changed. Not into a different character, but rather into an enriched version of what I had already created.

And there you have it, through collaboration new layers have formed opening potential pathways for further narrative. But this is just one example of a collaboration! I feel as though collaborations such as this one happen all the time. What I think Cleese is doing well in his lecture, is instilling common sense. I feel as humans, we have an innate urge to collaborate which is possibly why we’re so glued to social media but I digress.

What I found most interesting about Cleese’s lecture was the deduction of what creativity isn’t rather than what it is. “It’s easier to say what creativity isn’t. A bit like the Sculptor, who when asked, how he had sculpted a very fine elephant, explained that he’d taken a big block of marble, and then knocked away all the bits that didn’t look like an elephant”  (03:36). This statement reminded me of the world that conceptual sculptor Rachel Whiteread forms in her exhibitions. Whiteread creates giant plaster casts of empty space. This concept of envisaging negative space, I believe, could allow people to get out of their heads, fret less about the unknown and stay true to the present and in turn themselves.

Though, as I am still exploring the affordances of such existential thought, nay… as I am still baffled with such existential thought, I decided to spare myself the brain-melt and delegate the  excursion to my characters. They can be the ones to explore this, somewhat Cartesian, thought labyrinth like Guinea Pigs that are alive but only on the page. If my character Treehorn applies the thought of negative space, to defuse his disturbing, turbulent, mercurial thoughts to calm the storm that rages within him, perhaps we will be graced with a blissful leitmotif that balances out the story’s overall carnage. Otherwise, there’s just no relief.

Overall, Cleese’s statement has contributed to the expansion of my creative thinking and could potentially influence significant components of the world that I hope to create.

– Cleese, J 1991, A lecture on creativity, https://vimeo.com/18913413//.

– Parry, F 1971, The Shrinking of Treehorn, Holiday House Publishing.

– Whiteread, R (last accessed 23/3/2017) – http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/rachel-whiteread-2319

THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR FRIEND

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I honest to god had my first light bulb moment today! Probably the first of its type for the year. It was in response to one of the five questions that we have been asked to ruminate on until the next class.

How does the world affect the tone of what we see?

The dreariness of the weather, the cold colour tones, the air of hopelessness all contribute to a sense that we will be pushed to the threshold of our mental wellbeing. As viewers and as characters, this world will be the impetus for us to either fight or fly and overall, stay glued to our objective.

Had the character Ray been placed in a tropical environment to tell her story, her urgency to acquire a house out of the elements mightn’t have been as palpable. She may have rethought her decision to pull a gun on Lila. She may have sort shelter elsewhere.

This world is not her friend no matter how caring she is toward her family.

We as viewers, we are drawn into her plight and with the realistic production are reminded that this could be our plight too.

Continuing on from my previous (somewhat tangential) blog…

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Continuing on from my previous (somewhat tangential) blog…

We were asked to write something we like, then something we hate. Then we were to add five reasons why we like it, five reasons why we hate it. Then, we were to write five reasons why someone might like what we hate, and why someone might hate what we like. Who would these people be?

What stories could we tell?

So…

I like sound/audio and I hate how I have to pay $9 to the government for a concession card.

In applying the exercise…

I like audio because;

  • it can be sculpted
  • audio technology has surpassed visual production
  • it is difficult to block out
  • it tells a story
  • the principal of sound can be paralleled to the existence of the universe

I hate having to pay $9 to the government for a concession card because;

  • it doesn’t seem justifiable
  • the government don’t need my $9
  • government money may go toward the military which I don’t mind to a degree however they aren’t using tax payers $$$ efficiently. For example, the JSF which is a contract that has been on hold for nearly 10 years and tax payers have been paying hundreds of millions of dollars for the licensing
  • I have very little voice to contest this
  • That could be spent on my lunch or toward the money that I save when I use my concession

The reasons why someone might like what I hate could include;

  • one may believe that the $9 concession card fee goes toward the teller’s wage
  • they may also believe that the fleet of JSFs will be delivered this year
  • they may enjoy airshows
  • Their boss told them to charge $9 and if they were to consider wavering it, they won’t get their promotion
  • They are malevolent to the core and revel in the thought of societal struggle

Someone may hate Sound/audio because;

– it can hurt your ears when near a construction site or an airshow

– people can use sound offends

– some may prefer vision

– they may be hard of hearing

– the thought of sound/audio may evoke a bad memory like an ex or a bad performance

Finally… 

This exercise has been a lot of fun and it has contributed to the first 2 characters in my story!

Advancing to this inspiration came on a night out watching Andrew Knight and Jan Sardi speak about film writing, I observed several platitudes that seemed to function as space-fillers.

At Etihad Stadium that same evening, I conversed with many people who spoke mechanically as though they were automatons in a Stepford nightmare. They were trialling a rotoscope camera which delivered impressive images though those I spoke to couldn’t seem to answer simple questions such as, ‘whats your involvement’ without looking as though they had just inserted a floppy disc into their brains.

It reminded me of Jacques Tati’s 1967 film Playtime where humans became secondary to the cold complicated machinery that ruled their lives.

From here, the first character B was born. B is a surviver who craves the human touch and is the personification of the lack of societal intimacy as a result of advancements of technology and bureaucracy. B’s antagonist is H. H who is malevolent to the core and profits off the fear of others.

Offering Feedback (M5 Blog 1)

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It’s been a while since I’ve added to this blog and understandably, I’ve changed though not nearly as much as the free world around me.

What hasn’t changed, are the reams of digi-pulp that bookend fundamentals such as school, employment, raising a family… and even death!

In response to this, I am, more so than ever, referring back to Cartesian philosophy to ease the grip of bureaucracy that seems to have washed over me like a Teahupoo monster. After the holidays, with no surf, and far to much time to think and therefore slipping into somewhat of an existential crises, it was awfully nice to be offered clear cut guidelines on ‘how to give notes’ by our lecturer Stayci Taylor.

In class, I remember thinking that advice like this is invaluable. In my first semester, we exercised an activity where we were to offer critical advice to our fellow classmates, applying similar modes as expounded by Peter Bloore in his book The Screenplay Business: Managing creativity and script development (2013).

For me, when offering feedback, I have learned to apply the steps; what you like about something, what was your first instinct, how could it be improved and where else could it go.

Peter Bloore’s treatise has certainly enriched my understanding of how to tactfully offer feedback and support.

Yidaki by The Yarra with Kent Morris (field)

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COMM2625 MEDIA 2 – Field Production 11th of September 2015
Daniel Bowden
s3521907

SITE LINK: http://s3521907.wix.com/audioorganica#!yidaki-by-the-yarra/vdi3u

‘Yidaki’ is the traditional name for the didgeridoo, it has a unique sound quality that becomes amplified when played in the ‘sweet-spot’ under the arch of the Morell Bridge.

Kent Morris, who is playing the yidaki in this production, is a Songwriter, Producer, Musician and CEO of The Torch in Victoria.

Kent is also a proud descendent of the Barkindji people of the Darling River in New South Wales and here in this piece, we are able to understand the Morell space, not only in an aural context but in a cultural and spiritual one too.

Yidaki by the Yarra with Kent Morris

This work consists of recordings made on a short trip to the Morell Bridge in South Yarra with Songwriter, Producer and The Torch CEO, Kent Morris. It features Kent’s yidaki (didgeridoo) playing performed and recorded at the location by the river.

The piece is introduced with a brief phone conversation inviting Kent to be apart of the project and eventually, an informal interview inside Kent’s kombi that uncovers the challenges of Kent’s work as a producer. This in-car conversation is included in order to provide the listener with Kent’s background which I’m hoping will enrich the experience of listening to his playing.

In the background can be heard a CD of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s album Rrakala. This reinforces Kent’s own indigenous heritage and the fact that the location, Birrarung, is important to Aboriginal people, hence my decision to record a traditional instrument such as the yidaki there.

Another important reason for recording the yidaki in this space, is that its sound quality highlights the echoes and the organic delay effect caused by the bridge’s parabolic underside of smooth curved bricks. The clap sticks served to further elaborate the effect of the bridge on the sound quality as well as heightening the piece’s cultural context.

The recording equipment that I used included an H6 Zoom recorder with a 120 degree axis X/Y mic plus two phantom powered Rode studio condenser upright microphones. To achieve the maximum left/right pan width, I had to separate the two condenser mics approximately 4 metres apart, and positioned to the edges of the balustrade above. The Zoom mic and recorder remained central to the span of the bridge, between the condenser mics and at speaking height to produce a symmetrical

sound split. The sounds that were closer to the space, like the yidaki and the voice, were primarily picked up by the Zoom and anything beyond the space, like the traffic and the pedestrians, were picked up by the condenser mics. Much of the session was spent readjusting the microphones’ positions, so that I could achieve the best possible example of the sound space.

The time of the recording session took place after 10pm due to Kent’s daytime commitments and it was serendipitous that we were confined to recording late because the freeway was quieter and so too was the normally busy bike path that runs through the space.

My interest in natural acoustics came from Trevor Cox’s article Past Echoes (2010) that was cited on Radio National’s Radiotonic edition entitled Volume Without Sparks by Timothy Nicastri (2015). Had I had more time, I may have produced further acoustic experiments where I explore how different curved surfaces affect the sound of different instruments. Having sadly not achieved all that I wanted to due to time restraints, I have again been made aware of the time management that must go into all Radio’s New Wave projects.

Kent and HughiePhoto by Andrew Englisch (2014).

_____

 

References;

  • Cox, T, (21 August, 2010), Pg. 44, Past Echoes: New Scientist, London UK , Reed Elsevier.
  • Gurrumul Yunupingu, G, (2011), [CD], Rrakala, NT Australia, Skinnyfish Music.
  • Nicastri, T, (17th of April, 2015), Volume Without Sparks – Radiotonic, Radio National, Australia.