The Portrait interview was a challenge.
I had a clear idea of what I wanted to emulate, having watched many videos from i-D and Vice online, I wanted to achieve a reflective piece of work that didn’t appear forced, or as though the talent was responding to questions.
I wanted the video to take on a reflective quality, as though they were talking to themselves and unravelling their answers as they went.

I used a Canon 5D3 of my own with rented RMIT lenses to help me achieve the varied looks and wide angled shots.
One of the biggest hurdles I came across was solely to do with my unsureness in regards to what my boundaries were, as well as audio.
In order to create a seamless interview, as per above, I wasn’t sure how I could intervene without interfering with the authenticity of the talent’s reflection.
Could I say ‘cut’, ask the person to repeat their answer? Would it have affected the final result? Would it still technically be their response, or would they slowly be responding to my prompts and would the interview then take the form of something what I wanted instead of who they were…

Joanna, my interviewee, drew out her sentences and her tone picked up at the end of her words.
This, coupled with my apprehensiveness, made it very difficult for me in the editing process to tie things off and transition them seamlessly.
Audio was difficult to choose and I don’t feel that the tracks I chose fit her style as much as they tailor to a general mood I was trying to create; contemplative, ponderous..
There were portions of audio that I wanted to use but not all were usable because they either ran too long or didn’t leave enough time for other content.
Challenges in capturing sound were also an issue and in hindsight I should have used a sound booth because I didn’t end up using the footage that I filmed of Joanna talking anyway.

Locations were interesting to work with and I encountered strange issues such as not being able to film on a camera but filming and taking photos on a phone were oddly allowed everywhere.
Ask and you will receive was the case with the Kino cinema; I had free rein of the place and its un-used cinemas.

Working with a piece such as this posed many challenges but it was enjoyable too.
Aesthetic and timing considerations were something I overlook as a still image maker.
I enjoyed seeing the alternative ways that the editing could be used to create a different mood and my perfectionism was tested.
I tried my best to match the beat with a shot change to further emphasize movement and give the piece rhythm but it proved more difficult than anticipated.
I would have liked to have chosen a track before shooting so that I could have tailored some of Joanna’s (interviewee) movements to suit them. Above all, I think the piece has potential but I’m happy enough to submit this as a first attempt.