THE FINAL EDIT

How exactly does a live-session tell a story?

This was the question I aimed to answer through producing our final piece: The Attention Seekers Live in the Plastic Jungle. Unlike a documentary, the viewer isn’t hearing the subject express themselves through a conversation. The subjects here, The Attention Seekers, are telling a story through their music and lyrics. Yet, like a documentary, there can be other factors which assist this such as the location or b-roll. Our main intention was to express the personality of the band while showcasing their music and I believe this was achieved. It was extremely beneficial hearing from industry professionals in class and the feedback they had in regard to our work. What stood out for me was the comments made on how well we had showcased the personality of the band; the story they told. With that being our aim, we knew that viewers were following what we wanted to express.

I am really proud of the shot-construction we were able to deliver for this assignment and how that paid off in the final edit. Having three people on camera duty meant that we could generate a lot of footage from a variety of different angles; inspiring experimentation. We didn’t go in without a plan, each one of us figured out a spot to stick to and worked with the subjects in that spot. That way, our footage and time wasn’t wasted on sloppy framing or irrelevant shots. The shot I was able to create from sitting in the middle of the band’s circle particularly paid off in the end and is one I’m really proud of.

In term’s of media-production skills, in the future it would be beneficial for myself if I learn to play around with lighting more. Ziggy was a professional when setting up our lights, and although last year I did learn how to create a good lighting space, I do need a good refresher. I also didn’t get to work on the edit of this piece, meaning my editing skills have become a little shabby. Hopefully next semester I get to work more on the editing side of things rather than just on the production.