Monthly Archives: May 2016

This week, I read some interesting and useful articles that talk about how to arrange the function of characters in script. Role is usually charged with multiple functions, the role possible is a lover, catalytic event and close friend. However, mostly, different roles have different functions because if there are couples of roles have the same function, the effect of each role would be reduced.

So we can classify five kinds of function of role: protagonist, supporting role, thematic role, the role that increase the hierarchy.

This article just focuses on the protagonist who is responsible to promote the development of storyline. Protagonist is the centre of their story, and protagonist should be attractive so that the audience could spend couples of hours on the protagonist.

Usually, protagonist has positive attitude, like a hero. They are powerful, such as James Bond and Jason Bourne. In spite of this, it doesn’t mean the protagonist is a perfect person who doesn’t have weakness. Probably the protagonist has some features that audiences do not like, and also protagonist would make some decisions that audience do not like. However, protagonist is so captivating and attractive, catching attention of audience. Moreover, if the protagonist is created in wonderful way, in the long time, audience would like to see movie only for the protagonist. For example, Captain America, Iron man, the hulk and other characters in a list of movie of Marvel.

Occasionally, the protagonist is a negative character, such as the protagonist in the movie named Gone with the wind. The weakness of this kind of protagonist is very obvious. In this case, it is hard for audience to have sympathy for protagonist, in the contrast, we can understand and consider about the story from the point of view of protagonist.

For villain, it is very necessary in every story because the dramatic conflicts would be formed. As everyone knows that villain often is an evil character who always wants to prevent the protagonist to finish his mission. However, there is a common mistake that people always make, the villain cannot be always characterized as a negative person but a positive character. The villain only needs to stand on the opposite side of the protagonist. For example, in the movie named Mozart, Salieri is the protagonist and Mozart is the villain. According to audience, they prefer Mozart more than Salieri. I think we can call this method that protagonist and villain is competitor of each other as the duet between protagonist and villain.

At the beginning of this workshop, we have seen all the films of students. We all enjoyed it; unfortunately, my film had some mistake that it was not completed. Finally, I found out the solution. After we saw the films, we discussed lots of films that belong to us. Professor Louis suggested us that we can discuss four parts about the films we made. These four parts are that apprise the films are technical or aesthetic in visual style; is the structure narrative; how is the controlling idea of the story; and how are each elements of a film. I still remember that the film of Sylvia is about her boyfriend who is a graphic designer. The title of her film is as a designer, it is very obvious and concrete, which can let audience know who is the protagonist of this film. At the beginning of her film, the element is about his daily life, playing piano, painting and walking along the Yarra River. In his peaceful life, he is not always happy. He would be confused when he cannot have some good ideas to design.

In the rest of this class, we continued the topic that have mentioned in the lecture on Monday, the collaboration. In collaboration, we all agree that media industry is more important creative, and the creative type is more necessary than characteristics. Indeed, in a group, each member has one more responsibility that is contribute to your team.

For better collaboration, we all gave lots of suggestions of what we should do in collaboration.

For example, a concrete goal is necessary in teamwork because it can gather everyone to do the same things, enhancing the power of teamwork. Moreover, each group member has equal position so we cannot vote somebody only for the reason that he or she is my good friend.

Wish everyone will have a good collaboration for project brief 4.

Feedback of PB3:

When I received the feedback and scours of the PB3, my heart seems like to jump out of my body. This time I got 67, Credit. Better than the last time so to some extent I was happy to see my progress. According to the feedback, my PB3 Video Portrait was very good. ‘The variety of vision you used and your editing was highly commendable. Well done.’ However, my vision was overexposed and the audio quality was poor. So next time I will develop and take more care of this area.

This reading is from a book named Documentary, experimental and animated films, chapter 10. This chapter is mainly about types of form in documentary films. Mostly, documentaries are organized as narratives, like fiction films. However, there are still many non-narrative types of documentary form. There are four basic modes of non-narrative formal system: categorical, rhetorical, abstract and associational. And then in this chapter, only categorical and rhetorical are discussed so I will focus on these two modes.

Categorical films organize their subjects via a process of classification, groupings, and categorization. Taking travelogue as an example, categorical films often start by identifying the subject, and their patterns of development are limited and simple.

For rhetorical films, their elements would be organized as the presentation of a persuasive argument. Also, there is an example that The Thin Blue Line, 60 Minutes. For the rhetorical films, I think we can conclude in 6 points. Firstly, their goal is that persuade audience to accept an opinion about the subject matter. Then, they would attempt to make an explicit argument. Next, their viewer would be addressed directly. Moreover, sometimes the subject would be a matter of opinion or attitude, not an issue of scientific truth. The next one is that the film will usually appeal to emotion once its conclusions cannot be made scientifically, or beyond questions. Finally, frequently presents arguments as if they were observation.

Although I read and conclude the chapter, I still cannot understand exactly what the rhetorical and categorical mean. I think I should better see more documentaries.

Prepare for the project brief 4, this time; the topic of the lecture is collaboration. Rachel Wilson gave a speaking of the collaboration, and before she spoke, there was a video about the collaboration for us students. The video showed a terrible situation that some group members come late and other members have to wait for the late one. During the discussion, someone is talking about other topic, their daily life experience. So finally, the communication and discussion failed, leaving the leader along in the room.

To avoid this kind of situation, the following speaking and teaching is necessary, although we have hear about it since we are young. Now, for many employers, teamwork is still the most important element they take seriously. Because a company is a team, people gather together to work, earn money and other things else. Just like what the Rachel said, group work can give you opportunity to participate in complex project, learn more effectively and remain knowledge，and develop your professional skills.

Before I came to Australia, I have been in China for almost 18 years. In Chinese school, teacher and the traditional education culture stress that student should study by themselves without group. However, they support students do activity and other things together. In contrast, western education culture stress students study in group.

Now, there is a question: In collaboration, it is good that students have similar ideas and opinions?

As everyone knows, people like to play with those who have similar ideas and opinions, concretely the philosophy, sense of worth and weltanschauung. Because they will feel comfortable to talk, work and do lots of things. In my opinion, there would have a problem that it is difficult to communicate with people who have different weltanschauung, day by day, more gaps would appear in our community and society.

Group is as a small community, if the members in a group have same and similar opinions and ideas, the collaboration would be processed smoothly. However, their opinions would possible be limited.