This week’s reading concerned itself with how a short documentary explains and establishes arguments, through:

• Words or
• Mere sound and visuals.

Considering that my short film is going to be about a topic that isn’t common knowledge, there will need to be some explanation involved. The native ingredients themselves will need to be labelled – via subtitles or voiceover – because I want my audience to learn their names, and learn something new. But I realise there should also be moments where the audience is allowed to establish their own recognition of the plants – maybe I let this footage linger without interference before or after I give it a name.

In week 3’s blog I mentioned that I want to have a minimal soundtrack, mainly using atmospheric sound – and I think that will provoke me to focus on the visuals and how the movement and actions within them create meaning, or create a kind of narrative.

Otherwise, I will probably have things like having the interviewee state their name and who they are, where they’re from. That sort of explanation. But then the visuals should also allude to this and tell you what their personality is like, and how they act on camera. I think the easiest way to do this is have them talk and answer a question… And keep the interview just rolling. Maybe keep in an awkward silence or a laugh. Or mute a part of the interview where they’re listening – to show what they’re like when they’re not busy trying to explain themselves.

I think it’ll be in these moments where I can really marry the “film aesthetic to the footage”, because I’ll match the reflective tone to the reflective person.