Before this studio, I’d never considered noticing as an active practice. It was never something that I devoted much thought to, if at all. Much like breathing, or walking; noticing, to me, was obviously something I do almost at all times, but an action that never really requires consistent, conscious effort.
I simply thought noticing was becoming aware of something. But it can be much more than that. And it can be a much more active, conscious process than I initially thought.
Prior to our first few classes, I hadn’t really thought about how what I notice impacts my film-making. Obviously as a filmmaker, you try to control what the audience notices within any given shot. However, I hadn’t thought about what I notice. When I am setting up a camera or choosing somewhere to shoot, what things do I notice that shape my decision making? And how could I interpret similarities in what I notice throughout a film-making process? Perhaps even more importantly, how can I ensure that the audience notice the same thing I do? If I’m trying to bring the audience’s attention to a particular part of a shot or something within the shot, what is the best way to draw them in? What do people inherently want to notice, and how can a filmmaker use that to their advantage?
Noticing is not simply one action, but it is a collection of practices that enable us to learn from, experience, and inform our future actions (John Mason, 2001). It is something that can be honed and practiced, rather than something that simply happens to us. While it’s true it can be reactive, say suddenly shifting and intently focusing on a new, unexpected noise or flash of light, it can also be proactive; in that we can deliberately attend to something and actively focus our attention on a desired object.
Reference
Mason, John, Researching your own practice: the discipline of noticing, (p. 29-38). London: Routledge Falmer, 2001