Throughout the planning stages of this assignment, Yucheng and I discussed the many themes we wanted to explore in our media product. These included the differences and similarities in the environment, specifically the natural aspects and the industrial aspects of each location. Through making the video, we noticed the colour pallet of each location was vastly different, with the train station having lots of vibrant and warm colours such as orange and yellow, whereas the park featured more cold and washed out colours such as green and grey, specifically due to the overcast weather on the shoot.

Another aspect of the product we set out to notice and manipulate was the power of memory, and its association with place. I spoke about this in a previous blog post, but we decided to incorporate it in the video itself by recording our written memory from class, and chopping it up and placing it within. This was to tell two different stories related to each place. I spoke about a memorable gathering I attended last year and the positive feelings I felt from it, and Yucheng spoke about her first time travelling to Melbourne Central Station, and the initial unease she experienced. I feel like this recordings add a layer of truth and vulnerability to these places, that they are actually lived in and can effect people. We were inspired to incorporate this style of voice over through the in class example of  Chantal Akerman’s ‘News from Home’, released in 1977. The voice over in that film was so powerful, because of the contrast between the often mundane shots and the powerful letters being read out.

However, a theme we didn’t notice until the editing process of this task, was the flow and pace of the two locations, a majority of which was conveyed coincidentally. We noticed that the train station was chaotic, most noticeably in the busyness of the people, rushing in and around the station, the constant announcements and the frequent services. But what we didn’t notice initially was the shaky movement of theshots (filmed by me), that enhanced the rushed and high intensity feel that we were attempting in the shots and the story being told over it. In contrast however, we noticed in the editing bay how calm, empty and peaceful the park seemed to be, with the exception of the 4pm school rush. Furthermore, Yucheng’s shots and movements were a lot more smooth and steady, again, enhancing that slow and calming vibe of the park. These qualities in the different videos made it interesting to contrast between locations, as we manipulated them further with their timeline placement. For example, whenever we are highlighting the park, the shot duration is often longer, and less frantic, with a maximum of two images being shown on screen at once. However, when displaying the train station, shots are often layered and ever-changing, with as many as 4 videos playing at once. These deliberate editing decisions further emphasises the pace and nature of each place, with the final shot layering the two places, both visually and audibly together, suggesting they are more similar than once thought, specifically the fact that both places have people pass through them, no matter what their speed or goal.