Category Archives: Practical

PB4 Annotated Reference – Institutions

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PB4 Annotated Reference – Institutions:

Guglielmo, Letizia. (2013) ‘MTV and Teen Pregnancy: Critical Essays on 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom’, Scarecrow Press, Maryland United States, Print.

Guglielmo in MTV and Teen Pregnancy: Critical Essays on 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom challenges through his academic texts why shows with controversial portrayals of teenagers mothers have received ongoing media attention. Discussing the contradicting nature of the shows as some argue that the programs could be a factor in reducing the number of teen pregnancies America has each year (the US being #1 in the world for unplanned teen pregnancies), Guglielmo questions whether the shows are beneficial education or just an exploitation of young women. Discussed are the social and cultural power structures used when creating such programs, and the influence and control each actor has in the making and projection of the show (directors, producers, social workers, audience, the family and the teenagers themselves). The book also provides a large collection of pieces of critical discourses, allowing for a diverse range of opinions and facts to discuss these suitability of such programs on American in home TV.

Overall, the text was suitable and beneficial as it broaden my ideas surrounding what the term ‘insitutions’ really means today. Its discussion on whether ‘having abortions are not uncommon, but talking publicly about it is’ exposed how even though MTV as an institution itself, it doesn’t hold complete control over what it produces as it has to compliment societal ideals and legal guidelines. This challenged by ideas of how and why an institution is developed, as I had previously referenced the term with a  degree of defying dominance e.g. jails, schools etcs. Instead this academic text discussed the power relationship an institutions has, expanding the previous linear transmission model and now stating that there is a much more post-modern interrelating actor factor to look at.

Hodgson, M. Geoffrey (2006) ‘What are institutions?’ in Journal of Economic Issues Vol XL’ , available ; accessed on 26th April 2016

In the same way Robert McKee broke down an approach to textual analysis, Hodgson breaks down our traditional idealism towards the ‘institutions’ and its connotations. He approaches the term as a wide spread sociological meaning that over the course of history has reflected many different things, and thus there is no unanimity in the definition of its concepts. Therefore, when thinking of the term ‘institutions’ one needs to try and avoid bias caused by relevant or not relevant characteristics presented to us today. In the age of ‘the second modernity’, the requirements of the term have become abstract, with the only relevant characteristic being governance over a certain collectivist community. He set fourth 5 areas of study: 1) institutions, conventions and rules, 2) concerning function and how they interact with individual agents, their habits and beliefs, 3) differences between organisation and institution and what creates a formal rule, 4) excessive bias in discussion of institutions toward those of the self organising type (they are a special case (social media)), and 5) differ in degree of sensitivity the institution has towards individual actors.

Hodgson’s descriptive texts creates a whole centred argument that exposes a lot of holes in Jones’ previous article. Hodgson’s addressed audience is academic students whom he is trying to steer away from bias that’s usually connoted to the ideas of institutions. As his topic talks about the attributes of institutions rather that institutions as a whole it allows for a more analytical and wide spread understanding of how we should look and thus view our topic. Hodgson’s article was one of the first extracts I read so I didn’t notice at first how well structured his argument is in comparison to other academics discussions. Coming back from my other bibliographies, Hodgson is the only author that i have found thus far that clearly demonstrated steps and approaches to understanding and analysing institutions. He deconstructs all connotations and stereotypes surrounding what is means to be an institution, but more  importantly what it means to be that institution, allowing us to create a more objective understanding of our subject.

Ingyu, Oh. & Park, Gil-Sung. (2013) ‘The Globalization of K-Pop:Korea’s Place in the Global Music Industry, The “Miracle” Narrative of the Korean Cultural Industries: Perspectives from the Middle East’, Print.

Ingyu and Park explain Korean pop and what is behind the unique cultural phenomenon that rests of the concept of cultural hybridity or Pop Asianism. As South Korean pop music is usually derived from Western locations like Europe, and then modified into Korean to then globally distribute, we see a surge in their music industry that mirrors the definition of an industrial globalisation. K-Pop represents an effort tonetwork global talent pools and social capital in the formerly disconnected music industry rather than an effort to emulate and slightly modify Japanese pop culture.As such, within the global music industry, Korea occupies a structural hole that exists between Western and East Asian music industries. Thus, we see an international surge in Korean Music exemplified through the 2014 song Gangnam Style that has ” ranked number onein YouTube click counts, reaching more than 1.4 billion hits as of March 17, 2013. Denuded and destroyed of whatever South Korean culture, K-Pop is a commercial combination of globalisation and the export business.

Whilst Ignyu and Park’s article of K-POP is interesting it does not specifically go into the area of K-Pop as an institution. However, one can derive from reading this article the close relationship of K-Pop’s globalisation with international recognition, that perhaps is an institution of global awareness. K-Pop would not have been able to achieve the success and international growth it has without the help of modern technology, thus we can associate K-Pop as an example of the 21st Century’s international institution of the internet. Therefore, whilst the article focused on K-Pop as a business and an international enterprise, we can still collect some valid points ideas surrounding the definition of an institution and it’s medium. 

Jones, Steve (2005) ‘MTV the Medium was the Message’ Critical Studies in Media Communication Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 83–88. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, Oxford Print.

Jones’ article surrounding MTV and MTV’s evolution and developments over generations focusing on it’s proven impact on societal youths. As MTV was started up in the U.S. in the 1980s it’s ambition and styles were matched by degree America’s cultural formation. By making available to those of us who were seeking something new they used theoretical tools to construct understandings of music, image, and popular (particularly youth) culture in a progressive era.

Jones’ article is a paramilitary introduction into MTV and it’s effect on society. Although, he does raise some good facts that surround the globalisation of MTV within the last fifty years as it has created subheading genres that became so popular they now have their own channel. Contemplating also MTV’s reflection of time and what needed to be in the entertainment sector to equate the changing societal views of post 60’s-80’s, you can use this article as Hodgson second area of study concerning function and how institutions interact with individual agents, their habits and beliefs. Furthermore, as MTV is a entertainment medium it is impossible for anyone to study it without being subjected to it’s obvious messages and curriculum. Thus, every academic article that is written denotes an individual’s perception of societal values which contribute to the larger idea of institutions and their formal rules.

Jones, Timothy (2016) ‘Safe Schools Coalition: What is the Christian Right Afraid of?’ The Conversation, available ; accessed on 26th April 2016.

In summary this article discusses the Safe School Coalition within primary and secondary school institutions. Jones exposes how the program’s effectiveness and ambitions aren’t being carried out due to conservative and influential actors abuse of social and official power. The source significantly shows a controversial element of institutions; institutional thinking. It’s exposing nature initially reminds us that when we study institutions we must study not only their aims, but also the individual actor’s whom make up the community.

However, when critically analysing this text we see that Jones’ uses an analytical approach with a political agenda that persuades his audience to view the Turnbull government in a certain (disapproving) way. He is appealing to the 75%+ people in Australia that believes not only in gay marriage, but marriage equality. He deplores the governments protection of democracy by conspiring that official influences determine affairs areas where they shouldn’t. In doing so, he creates a internal commentary in the mind’s of his audience, (the general public of Australia), which makes them questions whether their own rights are being protected if the LGBT ones are not. His assumption that the Safe Schools reform made in March are due tampering conservative hands creates a foundation of scepticism within the reader that leaves them questioning the current elected government on the brink of a double dissolution. 

Rook, Lauren. (2006) An Economic Psychological Approach to Herd Behavior, Journal of Economic Issues, 40:1, 75-95, accessed on 27th April 2016
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00213624.2006.11506883

Lauren Rook’s article rationalises the what and why of herd behaviour. Her approach to herd behaviour focuses on singular actor’s more than the institution of convention, reasoning the behaviour’s conformity in the choices an actor produces. Referencing Hodgson, Rook agrees with his philosophy that “the essential aspects of human personality and motivation are conceived as independent of social relations with others” (236) meaning an individual’s relationship with personal ambition is usually formed through their relationships with others. Thus, Rook states we must ask why and when to understand how herd behaviour and therefore the dependance on institutions and imitation arises.

Although Rook raises some good points in her descriptive article, especially her introduction to the idea and terminology of ‘herd behaviour’ she lacks a concluding  convicted. Her discussion of ‘frames of reference’ (where social norms emerge as a collective response in groups facing new and ambiguous situations), gives us a good foundation to understanding institutions and the actors within them, but lacks her own examples using Theodore Newcomb’s, but none of her own to show her true understanding and depth. This source was useful as it was engaging and easy to read so it broke down concepts that I can now use as foundation knowledge. Within the reading there was also good research that I could research further to grab a more precise concept of how institutions are created and why they work.

O.C.Mr.Clean

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O.C.Mr.Clean. was a really enjoyable project for me. One of the main areas of development was definitely in regards to Premiere Pro and my manipulation of and towards the application and its tools. In earlier projects I stuck to editing on a singular file, coordinating with great difficulty all my edits on the one timeline which usually made for a messy and thus systematic confusion/break down (eek!). Whilst producing O.C.Mr.Clean. however, I used multiple files and documents to ensure that each article was safe. For example, I edited my intro that composed multiple video files at a singular time on one file, saving and then uploading the completed sequence into my end project file, keeping the whole and final project neat and tidy. As my overall project was organised through separated files of with different edits, I was then able to play with Premiere’s tools and effects without the worry of accidental errors that could have affected my project as a whole. Thus, I played with size, colour, speed and duration effects that contributed a more experimental feel to my project, equating with my objective artistic and visual based film narration.

I wanted to portray an artistic and informal expression within O.C.Mr.Clean. rather than the traditional interpretations of OCD like washing hands, and a possessed cleaning sequence. However, this wasn’t always my approach. As my intro was one of the first things I developed in the portrait, you can see that when thinking of characteristics of OCD I connoted a subversive and eery perspective of the experience people with the disease would suffer (the ominous song of Mr Clean). It wasn’t until I interviewed Max however, and thus was in post production, that my portrait became a lot more informal and less aggressive as Max communicated a more tender and passive view of his disease. In this way, I guess I was subjected to a moment of serendipity where I had to rethink the way I was going to portray Max and his disorder. Through the use of found footage I was able to not only visualise my approach but societal ideas about OCD. When typing into Creative Common domains ‘OCD’ there were a lot of clips that portrayed a contradicting spectrum of  individuals in either a state of ecstasy or depression. Using the intro as a dismissal of convention, I allowed the for a traditional cleaning ad to crackled and beep with sound effects of deterioration. By placing my title heading after the intro it re-engages and re-addresses the audience from it’s previous stimulation and ideologies to the interview’s more personalised and informal tone. Further, I included the director’s voice and questions to make the interviewee seem more humanised and Max not so much as an isolated character. This shift in narrative structure (where at first I placed Max on the couch to answer formal question), and then to the more comfort environment of outside opened up not only an easier and more organic discourse about his disorder, but allowed for a more personal insight into his life and surroundings (as you can see his outside area isn’t as immaculately clean in comparison to his inside interview).

Overall, the project definitely advanced skills in editing as I used both Premiere, After Effects and Audition whilst creating O.C.Mr.Clean. As I started thinking and coordinating my project early I don’t think there’s any physical elements of it I would change. However, interviewing techniques that make the interviewer comfortable and thus more engaging is definitely something that needs to be worked on if I want to go into documentaries professionally.

Thoughts and questions about PB3

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1. What is the ‘controlling idea’ (Robert McKee) of your portrait? In other words, what is the most interesting thing about your participant/interviewee that you want to communicate?
My participant/interview revolves around the subject of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, I want to humanise the disease, focusing more on Max as an individual who has OCD, rather than the OCD which controls Max. 

2. How is your portrait film structured? (Remember there might be multiple forms of structure employed) E.g. Discussion and depiction of an event or process? A Journey? Use of voiceover narration? Other?
My portrait is structured in rhetorical form as I wanted to present a subtly persuasive argument that Max, although he suffers from OCD, is still ‘normal’. Because OCD affects everyone differently it makes Max unique as an individual, so I wanted to steer away from conservative ideas and portrayals of OCD (the washing of hands, and cleaning of the room). Instead of allowing all my footage of him doing characteristics of his disease, I wanted to be creative and try engage the audience with how it feels to have OCD – the tug of war battle people have with it as they try and make it not determine the way they live their life and who they are.

3. What do you want your audience to make of your interviewee? (e.g. What are you saying through them and/or human nature, human folly, or noble human inspiration?)
I hope that my film projects a new and more sensitised version of OCD. My interviewee tries to communicate that mental illness isn’t something that should be embarrassing or feel whole consuming. He makes statements that advocate his OCD and discusses how there are worst things in life then having a controllable disease that potentially makes you into a good house mate!

4. How is your portrait being narrated? Why? How does it affect the structure?
My portrait is non-narrative. I don’t follow a three course action plot line, it is more a combination of shots that attribute to Max’s overall character rather than producing a linear relationship with the audience that uses character development.

5. What role will the ‘found footage’ play in your portrait? For example, reinforcement? Ironic counterpoint? Contrast? Comparison? Other?
My found footage plays on the ‘everyday’ aspects of society within the OCD world. I used cleaning ads to enforce the usually overlooked and allow the audience to contemplate how much thought and care they themselves put into cleaning. My showing ads like ShamWow against older generational ads like Mr Clean we see a cognitive progression of the interpretation of a clean house, mirroring Max’s ideas that mental illness isn’t a confirmation of personality but rather just an attribute.

6. Does your portrait have a dramatic turning point?
I use a lot of reverse manipulation and speed effects. Although this isn’t a narrative turning point I think its a turning point as it makes the audience think about perspective.

7. When does this turning point in your portrait and why? At the beginning? At the end? Two-thirds through?
My main turning point happens 1/3 into my PB3. After I introduce Max and his OCD, I try to humanise him as much as possible to ironically make my audience question, is the subject matter of this documentary even that bad? I gave significance to the disease in his introduction and in the beginning sector because I wanted to audience to understand what was being talked about, but then i wanted to peel it back and have them remind themselves that a mental disorder isn’t some ones whole personality.

8. How does your portrait gather and maintain momentum?
I use music throughout my portrait which sets a progressive tempo throughout. I used sound functions to heighten and lessen the music depending on if my subject was speaking or not, which also allows for a gain of momentum.

9. Where will your portrait’s dramatic tension come from? The gradual exposition of an overall situation? A volcanic, climactic moment? An impending change or crisis? The contrast between what the interviewee talks about and the found footage?
I try and grab the attention and subject matter of the piece straight away, however my use of sound effects I think will enhance the dramatic tension from scene to scene. I used technological sounds of discomfort or failure throughout my film to undertone the idea of OCD whilst also subjecting the viewer to an experience that they – through the noises – associate with non-satisfaction.

10. Does the portrait have a climax and/or resolution? Outline them.
One of my favourite scenes in my portrait has to do with Max smiling and/or telling us that he’s about to go out with his friends. The main objective of this portrait was to humanise him which is contradicted with the initially invasive and overwhelming introduction.

Sony RMIT Interview

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https://vimeo.com/162931412

In this week’s workshop we ventured out into the land of RMIT to record and produce an interview focusing on ‘How to survive the first six weeks of university’.  One of the main problems encountered in this exercise was audio. When filming outside and around RMIT constant sound pollution made if difficult to know whether or not shot and it’s audio was successful. So we experimented with the smaller microphone that can be attached directly onto a subject to make the sound quality clearer. However, the chord length that’s physically attaches the microphone and camera was too short and  did not allow a lot of movement or diverse camera angles. When using the earphones to play back the recordings we had just made however, we realised that the sound quality was clear of the camera’s microphone was clear and did pick up the interviewer and interviewee’s discussion. Once we decided to just use the out built microphone it allowed us to manipulate shot forms and become experimental, and we decided that any unwanted sound could just be edited in Adobe Audition. One of my most successful shots I think would be the first interview ‘spoof’ sequence. I idolise director Judd Apatow and Spike Jonze due to their ability to create humour on screen that is universal and at times meta-cinematic. Although this sequence doesn’t philosophise the meaning of life – like most meta-cinematic scenes do – I tried to play with humour as much as possible as I think it’s an important characteristic to have in my practicals as it represents what I find funny and thus me. It also allowed me to manipulate tools on Premiere as I became confident with the application and my advancing skills, also which definitely developed the sophistication of my PB3 portrait.

A ‘formal’ interview

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https://soundcloud.com/joss-utting/formal-edited

This is my edited version of a formal interview for our H2N sound recording exercise in Week 4. Pre-production included a quite and empty classroom, using the H2N zoom function of X/Y (that records only on one side), heightening the clarity of subject’s audio. As this interview was appealing to a ‘formal’ criteria we adjusted our approach in ways such as introducing the broadcast interview, interviewee and interviewer. Further, the questions and answers were discussed beforehand which allowed the participants to hold an eloquent discussion, rather then thinking of answers on the spot which could have made for badly established presentation.

Within Leeuwen’s article of perspective (Leeuwen, 1999), Edward Hall is quotes that “we carry with us a set of invisible set of boundaries beyond which we allow only certain people to come”. When listening to formal interviews such as This American Life and Sereal you can identify such boundaries the subject’s language and attitude, and also physically through editing. It is for such reasons I attached an intro and outro to my ‘formal’ interview as it enhances the the enargia of power relations on a show – such as Sarah Koenig’s position as an interviewer, and her relationship with the interviewee and audience.  When being introduced I allowed my intro to fade out into complete silence in order to grab the audience’s attention as they sit, eager to hear what the show will be about. In conclusion however, I let the outro cross-fade into the final answer creating a smooth exit out of the program.

  • Leeuwen, Theo van. 1999, ‘Perspective’ in Speech, music, sound, Macmillan Press ; St. Martin’s Press, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York

Physical protection and an elaborate psychological mechanism

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EARS. Although they seem like one of the most standard element of the human body with their not-so-fussy nature of the spontaneous one a month, behind the ear clean and conventional hole piercing structure, these little guys have an attitude that brings to bear our listening experience. Our own personalised eternal mediums housed by a subconscious power to hear or listen.

Roberts-Breslin** discusses the ‘wrap around medium’ of sound as continuous currents of physical vibrations carry through the air into our ears, choosing relevancy to our every second. This monitoring system divided into hearing or listening dictates our interactions both externally and internally, as the brain triggers the response to respond to a noise or to disregard it. This relationship with the brain is fuelled by sounds encouragement of mental imagery, as familiar voices within a crowd of screaming people sparks recognition in a friend in the audience or the sounds of the beach connoting relaxing experiences from the beaches of Italy.

Roberts-Breslin brings up sounds ability to be understood further than visual stimuli, something which at first I did not agree with. As someone that uses sight as their main sense, always having interest in the aesthetics and balance of view to shape an experience and opinion R.B’s exposing of sound’s easier nature to decipher attitude, geographic, age, mood, environment etc was an interesting point. His discussion points that sound has both a technical and aesthetic role in media through quantity, quality and direction – something i previously though relied on the techniques of imagery.

Thus, when within our practical we had a task to go and record an interview in two different styles: an informal ‘happening in field’ interview, and a formal studio based recording. We used a H2N Zoom Handy Recorder with an air muff that helps cancel out distracting background sound.

Here are the un-edited interviews from the project.

https://soundcloud.com/joss-utting/informalwav – informal

https://soundcloud.com/joss-utting/formalwav – formal

*Roberts-Breslin, Jan. 2003, ‘Sound’ in Making media : foundations of sound and image production, Focal Press, Amsterdam ; London, pp. 115-144.

PB2

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https://vimeo.com/159901554

Overall I really enjoyed making my PB2. Before the haiku exercise, I had never used Premiere but had always been coming up with lots of ideas to do with editing and film techniques. I thought this project was extremely beneficial as it allowed me to teach myself and experiment in the basics of editing – something I am sure i will need and want to use when it comes to using and learning about media.

I collaborated ideas with my friend Tom Cardy who is also playing the drums and guitar accompaniment in this video. After a discussion about what I am interested in and how I would like to portray ‘me’, we decided draw inspirations from one of my favourite movies, Birdman 2014 directed by Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu, and try to deliver a fast moving film that captures my liveliness and desire to explore my new surroundings. The film is called The Unexpected Virtue of Innocence, similar to Birdman’s Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance to demonstrate the transition I’m currently experiencing from teenager to adult. In the film I have captured elements of my everyday life that are significant to me, as I’ve just moved from Sydney to Melbourne and for the first time living out of home and therefore finding my own way in my new environment. Whilst moving states i’ve developed the desire to draw, mostly drawing characters in different situations that I think connote how I feel about moving to an unfamiliar city and doing things that are new to me. These characters are displayed also throughout my blog, as I feel they capture my feelings and thoughts towards ‘adult life’. In my film my character ends with being a super hero – although this would be an awesome surprise if were true – I used him to symbolise how even though I am still on a quest to find out who I am fully, (a journey I think we never stop travelling), everyone has to acknowledge that they have to power to be who they want to be. Thus, I’ve surrounded the images of me drawing with things that i revolve my life around and I think remind me of my morals and ethics.

‘I kill an ant, and realise my three children, have been watching’

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The approach i took towards my Haiku was very experimental. As I had never used Premier before, nor have I had much experience with film making, I capitalised on Shuson Katu semi comical semi abstract poem to help me in … Continue reading →