When I signed up for The Scene in Cinema, I understood that the class was going to be related to the creative side of cinematography. While I have a basic understanding of the technical side of cinematography through previous classes, as well as my experience as a cinematographer on MyTV; I felt like I was just trying to capture the actors on camera, rather than trying to set a scene up in any artistic sense. Cinematography has always been interesting to me, but I had previously assumed that it would be complicated, and would require all sorts of equipment and crew to do a good job.

Within the first class, I was immediately proven wrong. We were split up into groups, and were asked to remake a scene from Le deuxième souffle (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1966) using only panning and tilting, it was surprising to realise how effective a scene could be created with just a single shot.

Afterwards, we were given scenes from other films – though each group was given a different one. We were given a scene from It was interesting seeing how different groups translated scenes in different ways to the source material. The group working with Tengoku to Jigoku (Akira Kurosawa, 1963) was the most distinctive, with the scene changing from the actors scared in a lounge room, to actors tip-toeing around, like they were escaping or hiding from someone.

With that being said, it took a little while for me to get used to the cameras that were provided, but I found it quicker to learn than the other cameras I had used in other classes; because all the important image functions had direct buttons and switches instead of being hidden in a menu.

The second class was slightly easier for me, as I have some experience with depth of field from photography, however, I was not used to the idea of recording shots using a camera sheet. Because of this, our group managed to forget to fill the sheet in. It would’ve been useful for us so we could reproduce the shots more accurately.

With that being said, I’m looking forward to the rest of the studio, though I still have no idea what a good reflection looks like – it keeps turning itself into recounts.

This week, we also read The Big Picture: filmmaking lessons from a life on the set (Reilly, 2009), specifically chapter 4 (What is a shot, anyway?) and chapter 23 (Blocking is overlooked and undervalued).

From what I understand, What is a shot, anyway? discusses how a shot is defined. Tom Reilly (2009, ch. 4) claims that ‘a shot is merely what is photographed in between the words action and cut‘. It makes a lot of sense to me, as I believe that new filmmakers often confuse a shot with a scene or angle. Reilly was able to use good examples to show how shots of different lengths are used, and when more elaborate equipment is required to translate the director’s ideas to the screen. It was also interesting to learn that many directors and cinematographers develop their shots on the day of filming. It makes sense – as it might be difficult to set up shots exactly until production.

Blocking is overlooked and undervalued is about blocking scenes, and how many viewers and directors have no idea how blocking works – if they know what it is at all. Blocking is where the actors and camera operators find their positions for a scene. Reilly talked about how some directors would just allow the actors to roam free on the set rather than just going to their marks ready for the camera operator. It was interesting to see how different directors and cinematographers block scenes, particularly in Woody Allen’s use of stand-ins, which would solve the problem of actors’ directions.

References:

Reilly, T. 2009, ‘What is a shot, anyway?’ 2009 in Reilly, T., The big picture : filmmaking lessons from a life on the set, Thomas Dunne Books: St. Martin’s Press, New York, pp. 16-18.<https://primo-direct-apac.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=RMIT_ALMA11136956340001341&context=L&vid=RMITU&search_scope=Books_articles_and_more&tab=default_tab&lang=en_US>

Reilly, T. 2009, ‘Blocking is overlooked and undervalued’ 2009 in Reilly, T., The big picture :
filmmaking lessons from a life on the set, Thomas Dunne Books: St. Martin’s
Press, New York, pp. 93-97.<https://primo-direct-apac.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=RMIT_ALMA11136956340001341&context=L&vid=RMITU&search_scope=Books_articles_and_more&tab=default_tab&lang=en_US>

Our documentary, The Dream, is largely slick and well-produced, especially considering the circumstances. However, I feel like it was a bit – for lack of a better word – sterile. I feel like the interview was impersonal, and it didn’t really feel like I was entering Jonathan’s world. Granted, this is a complicated effect to achieve, and needs the right type of interviewee; but without it, it just seems dull. I also believe that writing a script between the three of us would’ve meant that we could all edit together and produce something even better. Being able to get to the studio during a class and the showcase would’ve been great too.

Having a look at the ethics charter that we had developed for The Dream, I believe that it is more than adequate for non-fiction productions, though Rachel Boynton’s rule of loving the people that you film sticks out to me, because it seems so easy to misappropriate interviews – most commonly on television shows such as A Current Affair – as the interviewer and producer are more interested in setting an agenda than telling the interviewee’s story.

While we attempted to work well as a group, I felt like I wasn’t pulling my weight. I attempted to perform a few tasks – such as interviewing and editing, but I struggled with both – with Sunny and Richard picking up where I left off  I especially feel like I was a bit too abrupt to Sunny when I asked to swap roles with her. I really need to improve on the way that I speak to people when stressed.

I also could’ve been more assertive when it came to creative decisions. As I largely felt that it was Richard’s story, we relied on him for the creative direction of the film. Unfortunately, I had some trouble getting ideas to work, and there were some decisions that I felt didn’t work – such as the idea of using a voiceover. I was also no longer allowed to edit after the rough cut.

We also had some issues with the music. While it was a condition of the assignment that royalty free music was used, Richard was adamant that using the original songs was fine, “because Jonathan bought the rights to them when they were added to YouTube.” If I had put my foot down more, and provided more input, during post-production, I feel like those small issues would’ve been eliminated.

I have also been struggling with mental illness lately, which, along with ADHD, has made it hard to get out of bed. I keep running late for things, which most likely annoyed everyone – from Rohan, to my group members, to the rest of the class. It probably also meant that I wasn’t giving as much effort as I could’ve in class, or in the group. While my personal issues are major, I am working through them slowly and steadily.

I really liked Uncle Brian Birch – the documentary by Courtney, Rachel and Tom. In my opinion, Courtney’s friendship with Brian translates well to the film, which makes it feel like more than just a typical interview with a member of the public. When it came to the editing, I found that the minimalistic aesthetic and the use of still landscape shots with ambient sound enhanced the ‘informal meeting between friends’ effect.

By showing scenes of his daily life along with his performance and interviews, I felt like The Story of Joshua was able to paint a candid picture of Joshua’s life. While there were still some issues with their soundtrack – particularly with the interviews, as well as a lack of sound for a few seconds in the middle of the film; it still felt like I was walking in his shoes.

I also enjoyed watching Growing Pains, particularly when it came to the post-production. I thought the use of titling, time-lapse and framing were professional-grade, and made the documentary more engaging than if it was just the interview. The content matter was also interesting – particularly as early-onset arthritis is not spoken about in the media.

I believe that my experience with Real to Reel will help me in my future studies and career. While many others in class would probably think that the opportunity to produce or meet group members were the highlight of the class; I found that it was the emphasis on ethics that I found most valuable, as it gets ignored too often, and it makes the whole filmmaking experience amount to nothing.

To be honest, I don’t know if I have a passion for non-fiction film – or even film in general for that matter, but I definitely believe that Real to Reel has opened my eyes when it comes to different styles of documentary filmmaking. I just hope that I can be a better group member next time.

The Dream from Media Factory on Vimeo.

Wolfpack and the ethics of documentary filmmaking (2015) is an academic article written by Steve Thomas, a film and television lecturer from the University of Melbourne. It discusses the ethical concerns and considerations of documentary filmmakers, particularly through the context of the film, The Wolfpack (Moselle, 2015).

Thomas questioned whether the choice to tell the narrative in chronological order, rather than in in order of filming. Moselle only met the Angulo brothers after they were all leaving the apartment, and she didn’t know the true story of their upbringing for a few months into their friendship; where the film is structured and edited as if the confinement was still ongoing at the time, particularly when home video footage is combined with re-enactments and interviews. Moselle admitted “I wanted to see a transformation in my characters” (Film at Lincoln Center, 2015), though the idea of adding a storyline to a documentary is a questionable ethical decision.

Other editing decisions were also scrutinised, particularly how the soundtrack and lighting affected the overall tone and mood of the film. Showing otherwise happy home movies in slow motion with a dark soundtrack was a way to make the film more sinister than it would’ve been if the footage was played normally.

In contrast to critics like Paul Byrnes (2015), Thomas believes that the ethical impact of scenes that were potentially staged – such as the scene where the brothers go to a private cinema screening – were benign, because “Filmmaking is a catalyst and we all indulge in a degree of engineering, even in the strictest of fly-on-the-wall approaches” (Thomas 2015).

I agree with most of Thomas’ arguments, though I believe that he needed to better scrutinise the position that Moselle had taken. I found the many things were glossed over, such as Oscar’s alcoholism and violence. Thomas’ dismissal of this, his reason being that other films had also done this, is inadequate.

Thomas’ take on the editing was particularly` clear to me, as to me, Moselle’s editing wouldn’t be out of place of an episode of Today Tonight and A Current Affair, to make a subject more sinister than it is.

For audiences, however, using a chronological timeline for the film would more likely be easier to understand than the order of her relationship with the Angulo brothers.

References:

Byrnes, P 2015, ‘The Wolfpack review: a confronting and confounding true story’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 August, viewed 14 November 2019, <https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/the-wolfpack-review-a-confronting-and-confounding-true-story-20150826-gj7tys.html#ixzz3lEfFYG7k>

Thomas, S 2015, ‘Wolfpack and the ethics of documentary filmmaking’, The Conversation, 14 September, viewed 14 November 2019, <https://theconversation.com/wolfpack-and-the-ethics-of-documentary-filmmaking-47086>

Film at Lincoln Center 2015, ‘The Wolfpack Q&A | Crystal Moselle & The Angulo Brothers’, YouTube, 22 June, viewed 14 November 2019, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhLzem1RT4U>

I watched Crystal Moselle’s 2015 film, The Wolfpack. It followed the lives of the Angulo family, who were confined to a New York City apartment by their paranoid patriarch, with movies as their only connection to the outside world. The main subjects of the film were six brothers, Bhagavan, Govinda, Jagadisa, Krsna, Mukunda, and Narayana. Their parents, Susanne and Oscar, and sister, Visnu, appeared briefly in the film.

The brothers would often perform elaborate re-enactments of their favourite films in their apartment, building their own props and costumes from objects found around the house. The most notable example was Mukunda’s Batman costume constructed from cereal boxes, yoga mats and masking tape.

The most interesting thing about The Wolfpack was how well adjusted the brothers were, despite their sheltered upbringing. While there were obviously some issues when they first started leaving the apartment; such as Mukunda wearing a Michael Myers mask on his first outing, which eventually raised suspicion from the shopkeepers and police; they were quickly able to adapt to their newfound freedom, and went out together, often dressed in suits and sunglasses – emulating Reservoir Dogs (1992), one of the brothers’ favourite films.

I also thought it was interesting – and possibly difficult – for Moselle to portray the Angulo family in a neutral light. Many other filmmakers would be more likely to set the children up as victims, but instead, they’re shown as intelligent individuals coming of age, and making the best of a bad situation. While Oscar’s violence, alcoholism and mental illness were mentioned, they were never examined in depth. Oscar attempted to defend himself in his interviews, saying that he was doing it for protection, but it was neither shown as accurate or disingenuous.

While there were many compelling scenes in The Wolfpack, the one that moved me the most was where Govinda moved out of home. His excitement of escaping from the apartment was very moving, and showing him looking out of his new window made a great contrast to looking out the window in the apartment. Another element I found effective was the juxtaposition of family home movies throughout the film, as it played as a contrast to many of the darker things that were said.

References:

The Wolfpack 2015, streaming video, Magnolia Pictures, New York City, viewed 7 November 2019, <https://rmit.kanopy.com/video/wolfpack>

Buckley, C 2015, ‘Brothers of ‘The Wolfpack’ Step Out of Their World’, The New York Times, 14 June, viewed 10 November 2019, <https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/movies/the-wolfpack-brothers-step-out-of-their-world.html>

Garcia-Vasquez, M 2015, ‘Talking to ‘The Wolfpack’ Brothers About DIY Designer Props’, Vice, 25 June, viewed 12 November 2019, <https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/3d5pp3/talking-to-the-wolfpack-brothers-about-diy-designer-props>

I enrolled in Real to Reel because I had become curious about non-fiction production and wanted to learn about the different types of non-fiction work, and the difference in techniques between non-fiction and narrative work.

While I was initially apprehensive about enrolling into Real to Reel, due to the open-ended nature of the studio; I realised that it would an opportunity to learn planning strategies for films. The studio also has the potential to help me build confidence in creating media without external pressure.

When I think of non-fiction media – especially film, I find myself automatically thinking of documentaries rather than other genres, even though there are many others. I guess it would be like saying that the only form of media is film. I’m looking forward to exploring and experimenting with the different genres during the studio.

I am also interested in learning how to work with different types of media. Like many creative people, I like the idea of experimenting with different methods and formats; and being able to relate different forms into a single concept seems like an interesting challenge. Having used the X70 cameras while filming MyTV, I would say that I’m proficient with using them, but I feel like I need more practice editing, especially colour grading.

I know that I need more practice in reflective writing, and my goal is to be able to not only be able to write reflectively, but also to be more confident in my writing. It can be hard to be candid at the best of times, but I often feel like I have trouble opening up about even the most mundane things.

A less obvious thing is that in class, I will meet other like-minded people who could be interested in collaborating on personal projects with me, and possibly even become friends.