Courtesy of http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/ccManager/clips/animated-gif-sequence-from-godards-vivre-sa-vie/view

At the beginning of the screening session, Dan encouraged us to perceive Jean-Luc Goddard’s 1962 French New Wave film Vivre Sa Vie from a critical perspective rather than a narrative point of view. So below I analyse particular scenes in the film where Goddard clearly emphasises his experimentation of diegetic sound with camera.

The opening sequence of a close-up of Nana’s head from different perspectives is coupled by the juxtaposing of silence and an almost deafening soundtrack. Although the transition between silence to a sudden increase in volume was quite jarring, Goddard managed to establish that relationship of sound with visual where the deafening soundtrack perceives the distance of the close-ups on the screen. Although it did extend for a lengthy amount of time, it did intrigue me into wanting to know about the silhouette subject on screen.

Goddard’s decision to solely rely on diegetic sound during the café scene involving Nana and her ex-husband, drowned out most of the dialogue amongst the background sounds of the café. If I were to watch the film without the subtitles, then I would’ve struggled to understand the conversation. In this sense, I guess it’s a fidelity of what we expect to hear in a realistic situation at a café.

Silence throughout Nana’s viewing of the Joan of Arc film was an obvious foreshadowing of her death at the conclusion of the film. I developed this personal attachment with Nana through the silence and the mirroring of close-ups and emotion when the camera would cut between Nana and Joan.

Put your passengers first. Drive Phone Free

I stumbled across this ad accidentally while I was scrolling through my news-feed. Unlike any of the other advertisements on T.V, it was the first I’ve ever come across to evoke such a humorous tone for a serious subject matter. Surely, the creativeness does ingrain into people’s minds, even to the extent of overshadowing the message of the ad itself.

Lionel Richie’s well-known Hello combined with slow-motion, close-ups and the concept itself offers a satirical approach to the romantic conventions without trying too hard. Anyway, enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM75ulDRkhI

The potential for failure.

Okay so according to our workshop on Wednesday, in 1968 Spencer Silver and his collaborator Arty Fry (awesome names) intended to invent a super-strong adhesive for the aerospace industry. The outcome ended up being this weak adhesive agent called Acrylate Copolymer Microspheres but didn’t leave any form of residue when it was removed. After months turned into decades, the Post-It note was invented, but barely found any initial success. Flash-forward to today and the Post-It notes have become the one of the top five office supply products in the world.

So moral of the story and according to Group Flow, is that there is that potential for failure. However, failure shouldn’t be pessimistically tunnel visioned but instead viewed in a serendipity way. If it does potentially get to that stage where our shared intentions or goals weren’t met, then we should learn from that, know that our best was our full potential and may have different effect than what was planned (cliché I know, but it rings true).

Want to see more of the Post-It success story? Check out this rad vid below, and if you can, please try it at home.

A rhetoric documentary’s aim is “to persuade the audience to adopt an opinion about the subject matter” (D. Bordwell and K.Thompson, 2006, p.348). Amy certainly captivated the raw and authentic Amy Winehouse through the people who knew her best, personal home footage and her artistry.

Prior to watching Amy, I was not so familiar with her music but was rather aware of her tampered public image in the tabloid press and satirical talk shows. Director Asif Kapadia must’ve been aware of this perception being held by the majority of the viewers, thus relied heavily on an appeal to emotions; a common trait in almost every rhetorical form documentary. The documentary followed through the highs and lows of Amy’s life with utmost respect for her and allowed us, the audience to empathise rather than just sympathise. In the midst of the fame and acclaim she’s received, she was a woman who was battling her own demon under a public spotlight that many have misjudged her

At the end of the film, I’ve grown a greater appreciation for her artistry and has also expanded my music collection. She pours her heart out through her lyrics and that soulful voice of that calibre reflect the experiences and pain she’s endured. A talent that was gone too soon, but a voice and legacy that lives on. Do yourself a favour and watch this film and then check out the soundtrack below:

Reference: Extract on ‘Non-Narrative Documentary’ film in D. Bordwell and K.Thompson, 2006, Film Art: An Introduction, pp. 348.