Category Archives: Academia

Critical Essay – Soft Diplomacy & Australia Network

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This essay’s point of departure is based around the public discourse surrounding the Liberal Government’s 2014 proposed budget and its desire to prematurely terminate ABC’s $223 million, ten-year contract with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for the ABC operated, Asia Pacific broadcasting channel, Australia Network. This essay will explore the federal government’s original intent for funding the ABC over recent years to act as a vehicle for ‘soft diplomacy’ and to represent the nations interests to Asia Pacific regions. This paper will also investigate the challenges the ABC faces in representing the federal government or the ‘nation’s’ private interests while acting as a public service broadcaster that is required by legislation to ‘inform, educate, and entertain all Australians’. To assist in analysing this current issue, this essay will consider the application of ‘nationalism’ along with the public and private interests of both the federal government and the ABC.

 

The government’s recent budget proposal aims to axe ABC’s 10-year contract for the ABC operated, Australia Network despite ABC only being in the first year of the agreement. The operation of Australia Network is now in jeopardy with Tony Abbot deciding whether to reopen the tender process or to terminate the network altogether. Additionally, ABC’s international operations face a plethora of financial, stability and functionality complications with an estimated loss of $120 million over the next four years along with the prospect of having to discharge numerous foreign correspondents. Abbot labeled the existing contract “A dodgy piece of work”, referring to former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard’s decision to close the tender process and to hand permanent responsibility of Australia Network to the ABC last year. Commercial broadcaster, Sky News, owned by News Corporation, was told to be the preferred network among the DFAT board to receive funding. However, Gillard ended the tender process stating that it was not in the public’s best interest for the tender to go to a commercial broadcaster.

 

The ABC had been campaigning in conjunction with the Labor Government in recent years for substantial additional funding for the expansion of ABC’s international arms and to come together with the federal government to act as a form of ‘soft power’ (Scott, 2010). In 2009, The Managing Director of the ABC, Mark Scott, put forward a proposal for ‘A Global ABC’. The plan requested significant funding expansions to ABC’s international services along with the ambition for ABC’s international arms to come together for a unified ‘soft diplomacy’ (Irvin, 2010, pg. 1). The proposal envisioned the extension ABC’s international services of Radio Australia and Australia Network as well as expanding ABC’s broadcasting reach to Africa, the Middle East, Latina America, Europe and North America. Scott’s proposal was influenced by the former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd’s ambition for Australia to foreground its position “as a regional leader and global middle power” along with Rudd’s encouragement for the ABC to undertake further roles in “foreign policy activities” (Irvin, 2010, pg. 2). In supporting Scott’s, ‘A Global ABC’ proposal, Rudd stated, “the ABC can play an important role in strengthening Australia’s cultural, commercial and social links in the Asia-Pacific markets, particularly in projecting Australian perspectives and values” (Irvin, 2010, pg. 41)

 

Scott’s 2009, ‘A Global ABC’ speech delivered to Australian publics, however targeted at the DFAT, relies upon nationalism and nation-ness, perhaps to encourage the expansion of ABC’s international services. Scott (2010, pg. 75) emplaces the ABC as an integral part of ‘the nation’, in stating “As we know, the ABC is one of the nation’s greatest institutions, playing an important part in the lives of millions each day. It embraces the country”. Scott’s statement suggests the communion of the nation with individual publics as well as the ABC – engaging publics in a sense of patriotic passion. Anderson (1999, pg. 5) spoke of the ability of the term, nation to emotionally encapsulate publics in stating, “The term demands profound emotional legitimacy”. Additionally, Scott’s use of nation-ness in his speech to the Australian publics stresses the term’s perceived value. Anderson (1991, pg. 3) states “Indeed nation-ness is the most universally legitimate value in the political time of our life”.

 

Scott’s speech is an exemplar of Anderson’s view of a nation as an imagined political community. Anderson (1999, pg. 6) states that “The definition of the nation; is an imagined political community – imagined as both inheritably limited and sovereign”. Scott’s speech, that was delivered by the side of Australia’s leader (of the time), Kevin Rudd, addresses Australia’s publics as being in a sense of unity in stating, “As a nation we feel we have a contribution to make” (Anderson, 1999, pg. 75). Many of Australia’s publics will never meet the Prime Minister, or Mark Scott, however Scott imagines a certain intimacy through our geographical and cultural bearings. Another notable element of Anderson’s definition of an imagined political community within the speech is Scott’s perception of Australian as sovereign. Scott (2010, pg. 76) proclaims that Australia is geographically isolated however tells that we are now apart of the information revolution that encourages globalization.

 

Political and public discourse arose over ABC operating the international channel with sensitivities over Australia’s primary public broadcaster representing the private interests of the federal government and acting as a tool for ‘soft diplomacy’ as well as ABC’s responsibility to function as a service to the Australian publics. Whilst the ABC operates independently from the federal government, it simultaneously relies heavily on the government for financial support and strategic stability (Irvin, 2010, pg. 37). Irvin’s paper (2010, pg. 38) tells that ABC has faces hardships in sustaining their editorial independence from the federal government whilst acting as a key medium for public diplomacy. Notably, section 8 or the ABC Act is to ‘maintain the independence and integrity of the Corporation’ and to ‘ensure that the gathering and presentation of news and information is accurate and impartial according to the recognized standards of journalism’. However, the DFAT’s contract for Australia Network (from 2008 – 2011) entails for the service to provide a ‘credible, reliable and independent voice’ to the targeted Asia pacific market.

 

ABC faces challenges in maintaining the organization’s independence from political power and to uphold the public sphere’s best interests. Irvin (2010, pg. 38) argues that by being a vehicle for public diplomacy, it encourages “the presentation and advocacy of the nation’s interests, values and perspectives on the world stage – positions which are at any given time defined by the government of the day and are often inherently political”. Habermas (2009, pg. 75) relays Karl Bucher’s observation when reflecting on the evolvement of a bourgeois public sphere in 19th century Europe and the role of news media in telling “newspapers changed from mere institutions of the publication of news into bearers and leaders of public opinion – weapons of party politics”. In perspective, the ABC is facing certain hardships is some elements of their framework to maintain the best interest of the public and the public sphere’s voice due to political interference and dependence. Additionally, the up-rise of the bourgeois public sphere and their involvement with news media allowed them to act as a public body and to create public discussion and discourse around state issues to challenge the ruling authorities. In the ABC’s case, their ability to maintain an open discussion among the public concerning political issues could potentially be compromised due to its relationship with the federal government.

 

Concerns of whether the ABC is acting in public or private interests have been a long-standing debate. However, recent representations in the media convey a different story with Abbot labeling the ABC un-Australian in its news reporting practices. Additionally, Abbot condemned Mark Scott last year for the publication of an article based on a phone hacking scandal in Indonesia, stating, “It was a very very poor decision”. Scott defended the ABC and argued that the editorial decision was in the public’s best interest. Despite ABC’s agreement with the federal government to represent a ‘soft diplomacy’, ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott states that upholding ABC’s editorial integrity is firm as it has no goals in presenting information to the Asia Pacific and is only there to act as a public service (Irvin, 2010, pg. 39). “It’s not like we’re walking in, taking off our ABC hats and trying to get a partnership in this, or a film distribution deal here, or trying to get out DVD’s in, or trying to build a theme park… There’s no other media organization in Australia that can say that”, Scott expressed in an interview with Irvin (2010, pg. 40). Notably, Baker (2003, pg. 28) states that the relationship of a public broadcasting service to its audience is not driven by economic gain, but by a prevalent intuitive of “cultural responsibility and social accountability” which differs largely from commercial providers who aim to give the audience what it desires for monitory gain.

 

The influence of Australia’s foreign polices, particularly those concerning the Asia Pacific regions, has the potential to affect audience perceptions and ultimately disrupt efforts of ABC’s broadcasting services in Asia Pacific regions, if only by association (Irvin, 2010, pg. 40). Furthermore, the Abbot government’s policies and implementation of ‘hard power’ on immigration could dramatically affect the groundwork ABC’s international arms have so far achieved. Abbot’s ‘boat people policy’ as well as his asylum seekers attainment on PNG’s, Manus Island has already proven to directly affect relationships with publics and parliamentary figures in Asia Pacific regions. From this observation, I am suggesting that the Abbott government’s ‘hard power’ over their foreign affairs and polices, and those that directly affect Asia Pacific regions, perhaps has a greater affect on the targeted market than ABC’s international broadcasting services and application of ‘soft diplomacy’.

 

Australia’s changing political sphere proves to be a primary obstacle for Radio Australia and Australia Network’s efforts to act as a form of ‘soft diplomacy’ to the Asia Pacific regions. Additionally, Australia is perceived to have long-term problematic foreign affair policies. The Director of ABC’s International division, Murray Green, states that upholding the nation’s long term strategic aims is hard to align considering that governments often change hands and along with it, their goals (Irvin, 2010, pg. 39). However, Green argues that although Australia is custom to changing governments and with it, foreign policies, it is the responsibility of the ABC’s international services to overcome such inconsistencies. In doing so, Australia Network and Radio Australia are determined to “encourage awareness of Australia and an international understanding of Australian attitudes on world affairs” (Irvin, 2010, pg. 40).

 

The measurability of public service broadcaster’s success has demonstrated to be problematic with the inability to directly gage an organization’s achievement of its goals. This is vastly different to commercial broadcasters whose success is measured by the quantity of viewers and not the quality of a program. The difficulty with determining a public service broadcaster’s achievements is mainly due to the orientation of their aim to “inform, reform, educate and serve the public” (Ang, 1991, pg. 29). Analysing the success of ABC’s international arms has also proved to be challenging for analysts’. Irvin’s (2010, pg. 40) research paper is an exemplifier of those difficulties. However, Irvin has gathered material that shows substantial value from ABC’s international services, illustrating key cultural and political progressions in various Asia Pacific regions, particularly in Indonesia. Interestingly, Irvin’s (2010, pg. ii) research paper argues that although there are various opportunities for the ABC to act as a form of soft diplomacy to the Asia Pacific market, ABC’s international arms – Radio Australia and Australia Network, have been unsuccessful in operating as a tool for soft power due to numerous political, financial, cultural and regulatory constraints.

 

This paper has explored the hardships ABC’s international broadcasting services – Australia Network and Radio Australia have faced in representing the federal government to act as a vehicle for ‘soft diplomacy’ to Asia Pacific markets. Furthermore, this paper has investigated ABC’s ambition to maintain its organizational values and to act on the public’s interest whilst serving as a medium to represent the Australian government’s private interests to Asia Pacific regions. This paper has also delved into the effectiveness of Australia Network and Radio Australia’s efforts – considering the political changing sphere, the influence of Australia’s foreign policies on the Asia Pacific market as well as problems in measuring a public broadcasting service’s achievements.

 

 

Word Count: 2110

 

References

The Age. 2014. Ignore the hysteria, it’s time we privatized the left learning ABC. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/ignore-the-hysteria-its-time-we-privatised-the-tone-deaf-leftleaning-abc-20140130-31o39.html#ixzz32TqPrQdG. [Accessed 04 June 14].

Anderson, B. 1991, Imagined communities: reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism, Verso, London & New York, pp. 1-9.

Ang, I. 1991, ‘Audience as Market and Audience as Public’, in Desperately Seeking the Audience, Routledge, London & New York, pp. 26-33.

Green, M, 2013, Connecting attitudes, aspirations and values: Australia’s media engagement in the Asia Pacific and apprenticeship in Soft Power, Journal of International Communication, Vol. 19 (Issue. 1), pgs. 4 – 18.

Habermas, J 2009 ‘The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article’, in Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks, Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, pp. 73-78.

Irvin, K, 2010. A Study of Australia Broadcasting Corporation’s in Indonesia and China 2007 – 2010. Honours. University of Sydney: The University of Sydney.

Parliament of Australia. 2011. The ABC: An Overview. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BN/1011/ABC. [Accessed 02 June 14].

“Public Broadcasting” Age (Melbourne, Australia), 23 May 2013: 18. Academic OneFile. Web. 3 June 2014.

Scott, M, 2010, A global ABC: Soft diplomacy and the world of international broadcasting, Journal of International Communication, Vol. 16, Issue 1, pgs. 75 – 85.

The Australian. 2014. Call to strip ABC of Australia Network. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/call-to-strip-abc-of-australia-network/story-e6frg996-1226765667657#. [Accessed 04 June 14].

Barker, C 2003, ‘Active Audiences’, in Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice, Sage, London, pp. 325-329.

 

Critical Essay – Morality of Soviet Union Montage Cinema

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Q: How do the formal strategies (the way film form is deployed or used) of any of the films screened in the course respond to, engage with or express ethical or political concerns? Discuses with reference to Jean Luc Godard’s claim that “Tracking shots are a question of morality”.

 

image sourced from https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/topicsquestionsexercises-of-the-week-28-may-2010

 Image sourced from https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/topicsquestionsexercises-of-the-week-28-may-2010

 

This essay’s point of departure is from Jean Luc Goddard’s assertion that “tracking shots are a question of morality”. This essay will consider how Soviet Union Director, Sergei Eisenstein’s enforcement of montage in his cinema, and in particular, his film Strike (1925, Soviet Union), expresses ethical concerns that resonate with a similar veracity and intensity as to Goddard’s statement. This essay will explore the moral issues found within the notorious tracking shot in Kapo (Pontecorvo, 1960, Italy) as well as Eisenstein’s implementation of the montage technique, whilst considering an excerpt from Strike. Additionally, this essay will hold focus on Eisenstein’s use of montage and will investigate the representation of murder within his films, his intent for the synthesis of his formal strategies along with his desire to portray a representation of reality in his cinema. In doing so, this essay hopes to suggest that the montage strategies that Eisenstein applied to his cinema expresses moral concerns.

 

The employment of the cinematic technique of a forward tracking shot in Kapo, when Terese (Emmanuelle Riva) assumes her death by lunging herself onto a barbwire fence has experienced an upheaval of concern over the Director, Gilo Pontecorvo’s moral intentions and the positioning of the audience. Similarly to the montage strategies implemented by Sergei Eisenstein in his film, Strike (which we will delve into shortly) both Directors have been criticized to have wrongly emplaced spectators in the surveillance of death. Serge Daney (2004), states that “Pontecorvo’s tracking shot was immoral for the simple reason that it was putting us – him, filmmaker and me spectator – in a place where we did not belong, where I could not and did not want to be, because he “deported” me from my real situation as a spectator-witness forcing me to be part of the picture”. In both instances, it can be argued that the spectator is no longer just a viewer but the formal strategies applied by the Directors encourage the viewer to feel as though they are partaking in a ferocious reality as represented onscreen. Furthermore, Goddard expressed further distaste for Kapo and numerous other Holocaust films for their inability to represent reality when addressing the Holocaust.

 

Eisenstein’s application of montage commands the spectator to become an active contributor in forming associations found between the combined ‘shot modules’ to produce meaning. The scene of focus from the film, Strike, is the montage sequence where the slaughtering of a cow is juxtaposed with the shooting down of hundreds of civilians. Eisenstein (1998, pg. 178) tells, “In montage pieces, each of which provokes a certain association, the sum of which amounts to a composite complex of emotional feeling”. Eisenstein (1998, pg. 176) also states that the brutal murdering of the cow along with the rhythmic movement within the shot was intercut into the scene as an ‘appropriate association’ to construct a strong ‘emotional dynamisation’. Bordwell (1972, pg. 14) draws on Eisenstein’s critical theory, ‘primary elements in the construction of a theatrical production’ and speaks of the Eisenstein’s use of montage to create ‘aggressive moments’ that intend to guide the viewer into a “desired direction or mood”.

 

The radically unique montage style that Soviet Union filmmakers exhibited in their works from 1923 – 1930 provoked political concerns as well as ethical. Bordwell (1993, pg. 112) speaks of Eisenstein’s proclamation “that cinema had to be politically progressive and must steer the audience in a useful direction”. In the Soviet Union montage era, Eisenstein believed that art in the newly formed Soviet state needed to inform, educate and most importantly, influence civilians (Bordwell, 1993, pg. 115). Additionally, Bordwell (1972, pg. 9) speaks of montage’s purpose and formulaic devices to present the filmmaker’s ideals in stating, “Montage was used to build a narrative (by formulating an artificial time and space or guiding the viewer’s attention from one narrative point to another), to control rhythm, to create metaphors and to make rhetorical points”. However, Eisenstein was offended by the prevailing criticism after the release of his first two critical essays on the theory of his montage style with film critics advising that his method was too politically orientated.

 

Soviet Union filmmakers of the era were enticed by the power and emotion their art could produce in a spectator, perhaps being a response to the political environment in the Soviet Union at the time. Eisenstein’s notion on the ability to ‘infect spectators with emotion’ is told to have aligned with the ideals of artists, Tolstoy and Bukrain, who stressed art’s power to ‘infect’ the audience (Bordwell, 1993, pg. 116). Additionally, the productions of artisan works were subject to political forces beyond their control. It should be noted that the uprise and demise of film production of Soviet Union montage came about from government regulations. Both Eisenstein and likeminded film scholar, Vetov released critical essays on montage in 1923. Shortly after, the Government’s ‘New Economic Policy’ came into affect thus relieving the economy and allowing for numerous film production companies to join forces to be a part of the production company, Sovkino (Bordwell, 1972, pg.14). This inspired innovation in cinema practices and encouraged experimental filmmaking. Additionally, the influence that Eisenstein and Vertov’s critical essays had on filmmakers of the time worked in conjunction with the economic change and encouraged montage cinema to become the dominant method of focus for avant-garde filmmakers. However, after the regulation on artisan practices by the Central Committee in 1932, ‘socialist realism’ became the authorized style, condemning montage from all art forms (Bordwell, 1972, pg.15).

 

Eisenstein secludes his formal strategies in his use of montage from a film’s narrative and plot, however his devices rely heavily on associative formal systems to portray meaning. Eisenstein’s theses on the stylisations of montage and his dialectic approach is based on the juxtaposition of imagines from one shot ‘module’ to the next and the conflict between the succession of images shown, thus deriving the spectator with a concept or abstract idea. Eisenstein (198, pg. 164) argues that “the incongruity in contour between the first picture that has been imprinted on the mind and the subsequently perceived second picture – the conflict between the two – gives birth to the sensation of movement, the idea that movement has taken place”. Furthermore, Eisenstein parallels his device to the systemisation of Japanese ideogram and its ability to create transcendent concepts. Eisenstein (1998, pg.164) proposes that similarly to Japanese ideogram, two elements that are independent form one another are juxtaposed together and “explode into concept”. Additionally, Bordwell (1972, pg. 9) relays Eisenstein’s (along with other notable Soviet Union filmmakers of the period such as Kuleshov, Pudovkin and Verto) ideal that “filmic meaning is built out of an assemblage of shots which creates a new synthesis, an overall meaning that lies not within each part, or as Eisenstein labels ‘montage module’, but in the very fact or juxtaposition”.

 

The excerpt of focus from Eisenstein’s Strike intends to stimulate the spectator’s emotions to represent the brutality of death through use of montage. Eisenstein (1998, pg. 179) states, “The most important thing is to convey the representation of murder, the feeling of murder”. Eisenstein aims to produce emotional shock or what he describes as ‘emotional dynamisation’ in the viewer through the collision of shots seen on screen. The montage sequence in ‘Strike’ that is under analysis in this essay, entices a psychological influence and a bodily reaction in the viewer, one that Eisenstein hopes stimulates entire thought processes. Speaking of the viciousness of Eisenstein’s cinema, Bordwell (1993, pg. 116) states, “Soviet Union cinema must crack sculls” when referring to Eisenstein’s comprehension that “It is not a cine-eye we need but a cine-fist”.

 

Eisenstein desired to portray a representation of reality in his films through use of montage – by engaging spectators emotionally and physical as well as through cinematic representation of the real world. Throughout Eisenstein’s filmmaking and research, he has maintained a strong focus to achieve a representation of reality through his audience’s perception. Bordwell (1993, pg. 112) argues “Eisenstein aimed to locate the essence of cinematic representations and to determine its unique reality to perceptual reality”. Furthermore, Eisenstein’s ambition to produce a sense of reality aligns with his desire as a filmmaker to “Inform, educate and influence civilians” (Bordwell, 1993, pg. 115). Eisenstein spoke of other soviet director’s employment of the montage technique for a dramatic emotional affect that he labels ‘emotional dynamisation’ however tells of its fragility, whilst suggesting the technique’s representation of reality in stating, “This method may decay pathologically if the essential viewpoint – the emotional dynamisation of the material – gets lost” (177). “Then it ossifies into lifeless literary symbolism an stylistic mannerism”. Eisenstein’s Futurist ideological and political viewpoints found within his cinema along with his desired goals suggests that he wanted to open up civilians to the idea of a revolution. Furthermore, the Director’s intenti for the audience to ascertain a certain reality and veracity from his films, as notable in Strike, poses further ethical tribulations.

 

Goddard also realised the power of montage later on is his career and claimed that cinema could depict the real world through use of montage. Goddard and Eisenstein were both highly politically focused in their careers and both believed montage was the gateway to cinema’s representation of the real world. Interestingly, their overarching aim for what they wanted to achieve from the use of montage or more so, commanding the audience’s engagement, differed greatly. Analysis into Eisenstein’s notions on montage suggests that he wanted to encourage action within civilians to revolt. However, Goddard desired to entice revelations through his use of montage sequences in his films. Additionally. Goddard considered the representation of the horrors of the Holocaust and the failure for filmmakers to confront Nazi genocide, such as in the efforts in Kapo, to pale in comparison to Eisenstein’s treatment of the representation of reality when addressing war (Witt, 1999, pg. 334).

 

This essay has explored Sergei Eisenstein’s enforcement of montage in his cinema and it’s ethical and political concerns. In doing so, this essay has drawn on research to analyse Eisenstein’s montage technique, his intent in portraying a representation of reality and the representation of death onscreen. Additionally, this essay observed Eisenstein’s desire to engage the audience through use of montage to create concept and to provoke action. Furthermore, this essay has considered the morality of Eisenstein’s application of montage in relation to Goddard’s observation of tracking shots to consider moral issues that come from the implementation of Eisenstein’s montage strategies.

 

 

Word Count: 1943

 

References

Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, 2013. Print.

Bordwell, D. 1972. “Montage in Soviet Art”. Cinema Journal (Society for Cinema & Media Studies), Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 9-17

Eisenstein, Sergi. “The dramaturgy of Film Theory Form (The Dialectic Approach to Film Form)”. The Eisenstein Reader. Richard Taylor, Trans and William Powell, London: BFI, 1998, 93-100

Methods of montage. In Eisenstein, Sergi; Leyda, Jay (ed & trans). Film form: essays in film theory, (p.72-83). London: Harcourt B. Jovanovich 1949.

Senses of Cinema. 2004. The Tracking Shot in Kapo. [ONLINE] Available at: http://sensesofcinema.com/2004/feature-articles/kapo_daney/. [Accessed 29 May 14].

Witt, M. “The deaths of cinema according to Goddard”. In screen, vol. 40, no. 3 Autumm, 1999. p. 331-346

Participatory Online Documentary – Big City Little Plant

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For the final leg of my Integrated Media Specialisation, a group of students and myself constructed an event in order to produce an interactive online documentary. After conducting research for our event idea, we developed the concept for ‘Big City, Little Plant’ (BCLP). We were inspired by a guerrilla organisation called ‘aMoments’. The group is known globally for instigating feel-good discoveries that take place in public spaces. Our group decided to run a similarly themed, feel-good event that would also occur in communal spaces.

 

aMoments at Liverpool Street Station, London

 

The aim of the BCLP was to promote green-living to publics who live or work in urban spaces or gentrified areas, as various studies have shown that having green-life in your office or home can increase personal creativity and productivity. Importantly, the team considered how we could critically engage an audience through use of social media by holding an event that aimed to encourage members of the public to introduce green-life into their work and living spaces. We aimed for the event to entice members of the public to share their experience as a part of their everyday online activity. With these factors in mind, our team created around 100 small pot plants with succulents that were produced from recycled materials that contained labelled instructions on how to get involved. The pot plants were placed in predetermined locations in and around Melbourne’s CBD for passer-by’s to discover and engage with the initiative online.

 

BCLP crafted pot plants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our team established the BCLP brand for the pot plants to enable our key messages to reach our targeted audiences and ultimately to entice spectators to engage with the project online. We used Social Networking Sites (SNS) in combination with researched locations in order to gain ongoing participation from our audience. Additionally, we wanted to explore and bridge the gap between independent pot plant discoveries and online engagement. We envisioned that the discovery of a marked pot plant found in an independent, pubic space would provoke an element of curiosity within an individual and they would proceed to engage with BCLP online.

 

BCLP brand

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our group was focused on producing an interactive documentary that would be sparked from our event and implemented strategies to foster this. As the Project Manager, I identified potential themes within BCLP that might be of interest to our target audiences and utilized these elements to encourage continual participation. I found that the main elements within our project were; green-living, urban spaces, sustainability and crafting. By identifying the underlying themes, our group was able to develop them as well as integrate them into our branding, online content and the overall direction of our project. This also assisted our group in conceptualising BCLP’s website and to consider how we could stimulate participation through the themes.

 

After the event played through and online engagement wound down, our team actualised the website. The website was based around the core themes within our project and also documented the overall participation and conclusions we gained from hosting the event.

 

For the meantime, here are few of our favourite pot plants that were placed in some lucky keeper’s homes and work spaces.

BCLP found

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exploratory Documentary – Mosaic: The Series EP1

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Mustafa Izzy, Max Conroy and myself have been working on the production of a collection of short exploratory documentaries. Primarily the short pieces profile individuals within the community, focusing on what assists immigrants assimilating to life in Australia, and some of the hardships or potential joys that they might face. As a part of our Film TV 2 specialisation, our committed team formed ‘MKM Productions’ and began the process of sourcing, interviewing, filming and editing our intended documentaries.

 

Within both the course and time constraints, MKM Productions filmed two pieces as well as produced one completed short film. Our team will resume editing of our second documentary, ‘EP2’, and has also made arrangements to film our next short piece in early 2015. Additionally, over the last semester of 2014, MKM Productions kept a dedicated blog that entails some of our research, production processes and exploratory concepts.

 

MKM’s first completed film titled ‘Mosaic: The Series EP1’ profiles an aspiring Melbourne based musician, 18-year-old Angelo from Kukuma, Kenya.

 

Premier – Colour Correcting Practice

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I haven’t utilized the colour correcting effects in Premier previously so I decided to trial it with videos that contain close ups of people wearing bright colours. My reasoning here was to be able to clearly see the modifications that I was making as well as to visibly see how the effect manipulates bold colours and skin tones.

 

In transition a) I played around with the brightness to dull down the brightness of the blue clothing. I did simply through the brightness option found within the colour correction effect. I think the final product is a lot softer on the eye than the original and the contrast in colours is less significant, making it a more appealing image.

Original video a)

Original video a)

 

Edited video a

Edited video a

In transition b), I worked with the three-way colour corrector, which I was probably way out of my depths with. I figured that for a viewer the brightness of the red in the original video might take away from the content. The final image isn’t particularly pleasing however I wanted to soften the brightness and contrast again but experimented with different features such as the ‘tonal range’ and ‘definition’ modification options. Notably, I wouldn’t use the changes I made on this video for anything further however it was a good experiment with the editing options.

Original video a

Original video a

Edited video b

Edited video b

 

Film TV 2 – Course Reflection

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As a part of the last analysis/ reflection for Film-TV 2, I have been asked to discuss what I have gained from this course and if it has lived up to my expectations. Firstly, I have gained a lot throughout this semester from various elements of the documentary film-making process. It has been a strong learning experience, particularly with the subject topic that we decided to explore. The two documentary segments that we have produced investigates how immigrants assimilate to their new life in Australia, what challenges they might come across and what can assist them to adapt within their new society. With investigating the subject topic at hand, the team faced challenges with interviewing the documentary participants and presenting information. However, it was a good learning curve into how to consider and deal with sensitive topics. Additionally, I gained a lot based on the subject topic that we investigated as I have had a strong desire to explore the topic for a while and it provided me with a great deal of insight.

 

In regards to the technical process, I have also gained insight into what I would do next time and how to approach certain technical elements. Importantly, when making another documentary I would use two cameras instead of one to allow for the team to capture a more diverse range of footage inclusive of various camera angles and cut away shots. The importance of gaining a varied range of footage was evident in the editing process when we had limited stylistic options.

 

Overall, I have highly enjoyed the course that has enabled me with the support and base knowledge to produce documentaries. Furthermore, I am ambitious to continue practicing documentary film-making and am looking forward to making my next piece.

‘The Art of Documentary’, an interivew with Haslell Wexler

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Megan Cunningham’s article titled ‘The Art of Documentary’ features an interview with the reclaimed documentary film-maker, Haskell Wexler.

The article divulges in Wexler’s film-making style, where he often provoked actions from documentary subjects in order to entice drama as well as to present a certain type of documentary. Wexler defines his approach to cinema verite documentary making as “Using your filming ability” (pg. 89), suggestively to present a filmic piece that a director envisions. Interestingly, Wexler tells how he has often foreseen what may be needed to make a cut work better and to enhance a scene. In doing so, Wexler disclosed how he filmed Keith Richard’s jamming, however he recognized at the time that he would need a shot of Richards entering the room to make the shot work and so he made that happen. Although Wexler did intervene with how the shot, I consider this approach a documentary tactic, one that perhaps I should consider when shooting my documentary. In saying this, it is always important to have an awareness of elements surrounding your film, which may be how to make a shot work better, a sound that you pass by or even potential cut away.

 

Wexler tells that, “All images we see are images now presented by the people that want to present them. And they don’t necessarily present the truth” (pg. 89). Wexler’s statement notes a striking veracity. Not only does the author have an ability to present information in a certain way, every decision a filmmaker chooses assists in presenting a certain perception on numerous elements within a film.

‘From a Distant Gaze’ – Film Technique

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The 1964 short film, ‘From a Distant Glaze’ (directed by Jean Ravel, picture by Chris Marker and Pierre Lhomme, words by Louis Aragon, narrated by Jean Negroni and music by Michel Legrand) observes publics going about their general business in a busy, city environment.

 

The opening scene establishes an observational feel to the film with extreme close ups and close up camera shots amongst bustling streets. The camera intimately follows subjects through these congested, urban spaces. Narration enters shortly into the film – giving the camera technique substance and provides the film with an existential notion. We then know that it is the narrator’s observation and that he is focusing on individuals in the street. Effectively, the voice over foreshadows what is to be seen and determines the film’s theme.

 

The camerawork used throughout the film directs the viewer to certain items or a particular person seen on the street through swift camera movements. The camera technique used to do this is often a pan across, a pan upward or an extreme close up. Ultimately, the camera technique is important to the overall film as it gives the film an observation touch as well as insight into what the film is about.

Premier Keyboard Shortcuts

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There are keyboard shortcuts for Adobe’s Premier for almost every editing function. I am forever learning and reciting them, however here is some useful shortcut commands that I’ll be sure to employ when it comes to editing our documentary.

 

By linking our audio and video clips, they will become locked together. This may come in handy when editing our documentary to assure the audio remains with its partnered footage on the timeline. This will be suitable when the film’s subjects are being interviewed and the audio is required to stay with the footage. The keyboard command for this is Ctrl+l

Grouping clips assists the editing process when you want to move or delete a whole grouped section. To do this select Ctrl+g

The keyboard commands for zooming in and out will be useful quite often. We will be doing this a fair bit, as sometimes you need to zoom in to view an element on your timeline. Zooming in also helps you edit more precisely and can prevent overlooking items. Additionally, zooming out helps you get a broader perspective of what’s compiled on your timeline. The keyboard shortcut for these are: Zoom In = and Zoom Out –

When exploring a new editing tactic, we may want to disable a clip while investigating a new approach. Disabling a clip means that it will not appear in your film when you export it. Ultimately, we may also want to enable the clip. To do this, select Shift+E on your keyboard.

 

Abode Premier also has a list of keyboard shortcuts on their website, I will be viewing this quite often over the coming weeks.

Sound Tactics Applied to Forbidden Lies

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The audio utilized and applied in the excerpt provided from Anna Broinowski’s 2007 exploratory documentary titled Forbidden Lies, features a music track, sound effects, sounds recorded with a boom and a mixer whist capturing the footage along with additional sounds that were potentially recorded and applied to the documentary. The film also comprises of editing techniques, such as an audio lead or in editing terms, a ‘J cut’, layering audio tracks as well as muting audio footage to enhance the sound that is layered over the footage.

 

The first scene shown in the excerpt has applied non-diegetic sound, making the scene feel like a bit of a dreamscape (perhaps how Broinowski feel’s about the book under question). To assist this approach, a music track plays across the footage while the original sound of the footage has been muted. The sound affects of birds chirping occur as well as a dazzling sound, which is combined with a swirl transition into the next scene. The sound affects are nothing particularly fancy and could most likely be sourced online and are often available for free from sound affects websites.

 

Particular sounds have been recorded perhaps with a zoom recorder or sourced from established sound affects to draw attention to elements within the documentary that assist the narrative. These sounds are applied to be focal sounds and are used for the instances of car wheels on a dirt road, a burka being thrown and taken away by the wind and footsteps trekking through a windy desert.

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Screen shot taken from Forbidden Lies

The editing techniques employed and sourced for the documentary perhaps draw the audience’s attention to the fantastical nature of Forbidden Lies as well as take the audience back into reality. At the end of the opening scene, a woman is walking through a windy desert when the sound of Broinowski slamming the subject’s book down on a table is layered with the footage. The sound of the book being slammed is immediately followed by a sound affect of what appears to be sand being broken down (or maybe foreseeing what is to ecome of the subject in question). There are a couple of ways to achieve this in the editing process, however the most logical way that I can think of is applying a J cut, layering the sound affect and lowering the J track’s volume to allow for the sound affect to be of focus. A J cut is often used as an editing tactic to assist with the transitions between scenes however in this instance, the sound of a book slamming as well as the chosen sound affect grabs the viewers attention and perhaps snaps them out of the dream-like introduction and into the theme of the documentary.