Monday’s class had us observe a series of short films in various mediums, with Robin highlighting some of the key reasons these particular short films elicit certain emotions, what they do or don’t do well and then opening up each to class discussions. Of all of the ones shown, the one featuring a man and woman attending a dance with very unsettling and out of scene music was a particular favourite as it demonstrated how dubbing or recontextualizing sound and visuals can place new meaning within a scene, this was also demonstrated in the short film reading a poem accompanied by scenes from other films, this is something in particular that I would like to draw inspiration from when approaching our current assignment as i believe in doing this process it can make things that once meant nothing resonate within people.

Walking down Swanston Street there is never any shortage of seeing people in less than ideal conditions. Homelessness, Protesting for a silenced minority or to silence a misinformed minority (EG. Protesting against One Nation). Walking down Swanston Street on Monday seemed like every other, A man sits leaning against one of the corners near Melbourne Central’s entrance, he’s asleep, and it’s daytime. Sprawled across his body is a large sheet with the Australian flag on it accompanied by a matching beanie on his head with the union jack on it. I walk inside Melbourne centrals lower entrance to make my way towards the trains and on the way see one of the many tourist merchandize stores in the area, I piece together in my head perhaps the man had been given this items from a passerbyer at some point who made use of the nearby store. A true act of kindness, only an assumption from my point of view, but an educated one that had a nice sense of sentiment to it. As i walk past this store I see some tourists holding a Koala that when pressed makes the sound effect of part of the Australian anthem, I only catch a few notes of it as I begin to gain pace on my walk knowing my train could leave at any moment but I continue to linger on the thought of the man and his clothing apparel. The sad irony in the fact he is literally being supplied warmth and support by a blanket with the very symbol of a nation’s system that seems to go against the least fortunate of society.

Filmic Potential: A reworked version of the Australia national anthem, containing the same lyrics but showing visual depictions of the antonym of any words sang in the song. Highlighting oppression, sickness, racism, hatred, all things our society is currently plagued by and yet our anthem boasts positive messages. Potential made into a “Music Video” of sorts with a political agenda of highlighting issues with our nation from a political and cultural standpoint in this point in time.

Walking down a dimly lit alley, a man can be seen. Illuminated at the face by the red glow of his cigarette. The rings below his eye from a lack of sleep are his defining feature. His hands sway back and forth as he slowly makes his way up towards a main street. An almost finished gatorade bottle extends from his right hand, the blue liquid splashing and making a distinct sound in the silence of the night. He brushes past me and makes his way towards a bin nearby but overshoots it, I expect him to throw his bottle and now smoked through cigarette in it, but instead he walks past and then turns around, throws the bottle from a slight distance towards the bin and misses, the bottle clangs on the metal edge of the  bin and topples onto the ground. He flicks his cigarette towards the wall, pieces of glowing ash fluttered in the air for a few seconds before it all turns black as it hits the wet sidewalk and meshes in with the already clumped pile of other cigarette butts and other rubbish. He doesn’t bat an eye and continues on his nightly journey.

 

Filmic Potential:

• Littering as a fundamental downfall of society, an exploration of a future world warning the present of the long term effects of the carelessness of our actions now. Cutting back and forth between someone living in the present going about their daily life with a future version of that person who is struggling to live day by day in a hostile desolate world polluted beyond compare.
• A narrative driven fictional piece that blends facts and analogies of today’s society and environment. The piece acts a fictional education in order to elicit a response in the audience.