As I’m planning to work with a not-for-profit organisation, ethical issues with participants may be easier to avoid. Participants will most likely be well aware and informed about what they will be participating in, and we probably won’t be pushing any participants very far out of their comfort zones. However, I can’t be sure of this and can never know exactly how different participants will respond in different situations. No matter the project I take on, it will be my goal to maintain the ‘mutual trust’ needed throughout the production.

One problem I may encounter is differences with others working on the production, whether it is other students or a not-for-profit I may be working with. Juggling the representation of participants may be challenging with different voices and influences. The editing process will especially have to be carefully done. I enjoy the editing process and hope to get the opportunity to work in post-production, but I’ll also have to be careful of these potential issues and tread carefully. Preparation and releases that are a proper representation of my/our vision for the final product can contribute to avoiding this.

Going through the readings about the experiences of others (particularly Edward Martinez) has been interesting and educational. Understanding that it’s likely I will encounter problems throughout the filmmaking process, and taking the necessary steps to be prepared for them is all I can do. Martinez wrote about how even the simplest shoots can turn into something of a nightmare. One anecdote describing a simple tripod shot overlooking a valley being interrupted by a woman hollering for them to leave was fascinating; knowing anything can happen at anytime will allow me to prepare the best I can, whilst knowing it may not always work out perfectly.

Martinez, E (2016), Navigating the River: The Hidden Colonialism of Documentary, http://www.documentary.org/column/navigating-river-hidden-colonialism-documentary.

During the Monday tutorial this past week we explored the four functions of documentary, which got me thinking about which of these functions would best suit my project and filmmaking style. I feel as if I don’t want to ‘persuade and promote’ in a way that comes across as untruthful, however this is the function I’ve chosen the studio for. I hope to produce something that can shed some light on an issue in an unbiased way.  The look at experimental film and documentary on Monday also sprouted some thoughts over the course of the week. I’m interested in the different ways I can go about creating my final project, and how I can communicate with my audience visually and stylistically rather than simply with talking heads. As I continue to think about ideas for my film I will also think about how I can pursue them in a more creative way.

On Friday we were given the opportunity to play around with the Sony XDCAM cameras, shooting anything interesting for fifty seconds or so. Getting into the practice of walking around and filming was nice preparation for the coming weeks, as I felt I needed to warm into it all again after the break. We learnt the most basic functions of the camera, but nothing more due to time constraints. The aim of the exercise was to record only what we thought was worth filming, not unlike what filmmakers would have to do during the infancy of cinema due to the high cost of film tape. What I took away from this was that we shouldn’t necessarily restrict what we film, but rather try to continue to stay vigilant by looking out for things that are worth recording.

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Throughout this course I’ll be looking to develop skills, grow as a filmmaker and put out some work that I can be proud of; maybe that work can make a little difference too. My main interest in the course lies within the ‘Action’ part of the course name. I want to know how things I learn can translate to action on important issues. Documentary itself isn’t necessarily the reason I chose the studio, and I’ve never had a passion for it but I’ve enjoyed a few here and there. It will however, be a nice change of pace from the narrative based media that I tend to immerse myself in. I’m looking forward to learning a bit more about the process of creating documentary and developing skills such as interacting with interviewees etc.

I like the idea of perhaps working with a non-for-profit during the course, or maybe branching out and going with a different idea. One matter that I may consider pursuing is climate change; after discussing this in class I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d have to tackle this on a smaller scale and narrow it down a bit. I’m not entirely sure how I’d do that, but I”ll continue some research. Another interesting topic that I’ve thought about is the prevalence of homeless youth in Melbourne. This would probably require a ‘talking heads’ approach, and I don’t know if this is the path I want to go down quite yet. Looking at some experimental documentary in class has me interested in trying something different. How could I create a film that portrays a serious issue in a fascinating and compelling way? I’ll try to keep asking myself this question as I further explore ideas for my project in the coming weeks.

Documentaries in video portrait

An Inconvenient Truth trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOrHnctozrY

The War on Kids trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kP02lxpX2E

Planet Earth still: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795176/mediaindex?ref_=tt_pv_mi_sm

This week we were introduced to the studio and talked about what kind of films we might be interested in making for our final projects. I don’t know exactly where I want to go with my final project yet. I’ve considered climate change, and I will continue to research other subjects that I could focus on in the coming weeks. During the Friday tutorial we broke into pairs and recorded short interviews with each other regarding our reasons for picking the studio and what our opinion on documentary was. The activity helped me think about documentary and what I want in my final film.

One of the main things I took away was my feelings towards documentaries that manipulate reality to try and promote a certain point of view. Going forward I want my documentary to be absolutely true and accurate. If there is any fabrication then the audience may begin to doubt the seriousness and veracity of the matter. Another notable part of the interview was our discussion around why we chose the studio. I believe I chose it to use my skills and experience to try and make a positive impact, rather than as a documentary lover. I already know my main goal from the beginning, it’s now more a matter of trying to discover the angle I want to take. Hopefully some research will shed some light on this in the coming weeks.