Study | Michael Firus

Picture = 1000 words ∴ 4 seconds of 25fps video = 100,000 words.

Assessment 2 – Scene analysis: The Grand Budapest Hotel: Society Of The Crossed Keys

Immediately apparent in this scene from Wes Anderson’s 2014 comedy film is the way in which the director structures the mise en scene. Symmetry is favoured by Anderson, and this is often achieved through the use his sets. For example, all the reception desks of the various hotels essentially follow the same design principle. This…

Assessment 2 – Reflection 1 – “Lenny”

The “Lenny” script was one that we looked at very early in the studio. Indeed, this media artifact was the first one I had ever filmed with the Sony news gathering-type cameras that we now use regularly. For this reason, the creation of the following sequence was done with the aim of beginning the process…

Assessment 2 – Reflection 2 – “Action exercise”

Another exercise undertaken at the beginning of the course, this task involved the simple parameters of a 30-second length, a static camera, and supporting documentation. With such an open prompt, I decided to feature something about me. The subject in question was my practice of making short documentaries about people I find interesting. These people…

Verbs instead of Adjectives

During the process of script writing, an issue arises that is unique to that of prose intended for eventual execution in a visual medium. This is the issue of writing in a way that allows sentiments and ideas to be ‘executable’ in front of a camera. In filmmaking, the use of voiceover for expounding these…

Pre-presentation Work-in-progress Documentation (Project Brief 3 pt1)

My exploration of the notion of world has indeed, yielded some interesting results. For this third project brief, I condensed the concepts and ideas I had researched into a one minute teaser reel; what could be described as a thematic trailer. The teaser trailer was not a complete example of narrative, but nonetheless was designed…

Look Both Ways in Treatment Form

Two close friends; lovers, giggle and banter as they prepare for another day at uni. Their laughter and care free temperament makes them stumble lightly on the uneven pavement. They are absorbed in each other. He is telling her stories about his high school days. She listens intently to the man of her dreams. Rounding…

Course reflection – Michael P. Firus – Semester 1 – Media 1

Michael P. Firus – Course reflection – Semester 1 – Media 1 The pace at which this semester slipped by can only be described as disconcerting. The past 13 weeks have been my first taste if university life. Prior to my enrollment I traveled to the CBD only a few times a year: corresponding to…

PB4 Reflection – Michael Firus

Over the past couple of weeks, PB4 has been a stressful, exciting and educational experience. In some ways, it broke new ground for me, and in other areas reinforced and enhanced prior knowledge. Before this project, I had never been at the business end of a Vox pop. For the first time, I was the…

Technology and Us

It seems that humanity is stuck with technology. Literally, we’ve been inseparable from our little trinkets since our forebears realized that life would be pretty crapy and short if they didn’t rub their pair of brain cells together to come up with some sort of labor-saving device. One gets pretty excited about technology – especially…

(False) Perceptions

The first term of our course has nearly drawn to a close. Now, I must at this point discuss something that is rarely outwardly expressed. Within certain university courses, there exists an expectation that a student must, on their own initiative become an active and vibrant member of the course’s corresponding real-world discipline. Such an…