Analysis/Reflection #4

In this clip from Forbidden Lies, Anna Broinowski’s 2007 film: describe in detail all of the audio, how it may have been recorded/sourced and how you think it has been edited / layered in post. (You do not need to describe how the music was recorded)

In this clip from Forbidden Lies (brilliant documentary by the way!), the audio has been given high priority. It plays an integral role in driving the narrative and setting the tone of information as its being presented.

It begins with a music video/parody advertisement using acoustic guitar for the soundtrack and sound effects to portray what would be realistic diegetic sounds, such as birds singing, cars driving past, fabric moving in the wind, etc. However these sound effects are created as ‘foley’ and would have been recorded seperately and added in post production. The music then suddenly cuts as though a tape player has been stopped.

Silence is then utilised as the interview participant is speaking to camera. As the dialogue continues and claims from the book are being proven false, more sound effects are utilised to emphasise the ‘lies’. Sound effects include: a cash register opening, chimes, a camera click/flash, shaker/rattle. These ‘landmark’ the breakthroughs in proving the author wrong as  if checking off a list.

When we learn more about the journalist, the music returns as very quiet traditional Arabic/Middle Eastern music. This could be a subtle way of giving her a sense of authority and authenticity as she is a “real” Jordanian woman and expert.

This switches to more upbeat jazz style music as the tone changes. Now that so many false claims are being disproven, the mood is comical and it’s nearly humorous as the sound effects continue to pinpoint errors. The mood is much lighter.

The director has also asked both women to read the same excerpt from  the book, and in post production has overlayed them. I really like this effect, as we can hear the words directly from the mouth of the author as the facts are being questioned at the same time. It nearly tells us that she is lying (from page 3!) and deceiving, all while confidently reading and putting on a facade. Without explicitly saying so, the director is telling the audience to be wary of the author and that we are going to get taken for a ride, which turns out to be so crazy it’s laughable.

Most applications reserve keyboard shortcuts for the functions that you use most often. It is really good to learn all of these as it will speed up your editing and additionally alert you to functions that the software developers and other users find important. (You can learn much about the software by looking at keyboard shortcuts).

Find the keyboard shortcuts for Premiere (hint, film-tv blog) and note four or more functions that you’ve never used before and why they may be invaluable to your editing. (Different functions to what you wrote last semester)

There are lots of shortcuts for Premiere that I haven’t used yet. Some one’s to keep handy for editing in the next few weeks will be:

Display entire project in Timeline:  \

This will be good for keeping track of footage, as we will accumulate lots of different material and will need to be able to view what we have all up before zooming in and editing more throughly. It will also be a good tool to keep track of time.

PlayForward:  Space or L,(+ Shift key for slow playback) repeat key press for faster playback speed

I always like to review the clip I have been working on as I edit to make sure I’m getting the result I want. So this will come in handy.

Effects Controls: Shift + 5

I haven’t used many effects in Premiere before, but might suit some of our footage.

Snap to Edges (toggle on/off): S

I wasn’t aware there was a shortcut for this – will definitely need it for fine editing and putting together quick cuts.

“From a distant gaze …” (1964) directed by Jean Ravel, picture Pierre Lhomme & Chris Marker, words by Louis Aragon, narrated by Jean Negroni, music by Michel Legrand. Describe a few things that intrigue you – it might be shot construction, camera work, editing, overall structure, thematic concerns etc. Describe the camera work and why you think it has been shot that way.

I really enjoyed this short film. I think what intrigues me the most is the overall structure, and how what appears to be a simple concept, can be much more.

The camera is constantly moving and shifting focus from one thing to another – everything is equal, whether the subject be a person, bus, or bag. The camera becomes more than an observer, it is an eye and has a personality. The camera mimics the human eye as it observes the surrounding world.

As the title suggests, the film views people on the street “from a distant gaze”, and it satisfies the human interest in watching others. I want to know their stories, where they are going and what is making them laugh. For me, it is a snippet into what it is like to be a human, and how we interact with each other.

Select from one of the readings and briefly describe two points that you have taken from it. Points that interest you, something you could apply to your own documentary.

Ruoff, Jeffrey. Conventions of sound in documentary. In Cinema Journal,  vol. 32, no. 3, 1993.

I found the evolution of documentary styles since the 1950s interesting, particularly the television series An American Family, as a ‘real life soap opera’. I can notice the progression to reality television and why they are so popular today.

The reading also explains location sound in documentary, which will be very useful to keep in mind when shooting our own documentary. We’ve had some issues with audio and need to test out our audio equipment to ensure consistency throughout the film.