Wk 13 – Cry me a river

Alas, it’s over. The dreaded first semester. As I sit here frantically trying to finish this at 1:30am, boozed up on coffee with Best Coast’s California Nights album soothing me, I realise that I’m filled with some kind of sadness… oh hold up, melancholy’s gone – been pushed aside by tiredness and stress (shout out to cinema presentation that I haven’t started researching.)

There isn’t really one thing that I have specifically extracted from the course thus far, but a compilation of lecture one liners that at the time, for whatever reason, I felt compelled to write down so as to not forget –

  • “Where are the boundaries?”
  • “Don’t be too literal at learning.”
  • “Filmmaking causes pain.”
  • “Don’t wait for the romanticised idea to come… if it does, great.”
  • “We can’t separate ourselves from all of the texts.”
  • “There is no such thing as silence.”
  • “Experience the uncomfortableness.”
  • “Shed your virtual mind.” 
  • “Don’t be a tool.”

And, my personal favourite – “Making without thinking is being an ‘inbetweener’ – you want to be a creator.”

I guess what I’ve found the most challenging about the course is the aspect of having to get over myself and try things that I otherwise wouldn’t. Consequently, this is what has also been one of the highlights. I’ve come a long way from the girl who wouldn’t raise her hand to the one who can’t seem to keep her mouth shut. It’s hard to adapt and accept new ways and you know what, it’s very hard to emerge from high school to suddenly have the cord cut and be expected to become ‘independent.’ (cringes.) Honestly, in the first week I was ready to drop out but, after receiving a scalding from mum on sticking it out, I’m super relieved I did. More than anything, this course has strengthened my passion for media and in turn, my ambition to one day become the next Sofia Coppola.

So comrades, I say adieu. Here’s 5 of my favourite blog posts. Enjoy.

Wk 1 – This Week on Girls 

Wk 3 – Post Self-Portrait 

Wk 6 – Sorry Middle Class White Girl, What Did You Say? 

Wk 7 – Reflections 

Wk 8 – The ADG (aka Logies for Directors Without All The Hype) 

Wk 13 – Project Brief Four

For Project Brief 4, my group, consisting of Sasha and Zac, were given the topic of ‘texts’ – one that quite honestly had us stumped at first. How does one begin to cover ‘media texts?’ Well, we have indeed come far from that dubious starting point and produced something that we are honestly quite proud of. This assignment enabled us to use our likemindedness in order to explore aspects of social media and how it influences self-identity. Since our trio has an inclination towards pop-culture and alternative ways of thought, I would like to think that our assembled book complimented this.

Personally, I feel that the most successful aspects of our own text – Exploring Texts in the Digital Age – were the ways in which our group combined our initial investigations to forge a piece that clearly flows. From our brainstorming session in our first research class, we discovered that we wanted to somehow discuss youth culture and how the internet has somewhat warped creativity and representations of self. This was implemented in our book by way of presenting three chapters of sorts – The Id, The Ego and The Super-Ego, which were all partnered with a pictorial collage that ran in line with the thoughts being expressed. For example, the face, a mixture of young and new participants, commented on the progression of social media artefacts. This is why our book begins with the examples of a handwritten love letter and email as they were some of the first modes of communication. This progresses to contemporary technology with the collage of the pelvis/chest area and then the academic points of communication with the pictures of a hand. To tie this altogether, ‘The Artists’ have written reflective pieces that also feature. These focus on the invention of Web 2.0, psychoanalytical criticisms and social implications, which is really where the voices of my partners and myself shine through.

It admittedly took a while for our group to find our feet and the path we wanted to take in creatively responding to the task. One of the least successful elements of this project was the fact that we were constantly changing our minds and in doing so, jeopardised the content that we aimed to bring forth. Furthermore, our far-fetched ideas, whilst a necessity for media practitioners, meant that a lot of our time was not used wisely since we were worried about the general aesthetic (very very very crucial to us.) I also feel that because the topic of ‘texts’ is so broad, our concepts never had any foundation and were generally all over the place until the last minute when we finally found a way to hone them in.

Overall, this collaboration process hasn’t exactly been ‘eye-opening’ for me, which is not to say that it hasn’t been something special. It’s been interesting to watch this project evolve and morph shape with each week and I’m so glad for having been put into a group with Sasha and Zac, who understand my mind, body and spirit. For future reference, I aim to have more of a solid structure in terms of understanding and interpreting the topic so as to not stray… But, perhaps straying is a good thing.

Wk 11 – Social Media’s Influence on the ‘Self’

(Below is a reflective snippet from PB4 that Sasha, Zac and I are working on)

Identity is never set in concrete – it is very much so a social process. Therefore, it seems fitting that for this artwork, the various artists chose to explore the ways that social media diminishes or perhaps provokes ideas of self-identity. If you will, this ‘social-identity’ allows individuals to reflexively construct a personal narrative, thus giving them a certain power over their lives – albeit an online life.

The platform of social media allows one the opportunity to shape their image, enabling complete reconstructions of impressions… Or so is thought. Really, social media can be viewed as an extension of our ‘everyday-lives,’ a version of our existence where aspects are either exaggerated or hidden depending upon how we want others to perceive us. A recent study (Aboujaode, 2011) looking into the Theory of Digital Identity has proven just this. The participants of the study altered their identities on Facebook as to signify that they were ‘more’ than just the individuals in their respective occupations. Stay-at-home parents wanted it to be viewed as ‘successful’, Executives wanted to reveal their ‘cool’ side, Academics wanted to appear intellectual yet ‘laid-back and funny.’ This highlights the importance of self-monitoring and the evident embellishing of  existing personality traits.

Furthermore, the online world contains its own set of rules that users feel must be adhered to. In this sense, social expectations are just as important in the cyber world as they are in our physical space. For example, friends on Facebook who complain and brag constantly are unfriended quickly whilst the same beings in real life would be given more flexibility because one might have to physically see them often. The fact that Facebook also contains no ‘Dislike’ button provokes the notion that the space is meant to garner positivity, delineating that users may feel the need to impress or entertain others for approval.

In presenting ‘the self’ online, it can also be argued that audiences play a large role in the identities presented through social media platforms. Communication sites are all concerned with validation – validation from peers, co-workers and family members. This, of course, reiterates the previously stated idea that social media allows one to communicate who they want to be and not necessarily who they truthfully are.

All in all, control is what really creates a Digital Identity. Online symbols (such as text speak) and an implemented set of ‘rules’ help guide the user to how they behave and reveal themselves but this is just a fragment of an already established role. Rather than creating something false and disconnected, people merely project themselves on screen in a new light.

Wk 8 – The ADG (aka Logies for Directors without all the hype)

Saturday night, I had the opportunity to act as a volunteer at the Australian Directors Guild. Apart from wearing the completely wrong footwear (shout out to my TB black heeled boots) and spending the eight hours standing in utter pain, I learnt some pretty valuable lessons that made the experience worthwhile.

In all honesty, I was surprised at how ‘low-key’ the event was. If RMIT hadn’t been a sponsor this year, the awards would have definitely escaped my notice – a fact that as a media student and aspiring film maker, I’m ashamed of. The host made an interesting point when stating that “Australians won’t watch (Australian productions) unless it’s about home renovations… maybe we should just turn ‘The Block’ into a feature film.” It’s true, films by Australian directors fly incredibly under the radar whilst mediocre Hollywood  pictures bombard us.

At this point in the presentation, which was basically 10 minutes in, I began to feel indescribably angry and appalled at the injustice of it all. How dare we, as a nation, not support the creators, the visionaries, the artists, who work from our very own backyard. Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook (taking out the grande prize of best feature film) was a phenomenal picture, yet I hardly know anyone who’s watched it or at least heard of it. Why? It was screened at merely 17 cinemas in all of Australia.

Moving on, I learnt that Neighbours is celebrating its 30th anniversary…. I’m not exaggerating when I say that much of the night’s over-arching emphasis was placed upon this show. A soap opera. Readers may want to kill me for this, but I feel that Neighbours has definitely run its course. It hasn’t been good since 2008 when Rachel Kinski became besotted with Mr. Henderson and was involved in a student/teacher love affair. Nay, it probably hasn’t been good since Kylie Minogue was a lead. The storylines have become ridiculous, the acting is atrocious – not that the ‘actors’ are given much to work with – and the show has tried so hard to represent various ethnicities as to adapt with the times that it all seems like a bit of a joke. “Ah yes, we need more Indians, find me an Indian family pronto! Oh no wait, there’s current Muslim issues, we better find an Arab family so we seem accepting…”

Any who, after having a brush of fame with Dr. Carl and Susan (I find it odd that they’re still together after a whole two seasons of him cheating on her with Natalie Bassingthwaighte) my mood began to lift with thanks to a speech made by Genevieve Clay-Smith, the Winner of ‘Best Direction in a Student Film’ for I Am Emmanuel. After receiving her award, she went on to state that her two male leads (refugees from war-torn Sudan) are now receiving work in the film industry and are studying at NIDA – opportunities that prior to being cast in this film, were unheard of. “Student filmmakers can really make a difference.” If these words had escaped from anyone else’s mouth, I might have gagged, but Genevieve was so genuine that she completely moved me in ways that were unexpected. I immediately fell in love with her.

All in all, this showcase of Australian talent acted as a reminder that I’m studying Media because I love film. It’s motivated me to put myself out there and explore the stories that I’ve always wanted to tell – one doesn’t need million dollar budgets to do so. What was said at our very first lecture? “You are Media practitioners today, not at the end of your degree.” Touché Brian, touché.

Wk 7 – Reflections

Sasha Geyer 

Sasha constructs an aesthetically simple yet stunning portrait on Carmen-Sibha Keiso, a close friend who studies at the VCA. Such a sense of simplicity would have otherwise resulted in a tedious viewing experience if it had not been for Sasha’s journalistically driven mind and quirky subject. The minimalistic setting of the VCA workspace allows the viewers to place their undivided attention upon Carmen-Sibha, whilst cluing us into aspects of her life and character. Furthermore, the setting feeds off nonchalant vibes as pastels consume the space, blending well with the subject’s intoxicating voice. Sasha’s ‘found-footage’ of various screenshots or Carmen-Sibha’s film-art compliment his artistic style of representing Youth Culture in its most unprocessed and natural element – a favourite shot of mine being the ‘Bang Bang You’re Mine’ clip. Though this film did not particularly need the addition of non-diegetic sound as it spoke for itself, I would love to see Sasha exploring with music in the future and engaging the audience with a soundtrack.

Zachary Newbegin 

Zach’s portrait on his deceased uncle and godfather, Christopher O’Rourke, is a refreshing and beautiful change from the typical ‘interview-style’ that the majority of students engaged in. His film reads like a series of jigsaw pieces that have been placed together in order to represent Christopher and as the clips moved on, my mind was constantly at work with trying to conjure an idea of who Zach’s uncle was. The black-and-white archive footage of burlesque women and shadowed figures were interwoven well with photographs and letters that Christopher had written, evoking the melancholy that illness placed on Zach’s family as well as the dramatic and joyous side of Christopher’s personality. This tied in well with the film’s Beethoven soundtrack as some notes represented hope whilst others took a turn for darkness. This was a truthfully thought-out piece and in the future, I would suggest Zach ensures that his narration is a little clearer as the commentary that he expressed from Christopher’s cancer journal was poetic and significant.

Wk 7 – Project Brief 3

I consider the most successful aspect of my work to be the way that it conveys my subject’s flamboyancy and passion. This is best exemplified in the montage where Richard states, “There’s a bit of a danger, the experimentation…” The bursts of colour that encompass the screen are derivative of The Dante Quartet and when interwoven with the images of the two girls kissing, reiterate Richard’s desire in exploring the human form in a sexualised and unashamed way. The audience receives glimpses of the human body – a torso, set of breasts, lips – and before they have time to fully grasp each portion, the clips cut to the average speed of the lovers or the unveiling nun so that one’s mind can draw the connection and observe the inspiration for Richard’s work. I do however feel that the least successful aspect of this film is the opening and the closing. Originally, the montage sequence was placed at the beginning, with Richard’s dialogue about his painted hearts used as narration, but it was not working as it seemed like too much cluttered information to process. I then opted to just have the corresponding clip play, which to me, is too much of a simple way to begin a piece. As for the closing sequence, perhaps using one more section of archive footage would have been more effective than three shots of his paintings.

Despite not being entirely content with this work, I am glad that we were given this project because it taught me to get out of my comfort zone. Kyla Brittle said, “Experience the uncomfortable,” and so I chose to step away from creating a convenient portrait of members of my family though they have some captivating stories. Having to contact Richard who I have only met once as a child was a daunting task for me since there was the possibility of rejection (luckily he is in love with the camera) and then there was the meeting him to consider and the inadequacy I might feel with regards to my own skill set. Nonetheless, it all proved to be a positive and interesting day.

I have come to realise that when creating portraits, it’s the ‘small’ aspects of the interview that shape the overall piece. This is so as most of the questions that I wrote, which I thought were just going to be nice links became significant to my telling of Richard. In the future, I need to keep this sense of effortless simplicity in mind.

Wk 6 – Tech Time

The sound recorder – such a small device yet so troubling at times. After clicking all the buttons, twisting the dials and pretending to be an Anchorwoman for a solid five minutes, our group headed out into the ruckus of le RMIT Campus… Which proved to be not that interesting at 9:45 on a Thursday morning.

Our content largely consisted of truck engines and construction works, with the additional conversation. A problem that became the general consensus for the class was attaining clear recordings since the wind and common activity of the campus kept interfering with the signal strengths.

I wouldn’t say that any of the recordings were of particular consequence and nor would I ever use them again but it was interesting to use a new piece of technology. I’m glad that for Project Brief 3 I rented the Sony MC50 instead of this device because I don’t think I’m much of a fan…

Wk 5 – Project Brief 2

In my second media artefact, I attempted to further convey the themes of ‘exploration’ and ‘youth’ that I focused on in Project Brief One.

The editing process assisted in this endeavour as I experimented with the speeds of each clip, creating what I feel to be my streams of consciousness – highlighting the notion that I seem to be thinking and feeling a multitude of things at a time. The commentary used features my two intoxicated best friends and is a result of asking them the question, “If you had to describe me in one word, what would it be?” Using such narration was a way to truthfully represent myself as these two girls (who also appear in physical form in the video) know me almost better than I know myself. Their dialogue has been deliberately spliced and overlapped because often when recalling a conversation, one only remembers the ‘best bits.’ The fact that they had also consumed alcohol signifies that they unashamedly spoke the first words that came to mind about me.

Personally, I find that the least successful aspect of this piece can be exhibited through certain clips that I’ve selected. I’m not entirely satisfied with all of them, particularly the last shots of my sister and her friends playing around with the sparklers – to a degree it’s a very cliched symbolisation of youth. In stating that however, I feel as though one of the artefact’s strongest elements is segment ‘II,’ whereupon the images of my friend’s mouths and eyes blend with the flashing lights to provide a somewhat grimy feel. I all too often idealise the adolescent years and I wanted to evoke a sense of rawness – this is how it really is. For this motive alone, none of the clips themselves have been ‘touched up’ so that all the colours, blemishes and shadows reflect the accuracy of reality.

Wk 3 – Be uncomfortable, be-e uncomfortable

Speaking of “experiencing the uncomfortable” as a documentarian, Kyla Brittle made me think of this specific Vice video. I’ve seen it countless times and I completely admire the way that Natalia and Alex put themselves directly out of their safety zones for a story.

Whether it’s staged or not is another question but nonetheless, I’m intrigued by the grimy rawness of the piece.

Wk 3 – Post Self-Portrait

As Dan mentioned, these media artefacts are “just a bunch of kilobytes” until we attach them to stories for meaning.

With that being said, it was strange to see my peers delve into my work and try to get a better understanding of who I think I am. Until that point I didn’t realise how personal I was getting with the various representations of myself and to some extent, I felt exposed.

It’s flattering to hear that my work was honest but I had to stop and think to myself, is it? There’s so much I haven’t revealed or that I’ve kept secret and I’m not 100% certain whether these images truly reflect me. Haven’t we all just provided pieces of an identity that we may or may not have forged?

Before I get too philosophical and start sounding like a wanker, I guess that my next aim for the graded piece is to remain as abstract as I’ve been but perhaps through highlighting a different part of my life further…

What my friends and I found the most interesting was the fact that you can click on anyone’s blog and receive a general idea about them – all without ‘knowing’ them or recognising their face in the halls.