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.

Rabiger, M. Directing the documentary wk 1 3-7 wk 3 54-57 & 207-218 wk 4 236-239 wk 6 329-347 (Aesthetic and Authorship)

A key point from the reading is the mention of Documentary Modes. Seeing that film attempts to blur lines within its intentions of Persuasion, Preservation, Analysis and Expression as dictated by Michael Renov in Theorizing Documentary, Bill Nichol’s breakdown of Documentary modalities into 5 distinct categories helps to clear this distinction as it helps define clear boundaries for the documentary in its opereation. I feel that Nichol’s modalities work more with objective traits and aesthetical preoccupations that help clarify the realm in which the documentary is operating as Renov’s points of distinction offer a more thematic expression of modalities and due to the subjective intepretation of his given terms, further disambiguation naturally may unfold.

I feel this will help tremendously with my documentary as Nichols’  Modalties give a form of ‘ground’ that can help identify the general aesthetical intention and framework of my piece so as to better improve its elements through this modal identification in cross-reference with other work that falls the same. As such, by working with others in a similar group (my documentary harbouring on the ‘Performative Mode’), I have a point of reference and departure from which i may be able to structure my documentary and further expand on its nature.

Another point that intrigued me was the excerpt’s mention of Erik Barnouw’s roles of documentary through its historical evolution. I find this interesting as it allows me to understand and see how the documentary has been identified in our collective consciousness throughout time and through the extrapolation of the words used (such as Prophet,  Explorer, Reporter Etc) and affective and, to extents, objective position can be understood about the documentary and futhermore, it signifies what the documentary ‘Could Be’ as filmmakers choose to make it.

“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.

The most intriguing aspect i find with this piece is the camera work and shot construction that has followed interesting with the theme suggested by the films title ‘A Distant Gaze’. Very much so, the cinematographer has attempted to embody this thematic aspect through the way in which he attempts to shoot individuals in the environment from a point of observable distance (observable by audiences). I interpreted this as an attempt of the artist’s intention in observing the milieu of daily habits and interactions encompassed in the environment. Roughly speaking, it looks truly as if the camera itself is simply watching individuals, suggested by the informality of the camera work, the continuous framing and tracking of particular individuals for extended periods of time and the sudden cuts to arguable different aspects of the environment entailing different actions and tone that seem to have no relation

I feel the work attempts to re-envision the aesthetic of original travelogues through its chaotic and seemingly unplanned cinematography however simultaneously working under the thematic objective of distant observation that enables the piece to act as such. It brings to question whether the piece is intentionally chaotic or unknowingly superfluous. What brings doubt, at moments, to the possibility of this free-form aesthetic is the occasional moments of planned shot construction in which individuals are placed at proper spaces in the frame following framing techniques such as rule of thirds or 180 degree rules. Personally, i feel this adds to the enigmatic representation of the piece which one can perceive either as a chaotic cinematic rambling, or an intentional ‘chaotic cinematic rambling’.

Another strong characteristic that comes to my attention is the use of music. I feel the expressionistic composition mirrors the sense of chaos embodied throughout the various segments of the piece. The tempo of the background music seems to synchronise with the bustle and activity of the environment and concurrently also the rate at which the piece attempts to transition.

As a conclusive observation, the film truly intrigues me as I see it as a piece that has a thinly veiled line determining its aesthetic from absolute chaos to complete order; A line which, when the film is revisited, continues to confound its audiences.

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)

Adobe Premiere Pro Shortcuts

Cmd+/: (Adds a New Bin). This function helps great with Premiere Pro workflow especially during clip consolidation and Ingestion as it allows users to promptly create a Bin where they may be able to classify and sort their various clips of footage on the fly

Cmd+S: (Save project File). It goes without saying what the importance of saving your file is; This shortcut helps greatly with workflow as it allows users to quickly save their file as they continually progress on their clip. It saves the hassle of having to access the save function via the Apple Toolbar allowing users to continue editing without having to think twice about saving

Cmd+D(Add Video Transition). This function allows users to add a video transition at the point of cursor on their sequence between their clips. This helps greatly in workflow as it saves the trouble of having to sieve through the various effects Adobe has in order to find the appropriate video transitions. In documentary filmmaking, this function may prove more vital than most as transitions between interview segments are necessary and in the process of continual editing, quick access to this feature can prove a great advantage in terms of efficiency and ease of work.

Cmd+0(Playback Full Resolution) When reviewing a completed sequence or playback of a particular clip, this shortcut helps switch Premiere’s playback resolution to full so users can preview the actual resolution of their finally exported work. This helps when there is confusion in the final outcome of a piece in terms of its visual clarity and can help users make a quick reference to ensure the resolution of their sequence/final film. Additionally, when used with the following shortcut appendices of 2/4/8 the user can switch back to resolutions of  0.5/0.25/0.125 of the full resolution to continue with their editing work.

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)

To first analyse the audio used in this excerpt, i feel it is important to distinguish between the two distinct segments of the excerpt; The first being the dramatic reenactment of Nourma Khouri’s story and the second being the commencement of the interview segment.

For the reenactment, it is clear that Broinowski utilised a musical score as the background track for the reenactment with additional SFX sounds to embelish and dramatise key moments of the piece that work as poetic devices for the story being reenacted. Such moments were the sound of birds chirping, the ‘twinkle’ sound shown in conjunction with the animated twinkle on the main character’s teeth, the revving sound of the car as the couple drive off into an unknown space, the throwing of the lead actresses’ scarf and the sound of impact it makes. It is clear in viewing the placement of the sounds and the exaggeration of their sonic elements (such as the heavy thud of the scarf, the desynchronised revving of the car with its motion), that the sounds added to the reenactment were most likely recorded elsewhere and concurrently added to the piece in post. They were most likely sounds of foley recorded separately or sourced from a sound-bank.  In editing, they would have most likely been layered over the music track with a larger proportion of the mix volume being allocated to their presence.

The final signifying transition to the interview segment utilised this pattern of SFX implementation however there is a distinction when it transfers over to the interview segment (with the sound of the clapped frame and the disintegration of the actor in the desert background). In the interview segments, the similar SFX sounds used are clearly distinguishable as non-diegetic sounds as the stand as almost accentuations of key moments in the interview (such as the interviewer making a dramatic point). In layering, it seems imperative that the interviewee’s dialogue is layered primarily as the backing track, most likely being recorded from the premeditated interview segments shown at moments through the piece. The use of the SFX is layered in such a way that it is synchronised with the visual transitions  during the sequence (such as the jump from the interview to image segments showing excerpt images of the book’s cover) However, an additional layer of sound heard is the general background noise that is shown at certain moments of free-form filming; one such moment being the interviewee’s movement in the outdoors. This layer of audio is clearly distinguishable from the SFX due to indicators such as sound quality, mix levels and intelligibility. As such, it alludes to the possibility that it has been recorded live on set during the free-form filming moments.

How does this documentary alter your understanding of the way you use social media?

Firstly, looking at social media as a networking tool and a means of broadcasting opinions, this documentary has shown me that these platforms are rather powerful tools that can be exerted to amend mass favor and generate interest and awareness towards any particular intent, whether it is commercial driven or otherwise. ‘Generation Like’ has shown me how my consent of committed interest, such as a like on Facebook, is almost a virtual commodity that equates to a value within the sphere of Social Media. As such, this commodity has the power to drive popularity towards certain ideas, people, organizations and even nations.  Furthermore, it has demonstrated how public interest is no longer a one-sided affair and that the general public have the ability to willingly participate in the movement of said ideas, people and organizations.

What connections can you make with the role of a Social Media Producer?

A Social Media Producer is responsible for generating interest and facilitating this interest towards their client campaign, organization and or individual. This involves their consistent monitoring and management of social media platforms. Things such as scheduled media planning and release on platforms, moderation of page content,   communication with users to name a few are some of the occupational tasks.  The Social Media Producer is the sole driver and manager of the online presence and identity of the party they choose to represent.

What ideas does this documentary raise in regards to the event your group is planning and the task of achieving participatory engagement?

Question 7:

In this clip screened in the lecture from the Coen brothers’ ‘Blood Simple‘ describe what is happening in terms of the edits specifically in terms of the audio and video. Also name the different kinds of audio you can hear.

Throughout this excerpt, particular patterns of visual cuts and audio placement have been utilized towards varying extents and intentions. In dissecting this scene, the most obvious pattern of cutting that has been utilized is the use of Shot-Reverse Shot technique. Through majority of the scene, with exception of moments of character movement, this technique has been implemented. In moments of dialogue and silence between the two characters, the character speaking is shown followed by a very quick cut to the other character to show their response. As much as this shows dominance as a normalized technique,

Question 8:

Keyboard shortcuts. 

Most applications reserve keyboard shortcuts for the functions that 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 Adobe Premiere and note two or more functions that you’ve never used before that may be invaluable to editing

Keyboard Shortcut for Function #1: CMD+/- “Creates a New Bin for your Sequences and Clips in Project Folder”. This has helped me tremendously during initial stages of assembly as it assists in the efficiency of consolidating dailies/clips into relevant Bins without the need for unnecessary pointing and clicking

Keyboard Shortcut for Function #2: Key ‘I”, “Mark In”, ‘ Creates a Marking input to help section particular clips or parts of sequence being edited’. This function has proven to be the most efficient tool in helping with the Rough and Fine Cut editing process as it allows users to quickly Mark in Clips (and Mark out) to section relevant parts of footage or sequences. During the process of reviewing footage it helps tremendously when there is a need to quickly scan through footage to find portions that are required for the general sequencing of the film or to isolate the footage from any erroneous portions that may not be necessary

Keyboard Shortcut for Function #3 Key: Key “O”,“Mark Out”, Creates a Marking out at any particular point of a clip or section, in conjunction with the Mark In, Sections portions of individual clips or entire sequences. Working in Pair with the Mark In Function, the Mark Out keyboard function helps quickly Mark the end portion of the desired section that the user wishes to section out. Together, the two functions help greatly with the efficiency of time in the editing process as they work in conjunction with key cursor to mark a section at the current point of duration indicated by the cursor. As such, users can automatically Mark footage as they are reviewing them or in a more precise manner where they may use the cursor to select a certain point for Marking. The advantages weighs out tremendously in comparison to the manual method of clicking the function and having to manually stretch the length between the two points towards the desired section. As such, time lost in the manual process of stretching the Mark In and Mark Out bounds (especially in the context of having to review several clips of footage) is  regained through the simple process of using the keyboard function. Relatively, this function would be one of the more significant features of the software as its presence completely alleviates the need for the entire process of manual selection.

Final Submission

What did you  do well?

I felt that my key strength throughout this participation diary has been my ability of analysis in understanding, identifying and evaluating key ideas and concepts postulated by my guiding material (Weekly Reading, Linked article/academic writing).  My ability to critical evaluate ideas and arguments had shown demonstrably through my writing and was further improved as a result of my participation diaries. Additionally I felt that I did well in handling the Korsakow program and its features which was strongly abetted by my understanding of the concepts presented in the class and my readings.

What have I learnt to do better?

Through this assessment I have improved in my ability to moderate and continually contribute to an ongoing sphere of publication. As such the diaries have helped me in forming a consistency with my written publication, the development of a unique style of writing and a better understanding overall, of how to express myself effectively consistently and coherently.

What could you have learnt to do better?

I felt that my biggest weakness throughout this contract was in developing an adequate practice of reflective learning. As such, I did not have an established means in which to gauge my weaknesses and strengths as I went through the weeks of participation and the process of my K-Film production.  Additionally I felt that I could have contributed more to my time in my tutorials and lectures.

With the recent symposium, we had discussed the concept of Designed Fiction and its sphere of involvement. Throughout the discussion, my fellow classmates on the panel shared ideas about how Design Fiction can be used and how in certain uses, its delving design can even almost foretell a potential reality that we may see ourselves.  A great example brought about by one of class panelists was how the film A Space Oddessy by Stanley Kubrick had the use of an Ipad like device with similar touch screen and processing capabilities.  With that it shows how at moments how Designed Fiction can almost interchange our suspension of disbelief rather with a rationalized acceptance based on the potentiality of what’s presented. Conclusively, the panelists brought great insights and arguements into the ideas and concepts surrounding Designed fiction and its potential spheres of influence.

Additionaly, I’ve provided a link to one of the panelists herself, Esther, who has made a great read regarding Designed Fiction and its fundemental Nature. Please do check it out.

http://countingletters.wordpress.com/