1. Paste the link here from your version of the abstract editing exercise. Then reflect on the whole process – Consider: the quality and usability of your recordings; the effect of layering and juxtaposition of both the audio and the video and; the things you learnt from working with this kind of audio and video.

http://vimeo.com/103494010

The abstract editing exercise was a great process in experimentation and the editing of the vision and sound allowed for an opportunity to reflect on what we had recorded and how it can be combined.

I found the process of finding and recording abstract vision a lot easier than the sound. With the vision, it was easier to isolate particular abstract qualities, whereas whilst recording the audio we thought we were getting singular and individual sounds but on playback realised that they weren’t of a high quality. The sound recorded a large soundscape rather than isolated sounds, and most of the files sounded quite messy and not clear. I found it difficult to find sounds that were of a good quality to match to the vision I chose to cut together.

When cutting the vision, I knew which files were my favourite and chose to work with them, due to their interesting aesthetic qualities. I noticed that the clock vision slowly blurred the focus so that it was out of focus, then sharpened back. I chose to cut this vision to bookend the film to demonstrate a single moment in time with the other vision in between showing what has occurred in this minute.

I also noticed that the vision of the stairs showed people walking up them, and then walking down. Once again, I chose to cut this footage so that it showed an inversion of the events presented, similarly to the clock footage.

As the quality of the sound we recorded wasn’t too good, I found it difficult to chose which ones I should use. The sound I particularly liked was that of the metal cups clanging together by the street performer, however on playback the sound wasn’t as distinctive as the sound of people talking and traffic overrun the quality of it. While the sound of the keyboards wasn’t my favourite, it was the clearest in quality and provided a difference in aesthetics.

The sound of the rustling of the leaves was interesting as it increased in rhythm. I chose to pair this with the changing focus of the clock as it matched the gradual changing qualities of both sound and vision. It also provided an interesting contrast between the mechanical interior vision and the natural sound of the outdoors.

I chose to juxtapose the vision of the stairs with the sound of typing on a keyboard to match the rhythm of the people’s footsteps and to represent that they are students, who mostly use computers to study. The sound of the metal clanging combined with the vision of the green lit wall is probably not that abstract as they are quite similar in the industrial aesthetic but I liked how I recorded them separately yet it wouldn’t seem that way.

In editing, I chose to use the three-way colour corrector to enhance the green in the clock shots and the purple in the stair shots, creating a distinctive colour palette that reflects an industrial, but also alien type of world.

I learned that recording audio isn’t as easy as it initially seems, and that there needs to be a lot of care taken to record clear, distinctive and high quality sounds. As we recorded the majority of our sounds outdoors and found that a lot of our sounds were quite muddled and not clear, I would record more interior sounds or record in quieter outdoor areas to get clearer sounds. I found that you must be quite careful with the zoom on the camera, as some of our shots we’re quite jolty. Experimenting with the focus provided an interesting aesthetic and is something that I may continue to use in my documentary project.

2. Select from one of the readings and briefly describe two points that you have taken from it. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you. 

I chose to focus on the Rabiger reading, ‘Directing the Documentary’ pg; 207-218. This particular excerpt focuses on the initial research and drafting of the documentary proposal before filming begins. I found it quite helpful in helping to understand the large amount of pre-production needed before filming even begins.

The main point I took from the reading was to continually research and change the hypothesis of the documentary as you gather new information. Using this research to focus the hypothesis of the film, what perspective the film is taking, and it’s style will form a pitch that you can then receive feedback for. Pitching the documentary to many people will allow you to refine it based on the feedback you receive, while also seeing what questions it raises in them, which you can then use to emphasize points of the subject on.

The importance of lateral thinking was another point I found helpful as it emphasizes the importance of not letting setbacks prevent you from progressing the documentary forward. Thinking outside of the box and making lists of what arises from your subject, then finding ways to make the subject unique and interesting.

Another important point I took from the reading was to approach potential participants as early as possible and develop a continuing dialogue with them to gather as much information as possible. This will also help to form trust between the participants and filmmakers, and hopefully prevent participants from dropping out of the project at the last minute. Being truthful about the documentary is also highly important in ensuring that trust is maintained between participants and filmmakers.