When I signed up for the studio Memory, Identity and Neighbourhoods I did so because I feel an affinity with those concepts. Memories, because they shape the people we are today and will continue to do so till the end of our time. Identity, because each and every human on this planet has a unique mark that they leave on the world and lastly, neighbourhoods. Simply put, neighbourhoods are a community that we belong to that is filled with people who have chosen to reside in the same stretch of land. Yet, what comes from that is a matchless spark of life that can shape our memories, our identities and who we choose to be. Which is why I was excited to delve into these topics through the medium of documentary making.
From day one general themes we were to explore throughout the semester were discussed: mapping out neighbourhoods, documentary production practise, convention of visual language, storytelling techniques, the art of the interview, curating place but most importantly to consider one question ‘What make us band to a place?’. Throughout the semester this would be the central concept my classmates and I, as individuals, would each consider in depth. In retrospect I understand that these initial classes were time for us to think hard about what specific places mean to us, how and why they have shaped us as a person and moreover how can these principles be translated onto the screen for others to appreciate your perspective. From the onset, on some level I knew my film pitch would be about Coburg. I didn’t know who it was going to be about, but I knew my desire to showcase Coburg’s quirks and unique characteristics was strong. This was proven to be true during an exercise, which asked the class to take a handful of photos in the suburb that we live in. It was then, driving around Coburg and Brunswick with my mother taking photos of all of the houses that we’d lived in, our former local pizza shop and my Greek school, the cogs in my brain began to formulate ideas.
Technical exercises were also assigned to us, in order to teach us systematic skills. One day we explored the city and shot scenes on the Sony x70 that relate to the idea of heritage, art and spectacle in our minds, on another day we would take Zoom F4 recorders and work in groups to understand levels, decibels and the art to perfect sound. We would assemble in groups, pick a topic and interview a classmate on it and film it, to better understand the art of emotive translation from life to film. Interviewing, sound, filming, we covered it all so that when it came time to film we would we well equipped to capture the best footage we can. Whilst I have never been truly confident about my utilisation of technical skills, I found that these classes helped to abate my worries. Still, I would have appreciated more time to explore the technical side of film making, as these skills are crucial.
My pitch was to explore how old, ordinary spaces that were once used for a certain purpose have been transformed into extraordinary places with modern uses. I wanted to delve into how the owners of these spaces found bland, insignificant buildings and individualised them into unique, memorable spaces whilst retaining their old facade. I wanted to inspect how these locations play a part in the characterisation of the space. I grouped up with Marco and Krista and we started to brainstorm what our story could be about. In order to start thinking systematically about our contention, I went to one of a sight of interest, Kines, and shot a short one-minute film on my phone. The study focus is on the nature of change within a space. What I found was that while the space itself was special, the people are what brought it to life. Initially we were going to investigate three spaces, Kines, Mesma Studios and Noir Darkroom. Yet the time constraints made us narrow it down to Noir alone. I conducted initial interviews with Jessica from Noir in order to better understand her personality.
We shot the film on three separate occasions. The first day was the test shoot day. We ventured to Noir with the Sony x70 with the hopes of getting the creative juices flowing as the direction and tone of our film felt to abstract to us. That day was helpful for us as it was a day where we tested shots that ended up in the final cut, and also it gave us a better understanding of who Jessica is and the space she has curated. I understand now that if you feel stuck creatively, you simply must ‘do’. The second day was the ‘interview’ day. I had taken on the role as interviewer as it is something that has always intrigued and interested me. I spent a few days formulating questions which I grouped in terms of relevance to the past, present and future. The questions varied from the past of the space to the future of Coburg and everywhere in between. I wanted to make sure that I had enough questions so that when we entered post production, we wouldn’t feel like we lost a great story. Moreover, you never can know if an interview subject will be liberal with their answers or concise and shy. Jessica was a fabulous mix of both, she was quite reserved, but her answers painted a beautiful picture of her thoughts, it was extremely humbling to be a part of. With the shooting wrapped, we confidently started the editing process to find two critical changes to plans; the first was our story was no longer about the repurposing of space but about Coburg. In light of this, the second change was that we did not have a range of shots from within Coburg. Therefore, we walked around Coburg the following day and captured footage there. With the missing pieces filled, our film came together nicely. To me, it is a great snapshot in time of Coburg, narrated insightfully by an art and people lover.
I am proud of the film I created this semester. I believe that the story arc is strong and engaging, the subject interesting and the setting special. Working in a group as a cohesive unit is just as important as the story your telling, as there are many jobs to be fulfilled and moral to be boosted when needed. I would not have been able to make the film I did were it not for the skills I acquired technically and conceptually. I am deeply grateful for the many things I learned this semester.
