In my previous answer, I had hoped to develop my production techniques, including writing, editing, film composition, sound and editing.

I can confidently say that I have learnt so, so much about Film and TV construction/production, especially in regards to sound and lighting. Writing will always be of strong interest to me and I will continue to do my own research and experimentations to teach myself more.

I would have liked to learn a bit more about using the camera- the in-class theory was great however I feel that I was not getting enough actual “play time” with the equipment unless I was in that role for our films. (Being first AD, I was not able to do much in terms of the technical side i.e. sound, lighting or camera). In addition, the Editing classes helped significantly to get the hang of Premiere, as I had never used it until this semester.

“If i can come out of this semester saying I know twice what I knew coming into the subject, I will be content with my learning experience”- I said this at the start of the course, and I can confidently say I have achieved my learning goals! I have learnt a LOT more than twice what I originally knew, and can confirm for myself that this is the area I want to work in when I come out of this degree.

Title: Moments of Pause

File Title on Server: Regina.Rebecca.Xiang

Group Members:
Regina Lee s3429446
Rebecca Jones s3430989
Xiang Ji s3314093

Teacher: Hannah Brasier

Link to K-Film

Link to Essay

Having never used Premiere before, there was a lot about the program I was unaware of, but I found that I easily picked up certain things.

Shortcuts that I had never come across before but found extremely useful included the shortcut tool to the razor in the tools panel (C)- Of course, clicking is no issue but it is extremely convenient to switch between selection (V) and razor (C) when you’re in the timeline.

The Enter key was something I wish i knew about before!!! When pressing enter after clicking on a gap between two clips in your timeline, the enter key snaps the two clips together, elimating the gap! I have spent SO long in my editing days selecting all the clips and dragging them over, getting them all lined up, etc. I’m kicking myself for this one!

My favourite discovery however, was the comma (,) key. The comma key inserts your clip from the preview window in to your selected part of the timeline according to your edited in and out points (I and O). Again, clicking and dragging isn’t hard, but it was just too convenient for a lazy person like me to pass up!

I found that when watching the clip, the editing seemed to be carefully constructed in a way that builds up suspense in the scene. Rather than switching back and forth between characters too much, the shots remain on one character for quite some time; the lingering shot allows the audience to see the non-speaking character’s reactions and to create the atmosphere for the uneasy mood. Fast, short camera movements to specific actions such as the placement of the lighter suggests the light-footed, bright eyed nature of the clip- with the suspense comes the heightened senses and a stronger awareness of actions and surroundings. The 180 degree rule is never broken and as the suspense reaches its climax, the audio takes over to construct the mood.

Throughout the entire clip there is distinct ambient and foley layered in the background of the dialogue. The sounds are sharp and crisp- these staccato like sounds help to create the unsettling atmosphere, and added ambience such as the crickets in the background give the scene an eerie feel. Foley I could pick up distinctly include the flick of the lighter, chairs moving, glasses on the table and water running. Suggesting the focus on the dialogue of the scene, there is no background music- sound and camera movements set the scene enough already- as the scene reaches its climax and the gun is set off; the sound of a heartbeat captures the intensity of the scene as the shooter leaves and the camera moves to an overhead shot above the fan, using the fan blade as a wipe into the next scene, added with the cymbal to indicate the end of the scene, its significance and a clear cut into the following scene.

You cannot simply tell an actor to “do better”- Being specific in terms of facial expression, body language, relation to objects or other actors, giving them context or personal goals can help. The director must have a close relationship so that they can both share and understand how the character should be portrayed.  It is important for a director is to communicate with people, and help not only actors but the rest of the crew too, to understand how the director visualises the film, so that there is a common goal shared between the entire cast a crew and everyone is working towards the same ideal.

Another note i took from Sandra’s lecture was to make sure I used my script religiously! Taking note of emotions or the types of shots etc. make it significantly easier to organise your time and ease your workload- it also helps to direct your actors and be able to communicate what it is you want from them. It is important when shooting to ensure you have all the shots you need, if not more, so when i comes to the edit, you are able to stitch your film together smoothly- if you do not have all the scenes you need/the way you need the film will not come together well to tell your story. Having these script notes will ensure you have everything covered on the day of shoot.

My new favourite. Four years since they’ve released a song together, my life is complete once again.

Source: The Ripe TV

On the 7th of February in 2009, Australia experienced it’s worst bushfire tragedy to date. Black Saturday claimed 173 human lives, left 5000 injured, destroyed 2029 homes, and burnt through more than 4500 square kilometres of beautiful Victorian land. While yesterday was not nearly as tragic, it was still devastating to hear about fires spreading across our gorgeous state.

It was about 2:00PM and my friends and I were trying to seek refuge from the sun at my friends lovely home in Warrandyte. Warrandyte is a suburb in Victoria historically known for gold mining, and to my friends who live in the more urban neighbouring suburb Doncaster, Warrandyte is a Bogan filled bushland out in woop-woop. I’d also like to point out that I live in Warrandyte too, and am one of the few Asian families living in the area.

Whilst enjoying our swim, my friend’s mum came out to inform us of the fires spreading throughout Kangaroo Ground, about 10 kilometres from Ben’s house, where we were. She told us there were 23 firetrucks sent out to the area, and many people were leaving Warrandyte to escape the fires. She said it was not likely that the fires would reach their home, but considering they live on an enormous piece of land with bush and trees, and the light breeze, it was not looking good. She encouraged us to leave if we felt uncomfortable. After speaking to my mum on the phone, we decided our home 10 minutes from Ben’s would be safe, as it we lived in a slightly less rural area to my friend. My 8 friends and I left Ben’s and moved to mine, where we could still keep cool in the pool while being safe from water. On the short drive to my house, I noticed many firetrucks heading in the opposite direction, towards Kangaroo Ground, as well as many cars filled with families fleeing the area.

A reminder to all about the tragedy of our bushfires- Winter may be here but let’s not forget.

—

It has been an extremely hot, dry week in Melbourne and I would not wish any tragedy on any peoples stuck in a tough situation. I encourage all of you living in a fire-prone area to vacate while the weather stays hot and to take care of your loved ones. Black Saturday was a devastating tragedy we wish to never relive again. My heart goes out to those struggling in the heat and my prayers to those who have lost their homes in Dromana, Kangaroo Ground, and all other suburbs struck with fires caused by the lightning last night, the heatwave, or careless arsonists who cannot value human life and our beautiful country.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable and safe Summer. <3

Link via my personal blog

About the legalisation of marijuana.

Read here– via my personal blog

• collage is a demonstration of the many becoming one with the one never fully resolved because of the many that continue to impinge upon it
• collages have no centre or “boss”
• the parts of a collage compete for a place in some “unfinished” scene
• law of mosaics: how to deal with parts in the absence of wholes
• resolution & conclusion are inherent in a plot-driven narrative
• story seems to say that “everything happens for a reason”- this may not be the case
• absence of plot leaves the reader room to think about things
• collage as an evolution beyond narrative
• montage is created through the juxtaposition of shots
• through the juxtaposition of shots how can we control what our audience takes from it? or do we just hope they make the assumptions we intended?
• a mosaic flaunts the fact that it is made of parts

Making a K-Film

1. Shoot the videos
2. Edit the videos
3. Transcode media to H.264
4. Create  thumbnails
5. Import into Korsakow
6. SNU editing
   -Keywords
   -Lives
   -Setting interface
   -Rating
7. Build interface(s)
8. Save & export
9. Test film
10. Go back to step 6 and fix errors (iterative process)
11. Final export and publish

    ESSAY

12. Brainstorm
13. Research
14. Plan
15. Draft
16. Edit
17. Final
18. Bibliography