Contents
Project 4 – Reflections
What do you consider to be the most successful and problematic aspects of the submitted work?
One of the successful aspects of this project was finding clarity or as Samuel Beckett once said, ‘To find a form that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now’. Our project was on audience – a rather nebulous label – and once we indentified three aspects of it (online fandom, event fandom and trolling) our project became relatively easy and we assigned each one of these aspects to each other to investigate.
Originally, we had agreed to cover cosplayers but as no events were within our project time and cosplayers were hard to get hold of, it was becoming obvious we might have to change tact. Fortunately, a Doctor Who fan event, The Whoniverse, came up which not only provided a rich source of material such as cosplayers to interview but also a plethora of academic papers on Doctor Who fandom as well as an active online community.
The only downside was that due to the short notice of the event, neither Georgia nor Grace could help film. Therefore, I was left to operate the camera and interview on my own and you can see that the camera work isn’t the best as I try to engage and keep an eye on the viewfinder. Having said that, I still really enjoyed the day, as the camera allowed access to people that normally wouldn’t be available to me. Also, working alone allowed me to move independently and make decisions quickly.
Once I had the footage, the difficult part was of course making it into a cohesive piece – difficult as I had over 50 minutes. Even though I had prepared questions I often deviated and didn’t always ask the same question I’d asked other interviewees. This reduced the likelihood of consistency and so by using voiceovers (the most difficult part of the process due to my awful acting ability) I was able to create a cohesive through-line.
However, in regards to producing a uniform work for the whole project I am not sure we achieved this. This is not entirely the collaboration at fault here but bad timing with the event and our own commitments. Thus, the videos for each of our aspects of fandom are quite different in form, tone and style to each other. Likewise, the text on the Tumblr website does not connect as well as it could. We could’ve allocated someone to produce the text but that would’ve been an enormous undertaking for one individual even with research provided for them.
What you learnt in the making process about collaboration that might be relevant to your broader development as a media practitioner?
I’ve collaborated on numerous projects before whether that be writing a script with a friend (never again!), small films or theatre pieces. In short, it’s not easy. Creative differences, expectations and sheer personality clashes can make a collaboration…not a collaboration!
Having said that, I am happy to say that the Project 4 collaboration was a relative success – relative in terms that there were no disputes. Both Grace and Georgia were wonderful to work with and I think that comes down to their well-balanced personalities and eagerness to do a good job. I do have a tendency to take over (wouldn’t say dominate!) and I’ve learnt over the years to keep this in check by framing my language with, ‘As a suggestion, how about this…?’ Even when I pushed for our group to do a documentary as our sole media artefact and they responded less than enthusiastically, I conceded that I was out voted and acquiesced to a webpage that incorporated visual and textual elements.
In the end, we worked to each others’ strengths: Georgia was good at film editing and resourcing while Grace was good at writing and putting the Tumblr account together. I was able to provide numerous papers on the subject and provide the raw film footage. If we were to do another project together, now knowing each others strengths, I think we would be able to formulate a more cohesive piece.
Looking more broadly as a media practitioner, this experience has taught me that I am flexible, I can work independently if I need to and that collaborating invites different points of view as well as experiences. It is, to conclude, a diverse and satisfying media experience and I may see myself making similar and larger documentaries in the future.
Feedback on Project 4
When our group pitched our idea, Robbie approved of the format: a ten minute documentary. As this format fell out of favour with the group for a website with videos complimenting the text, our tutor approved of this, but stressing the need for continuity.
When the first cut was shown our footage, Robbie’s comments were that the titling should be different each other so as to give a uniqueness to each clip. I changed my video to reflect this. On a second viewing, Robbie observed that the Event Fandom doco was too long and that one of the interviews of Tardis Lady should be reduced or not used as much. Again I followed this advice as well as showing the clip to friends who made various suggestions, namely that the voice over was not clear and that the question about Anoraks and Shippers was not explained properly. I re-recorded the voice over and put in an explanation of the Anoraks and Shippers to further gell the piece.
Lastly, Robbie observed that the text in our blog was too fragmented and should read like it has one voice rather than three. We’ve attempted to amend this.
Project 3 – Portrait of Adam Hoss Ayres
Reflection
What stands out for me was finding, after shooting 47 minutes of footage, a theme that greatly helped to simplify the story of Adam Hoss Ayres: glass.
The beauty of his glass creations made him cry with joy but, as we discovered later, there was also a connection to great pain. He began his relationship with his stepfather with glass and ended it by trying to break glass. None of this had occurred to him before and it was a privilege to help him find that. So, the human element, finding, in a sense, closure, is the thing I like the most about this piece.
Visually, which is not always my strong suit, I think the singular framing of Adam is vibrant and colourful while motifs such as the fractured dissolves add texture and fit with unifying theme. The use of Adam’s music gives greater depth and meaning to the work, as it becomes more frenetic and louder thus matching his turbulent family life.
What was difficult was not getting distracted by other possibilities. For example, I had a quote from Adam’s website from Pablo Picasso: ‘I am constantly doing things that I can’t, that is how I do them.’ I was going to show how Hoss has expanded his craft by living this aphorism but in the end, it jarred with the unifying theme. Furthermore, making choices about found footage was perhaps the most perplexing of all: what was copyrighted, what was not, what I could use and could not. It was a conundrum. Fortunately, I found footage from a Roger Corman film which, though comically, extrapolated on Adam’s broken childhood.
Next time, I might experiment with more visual elements, perhaps a more disjointed style, as I think this piece is somewhat conventional. I also discovered a website (http://nofilmschool.com/2014/08/what-i-learned-after-interviews-first-documentary) about how to formulate questions like avoiding closed questions or getting the subject to repeat the question in their answer. These tools are just some of things I’ve learnt in expanding my practice.
Project 2 – Self Portrait – Fear and Love
In my self-portrait, I wanted to focus on the two things that are my greatest concern: my five-year-old’s well-being and my own. I hoped that this aspect of my project would reveal my vulnerability and thus show a part of me.
While becoming a father has been the most profound experience of my life it has, unfortunately, turned me into a worry machine! The unpredictability of what a child will do, that everything is a game to them, and will, without one thought of the consequences, do something that sets me off into a panic.
As much as this is true, I did, on the way, forget my own safety. Without ‘thinking of the consequences’ I was hit by a tram. My daughter’s response floored me: ‘How are you going to protect me daddy if you’re gone?’
So here, in my film, I wanted to show my on going anxiety, that the ‘adult playground’ is in fact not really for people at all and it is something I have to negotiate every day.
In terms of editing, I was inspired by the Kuleshov Effect montage by creating a repetition of the single portrait shot, and have tried, in part, to convey what seems disjointed visuals, but are in fact connected in a I kind of ‘alchemy’ to quote Scott McCloud (Blood in the Gutter). The text sutures these seemingly unconnected images and I think, even without text you would be able to ascertain a unifying meaning – anxiety over a child. You can see this with the rapid foot shaking, the clawed hands, the rapid cuts and the sound which increases with dramatic intensity towards the end.
Overall, I think I achieved what I set out to communicate. I think you get a sense very early on that it’s the perspective of myself as a father and my anxieties of the urban world for my child and myself.
On the other hand, perhaps I could’ve shown more fun aspects of fatherhood to give a sense of contrast but I let myself be dominated by the sound clips. In fact, sound has really told the narrative here – first it’s slow, then atmospheric and then mechanical and frenetic. I suspect, as I’m somewhat new to this kind of film making, have been led by the material rather than leading it.
Project 1 – Media Self PortraitThe Importance of Feeling Earnest
When I was younger, I didn’t cope well with routine. An uncluttered, unpredictable and unplanned life was what I wanted. Cycle touring was a conduit for having an authentic connection with people. This photo conveys a sense of independence, a starkness but also a remoteness, a choice to cut off from others. Yet, contradictorily, I strove for company and attention where ever I could find it.
Love
I’d fallen head over heels for Rebecca before I left overseas. Instead of imagined joys balmy India nights sipping gin and tonics it was extraordinarily hot and the traffic was horrific. Eventually, after four months cycling and fighting, fighting and cycling, we went our separate ways. The sign in the image became an ironic reminder of what lay ahead.
Ambition
I set myself the task of writing a book ‘Bombay to Beijing by Bicycle’ at all costs – even relationships. The book was published, a major achievement for me. More so, was doing the one-show which I took to Edinburgh Festival. For a sense of contrast, I put my car keys in the shot. The cup and pen shows that I’m thinking of more shows to put on.
The Return
Now, I’m not saying I’m like Bourke and Wills – get lost, eat your camels and die (do you think they choked on a hump?) but I do relate to their quixotic project. I often bite off more than I can chew and don’t always arrive at the destination I want to get to. I like this image of Bourke, peering towards the light behind the Nicholas building, as if he is still searching, never satisfied no matter where he is. Alas, a lot like myself.
Pepper Pigged
I’d always put off having a family for as long as possible. I’ve included my daughter in my self portrait to show the arc in my life from independence to being someone with a dependent. Also, she is a part of me and I am part of her – her silliness is mine. Or is that the other way around?
Daily Rituals
Rejuvenation
Bamp!…Bamp!
I was watching a red-mohawked emcee try to whip an audience into a frenzy at the Brunswick Festival. I related to it having emceed before and struggling to overcome the inertia of a not-so-participant crowd. I could feel his pain.