Assignment #4

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Reflection

Barriers 

It wasn’t until this year that I took a moment to step back and think about the way I respond to the success of other females in the industry. I realised that, from a very young age, I have felt threatened by the creative talent of other women, whereas I didn’t bat an eyelid at the accomplishment of men. I have discussed this response with my colleagues and was surprised to find that many of them felt the same way. And I ultimately believe, at least in my case, that the reason we struggle to celebrate another woman’s success is that there just aren’t enough opportunities for us, a conflict Kiner coins as having to fight for ‘one seat at the table’ (Kiner, 2020). The limited space given to women will only continue to breed a culture of rivalry rather than collaboration. 

Despite women proving time and time again that they are excellent filmmakers, the industry still sees an extraordinary lack of female representation. According to Screen Australia’s Gender Matters report, between 1970-2014, the feature film sector has seen an average of 30% of female producers, 21% of female writers, and a shocking 16% of female directors (Screen Australia 2015). The sad truth is that it can be incredibly challenging for many to support and celebrate other female creatives when we are working against such disheartening statistics demonstrating limited opportunities and chances of success. This culture of competition is also exacerbated by the deeply internalized patriarchal messages that women have to fight over the approval of men. 

“As women come to consider being prized by men their ultimate source of strength, worth, achievement and identity, they are compelled to battle other women for the prize.” (Noam, 2014)

Overcoming Barriers 

I had the pleasure of interviewing filmmaker, Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore, who has directed music videos for the likes of Thelma Plum, Holy Holy, Odette, Mo’Ju, as well as directing documentary, Her Sound, Her Story (2018), that sheds light on the trials that female artists face in the music industry. 

Claudia discusses the change needed to shake up these statistics that have remained stagnant for so long. She claims that in order to change we must assess the narratives we’re watching, and think about who is making and amplifying them. Claudia suggests that diversity in artists will lead to diversity in the stories and art we consume. Her personal response to the barriers female rivalry poses is by doing her part to bring women together in a supportive and collaborative environment. In Her Sound, Her Story, Claudia explores the shared beliefs, experience and adversities of female musicians, and really pushes the narrative that, at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team. She not only achieved this in the interviews she conducted but also closed the physical gap between these artists by hosting a concert where they performed together. Claudia so beautifully captured their blossoming bonds across this period and demonstrated that coming together is far more powerful than fighting the system alone. 

What I admire about Claudia is her dedication to amplifying the stories of female artists that she can personally connect to. Because of her shared experience, she is able to contribute to the narrative she captures. French also reiterates the value of female presence in key creative roles as they are able to bring perspective to film that men cannot because of their ability to ‘connect to the experience of living in the world as a woman’ (2015, p. 8). 

She also references a quote from Jane Campion that I feel resonates with Claudia’s approach to filmmaking;

“I think the reason that actresses have excelled in my films is that I’m speaking in their language; I’m speaking through the body of a woman, the psyche of a woman, and that’s my particular insight.”

(Still from Her Sound, Her Story)

Creative Choices 

Working within COVID safe guidelines presented many challenges, especially creating an original piece of work that reflected my style whilst utilising another artist’s footage. But, in a sense, this challenge embodied the very message I was trying to communicate. I was able to collaborate with another incredible artist and showcase her work with my own style weaved through it. 

Editing was the primary way I could express myself in the film which, luckily enough, is one of my favourite parts of the filmmaking process. To shape the narrative, I used the story behind Her Sound, Her Story to bookend the film; starting with the introduction of the project, which then leads into the discourse it brought up around female rivalry, and then how Claudia addressed this by bringing her subjects together to collaborate. It was a great catalyst for talking about the toxic culture and barriers female creatives face.

In regards to b-roll, I had to put a lot of thought into how I’d construct it as it needed to elevate the poor quality of zoom recording. The bold, rhythmic, snappy style of Claudia’s music videos heavily influenced my creative choices but also blended with my own editing style. I used a montage technique, which means to ‘bring together images and sounds that are unrelated in time or space to create an impression, an idea, or an effect’ (Pearlman, 2012). 

The aim was to use these images in a poetic way to assist in the story being told, such as the part where Claudia talks about women feeling threatened by other women which is paired with footage of two women invading another woman’s space. Or the landscape footage in the cold open that illustrates Claudia’s need to escape. As Pearlman says, ‘we as viewers make connections between the images that have been assembled together to reach an understanding of the meaning of their overall composition’ (2012, p. 155).

I also injected my own expression through creative decisions such as the cold-open which features my own footage, bold text to emphasise key points, and lens flares to transition between shots and lean into the graininess of the zoom footage.

(Still from Maybe She’s Right)

Future Changes 

If I was to create this profile film again, I would love to actually film it. Not only would having better quality interview footage elevate the film but to actually talk to Claudia face-to-face would’ve been a more valuable experience for both of us. There’s something quite distant about video calls, despite having the ability to converse as you usually would. It would’ve been nice to get some b-roll of Claudia in her day-to-day life too. After all, the documentary is about female filmmakers so to be able to see her in her element would’ve been fantastic.

When I showed my family the final cut of my film, they were engaged but ultimately confused as to how I could call this film my own, particularly because the footage used is largely Claudia’s. Although they didn’t quite understand how much editing, planning and tweaking was involved, I couldn’t help but feel the same way. If I was given the chance to start over, I would’ve made more of an effort to film more of my own footage that functioned in the same poetic way as the b-roll did. There were many films produced in our class that demonstrated this so well, especially Isabel’s reflective documentary, Eye of the Beholder. 

Why Bother? 

Looking back at those grim statistics from Screen Australia, I often wonder whether it’s worth it. Whether I can ever feel passionate enough about film to take on such an unwelcoming industry. We’ve had decades to address these issues but closing the gap proves just too painfully slow for many. But looking at what Claudia has achieved, both with regard to her own successes as a filmmaker, as well as uniting female artists, we simply can’t stop fighting for our place in the film industry. 

We’re seeing more and more female filmmakers not only emerge but receive critical acclaim. This year’s first female Oscar-winning director, Chloé Zhao, is living proof of that. We’re seeing more female stories gaining traction worldwide such as Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Lena Dunham’s Girls (2012) and Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman (2020). But it isn’t just the limelight where we see potential. I see it in women my own age who are yet to be recognized for their talents. I see it in this class of incredibly skilled and passionate aspiring filmmakers. From students to Oscar-winning directors and everyone in between, they’re all worth fighting for. And the industry can only ignore us for so long… because we’re only getting louder.

(Still from Her Sound, Her Story)

References

French, L. ‘Does Gender Matter?’ Lumina: Australian Journal of Screen Arts and Business, No. 14, May 2015, pp. 139-153

Kiner, M. 2020, ‘It’s Time to Break the Cycle of Female Rivalry’, Harvard Business Review, 14 April, <https://hbr.org/2020/04/its-time-to-break-the-cycle-of-female-rivalry>.

Pearlman, K. (2012). ‘Cutting Rhythms: Shaping the Film Edit’, Taylor and Francis, <https://doi.org/10.4324/9780080927763>

Noam, S. 2014, ‘Feminine Foes: New Science Explores Female Competition’, Psychology Today, 26 January, <https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/insight-therapy/201401/feminine-foes-new-science-explores-female-competition>.

Screen Australia 2015, Gender Matters: Women in the Australian Screen Industry, viewed 15 April 2021, <https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/reports-and-key-issues/reports-and-discussion-papers/gender-matters>.

Assignment #2

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Micro Film #1

Video Player

Micro Film #2

Video Player

Micro Film #3

Video Player

I had the pleasure of interviewing filmmaker, Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore, who has directed music videos for the likes of Thelma Plum, Holy Holy, Odette, Mojo Juju as well as directing documentary, Her Sound, Her Story (2018), that sheds light on the trials that female artists face in the music industry.  We discussed her experience as a woman in the film industry, how she embraces femininity in her work, and the importance of embracing diversity in the narratives we share. 

Despite Claudia’s, among many other women’s, proven success in filmmaking, the industry still sees an extraordinary lack of female representation. According to Screen Australia’s Gender Matters report, between 1970-2014, the feature film sector has seen an average of 30% female producers, 21% female writers, and a shocking 16% female directors (Screen Australia 2015). In the third microfilm, Claudia discusses the change needed to shake up these statistics that have remained stagnant for so long. She claims that in order to change we must assess the narratives we’re watching and think about who is making them and who is amplifying it, suggesting that with diversity among artists, comes diversity and richness in the art we consume. 

Wright explores the implications of telling someone else’s story, specifically those of Aboriginal people. She mentions that the subjects of these stories do not get a chance to ‘say what is right or wrong about the stories told on [their] behalf’(2018, p. 137). Although Wright is speaking directly about Aboriginal people, I think this finding can also be applied to other underrepresented people such as women. Without female filmmakers to tell the stories of women, we run into the same issue of wrongfully telling someone else’s story. 

What I admire about Claudia is her dedication to amplifying the stories of female artists that she can personally connect to. Because of her shared experience, she is able to contribute to the narrative she captures. French also reiterates the value of female presence in key creative roles as they are able to bring perspective to film that men can’t because of their ability to ‘connect to the experience of living in the world as a woman’ (2015, p. 8). 

She also references a quote from Jane Campion that I believe resonates with Claudia’s approach to filmmaking;

“I think the reason that actresses have excelled in my films is that I’m speaking in their language; I’m speaking through the body of a woman, the psyche of a woman, and that’s my particular insight.”

As mentioned in the second microfilm, Claudia embraces her femininity. It isn’t ‘outside of her own art and creative nature’, it is intertwined and ‘relevant‘. I often thought I had to disregard gender and feminity (although subjective) in order to close the gap, however, Claudia’s refreshing outlook has challenged this mindset. 

 

References

French, L., ‘Does Gender Matter?’ Lumina: Australian Journal of Screen Arts and Business, No. 14, May 2015, pp. 139-153

Screen Australia 2015, Gender Matters: Women in the Australian Screen Industry, viewed 15 April 2021, <https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/reports-and-key-issues/reports-and-discussion-papers/gender-matters>.

Wright, A. What Happens When You Tell Somebody Else’s Story?. Int J Appl Psychoanal Studies. 2018; 15: 136– 139.

 

Prompt 3

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Examine a non-fiction film about filmmaking. I suggest you choose one from the viewings in this Studio. Analyse the stylistic choices in this film in terms of visual storytelling style, editing style, and interview style.

What initially appears to be a cookie-cutter snapshot of suburban family life, Marilee Bennett’s autobiographical documentary, A Song of Air (1988) takes an unexpected turn as she confesses the disharmony in the relationship between her and her now-deceased father. Bennett uses existing footage shot by her father to illustrate and juxtapose her commentary about their family dynamics and changing relationship. She initially paints a stoic image of her father, describing him as her ‘provider’, ‘omnipotent god’ with absolute power. Bennett cuts slowly between still and moving images of herself as a child, held by her father. This patient editing, along with the absence of music allows us to focus on the images and narration that suggests a tight bond and admiration between the two.  

As the film progresses, we are gradually introduced to Bennett’s hidden conflict surrounding, what once felt like a protective expression of love, her father’s unachievable ideals that burdened her adolescence. Bennett pieces together images of what her father wanted her to remain; a young, innocent, modest child but her commentary suggests otherwise. She talks about her ‘hunger for the exotic’ and craving for things she was raised to condemn. These sweet archival images are contrasted with recent footage of what appears to be Bennett floating underwater and screaming away from the camera. These juxtaposing images communicate her inner anguish she repressed for so long. This is a visual representation of her suffocation, or drowning, in the expectations and disappointment of her father she once idolised. 

The melancholic sound of the piano matches Bennett’s revelation of both wanting to murder her father and longing for his presence she has now lost. We watch her younger self cry which then cuts to her current self sinking, then screaming. These poignant images make up for the lack of emotion expressed in Bennett’s monotoned narration. Her lifeless tone, however, holds just as much storytelling power as it reflects a sense of numbness and suggests Bennett undecided on her feelings towards her father. 

Montages can, at times, reflect a lazy approach to editing; a thoughtless collage of images, however, Bennett’s piece is anything but. Every image, every word, is intentional. Nothing is without meaning in this film. The significant snapshots of her past alongside Bennett’s painfully honest narration creates an emotionally charged recount of her childhood and cleverly depicts something so challenging to articulate; her internal battle of both despising and longing for the man responsible for her anguish.

References

A Song of Air 1987, ACMI Collection, directed by Marilee Bennett.

 

 

Prompt 2

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Generate six questions you would like to ask a woman in the film industry. Explain why you have chosen each question, and your strategy for the interview.

Why did you choose to work within the film industry?

I think it is important to get a sense of why this person is passionate about what they do, particularly when the odds are stacked against them in such a male-dominated industry. 

Who would you consider your greatest inspiration?

Later in the interview, I hope to open a dialogue about the often competitive culture within the female category of filmmakers (because of the very few opportunities made available to them), so I’d like to encourage the conversation of ‘women supporting women’. I think in order to create a welcoming space for aspiring female filmmakers, we must look back on the legacy so many women have left behind. 

In what ways is it more challenging for women to establish a role within filmmaking than men?

This question will hopefully open up a dialogue about the uneven playing field women face when entering the film industry. 

Can you recall a time where you were treated differently from your male counterparts?

This is a continuation of the previous question, but by asking for a specific example of the mistreatment within the industry, we will gain a deeper understanding of the realities female filmmakers face. This question will also offer a personal perspective/experience to the wider conversation about inequality within film.  

Have you noticed a competitive nature between female filmmakers? If so, why do you think this is the case?

This question comes from personal experience/curiosity as I have become increasingly aware of the way women are forced to compete against one another for the limited number of roles made available to them. I personally see a lack of women celebrating the successes of other women and am interested to see if it is a prominent culture within the film industry.

Do you feel hopeful about the future of aspiring female filmmakers?

I have included this question to give viewers a sense of hope about the industry, so as to not discourage aspiring filmmakers from pursuing a career in the industry. I think it may also provide a strong conclusion and possible call to action for the documentary.

 

My strategy for the interview

To be concise, my strategy for the interview is to have a conversation with the interviewee, rather than responding to their answers with the next question. In the past, I have found that people respond better when you are also showing interest and contributing to the dialogue. This often encourages them to elaborate and respond with more confidence because they feel that their answers are valued.  

Final Artefact

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Outside the Box

 

For a portion of Melburnians, a free shopping experience is nothing out of the ordinary. Many rely on food banks not only as a necessity for survival but a source of community. What used to function as a communal food centre, now operates a delivery service where volunteers respond to economic uncertainty during the time of the Covid 19 pandemic. As Victoria declares a state of disaster, OUTSIDE THE BOX is a 5-minute documentary which explores how Donvale food bank volunteers are challenged to overcome ever-changing restrictions and find new ways to show love at a distance. 

A Documentary by  Sonja Veljanovski, Brooke Duncan and Jes Evans

Cinematography:  Sonja Veljanovski

Editing:  Jes Evans, Sonja Veljanovski and Brooke Duncan

Sound Design:  Brooke Duncan

Supervising Producer: Rohan Spong

A4: Documentary Ethics

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After completing Outside the Box, there are a few ethical considerations that I’d like to emphasise in future productions. One of which is building a relationship with the subject/s off camera. Although I was acquainted with the volunteers, it wasn’t until filming had commenced that I made an effort to build genuine relationships. There were moments where some volunteers looked uncomfortable during filming, particularly when they were faced with hurdles such as stock shortages and bad weather. In hindsight, if I had more of a connection with them, they may have felt more at ease and willing to be filmed during those challenging times.

“If a photographer cares about the people before the lens and is compassionate, much is given.” EVE ARNOLD

In an interview with The Economist (2012), documentary filmmaker, Molly Dineen, highlights the importance of honesty with her subjects. She claims that it is the only way to gain trust, which enables the subject to give themselves fully to the interview. I wish I had followed this approach prior to filming, as I only gave the volunteers a brief explanation of what the documentary would explore. If I had clarified the goal of capturing COVID’s constraints on the food bank, volunteers may have been more open to being filmed in those vulnerable, frantic moments.

The failure to properly brief our subjects also posed challenges when interviewing Maria. I did not make it explicitly clear that this film was not about promoting the church’s program. I also failed to communicate that our target audience was the general public and not just church-goers. This led to spiritually-centred responses during our interview, presenting an ethical issue for our team; “do we remain true to Maria’s character who is so strongly led by faith or do we edit those responses in order to create a relatively neutral perspective, that does not alienate non-religious viewers?” By being more transparent about our intentions from the beginning, I would’ve received more relevant responses. If a strong religious tone was still evident, Maria would have been aware that this was not something we’d use in the final edit. For future projects, I’ll need to make it a priority to outline exactly what the documentary will address and how the footage will be handled in order to communicate our intended message.

References

Spong, R 2020, Week 4: Molly Dineen’s kind cuts / Ethics / The interview, Real to Reel, RMIT University

The Economist 2012, Molly Dineen on making documentaries, YouTube, 4 April, viewed 11 October 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iweXyqBY82U>.

A4: Representing the Real World

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Although it is impossible to depict a true representation of reality, and arguably unethical to claim that you have done so, I have come to appreciate the power of sound and images when conveying a sense of authenticity about the world around us.

During this course, we have looked at the emotionally charged images of photojournalist, Eve Arnold. As opposed to the glamorised images of celebrities at the time, Arnold managed to capture the unseen authenticity and rawness of these characters, often highlighting their masked struggle whilst also representing them with dignity. In the photo below we see Marilyn Monroe learning her lines on the set of The Misfits (Huston, 1961), which lies in stark contrast to the beaming smile and bold outfits we associate her with. In the second image, we see a faceless, retired actress who resides in aged care, resting her head on her withered hands, almost as if she was wistfully reflecting on her past. These are two of many images in which Arnold redefines what it is to be famous; a title gained through passion, determination, and years of hard work. She avoids depicting her subjects as superficial objects and instead captures them at moments where their most authentic, often strained or challenged, self is visible.

Figure 1: Marilyn Monroe on the set of The Misfits, Eve Arnold (1961)
Figure 2: Hollywood home for ailing movie stars, Eve Arnold, 1967

Looking back at the rain sequence from Outside the Box, I am reminded of the way images and sound can convey a sense of authenticity. Although the aim was to present a positive depiction of community work, we thought it was important to reflect the challenges and sometimes unattractive aspects of volunteering. We watch a volunteer work alone in a dimly lit shed and another struggling to carry food boxes to a van as we see and hear rain pour over the site. The use of diegetic sound and patient editing creates an authentic image of the reality these individuals face.

  

This sequence, however, wasn’t created to paint an ugly picture of volunteering, but instead, encourage viewers to appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes. It prompts us to ask ourselves why people sacrifice their time for such work, a question which is addressed in the third act where the new life and hope of spring is introduced, revealing the true fruits of their labour; social connection.

References:

Spong, R 2020, Week 1: Getting started/Eve Arnold and the photo essay, Real to Reel, RMIT University