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. 

 “It is essential that film-makers concentrate on the film-making as opposed to recording”

Filmmakers have an ability to get inspired at certain moments where possibly someone who isn’t obsessed with film might not. It’s important to remember that today everyone has the opportunity, and more than likely the ability, to record moments – but it’s the ability to priorities these moments to have relevance for an audience that gives the filmmaker the ability to create something much more than a recording.

“For me the point of making films is not to convey objective information about the world, but to show it as I see it and to find a form which is relevant.”

Pawliowski talks about the importance of form in the documentary structure and notes that films that challenge viewers to think not through words or rhetoric, but through their very form have the ability to seduce and entertain its audience. He identifies this with the example of television and it’s corruption of documentary, contrary to it allowing it’s survival. Their difference being, that television asks for films that are not worried about standing the test of time, but instant visibility, high ratings or kudos among other media people. And whether we like it or not, the TV documentary is the future. A reminder that sometimes you don’t have to say anything, you can show it in other forms to the audience that when they realise

Their use of real people and places, their moments of truth. They managed to tell touching stories without theatricality and literary dialogues. Therefore the subject of the documentary is crucial, and sometimes it’s luck that allows you to find a subject where the process of making the film became also a process of spiritual and formal discovery. To see the world through the subjects eyes, while at the same time maintaining an aesthetic and often ironic distance from it. With the task of our future productions in mind I believe this point is the most resonate in the reading, as the subject has the ability to inspire and create the piece – letting them organically lead the discovery, while making sure that that discovery is interesting is key.

Reference

MacDonald, K & Cousins, M. Imagining Reality, (p. 389-392). London: Faber & Faber, 1996.

In the lecture we screened a short film called ‘End of the Line’ – the film shot in Broken Hill. 

Listen to the audio you recorded in Tute #1. Write a paragraph or two about your recording from a technical and/or “poetic” perspective.

Consider:

What these sounds evoke for you.  What associations they have.

Do any of your recordings suggest images?  What might they be?

Do any of your recordings suggest the possibility of other recordings?

Audio Recordings

When Mardy and I ventured out to record audio, we decided to focus on capturing the sounds of mundane practices, such as catching the elevator where through the awkward silence you hear all the sounds in the small space and the city noise of crossing the road in day traffic. In technical terms, we just started to record whenever we saw necessary, choosing to capture the sounds of space before and after the major audio we sought to get. In some cases we choose to isolate sound by putting the microphone close to things, such as the pigeons at the State Library, who decided not to co-operated and make pigeon noises when we did this. Otherwise we wanted to capture the sounds as heard through the headphones, where some are louder and more prominent than others within their environments.

From a poetic perspective it was all about appreciating these sounds that we have come to take for granted, therefore making you not only more aware of sound, but form an appreciation of each individual sounds importance to the environments we experience. The audio of the elevator evokes the feeling of being there in that claustrophobic space, as though we tend to block the sound out the orientation of place still occurs. The rapid beeping of the pedestrian walk sign indicating go and the slow beep designating you to stop, have deep associations in our understanding of doing within situations. It’s hard to try and understand what images these sounds might suggest as you know personally where they are recorded from, so when you think of expressing the sound in a pictorial manner you generally think of your encounter with the sounds. In order to express them through images our sounds may have to be disassociated from their pre-established environments therefore allowing them to be used for rhythmic qualities, or their associations can be played on to disorientate the viewer. The sound of the elevator has the ability to suggest the possibility of a conversation, something that many of us have to withstand when travelling between floors; and the road crossing suggest the sound of car motors, sounds which further establish these spaces.

Listen to the first 10 minutes of Glenn Gould’s radio documentary, “The Idea of North.”

Record your impressions in a paragraph or two.

Glenn Gould’s radio documentary “The Idea of North” (1967) begins with a woman’s voice describing a lake with a distinctive Canadian accent. A man’s voice then starts to overlap, the word “North” used as a linking thread between both their sentences. This overlapping continues to happen throughout the start, where one voice talks for a while and then is overpowered by another individuals speech – with each new voice becoming more interesting than the last, allowing you to focus on the different tonal qualities of the participants to differentiate them. Another woman talks towards then end of this section about peacefulness of a sun setting, this imagery juxtaposed with the constant flow of voices. This contends the listeners’ ability to concentrate, where the piece is not about guiding the audience but about placing the audience in the middle of the haphazard soundscape.

When I first heard the beginning it was easy to get confused as it jumped from one story to the next, and you can’t really grasp exactly what the people are talking about especially as you’ve been given no background or context for what is being said. The technique is like a domino effect of sound, where each sound moves onto the next but the previous still sits under creating a confusion as you don’t know what to focus on; which reminded me of a busy coffee shops rambling of everyone’s conversations where the only thing you hear is what’s relevant to you. Gould does this by making the most pivotal parts of the subject’s speech the loudest when they relate to his idea of the North most. I was a little unsure of the technique at the beginning; however after reading that Gould was inspired from listening to the radio stations shifting back and forth across the dial, I can see how this overlapping of voices and accents helps to paint a picture through sound.

At approximately three minutes Gould introduces himself and tells us the program is called “The Idea of North,” as the collection of voices turns into mumbling in the background. He talks about always remaining an outsider from the north, and therefore we hear him at a louder volume to the North’s inhabitants. As the topic of the north train ride begins distinctive train sounds, like the screeching breaks on the track, can be heard and the documentary beginning with the train crossing signal. People’s voices are then heard, with the background sounds of yelling on the train platform and train horns, which sometimes contest the subject’s voices. Towards the end of the clip the train starts to get louder until eventually the first man’s voice fades out being overpowered. We then hear a man with a British accent juxtaposed against the melodic Canadian accent, with the interior sound of space in the train heard underneath. He says that the North is a land of very narrow, thin margins – thin margin of transition; Gould portrays this idea of loneliness and isolation in the way that each person’s audio is isolated like the geographical space of the north, though they come together to create the community that drives this place as a whole.

In this week’s lecture, scenes from Scott Ruo’s ‘Four Images’, Brian Hill’s ‘Drinking for England’ and Chantal Akerman’s ‘D’Est’ were screened. Choose one of these, and consider, in a single paragraph, what might have intrigued, interested, displeased or repelled you. 

In the scenes from Brian Hill’s ‘Drinking for England’ it was hard to fathom what was going on as we were shown a series of scenes with no prior knowledge of how the documentary came to this point. Just why was the guy singing in front of the roller door? Perhaps to show the delirium of drunken song, or maybe just to add some humour to the piece. It was pretty interesting choice Hill made to virtually place a music video in the middle of the documentary, having the ability to question the viewer to associate its purpose within the overall piece. In the scenes we begin with an interview of the man, but the interview slowly starts to turn into song and before we know it this man is on a barren street singing in front of a roller door, the song having strangely familiar qualities to Semisonic Closing Time. It’s hard to understand how the documentary has come to this and the purpose of this moment; however its spontaneity adds appeal and you are more interested than ever before. The song cuts to montage sequences of people drinking beer and the man standing in a stereotypical bar with bar lights and a foggy interior. From this we can gather the different form of documentary this piece has chosen to take, and though the song doesn’t have the best rhythmic qualities and may displease some with the stylised acting, its presence illustrates the ability to surprise the viewer and that the piece has an understanding of its audience.

In 200 words or less please outline your goals, desires – what you want to get out of this semester. You will review this later in the course. Many will rethink this dramatically by the end of the course – this is a good thing. 

Not many moments can surpass sitting in a cinema theatre filled with people and watching them react to something that you’ve created. Having learnt from the successes and mistakes of our film in Film/TV1, this semester I’d like to put my knowledge into practice to again create something to be proud of and that people enjoy, but that’s also refined in technique and construction. In terms of the subject of the documentary this course is built around, I hope to choose something interesting and that I may not have much knowledge about, so that the process is as intriguing for me as it is for the viewer. Through the production groups it will be nice to interact with new people as we work collaboratively to build an understanding of documentary through knowledge and experiences in the course.

Building on Film/TV1 I’d like to continue my development of the key features of professional film and television production, this time specifically in documentary. Individually this would include continuing to enhance my technical skills in terms of filming, having been producer last semester, I’d like to have more of an opportunity to deal on the technical side of shooting. From an analytical side I aspire to develop my ability to analyse documentary programs as a practice and how to apply that knowledge to my own work and others. Also to keep building my ability to direct and evaluate my own learning through outlets such as the course readings and analysis/reflection tasks, in helping to identify and solve problems relevant to my media practice. And finally to have fun and enjoy the whole process because before you know it twelve weeks are gone.

“In 200 words or less please outline your goals, desires – what you want to get out of this semester. You will review this later in the course. Many will rethink this dramatically by the end of the course – this is a good thing.” No? Go back and have a look.

Now we’d love you to do the same at this end. Please reflect on how you feel about the course. What surprised you, what excited you, what disappointed you. What we could have done better. What you could have done better.

Week 1 Film/TV 1 Anticipations

Looking back at my Week 1 aspirations for Film/TV 1 I believe I achieved them. One thing I wanted to do was “improve technical, creative and organisational skills as [the group] share knowledge and experiences.” This element alone was paramount to the production and what surprised me was just how well our group did get along, a part from a few minor bumps along the way mainly from stress and probably sleep deprivation, we all worked together really well. It made the process so much better that we had the ability to voice our opinions and concerns freely. When you’re undertaking something that requires everyone to put in you need everyone’s presence in the group, and I’m happy to say everyone lifted their weight which helped in the sheer volume of the processes required. And working with people that were passionate in different areas of the production making process “improve[d] technical, creative and organisational skills as we share[d] knowledge and experiences.” It was also great to work with people I had never talked to before the production, the people you see around because you’re in their course but have never spoken to.

Another element I wanted to achieve was an “enjoyable film… something that you’re not only proud of but that will be well received by others.” I was proud of our film by the end and all the work we put in as a group to make those little things, like the blocking of Oliver’s moves in Zoe’s house, payed off. The most exciting part was probably the shoot day, a day where all your energy, thought and organisation has been leading, and where anything could go right or wrong. You have no idea what’s going to happen when you wake up that morning, but you just have to be organised that you can plan from what does happen.To watch it all unfold in front of you is an amazing thing and that was exciting on it’sown.

It was really refreshing to be prompted to go outside our classes and really get to know the people in our course. In supergrouping and helping fellow students the course formed a little community and it was nice to know if we ever needed help we could always email Robin and Paul. I think the lectures where great, with some the moments and key knowledge I remember most being the theatrical presentations, with Robin up the front constructing a lighting set or students role playing scenes from films, it was here that I appreciated the creativeness of teaching and remember the most.

The only constructive comment would be to perhaps timetable the Analysis/Reflection tasks so that students are aware when they are due. I think the emailing is great but if it was documented at the start of the semester I think I would have been better prepared to submit them, as I would do them on my blog and when I came back to paste it into the Blackboard Test it was taken down. I remember being confused with the whole process in the beginning, especially when it’s the start of semester and you’re just getting into the process of things, and it wasn’t until a couple of weeks in I started to get into the process of things. In saying this, I could have kept up better with the work at the beginning of the course, I always did it but as I’m a perfectionist always spent more time drafting the product than actually getting on with it, and I saw this change over the semester.

At the beginning of the semester, I wanted “to develop more of an awareness of the processes it takes to produce such things as film and television, and then understand how to apply that knowledge not only to my own creations but the analysis of others as well.” This course put in perspective just how much work it is to make a film, there is so much you can do and bring upon yourself to perfect. And the film making process is as much a personal as collaborative process. The course in teaching all the different elements of film allowed a greater knowledge to apply to the analysis of work, and I believe this is invaluable with my future studies in both Film/TV 2 and other courses.

“Lastly and most importantly I want to be able to enjoy the whole process.” Film/TV 1 was a really enjoyable course this semester, it was a course that gave me the opportunity to learn things that can not be taught, but that require trial and error, and experience in order to be understood. In this respect the course gave a platform for me to learn invaluable skills for the future, for example I had never conducted a casting call before we had to get actors for our film which not only required a professional attitude, but also asked for social skills. And just the sheer organisation needed to produce a film, or anything where you have certain deadlines put in perspective all the elements you need to fulfill to get it done, and then more importantly to get it done well.

Please write constructive comments/reviews of the films you saw. It can be just those you loved the most or intrigued you the most.

Budgerigar

It was clear that every detail was technically and creatively thought out in Budgerigar, from the crisp focus of the images to the lighting. The settings were aesthetically pleasing, the dining room sequence playing out in front of the artistic mountain looking background – I mean who even has a dining room like that. The acting by both the main boys was perfect, with the brother capturing his annoyingness perfectly. Directing the choice of shots was made well with such shots as the close up of the brother eating the chicken wing eliciting the exact grossness required from the audience. The juxtaposition of lighting from the real well lit dining room of reality, to the darkly lit table of the main character’s thoughts was achieved really well.

My only criticism would be to make the title a bit more understandable for the audience, the first time I watched the film I thought what does that mean, and the director explained to me it was to do with how budgies are obsessed with their reflection, like the main character. For example, there’s a moment where the main character is in the midst of confusion outside and perhaps there could have a budgie outside, and a shot of it in its cage looking in the mirror. However I’m sure if the audience is intrigued enough they will go search it themselves and work out the link, and that’s probably better as you’ve given them stimulus to think about your film after they’ve left the theater.

MILK

Loved Milk. The whole concept was brilliant and the point is it’s not a complex story it’s just a guy that has to get to the Milk bar before it closes. Therefore what the story is driven on is character, and the group did a great job in casting to get a main character with his every move having the potential to be comedic. The film was full of little creative choices that added to the finished product, like the change of screen to have black blocking similar to an action film when the main guy is given the ultimatum of the shop closing and the chase down the alley way on the scooter was genius. Because it’s not a long film the little moments have to have resonance, and they did, like when the main guy is on the scooter and the jogger passes him with the choice of music adding an overall pace and a playful quality to the film. The only constructive comment I can give is that perhaps the title credits were a couple of seconds too long, I understand the comedic reference being achieved but I remember looking away from the screen at something and then looking back and was like wow they’re still on.

Cursed

Really smart concept to have a guy who can only rap to talk. The rapping part kept authentic and had some really funny parts, and appropriated how different rap is to normal speech. I liked that the whole scene took place in the house environment which helped with the comedy of the piece, but felt it ended a bit awkwardly with the main character on the phone while he sat in the kitchen; perhaps he could have gone to check the mail box or something to get into a different space where he could have received the phone call.

THE HOLE

The beginning of the film in black and white created an art house aesthetic. The main character was great, and the costume of him in swim trunks on the beach was good comedy. The concept was awesome, and the ending was really well tied off with another hole being dug to capture another potential love interest.

Granny Theft Auto

Being in the same class as the Granny Theft Auto group I kind of watched the whole process of the production as it unfolded and have to say the whole film turned out great. The casting was perfect, with the Italian Nonna old enough to get confused by the cars, but also young enough to allow her to have this authority over the other characters and the screen. The three male actors articulated their rascal, ill-behaved boy characters greatly with a fair amount of language but also in the mannerisms they conducted themselves with. The comparison between cars scene juxtaposing the boys car to the Italian Nonna’s car was well done, and that pan from the boys car to the Nonna’s with the realisation of what’s happened was aided with the sticker with ‘I love Italy’ on the back. Sometimes the audio from characters gets a bit hard to hear with the surrounding noise taking prime, but this is a minute criticism that could be excused with, “its flour for the pasta!”

The Chase

Having seen the rough cut of The Chase, I couldn’t help but think of the alternative ending when viewing the film in the theater. In the rough cut ending we see the man approach the girl to give her the necklace she dropped before she started to be ‘chased’. The group had a big decision on whether to make the film end on the girl getting the necklace to realise it was a misunderstanding, or to finish in the crucial moment when the man spots her and leave the ending ambiguous. At the time I believed the ambiguous ending was the way to go, as the drama build up calls for something more than a misunderstanding, however watching the film in the theater I wonder whether having the ending of the shown film then showing the title and credits, and then the original ending of the man giving the girl the necklace would have been an option. That way the audience assumes the end of the film and has the credits to think about what happened, but the final scene shows how majority of the time fear is built up in our minds when there is in fact no danger. 

‘Sliced’

To re-work an addiction through the everyday and mundane product of bread was really smart, by doing this it allowed the audience’s pre-existing knowledge of that spongey white bread (I’m sure many of us remember squishing with our hands at school lunch) as an innocent ideal, to be contrasted in the hands of an obsessed main character. In doing this the group achieved an alternative approach to the well covered issue of addiction. The scene where the  main characters in the alleyway with his little glad bag of white bread was great, with the dark costume and lighting adding to the ideal he is doing something wrong. The scene where he goes to visit his mum was good to show his isolation in the midst of obsession, and how he was pushing the ones he loved away in the process, but I just found the shot a little awkward. Thought the scrunched up bread packet slowly unraveling at the end to metaphorically show the slow takeover of bread on the characters life was clever.

Coffee & Pi

Really cute film that achieved it’s aesthetic through little mathematical comments on screen and music that mimics the steps and pacing of solving a maths equation. The moment where the main character flies the paper airplane towards the table for the male waiter to pick it up was great, adding some good comedic breadth in the midst of the main character’s confusion of the maths equation and plight for the girl. The end was kind of predictable, but that just could be because I’ve watched way too many relationship movies, but in saying that I don’t think another ending would have surpassed.

Shelter

One element that influences the reception context of a film is the audience that surrounds the individual, and this was a big impact for me in Shelter as I didn’t get why everyone was laughing when the guy had the gun until I realised it was a vacuum cleaner wand. The fact that people were laughing made me search for what they were laughing at in the film, and honestly I would not have noticed otherwise, but what it did do was make me appreciate the creativeness of the group. They also did a great job with confining the filming into that small room achieving a vast array of camera shots and angles in the process.