Admittedly, I didn’t engage with the content of this course as thoroughly as I should have at the beginning. Nowhere near. I wasn’t really recording many observations, I definitely wasn’t reflecting, I wasn’t allowing myself to gain anything. I knew this at the time, even though I told myself that the things I was observing weren’t worth recording, and dug myself into a hole where I felt like I needed to feign a number of observations in order to meet the criteria. This, of course, resulted in contrived observations that were not even worth translating to writing, let alone a film down the line.

Eventually Robin spoke to me about this. He told me that it was a far better idea to look ahead and attempt new observations rather than to imagine some for the sake of marking. This was really valuable advice and helped me push forward and start thinking more about the aims of the course. These first few weeks I think were conducted well by Robin and were a good introduction to the ideas in the course, with footage shown to us that ranged from Lumiere to Akerman which were clear examples of what Robin wanted us to attempt. I think my attitude was the issue and Robin’s conversation with me prompted my engagement from there onwards.

The week 7 pitch was another great turning point for the course as it forced me to seriously think about the sort of things I’d been observing and what I felt could be most potent as the content of film. The anticipation of this pitch actually had me observing things in a particular way in the weeks leading up to it, as I was gradually forming a concept that tied together a number of moments I was experiencing. This was really rewarding and I felt that having the pitch where it was a great way for me to engage with the content outside of class and be translating the things I was observing most of the time on some level. It was at this point I think that the objective of Translating Observation became really apparent to me, and I felt that I had grasped a new, refreshing approach to filmmaking. This for me was the idea that I could practise the translation of the world around me as I saw it in such a way that I could also make connections that I may have missed before, connections that could serve as the basis for a film.

As I have detailed in my post on collaboration, the process of making the film that I proposed went extremely well and was shared with two talented creatives. What I didn’t note is that the making process was possibly the most unique out of any film I’ve made as it was built upon the translation of observations through conversations with Penelope and Lydia. This was our script, our pre-production. The crossover of minds in this instance did not pollute the idea but instead enriched and crafted it. In this group I learnt that a strong friendship and established connection makes for a process that is greater than the film that is born from it. This did not feel like a uni assessment – it was an exciting and rewarding investigation.

I am proud of the film. I was proud of the idea when I pitched it, but I am far more proud of what came together and really glad that I chose to properly engage with the course as the semester continued. While I could regret not engaging earlier, maybe it meant that I could do so more passionately later on, once I had broken out of the disillusionment that I originally held me back. The course was conducted really well and I think that the lessons to be taken from it are subtle but profound. I have gained new ways of making, new ways of observing, a newfound passion for translating observations and a new approach to filmmaking. Thanks Robin, Penelope and Lydia.

A few days after I pitched my film in week 7, I received a message from Lydia asking if I’d be happy for her to be a part of the project. Her request was really sincere; she sounded like she genuinely liked the idea for the film and I was chuffed that someone wanted to be a part of it. Penelope expressed the same sort of interest at the next class and it was almost instantly that we formed a connection and common focus. I felt that Penelope and Lydia were both motivated and excited to produce a film and wanted to help mould and refine what it could be. That first class was great and the dynamic worked so well that we got a bit ahead of ourselves and thought that we’d basically planned the entire film out already.

It was important that we formed that friendship and connection as early as we did because I feel that it only got stronger throughout the course of making the film, which meant that we could all rely on each other and contribute equally. Even though the film was originally an idea that I pitched, after the first conversation I was completely open to their equal contribution and conceptualisation. This proved to be another essential aspect of our collaboration: at no point was there any ego involved, every view was considered and I think ultimately the decisions that were made were for the sake of the film.

Our collaboration was, for at least the first half of the process, almost solely built on discussion. We used our separate experiences and views to flesh out a coherent concept that we could then pursue with the camera. While this may have dragged on a little too long as it did mean that we had to compromise slightly towards the end due to lack of footage, it was important for the sake of the connection we had built because that became the integral part of the process. Without such a strong friendship, the film definitely would not have come together as well as it did, if at all. For a concept as abstract and based on feeling; for a film made with equal creative input, we all needed to believe in it.

Our collaboration was also marked by a degree of independence. All of the footage and material that we used for the film was shot independently by each of us, which means that the film accurately portrays our equal input, our individual interpretations of the subject matter. For this film, this process worked really well and I think that the abundant, early discussion was essential in enabling the process.

I am so lucky to have had Penelope and Lydia as a part of the team. They are exceptional, bright people who only want to help and create and without them this film would not have come together. From this experience I know how important the relationship and common ground you establish with the people you work with is, and how discussion can be a really valuable pre-production tool to refine a concept with the aid of several different minds.

Penelope brought the footage of her grandmother to the suites this week, which looked fantastic and is a nice contrast to the footage of Max. Penelope did a great job of filming her grandmother in such a way that it does not even remotely seem staged and her grandmother hardly appears aware of the camera’s presence. While it is a very different composition and subject to the footage of Max, the feel and concentration appears very much the same, which has me confident that the film will feel consistent.

Penelope had also asked her brother to be interviewed on the topic, and it just so happened that he resonated with the film’s content and had written a poem about it. Penelope recorded him reciting the poem – it’s stunning. The poem is beautifully written and articulates how I picture the film in ways I couldn’t have written myself. His voice is perfect for it as well and I am stoked to be able to include it as part of the film. At this point we are planning on introducing the poem as the intro to the film and maybe having it run as a motif throughout (Penelope might ask her brother to write a little more and flesh it out a bit).

I’m yet to record Katherine as I haven’t teed up a time with her but having these new elements makes it easier for me to approach the filming with her and will establish further consistency. After feeling a little overwhelmed by the approaching due date throughout the week, I am now looking forward to producing more and seeing how everything comes together.

On Monday, Lydia, Penelope and I began toying with the footage I had shot. They were both pleased with it and I think having it helped to keep us all on the same page. Robin came in to check out our progress so far and noted that although the footage was perfectly exposed, the shot was not level, which is made apparent by the skewed poster behind Max. I hadn’t even noticed this until he pointed it out, which surprised me because I’m usually very conscious of that sort of thing when shooting. Reflecting on the actual shoot, however, I was so engaged in what Max was doing and how he appeared that I failed to even consider the background. Robin pointing it out has made me realise that it is really important to avoid these things if possible because people will pick up on them and be bothered by them, which will detract from what’s important in the shot. This will be at the forefront of my mind as I shoot other subjects.

We caught up again on Wednesday to record another conversation, this time aiming to capture something useable and, more importantly, actually capture something. Fortunately we did successfully record the conversation and it was our most lucid yet. It felt as though the topic was clearly and collectively understood. We articulated what we had gathered so far from our collective and independent rumination on the subject, including the different times and places that prompt these moments of flow and engagement with the present for each of us. I think most importantly for my own understanding was Penelope’s point that a lot of people including herself feel most able to slip into this mindset when hanging out with friends. Up until that point I had only properly considered how people can achieve this state on their own, engrossed in some sort of activity.

We are now setting out to shoot new subjects: Penelope will be filming her baby cousins, Lydia will obtain footage of and an interview with her dad and I will aim to film my friend Katherine, who is an extremely talented visual artist and is completing a painting as part of her own uni assessment so to film her would be ideal. The process of making this film has been the most group rumination I think I’ve ever experienced for a university assessment and possibly any film I’ve ever been involved in making. I hope that our newfound lucidity translates well to the edit we string together.

I ventured to Max’s once again with the EX3 and before I did anything else I set the camera up. We placed a ZOOM in front of the bass amp and I had him sit where he was comfortable playing. The spot was good and I think I exposed the image fairly well, the light on his face is gentle and there is a healthy amount of shadow as he looks down at the bass guitar, which to me is a nice visual metaphor for his engrossment in the instrument.

I filmed him playing for about 2 or 3 minutes. It appeared to me that he managed to inhabit the focused state I was looking for within the first 20 seconds, which made the process really interesting and quite intense to be a part of. There is something particularly intrusive about filming someone focused on improvised instrumentation. The musician is exposed in that moment and cannot hide behind confidence in a composition. He was only listening to himself. With this in mind, I think the best footage I shot was a CU of his face. It clearly represents his relationship with what he is doing, the sort of concentration and expression that will only appear on his face when engaged in this specific act of improvisation. I think that the CU is effective and communicates the message of the film – I plan to continue these shots for future participants and will urge Penelope and Lydia to do the same.

After Max finished playing we set up the ZOOM recorder and began our interview. It began as a casual chat about some of the work he’s been doing for his photography subject and how he finds the relationship between himself in that role and the subjects he is shooting, and how to achieve the purest possible material. This was a neat starting point to talk about the prevalent themes in my film. The conversation was quite lengthy at roughly 40 minutes, the most in-depth discussion focusing on the process to accepting and being yourself, which Max felt is the most essential stepping stone to being able to engage with the present moment. It was an interesting approach to the topic as he deconstructed what it means to be yourself, speaking primarily about the people that you surround yourself with, the conversations that you have, the habits that you form and the environments/mental spaces that you inhabit. These are all factors that he felt have a significant impact on your ability to be comfortable with who you naturally are, which in turn significantly affects your ability to ‘live in the moment’.

I feel that I collected some really strong material and am glad to have finally gotten the ball rolling. While the discussion with Max was great and insightful, I feel that I may have let the interview go on for too long as it will be a lot to sift through and cut. Having lots of material is far better than having none though so not complaining.