During my time at Greensborough Shopping Centre, I actively noticed my surroundings by marking (commenting on what I had noticed as I noticed it) and recording (taking a 5 second video of) the things that stuck out to me as interesting or unique. I noticed especially the abundance of green in the shopping centre itself, with a lot of plant life and wooden furnishings around, and made an effort to emphasise this in the footage I recorded. The atmosphere was particularly busy as it was approaching the the afternoon, with people milling about and the sounds of footsteps and general commotion. I also made sure to record both static and moving shots in landscape format as was outlined in our recipe.

While recording footage I also attempted to alternate between shot sizes, with close up shots of certain details (e.g. the floor tiles) and long shots of the ceiling. I discovered that panning from a vantage point gave the observer an interesting perspective, as there is a lot happening in the frame to notice. I also found that tracking shots where the camera was mobile allows the viewer to notice more things as the camera approaches them. This helped add a layer of diversity and visual interest to the footage which I had wanted to improve upon from the last assessment.

As I was obtaining the sound recording of the general atmosphere, I remembered our class discussions about Mazen Kerbaj’s Starry Night and sound, and Peter Cusack’s description of field recording as ‘sonic journalism’. Cusack explores the idea that “all sound (even unspoken) conveys information about places and events that are different yet complementary to visual images and language”. I would like to reinforce this idea as I am editing audio, and draw attention to the contrasts and similarities of the atmospheres of both shopping centres through sound.

Adele and I have worked together to come up with a recipe for noticing in our respective locations. We decided to focus on technical requirements while filming, as opposed to obtaining specific imagery or shots; in doing so, we feel that we will be able to notice our surroundings in a more authentic, less restricted manner. As a general rule, we intend on recording anything visually striking in our surroundings or that grabs our attention (colours, objects, patterns, movement).

Our recipe for noticing is the following:

– 12 shots each, of 5 seconds in duration (for a total of 24 shots or 1 minute of footage per person)
– A 1:1 ratio of static and dynamic shots (e.g. pans or tracking movement)
– Equipment: Phone camera
– Format: landscape orientation
– 1 sound recording of each location (general atmosphere) about 60 seconds long, captured on phones
– A variety of shots, including close ups and long shots

With this recipe in mind we intend to record footage that reflects our experiences in unfamiliar locations, and compare similarities and differences in the way that we notice. We are thinking of presenting our footage in a way that reinforces this idea, for example, a side by side comparison of certain shots that are similar or complement each other. We were also encouraged to incorporate all of the video and audio that we record rather than remove or alter any footage. This would assist in presenting a holistic version of what we notice and allow for a more authentic version of reality as we perceive it.
We have also decided to present each shot in 5 second snippets, as it is a long enough period of time for the viewer to take in the majority of elements in the frame. By repeating the same shot in conjunction with a shot from the other location immediately after, the viewer is given more time to take in its finer details and compare both of the shots.

For this task, I am collaborating with my partner Adele to create a piece of work that focuses on noticing the unfamiliar. In class we developed two basic variations of a recipe that we will use to assist in our filming and noticing practice. This includes elements such as: shot duration, shot size, camera movement, camera orientation, and the equipment we will be using. This is an important consideration as we want to produce a consistent piece of work, while also reflecting our own individual noticing practices in unfamiliar locations. We are also considering including specific aspects to notice in each other’s locations, which will make it easier to compare and contrast the ways in which we notice them.

The location I chose for Adele to notice was Highpoint Shopping Centre in Maribyrnong, and for me Adele chose Greensborough Shopping Centre. I chose this location for Adele as it is somewhere she is completely unfamiliar with, which will likely produce patterns of noticing different from mine (as someone who frequents the location, and is desensitised to a majority of its features). Adele picked Greensborough Shopping Centre for a similar reason as I have never seen or visited the centre before. As our locations are both very similar, it will be interesting to see the differences in what we notice, or if we will notice similar things.

By completing this work I hope to further develop my ability to actively notice my surroundings through marking and recording them, as discussed in the John Mason reading Forms of Noticing from week 1. I would also like to have a deeper understanding of what motivates my patterns of noticing. By undertaking this task, I would also like to broaden my understanding and approach to non-fiction media, as we are producing work that is reflective of reality.