Presentation Transcript
Amy, Briana, Phoebe
PHOEBE For our final work, we’re thinking that we want to create two videos under the umbrella of cultural significance. The first one would focus on how Fed Square fits into the Melbourne landscape architecturally. Use close-ups of shapes and patterns within the architecture of both fed square and surrounding buildings and more iconic and like traditional buildings compared to the more modern Fed Square just to show that it is part of the Melbourne landscape, and it does fit in even though it’s got more modern shapes to it. Because when Fed Square was built there was obviously a bit of controversy around it, we kind of want to celebrate how through the 20 years it’s become a really prominent part of Melbourne and an integral part to how it looks celebrating that way.
And one way we want to do this is by incorporating some of the negative things that were said about fed square in its inception through like text or voice-over and sort of subvert audience expectations by showing how beautiful and how it does fit into Melbourne’s landscapes through our visuals. And then our second video would focus on how nature interacts with Fed Square. As it’s located on the periphery of the river and the gardens, it’s innately linked to nature, and we want to show how nature interacts with the square and how they complement each other. We also think this video could be a great way to connect it to indigenous culture like maybe focusing on indigenous plants in close-up shots.
AMY So with the proof-of-concept video we sort of drew elements of constructivism with modern technology and like coherence of architectural patterns like with the bicycle and circles so that’s something we wanted to focus on. And with Joris Ivan’s Rain we took a lot of shots from that to show kind of the progression in terms of architecture and we would follow through with that with poetic editing, kind of overlays, fragmented pieces.
BRI So the Fed square objectives that we’re aiming to focus on are; Recognition of contributors, Evolution of the precinct, and cultural significance. But the main thing we really want to do is focus on the architecture ’cause it’s quite beautiful and it really does fit into Melbourne to become as we say like the heart of Melbourne. So we really want to focus on that architecture and design and the controversy that kind of came when it first began but how it’s kind of grown to fit into Melbourne I guess and yeah we really want to celebrate all of those that were involved in designing and obviously it took a lot of work so I think that’s something at least to be celebrated. We want to also incorporate the like idea of past present and future of Fed Square by incorporating those past negative sort of reviews but showing how really beautiful it is now. We’re really focusing on the growth of Fed Square, I guess that’s the best way to say it.
PHOEBE One question we did have was because we want to use the negative aspects of what was said about Fed Square, would that be like something you guys are comfortable with?
BEN I mean it’s funny because I think didn’t MoMA in Tassie release a book that’s all about their own negative reviews and they released it as a way of publicising them. I mean it’s almost like I don’t know how much it like from a brand perspective to my own personal type of thing, in a way I actually think it’s quite important to actually celebrate that because I think as far as I’m aware I think fed square at least I think was commissioned and there was a lot of negativity around it and I think it would be irresponsible if we didn’t recognise that and but I think trying to do it in a very I think, I actually think how you kind of touched on it in your proof of concept it was that really nice juxtaposition between obviously the negative but also I think the natural beauty of it, or the potential beauty of it so I think yes but probably obviously be selective in, I know I think one of the things we were thinking of including was when we had that earthquake last year, I think there was, who actually did that tweet?
REBECCA It was ‘What happened to Fed Square?’ And it was just a picture of Fed Square.
BEN And I think we do actually have a couple of other elements I think about the irreverence of kind of Fed Square, allowing us to kind of be a little bit self-referential as well so yeah I would say but again that’s only my personal kind of preference.
REBECCA I love both of those video concepts and I think I love that for the first time I like the contrast between old and the new architecture and I think that would work really well. And then I like the nature element of the second one and also the First Nations element and I think you’ll be able to do that really well. I think just with these quotes from people, it just has to be done really sensitively and in the right way because as part of the overarching campaign we were going to sort of like do a stand-alone sort of like content series on these quotes and we were asked to tear that back because of the controversy around it so we may still do it separately and it just needs to be really and just done in the right way so that it’s not offending anyone. But then like Ben says, people did say these things and there was that negative sentiment, and then like your video says, we were heritage listed, people were talking about the fact it would be knocked down by 2030 no one would think about Fed Square. So a lot of the sentiment was wrong essentially, so yeah I think it’s a really great idea but just maybe when we get a little bit closer to it we’ll review how the sentiment’s sounding and then just make sure there’s no sort of controversy.
KATE I don’t really have much to add, I thought it was really beautiful. I kind of had the same things – we’ve had this conversation before – because I love the idea, I think we should be celebrating those negative comments – I mean it’s hilarious really like all the things people have said, what was it?
REBECCA Public floggings of the Architects… Barry Humphries ‘an eyesore’…
KATE All these famous people, its just funny. And in my view its just because our brand is ‘Anything but Square’ and we’re about all of Melbourne and we’re not a square thing so we’re a bit outside the norm and stuff and it’s really funny, we’ve just had these internal concerns about that, so we have had to kind of review our own personal views about that kind of stuff. But yeah exactly what Ben was saying, the kind of ‘but Mr Brumby’ – that’s a nice way to do it or you can do it in so many different ways to be kind of comedic and artistic about it. And again, the nature side of things I really like as well because we’re only 20 years old but built on very old land that’s Indigenous land and a very important place of gathering for the Wurundjeri people, Kulin nations. We often have at our events Auntie Di or the elders come and speak and at our last little food festival [one of the aunties] was like ‘oh back before colonisation, this land, people gathered yams on the bank’ and this and that and was giving this whole, you know all these kids are at this festival and looking up at her and she’s talking about the yams being pulled out of the Yarra, and you’re like ‘aw thanks auntie’. It’s a nice element because we have got the beautiful architecture but we have got the strong history that we like to celebrate as well so yeah you’ve got some really great concepts.
Reflection
Following our presentation to the panel of Federation Square, Briana, Phoebe and I took on the feedback we received for our proof-of-concept video and endeavour to create a piece that aligns with their objectives for Federation Square’s 20th anniversary. The objectives we want to highlight is the evolution and cultural significance of the precinct, recognition of contributors, and weave First Nations acknowledgement and past criticisms of the precinct through the piece in a sensitive matter. Handling past criticisms sensitively is important for the final piece, as the panel expressed to us, who will check in with our group as we go to ensure “there’s no sort of controversy” surrounding the sentiment of our film (Kate). The panel responded well to our video and appreciated how we handled the Brumby quote by subverting the criticism with beautiful architecture, in conjunction with the music to create a comedic element, which we will follow through with by being “selective” in the quotes we choose (Ben). Rebecca and Kate liked how we conceptualised First Nations acknowledgement with a nature element, which we’ll capture by filming native flowers in the gardens on the periphery of Federation Square.
A large element of our concept is contrasting the old and the new, through architectural patterns and change. Rebecca expressed that she liked this idea, and we can approach this in both an architectural and critical sense, highlighting how Federation Square is an integral part of Melbourne for its architectural significance in Melbourne’s landscape, past criticisms of the precinct, and its importance as an Indigenous place. In our concept video, we partly did this in the style of constructivism by drawing footage from that era, so we can appreciate the precinct as an urban space, while juxtaposing this with the nature element by celebrating native flowers, which we can improve by further researching the significance of each flower, and its coherence as a public place on the periphery of the Yarra River and the gardens. Ultimately, we want to celebrate Federation Square for its criticisms and contributors, and “beautiful architecture… but strong history” (Kate).