Author: Gloria T

Documentary Ontography

Week 4

What is this again? I have lost my attention to most of what our lecturers said. So I googled what “Ontography” means and it came up with this: A description of beings, their nature and essence. But according to Adrian, documentary ontography is about making without thinking as nonfiction stories are told using lists of things.

Some tips I’ve heard: 

Learn by doing

Adapt to changing technologies

Be thinkers

&

engaging with contemporary media

Crafting the Scene

Reading Log #3

Jacques Tati constructed the film Play Time with slight monotonous techno aesthetics of its mise-en-scene. He often uses long and establishing shots to present the conservatively modern themes of the miniature Paris (showing the setting) built for the film. Furthermore, he shows a transformation from the inhuman city that is developed into a vitality and spontaneity as the film progresses from daytime to night-time.

His shots of the nightclub setting sequences, which are with cold colours of lighting and highlights on the props, are added with shadows to emphasize their forms. The sequence also is shown with low-key lighting, with fill light and backlight to create more contrast and a tint of saturation to the visual conventions.

The shots are complemented with flashy, late 60s costumes and the modern styles. This representation is unified with its setting and goes well with the characters’ acting style and performances. Continue reading →

Intro with a Camera

Rachel lets us to fiddle with Sony MC50 video cameras in our week 5 practical. Seeing that I am a technology-amateurish, I’ve had no idea of all the camera jargons that it was quite hard to identify the components. But my group and I had quite a fun making an awkward sequence of “hi-bye-situation”. In this activity, we had to do this sequence three times.

  1. Still (no movement) in a tripod
  2. Complementing camera movement in a tripod
  3. Handheld

hire-sony_hxr-mc50.-1gif-1What I’ve learned to take in consideration is the use of zooms. Zooms has been used in various of purposes such as in comedic shows, music videos to show facial expressions, put an emphasis in a focal point and etc. To capture a visual also requires the correct colour balance according to the temperature and lighting of the environment. Portraying certain lighting or hues links to the message being delivered. Finally, filmmakers think about aspect ratio, the proportion between the height and width of the visual frame. Why? You wouldn’t want to see a movie that is changed from a vertical rectangular frame to a horizontal one back and forth. Unless it’s done purposely. So these are a few cinematographic/technical “stuff” that worth taking into account.

Self-Portrait

Project Brief 2  

https://vimeo.com/123693226

Daylike (2015)

The artefact is a self-portrait in a mediated form of communication about who I am. This piece represents my interests and my hobbies in daily life. My interests include fashion, art, fireworks, social life, the beach, lights and glow in the dark. Through these representations of my interests, I have been quite successful in expressing my identity. Continue reading →

Experimental Film

Reading Log #2

Experimental films challenge normal notions. They are often independent, tell no stories and instead, poetic reveries. Fernand Léger’s Ballet Mécanique (1924) is constructed in poetic reveries. Its sequences consist machines, kitchen tools, plates, bottles, shapes such as circles and triangles and also a found footage of Charlie Chaplin’s “Charlot”. These sequences are repeated and show the movements of these machines complemented with rhythmic music. Hence, the title dancing machines. The construction and content of Ballet Mécanique is therefore like an improvised poem, correlating with the music to provoke rhythmic harmony. Continue reading →

“Selfie”: Lofi Self-Portrait

Project Brief 1

Our first assignment in Media 1 is to create a self portrait. Not a selfie, but through mediated forms of communication about who I am. These are artefacts that represent my identity, coming from an artistic family background, embrace fashion designs and having the value of the touch to the nature. Whether it is the beach, grass areas or the adorable animals. To me, “Selfies” are…

Shoes are my fashion and nature accessorise me

Shoes are my type of fashion and nature accessorise me

Seeing myself through the lens

Seeing myself with the lens

My Path

My path is invisible

Silhouettes are like footsteps left on our world

Silhouettes are like footsteps left on our world

This recording conveys how I study. Silence disturb me and noises allow myself to feel like I’m home. With the sounds of my surroundings, I am able to learn and study better. Clearly, I’m more of a hyper-attentive learner and work well without silence.

As much commitment as I have for uni, I just cannot keep studying. Sometimes I need some friend-hours and chill. So as you’ve heard the saying, study hard, party harder.

 

Some Selfie text:

“I don’t wanna look, but see.”

The World

Art Purple Pastel Colour

Hyper Movie Happy Gathering Friendship Value Family Passion Fashion

Spring Roses Cactus Sand Swimming Shells

Shark Dolphins Tiger Butterflies

Fly Fall Sky Clouds

Contemporary

I am You are We are They are

Alive                               Dead

Mujer                                 Hombre

Hot                                             Cold

Some videos (linked to Vimeo) that defines my part of my identity:

https://vimeo.com/122396315

https://vimeo.com/122498834

In these videos, I have shown the view from my apartment in Melbourne looking out to my University campus. Being an international student and having the opportunity to have an education abroad have made me so glad. This is symbolised by the framing of looking out the window for a view of the RMIT campus. The other video is about my interest in anything glowing in the dark. The sound of children in the background relates to my artistic and creative interests since childhood. Blue lights also symbolises my mood when in hard times, I am inspired to keep positive. Hence, the glow.