A4: Submission
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Blog Post #4
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1 x blog post considering the final artefact (500 words). Imagine you are going to keep working on that media piece (e.g. to screen it somewhere else like a festival, or develop it into a different kind of work, and so on) – what would be the core things you would want to improve and extend and why?
- I would love to extend the length of the film. I really wanted to reach 5 minutes but unfortunately with animation I just didn’t have enough time. I would love to keep working on this however I don’t think I have enough interview content to go off. Perhaps if it gets to the new year and I have
- Some animation scenes are not to the same standard as others. I would love to put in as much time and energy into each one.
- It would have been great foresight to put out feelers for a composer early in the process.
Blog Post #3
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1 x blog post reflecting on representing the real world as part of a nonfiction media practice (500 words). Throughout semester, we’ve talked a little about Bill Nichols’ ‘Modes of Documentary’. How might aspect(s) of your work be described using Bill Nichols’ MODES? HINT – there may be more than one mode within your work!
I will be honest, my work really only falls under the performative mode of Bill Nichols’ ‘Modes of Documentary’.
Blog Post #1
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Working with a living, breathing, human participant (AKA a real person) in comparison to a character portrayed by an actor was a new experience for me. Whilst I was excited to interview my friends I got somewhat frustrated when they didn’t follow the script I had in my head. haha. Creating a documentary has been an eye opening experience in that I see now that it is hard to plan what your film is going to look like before the interviews. What I thought I would get was something vastly different to what I actually received. I have learnt that you must be flexible because real people are unpredictable.
If I were to complete a similar project in the future I don’t know if I would change much. I will admit, I did take the easier route by interviewing friends. Perhaps if I talked to a stranger, my sentiment would be different. Boynton (2016) said ‘love the people that you film’. I couldn’t have hated them if I tried. I do agree that to investigate a part of someone’s life you must love what they do. I also agree that, for the most part, people deserve empathy and compassion… unless you’re making a documentary about Taylor Swift or Hitler.
Within my ethics charter I quoted another student, Lauren Smith (2023), ‘if the person really hates a certain part of the film strongly consider deleting/re-filming it’. Although I agree with this statement quite strongly, I have to be honest. The though of deleting or re-animating a part of my film pains me. Not because I’m very attached to all of it, just because each shot took so much time. However, if you are not willing to do this, you shouldn’t create documentaries in the first place.
I so wisely said at the beginning of this course that we must ‘Avoid pressuring the person into saying anything they may not have said usually’ (Gould, 2023). whilst I did not force anyone to say anything outright, I may have manipulated some of the discussions towards the end. Im not sure if this is bad or not. And I’m not sure of the ethical standing it has. I do know that I would make a killer producer for a trashy reality show. you know, the people behind the camera who manipulate the contestants into saying what they want them to say?
To conclude, perhaps I am better off writing characters. They are much more predictable. however, what’s the point in school if you don’t try something new. Besides, I should probably save all my dialogue manipulating skills for channel 7… or maybe 9. Which ever broadcasts Survivor.
Blog Post #2
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Throughout my degree, more specifically within the media studios, there has been little opportunity to create something as a solo practitioner. Making something with a team is certainly easier in some ways but limits your scope as a creative (in my opinion). Only relying on yourself throughout every aspect of a short film pushes you to think holistically during the creative process. It also means that your idea must be strong enough. To clarify, you are not able to gain different perspectives from someone invested in the work. So, the idea must have enough flexibility and reach to culminate into a final work.
In order to be successful as a solo practitioner you are required to be dedicated to the final project. It makes life much harder if you are not passionate about what you are creating. As I said above, you can only rely on yourself to see the project through. So, in order to cross the finish line, one must manage their time adequately. This may be my biggest weakness when working on an assignment, both solo and in groups. I’d like to say I work best when under pressure but this isn’t 100% true. I definitely work fastest when under pressure. As I progress in my degree, I hope to further finesse my time management skills. Next time I work solo I hope I remember to be smart with my time. That way I can hopefully avoid some sleepless nights.
My strength lies in the concept stage. I am often overrun by ideas and get very excited when brainstorming a project. Through using animation and I was able to express my ideas in a seamless process. It was much easier than having an idea and wondering how to capture it through film. In this aspect working solo was very beneficial. I would’ve struggles to adequately explain what I wanted to another person if I was in a group.
To conclude, I excelled in the idea making stage and felt working solo was to my benefit during that process. I enjoyed working solo due to the ability to do basically whatever I wanted. I did not need to compromise or dull my aesthetic down at the behest of another person. Which I loved. I let myself down when it came to time management. However, I know I was very ambitious with my approach to the task. I did miss having someone else to riff ideas off of. My housemates fulfilled that role somewhat. Although they may not have understood exactly what I was trying to do. The Kmart knickers part may have threw them off. Overall, working solo was a great experience and I look forward to doing it again.
Final Artifact
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A Girls Best Friend is their Bedroom from Media Factory on Vimeo.
A Girl’s Best Friend is their Bedroom
Bedrooms, boys and burgers. Years have passed since monsters lived under the bed, yet a woman’s bedroom is still a place of fantasy. Dreams and secrets are unveiled as a group of young women talk about the four walls they live within. A Girl’s Best Friend is their Bedroom is a 4-minute documentary that gazes into the relationship between a non-man and their bedroom.
Featuring
Isabella Murray
Brooke Gagiero
Niamh Fox
A film by
Jasmin Gould
Music
‘Shimmering Object 3’
Composed by Opticaillusions www.freesound.org
‘Spray Bottle’
Composed by OwlStorm www.freesound.org
‘Pencil on Paper Scribble’
Composed by Toddcircle www.freesound.org
‘McDonalds’
Composed by Islabonita www.freesound.org
‘Heartbeat 2’
Composed by Newlocknew www.freesound.org
With thanks to
Sebastian Bertoli
Rohan Spong
Cameron Powell
Studio instructor
Rohan Spong
Created as part of
HEADS WON’T ROLL.
School of Media and Communication
RMIT University
2023