Final Reflection on my Studio Experience

1. Consider in what ways you hope your final work engages its audience and communicates a key concern of the studio? Draw upon your experiences from attending the studio exhibition.

The studio challenged us to discuss and answer the question, “Why don’t Australian audiences watch Australian films and how might we change this?”. Australian audiences found that Gen Z felt underrepresented, being “22% more likely to say they feel poorly represented on screen”. Although Gen Z dominates social platforms like TikTok or Instagram, they often feel underrepresented in major TV shows and films (Hambly 2021). Maybe, one of the reasons Gen Z feel less inclined to watch Australian films and go to the cinema is because what they’re seeing simply doesn’t resonate with them, or that they’ve simply grown tired of the animal, outback and Superhero movies that Australia produces.

With Sweet Slow Rot, we wanted to explore and reinterpret the Australian coming-of-age genre, tapping into that limbo space between post-highschool and pre-full, when you have your independence, but have no idea what to do with it. The film aims to defy the never-ending “hustle” culture that permeates our 20’s, the overwhelming expectation to know who you are and what you want, to achieve, succeed and be better than your peers. We wanted to celebrate chaos, failure and the art of doing nothing, simply embracing the rot. The dynamics of living in a sharehouse, navigating friendships, and preparing for a night out is something young people can relate to, and has limitless potential, despite being so grounded in reality. “Nichols believes that share housing is a rite of passage…for young people… the place where they get their first, heady taste of freedom” (Jenkins 2018) and so, I hope that our work was able to convey that feeling, not relying on corny aussie stereotypes or our outback landscape to feel uniquely Australian. Screening Sweet Slow Rot at our showcase, the overall feedback felt positive, even our studio leader, who hasn’t lived in a share house for years, felt transported back to that time through our film which was awesome to hear! There is beauty in the mundanity, in our regular lives. The Australian film industry feels too reminiscent of what we once were, afraid to embrace the future filmmakers and take new risks. After watching the works from our class, I can confidently say that Australian cinema has the potential to be fresh and diverse when unrestricted by what the industry thinks the audience “wants” or what the government believes is “Australian” and will turn a profit. 

2. Outline the singular most successful and singular most problematic aspect of your process/finished work

The most successful aspect of the film I believe is the film’s “vibe”. In making this film, we used our close friends, the director’s own home and called from personal experiences when writing the script. I had fun creating this film; using colourful lighting, local music, loose camera for the dancing scene and utilising montage. I believe that this translates to the audience, the feeling of enjoyment and authenticity.

On the other hand, I think there were certain aspects that needed polishing. Our sound overall could’ve been stronger and more cohesive and some of the choices I made for camera made it feel more amateur than artistic e.g. the pan up to AJ. I also believe that, had we finalised the script and sent it out earlier, it would’ve given the talent ample time to memorise lines, coming into the shoot with more confidence in their performance, able to bring the naturalism we were aiming for.

3. Imagine you are going to keep working on that media piece, what would be the core things you would want to improve and extend and why?

I think if I were to continue working on “Sweet Slow Rot”, I would focus on creating more striking tableaus and stylised visuals through cinematography. We had some strong ones in the film, but also some scenes that were rather lackluster visually and would have benefited from having some extra time to stage the actors and play with the lighting and colour. I filmed several long takes for certain scenes but I think getting extra coverage for those moments with dialogue would’ve really helped elevate the film and given us more options for the edit, keeping it eclectic and well-paced. I’d also want to work on extending the run time, really emphasising the rot experience, creating a sense of time slowly passing and allowing for the dynamics between the characters to be established and further developed through dialogue and performance.

4. Outline one key thing you’ve learnt from your studio experience that you will take into your future thinking and practice

In this studio, we delved into how our film industry operates; who funds productions, how and why certain films receive funding and why there is a serious lack of national pride surrounding Australian films. This research has revealed how our filmmaking industry has become a business deal rather than a creative outlet. The Q+A sessions with local filmmakers, producers and distributors has reflected the differing and oftentimes conflicting opinions surrounding how filmmaking is perceived. To put it simply, there are two sides: profit; wanting to make a living, to be successful and garner mass attention and art; creating something authentic, maybe risk-taking, and connecting with the audience, no matter how small. Seeing peoples perspective on film as an economically failing endeavour has only driven me to defy that idea. I want to take what I’ve learned and put it into a potential career, one that uplifts filmmaking, treating it as a form of visual art. As Peirce describes it, “Films are not content. Cinema is a church. These artistic endeavours enrich us, build our minds, and grow our worlds…They make life worth living, and when we watch them together, communing in the dark, we become stronger, connected in shared experiences…” (Peirce 2025). 

5. What’s one key takeaway about working collaboratively?

Working collaboratively can only be truly collaborative if there’s communication. When you’re passionate about the project you’re more likely to rise to the occasion and put in the work needed, because it doesn’t necessarily feel like work. However, in a group setting, the feeling may not be mutual and so it’s important to establish early the workload and what’s expected from everybody. I believe filmmaking is intrinsically a collaborative effort and when one area is lacking, it can have a domino effect. It’s easy to get caught up in your own role and not check in with how everyone else is going so I think having regular meetings and creating a space where it’s okay to ask questions and ask for help is super important. 

REFERENCES

Hambly, G. (2021). Australian feature film production: A zero sum game. Media International Australia Incorporating Culture & Policy, 180(1), 116–130. Accessed 31 May 2025 https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X20975789

Jenkins S (2018) The Melbourne sharehouse: A cultural icon, Upstart website, accessed 31 May 2025. https://www.upstart.net.au/the-melbourne-sharehouse-a-cultural-icon/  

Peirce A (2025) 2024: A Hard Year for Australian Films, the Curb, Accessed 6 March 2025. 2024: A Hard Year for Australian Films – The Curb | Film and Culture

Final Film Link: https://youtu.be/vX680v5tIEE?si=JXcI8QFcGbKDIR40

OneDrive Folder: https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/s3955153_student_rmit_edu_au/ElOVJONN9NxOicfOjtnleKABTzkn8AQ9z4N7WtGmzCLVEw

Blog #1: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/jazmin-lissarrague/2025/04/29/blog-post-1/

Blog #2: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/jazmin-lissarrague/2025/05/01/blog-post-2/

Blog #3: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/jazmin-lissarrague/2025/05/09/blog-post-3/

Blog #4: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/jazmin-lissarrague/2025/05/30/blog-post-4/

Week 11 and Week 12

In week 11 we looked through the rough (rough) cut and, as a group, gave notes and worked on the edit together in the suites. The main focus was timing, deciding when to end a shot after it had had its desired effect, keeping the pace tight. Phoebe and I helped guide the editor with the montage scene as it was more stylised and non-linear than the other scenes. We played with the B-Roll footage e.g.  glasses filling up in the sink, ticking clock, Georgia doing her make-up, and the best snippets from the dancing to create a sense of time passing and a fun, party-like feeling.

Unfortunately, our editor was sick during an edit day, and that meant we couldn’t continue the work in preparation for the rough-cut screening. Was definitely a learning lesson about the importance of multiple people having their own hard drives to ensure that editing can still continue even if people are absent. The rough-cut screening went well! Was great to see it on a bigger screen, making it easier to spot timing and performance issues. We got some helpful critiques about the execution of certain jokes and some compliments on the lighting and tone which was super validating

Week 12 we were able to get some personalised feedback from Tim on our edit. He encouraged music to be playing throughout majority of the film, as a lot of the scenes felt too quiet. This made total sense since the setting is a pres and would realistically have tunes playing for the *vibe*. We reached out to some more local aussie artists and the songs we’ve added have really helped bring the film more to life.

The editing process has definitely emphasised the importance of getting as much coverage and diverse shots as possible during production. Tim clocked some of our shots as not as engaging as others (fair) and because they were the only shots filmed, we had no choice but to keep them in for the sake of continuity and the narrative. It made the editing more limiting, so in future productions I will aim to stick closer to the storyboard/Shotlist and make time for those multiple angles and retakes.

Initial Editing Notes (Wk 11)

Tim’s Edit Tips n Tricks (Wk 12)

Week 9

From Wednesday afternoon to just before midnight we had our film shoot!

While there were some hiccups I feel as though the production went smoothly and we finished up within the time we estimated. Having the paperwork (Script, Shotlist, Storyboard) all printed out to refer to and having those first three hours on set to organise props and experiment with lights and certain angles was so important. The hiccups were stuff like batteries running out of charge which could have been avoided by purchasing some extra spare AA and making sure the light boxes were stored with two packs during equipment pick-up. We initially ran overtime filming the first scene and so to combat this, we cut some extra coverage shots which was disappointing but meant we were back on schedule. I made one silly mistake which I realised during the edit suite session. I had accidentally stopped the recording when I was supposed to start it and that meant we lost one shot that was pretty important. I know now that doing playbacks and quickly reviewing the footage right after the take is super important.

I really enjoyed the lighting side of the shoot and found the use of coloured cellophane really helpful in creating a “party” setting and an overall appealing aesthetic. I think if I had the chance to redo the shoot, I’d source a spotlight for the monologue segment as I think it would’ve been super impactful and a nice detour from the rest of the film. I also believe it would’ve been wiser for Phoebe and I to have finalised the script and sent it out earlier, as it would’ve given the talent ample time to memorise lines, coming into the shoot with more confidence in their performance and as a result saving time doing multiple retakes.

BTS Photos <3

Week 8

Timelapse: https://youtu.be/N7SRvLFklWo

On Tuesday, Pheobe and I booked out equipment to practice and experiment with. We had hoped to find a fisheye lens but there were none at the loan store unfortunately. Instead, I’ll aim to use more close-ups and eclectic lighting to convey our film’s style. I had booked a swivel head tripod with the hopes of executing a”70s Show High circle” style for certain dialogue scenes e.g. https://youtu.be/hdk92_4btMo?si=ZcExU3w62ot70sNO.

However, the actual tripod was so tiny it would have been impossible to use with the camera, so we were advised to stick with the regular Manfrotto Tripod for panning. During our group meeting with Tim on Thursday, I was encouraged by him to explore other camera’s, specifically ones with a good low lighting setting to better suit our nighttime shoot. I booked out the Sony FX3 Camera to get familiar with it’s settings and decided to go with it instead of the FS5 as I found it surprisingly easier to navigate!

Jazz with the Sony FX3 Camera

The factor I am most nervous about for the shoot is the lighting, as we want to create a lot of colour as well as incorporate diegetic lighting. Luckily, I’ll have Bin Bin to help assist me and I’ll be arriving earlier on the location to practice with the LED’s. Hopefully this will give me time to troubleshoot any issues well before cast arrive.

Tim also had a look at our shotlist and shooting schedule times and encouraged us to break the shoot into two days rather than one, to ensure we weren’t rushing the film. I agree that when there is a time crunch, it can be hard to prioritise creativity and allow for moments of improv and authenticity within the film. To combat this, we’re going to leave all the B-Roll footage and scenes with just Phoebe’s housemates till last, so that we can film those on another day if we run out of time on the Wednesday.

Title: My Pen Pal from Andromeda

Treatment

We open in the bedroom, decorated with quirky trinkets and posters. On the bed are piles of beautifully handwritten letters. Sam, a young woman of a geeky nature, is reading over them, looking visibly nervous. A knock on her door. Her housemate enters and asks if today’s the day.  Sam nods. The housemate looks at her sympathetically and takes a seat on the bed next to Sam. Sam is worried that Xanthe, her pen pal, is going to come all this way and be disappointed. Her housemate gestures at all the letters and assures her that Xanthe already knows that Sam is a loser but nevertheless likes her enough to do an intergalactic visit. Sam is strangely comforted.

Sam now stands in an open field; the sky is bright blue, and the grass is lush. Sam looks at the coordinates on the letter and looks around at the emptiness. A stop motion UFO appears from the sky and flies down to the field. A green alien woman, donning a metallic dress and futuristic helmet walks up to Sam. Sam is now miraculously holding a sign with Xanthe’s name, like the ones you see at the airport. Xanthe smiles excitedly and runs to Sam, hugging her. Sam stammers out the question, are you hungry? Sam lays out a blanket and they sit down to eat a picnic with snacks like iced VoVo’s, cheese, crackers, footy franks, chicken crimpies, dip and tiny teddies. Xanthe pulls out a list of “Things To Do In Australia”, reflecting her out-of-touch, outdated perspective on the country. Sam nervously remarks that Melbourne may not be what she expects.

A montage, accompanied by music, ensues as the two women go sightseeing through the city, op-shop, browse records, and use a photobooth. Xanthe is in awe of it all, experiencing culture shock but also falling in love with Melbourne, leaving the list behind. Their last stop is an art gallery. In the gallery, as they look at the same painting, their hands timidly touch.

Returning to the open field, the sun sets as the two women stand face to face. The UFO is nearby, awaiting Xanthe. Xanthe expresses how much fun she had, Sam asks if she can stay longer, Xanthe says she can’t. But she’d like to visit again. Sam says today was the most fun she’s ever had in her life, and that she’ll miss her. They look at each other in nervous silence. Xanthe quickly grabs Sam’s face and kisses her, running away to the UFO before Sam can react. We see Sam wave the UFO goodbye, disappearing into the sky with a twinkle. Sam collapses to the ground, hand on her heart. She has fallen hard. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out their photo together, tears welling in her eyes. She smiles and whispers to herself that she’d like to visit again.

We jump forward in time. Sam is on her bed again, adding the final touches to her colourful scrapbook. The two pages are dedicated to her day with Xanthe. It includes the Photo Booth pictures, tickets, stickers, receipts etc. Sam looks down at her work with pride and closes the book. Suddenly she hears her doorbell ring and smiles with excitement, rushing off to answer it. We can guess who may be visiting again. 

THE END.

Why I’m excited to create this project and my goals for it

I want this film to appeal to those that enjoy certain genres e.g. Sc-Fi, Romance and comedy however still be able to attract people that just want to see Melbourne and their local cafe or vintage store on their screen. I’d hope that it would resonate and have a positive reception from the queer community and just generally impress those passionate about filmmaking, fashion and design. I want this film to create conversation around what is Australian culture post-colonialism? Do we really have one? What would we show to an alien visitor in just one day to represent what our country and more specifically the city of Melbourne is all about outside of our country’s stereotypes.

The film is a love story and so having the opportunity to guide on-screen chemistry and develop the two character’s relationship over the course of the film would be a great challenge as a director. I want to create a queer, quirky romance film, a piece of work that doesn’t adhere to what is currently the trend in Aus cinema; depressing dramas or comical caricatures of our outback.

Pathway to audience

I would want to create a social media account, specifically Instagram as it has a wide reach and appeals to the targeted demographic: 13-35 years. This account would include details about the cast and crew and document the pre-production, production and post-production process through BTS footage, photos and interviews. The film would be posted to YouTube and Vimeo to allow for easy accessibility and a wide audience reach. I’d aim to promote the film on my personal social accounts as well as potentially creating some fun movie posters to put up around RMIT and other areas of Melbourne, with a QR code to watch the film. When the film is finished and released, I would be interested in creating a website for the film, including information and links for where to watch the film, the film’s socials, BTS Footage and photos, inclusion of the plot, directors’ rationale and testimonies from the cast and crew. I’d also attach an email as a way for people to reach out about possibly distributing the film or having it featured at film festivals and screenings.

In regard to film festivals, the ones I feel my film’s content best suit are:

• RIFF: A film festival for RMITV members
•  Melbourne Queer Film Festival
•  Melbourne Short Film Festival
• Melbourne Women in Film Festival
•  ReelGood Film Festival
•  St Kilda Film Festival 
• Potentially the Melbourne Science Fiction Film Festival

Initial Research

Creating something risk-taking, dynamic and financially independent: Motion In Art (2023) What Happened to Australian Cinema? YouTube, Accessed 6 March 2025. What Happened to Australian Cinema?

Exploring the idea that “Films are not content. Cinema is a church. These artistic endeavors enrich us, build our minds, and grow our worlds…They make life worth living, and when we watch them together, communing in the dark, we become stronger, connected in shared experiences” Peirce A (2025) 2024: A Hard Year for Australian Films, the Curb, Accessed 6 March 2025. 2024: A Hard Year for Australian Films – The Curb | Film and Culture

White Australian culture/What is our countries culture post-colonialism? Toby X (2013) As a fourth generation white Australian, what’s my culture? Sydney Morning Herald, Accessed 8 April 2025. As a fourth generation white Australian, what’s my culture?

Contemporary Australian identity: Farrugia, J., & Bullen, J. (2024). ‘Not everyone has a fair go’: unpacking contemporary understandings and experiences of Australian identity. National Identities, 1–20. Accessed 8 April 2025 Full article: ‘Not everyone has a fair go’: unpacking contemporary understandings and experiences of Australian identity

Exploring the tropes and style of the quirky genre: MacDowell J (2010) ‘Notes on quirky,’ Movie: A Journal of Film Criticism, vol. 1, pp. 1–16. Accessed 22 March 2025  http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/film/movie/contents/notes_on_quirky.pdf

The visual style 

Visually, I’ve been inspired by films such as Asteroid City (2023), Girl asleep (2015), Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and Juno (2007). These films utilise character, colour, craftiness and overt staging to create a fantastical and almost other-worldly version of real life, which is quite relevant to my film’s premise. I want to lean into the visual art side of filmmaking through costume and makeup, the colour grade of the film, prop making/set dressing in order to create a mise-en-scene that feels eclectic, nostalgic and with a distinct “Australian-ness”.  I want the Australian audience to be drawn into the film’s aesthetic, seeing either themselves represented on screen or their city being depicted beautifully. 

Sound design is such an important part of a film, so I’d like to have a library of sounds curated throughout the pre-production and production, able to accurately reflect the sounds of Melbourne; tram dings, coffee making, native birds and local conversation and music. I want to aurally immerse the viewer through the perspective of an alien tourist, hearing unfamiliar noises in a new world for the first time. I’d love to collaborate with a local Melbourne band to use a song of theirs or to have a song commissioned for the film. I want the soundtrack to accompany the two women as they have fun exploring the city together, sweet and upbeat, becoming more tender and slower as the film draws to a close, when they have to part ways.

Write about what drew you to this studio? What you think this studio is and what are you interested in exploring?

This studio begs the question, what changes need to be made within the Australian film industry to ensure that we are creating films that Australians want to see? Jennifer Kent, director of The Babadook 2014, states that “Australians hardly ever get excited about their own [movies]” and I reluctantly relate. The films I see in cinemas, watch on streaming services and engage with both academically e.g. university and socially e.g. LetterBoxd are primarily American. I want to delve into why this is the case, why I feel disconnected from my own country’s films. My goal is to better familiarise myself with what modern Australian cinema has to offer through this studio’s syllabus, rather than dwelling on the classics. The Worst Film Industry in the World 2023, a Youtube video by Motion in Art, suggests that the reason Australian classics such as Mad Max 1979 and Crocodile Dundee 1986 are still highly revered and a piece of national pride is because they took risks. As an aspiring filmmaker in Australia, I want to be proud of our industry, having a role within it rather than having “to go overseas to get recognition”. I’d like to explore within this studio ways to better the Australian feature filmmaking landscape, how it can be more far-reaching, more accessible, more exciting and ambitious and potentially uncovering these solutions through the final collaborative creative project. I’d love the opportunity to direct and write again, working to create something uniquely Australian, creatively risk-taking and fun. I’d like to work on the mistakes I made in my last directing/writing role, improving my organisation in pre-production, problem solving on set and writing believable, impactful dialogue. I also wouldn’t mind stepping outside my comfort zone and possibly dive into a role I’m less familiar with such as editing or cinematography, pushing myself technically and broadening my filmmaking skills. 

Choose TWO of the workshop activities (in class or homework) that we’ve done so far and write a reflective post on each

(1) Week 1 had us in small groups, reading articles related to the Australian filmmaking industry. We looked at a particular article by Andrew F Peirce titled 2024: A Hard Year for Australian Films that delved into the fundamental issues of Australia’s industry. I found it extremely eye opening as I had been blissfully unaware of how our industry operates; who funds productions, how and why certain films receive funding and why there is a serious lack of national pride surrounding Australian films. Seeing how much of an impact the Australian government has over what films are financially supported brings the question of money vs art to the surface. Our filmmaking industry has become a business deal rather than a creative outlet, and it explains why American productions are prioritised over local Australian ones. The risk of losing profit outweighs the potential to create something that would authentically and uniquely connect with Australians. This has resulted in the same style of films being made, made with the intention of bringing in money. Our government is viewing the act of film making as a business, something to profit off and boost the economy and therefore creativity is less prioritised.  They are less likely to view film proposals that take risks, that are dynamic and unique, films that maybe defy what they see as “Australian values”. Seeing these fundamental flaws haven’t made me feel discouraged or depressed about the future of Australian Cinema, but instead inspired me. We know where the issues lie, what barriers are stopping ambitious filmmakers from getting their ideas funded. Our government does not prioritise local cinema and the films that are given funding and support fit into the narrow box of what is believed to be financially successful e.g. Animal movies, Outback Movies, Superhero Movies. A change needs to come from within. As Peirce said “the onus isn’t on Australian audiences to seek out Australian films”. The industry itself “needs to break through the algorithm of our continued existence to put Australian films in front of faces” (Peirce 2025).

(2) In week 2, we were tasked with creating a short documentary, using the equipment we’ll eventually be using for our final major work. I found it surprisingly challenging to come up with a topic of discussion that was engaging, personal and able to be successfully executed within the class time. Our group landed on the topic of Death; When and how we think we’ll die and what we want to happen to our bodies. A rather grim topic to explore as our culture treats death as something taboo and is often avoided at all costs. Our interviews of each other had a rather comedic tone, which wasn’t necessarily our intent but made sense. When we’re uncomfortable or scared, we resort to humor, as tragedy and comedy are not opposites but rather close friends. We played with lighting in particular, attempting to create a liminal, limbo-like space to mimic the afterlife and create a gothic aesthetic. I really enjoyed experimenting with the camera, deliberately focusing and unfocusing and using the unbalanced light to capture some ethereal looking B-roll that hopefully worked to compliment the interviewee footage. We had some trouble with sound as none of us  were familiar with the wireless lapel mics. Instead, we opted for our phones, using voice memos to record our testimonies. Obviously not ideal for getting the best quality of sound but given the time frame, we had to work quickly. In hindsight, I should’ve asked for guidance on using them as it would’ve benefited me to learn that equipment then, so that it would be less challenging down the road when filming our major. It also would have benefited to venture out into other areas of the uni to record more B-roll as we had limited ourselves to one small area and by the end of class, we were struggling a bit to film enough variety to edit with. After this workshop, I see documentary-making as more of a fun and creative mode of storytelling . With mockumentary as the exception, I’ve always seen the mode of documentary as rather dry, but you truly can make it your own if you’re inspired enough. There’s so much potential for impactful, raw moments and by utilising B-roll, you can create something visually striking and weave a silent narrative alongside the interviews, marrying the reality of people’s lived experiences with the visual art of filmmaking

Video Essay Link: https://vimeo.com/1068067728/dcdf8aef5b?share=copy

1> In what ways do you hope your screenings/exhibited/screened work (whether individual or group produced) engaged its audience and communicated a key concern of the studio?  

Operation Superstar’s strengths lie in the crafty, colourful aesthetic, surreal, other-wordly characters and the fun-loving chemistry between our two main characters. I believe these qualities successfully showed a lot of heart, providing an authentic and in depth look at Melbourne nightlife as well as a delightfully absurd, funny and exciting story for the audience. Hybridising the genres of coming-of-age and comedy, we hoped to tell the story of friendship and being true to yourself, whilst still utilising the comic techniques of comic frame, incongruity, visual humour and satire; entertaining and challenging the toxic culture of individualism that perpetuates exclusion and superficiality. 

2> 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? 

If I were to continue working on the media artefact, I would want to better develop some of the technical aspects such as sound and lighting. This could be achieved by reshooting certain scenes such as ones with heavy dialogue, recording in a more quiet space to avoid that droning street noise and increasing the lightning darker scenes in order to better see the action and details of each shot. This would hopefully elevate the film’s content and be more comprehensible for the first time viewer. I also would like to possibly reshoot scenes with certain characters in order to make the interactions feel more natural. Due to the tight turn around with the script, the actor playing DJ Ozempic was unfamiliar with his lines, resulting in a rather stiff performance that needed to be heavily edited in post. If we were to look into extending the duration of the film with more content I would want to focus more on the relationship between the two main characters, and establish their strong friendship so that, when they have their big fight, it feels even more impactful and devastating. The inclusion of  more wacky characters and cool locations e.g. clubs, parties, parks would also help to document their epic night out and bring an even more absurd, eclectic tone to the film. 

3> From your studio, reflect on an aspect of two other students/group’s media work on the website in terms of specific insights they produced about a key idea addressed by the studio? 

The short film Trip Up, experiments with the comic theory of benign violation, as it combines the scary experience of an intensely bad trip, with the goofy antics of the characters, the end twist revealing that the disappearance of the character, Milly, and the aggressive Uber Driver where all in their heads. The film also uses incongruity and visual humour with its absurd hallucinatory visuals and kooky characters such as the pirate, whilst also captivating the audience through its cinematography. Their hybridisation of the genre’s adventure and comedy effectively engages with the studio’s idea that comedy has the ability to pair with any and all genres, and can elevate the film’s story. Rogue also successfully addresses the studio’s content. The film’s use of intensifying music, quick cuts, action sequences, and costuming/props establish the genre of the spy/action genre, parodied by the absurd main character, Agent Whyte. The comedy is predominantly seen through this character, inspired by characters such as Mr Bean and Johnny English. Agent Whyte plays with physical comedy and the theory of incongruity, as she goes against social cues and what is considered “normal” e.g. running up escalators and calling a payphone to try and use Google. Satire is also explored, as the film pokes fun at 2024’s current climate and culture, seen with the ridiculously long coffee orders, overly protective vapers and ridiculous Tik Tok dancing.

4> For the other studio website you engaged with, describe a key idea that you think the finished media/studio work communicated with reference to a specific example (i.e. a particular individual/group work)

The studio Visual Blueprinting asks the student to focus on visualising your story not merely as a textual narrative, but as a blueprint for a visual medium. The film COMITIUM explores this, using cinematography to evoke specific emotions and themes. The detail in its striking visuals, lighting and symmetry reflect the group’s effort and reinforces the studios idea of show not tell, with each shot melding together to tell a story without the need for dialogue or context. The film used visual language to communicate with the audience, utilising bare landscapes and bright lighting to establish a dream-like feeling as well as the placement of the hooded figures, paired with eerie music conveying a sense of mystery and an ominous tone. The transition from the field to the character waking up suggests the entire scene prior was a dream, only for it to then be revealed that not everything is as it seems. The film is able to present beautifully constructed tableaus that both tell an intriguing story and keave room for interpretation, whilst having the audience hungry for more.

Reflective Blog Posts

Week 7: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/jazmin-lissarrague/2024/04/26/major-media-blog-post-week-7/

Week 8: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/jazmin-lissarrague/2024/05/05/major-media-blog-post-week-8/

Week 9: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/jazmin-lissarrague/2024/05/12/major-media-blog-post-week-9/

Week 10: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/jazmin-lissarrague/2024/05/18/major-media-blog-post-week-10/

Week 11: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/jazmin-lissarrague/2024/05/24/major-media-blog-post-week-11/

Media Artefact and Reflective Essay: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/jazmin-lissarrague/2024/05/31/comedy-media-art…reflective-essay/