This first week in Real-World Media, was an introduction to the studio and what will be covered across the course of this semester. As described in the studio, Real-World Media is based around the question- do we need the digital to be creative? The studio explores a range of mediums to practice and create, both digital and non-digital forms of media. Designed to encourage introspection regarding our own craft- how and what we create, and our own relationship with and reliance on technology.

The studio began by focusing on what it means to craft or create art. This discussion was based around a paper by Tim Ingold, ‘The textility of making’ (2009). This paper considers two main concepts- the hylomorphic model of creation and the textility of making.  The hylomorphic model describes creation as static and linear process- from the finished model to the intentions of the artist. Whereas the textility of making, an alternative to this model proposed by Ingold describes craft as a “practice of weaving” (p.91), of negotiation and “improvisation… to follow the ways of the world” (p.97). In contrast to the hylomorphic model process, the latter describes creation as “itineration” (p.97), considering it a journey from the formative stages to whatever the final product becomes.

The creative practice that we did as part of the studio was origami. On reflection this exercise allowed me to establish a link between Ingold’s textility of making theory and my own craft. Despite having instructions, I made errors, and the result wasn’t what I intended. I had to “improvise”, when creating the origami which formed my own journey from a piece of paper into a frog.

Reference

Ingold, T., 2009. The textility of making. Cambridge journal of economics, 34(1), pp.91-102.

What media do you use every day? List technologies and platforms and what you use them for.

• Phone: To connect and communicate with friends and family, as well as access various media platforms.
• Laptop: Like phone, used as a medium to communicate and access various platforms. Also used for university work, research, etc..
• * Books: used for entertainment, or for uni work
• TikTok: used for entertainment
• Twitter: used for entertainment and to follow the news
• Snapchat: used to communicate with people
• Instagram: used to connect and communicate with friends and family.
• Streaming services- Netflix, Binge, Amazon Prime etc: used to for entertainment, to watch shows and movies
• Spotify: used to listen to music/podcasts
• WhatsApp: used to communicate with people

Choose three out of your list and research them.

Spotify: Provides audiences a way to listen to music and stream podcasts for free (with ads).

• Spotify was founded on the 23^rd April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon.
• Launched in Sweden, the company has expanded across the world, including to Europe, the US, Canada, and Australia.
• In the year 2022, Spotify raised a revenue of 11.7 billion euros (18.5 billion AUD). However, the company is operating at a loss, at the conclusion of 2022, Spotify had a net loss of 430 million euros (679 million AUD).
• As a global company, Spotify is a large supporter of various charities and philanthropic endeavours across the world. Promoting justice, equity and diversity. Some programs and charities supported by the company include- HeadCount, Sound Up, and Music Health Alliance.

Canon Fodder Showcase Reflection

The Canon Fodder studio was an exploration of ‘greatness’ in film and film canons. Using the 2012 Sight and Sound Poll of the ‘Top 100 Greatest Films of All Time’ as a starting point, this studio criticised the process of ranking and canonising films- interrogating whose voices are given a platform and those who are silenced. As well as the impact of this on the film industry. 

One of the manifesto’s that stood out to me in the showcase from the studio was ‘How to make the greatest film of all time’ by Ben, Connor and Olivia. Straying from the typical video essay, their piece was a clever satirical piece about ‘making it’ as a director in the film industry. Their piece addressed much of what we explored in the canon fodder studio- highlighting issues like nepotism, sexism and in general the privilege afforded to the old straight white man in the film industry. While it was funny, the strong message and convictions of the group still managed to come through in the final piece. 

Another manifesto that stood out to me was ‘Canonical Calamity’ by Alannah, Giorgio and Zoe. A well-structured video essay, the manifesto included a great deal of background research, an interview with ‘industry professionals’ and presenting their own alternative solution to the same top 100 film lists we see circulated. I found their piece really engaging, and agreed with a lot of what they said in their manifesto. 

Power of The Cut Showcase Reflection

After I attended the showcase for the Canon Fodder studio, I remained for the ‘Power of the Cut’ studio showcase. From the introduction by the studio leader, this studio explored the various editing techniques for different styles and genres. The final project for the semester was to present a series of three edits in three different styles (a commercial, a documentary and a narrative). When observing the final projects I was struck by all of the different elements that work together to define a particular genre/style of film. 

The final projects that I was drawn to in particular were by Maximillian Paspa and Dani Atherton. In these final projects I found that each of the styles were incredible in their own right, I was particularly struck by the commercial edit in Maximillian Paspa’s project and ‘Jewel’ in Dani Atherton’s project. However, when the three styles are presented in succession your attention is drawn to the distinctions and the different elements used in each edit style.

Overall, I really like the concept of this studio and enjoyed viewing the final showcase. 

Personal Reflection

The Cult of the Canon: https://vimeo.com/761012205

In the Canon Fodder studio, we interrogated the cinematic canon and how greatness is measured in cinema. Exploring and comparing whose voices are amplified and whose are disregarded in the film canon- and why. This final project, a manifesto is designed to encapsulate what we covered in this studio and our own perspectives regarding the film canon.

My group’s manifesto: ‘The Cult of the Canon’ is the realisation what we learnt in the studio- not just criticising the cinematic canon but claiming that it should not exist. Framed around the idea of the cinematic canon as a cult, we highlight the innately elitist, sexist, and subjective standards which determine greatness in cinema. Divided into three sections, we each developed our own mini-manifesto and stitched it together to create the final product.

• The first section establishes the “cult of the canon”- highlighting the absurdity of the standards of the canon.
• The second section highlights the gate-keeping of the film canon and the voices that are silenced
• The third section (my part) concludes the manifesto with the idea that we need to erase the film canon and embrace a new perspective of film

Successes and Challenges

Since we divided up the project into three sections, I believed that the biggest challenge was going to be making the final product flow- in terms of the script and the visuals. With this in mind we had a broad concept of a ‘canon cult’ and motif of fire that we used to link all of our sections together. But ultimately dividing and conquering each section individually still made it more difficult. Retrospectively more communication and collaboration might have improved on this. But clashes with schedules, other classes and work restricted this. However, I think that as a whole we had similar ideas about the film canon, what we wanted to communicate in our manifesto and the layout. Which fast-tracked the planning process, and we were able to communicate these ideas in our final manifesto piece.

In terms of creating the manifesto piece, I was interested in the effect that is created when a roll of film burns when it is exposed to light. I wanted to learn how to replicate that effect and incorporate it into my section. Creating a sequence of canonical films burning; representing the destruction of the cinematic canon. In order to create the effect, I had to learn how to use After Effects. This took up a significant portion of my preparation time, worsened by complications with my laptop and After Effects. However, through the assistance of YouTube tutorials and a lot of trial and error I managed to re-create a film burn effect.

My first attempt compared with the final product

My group was placed together on the common belief that the film canon is innately elitist, sexist, and subjective. Since this prompt offered by Cerise was so broad- the problem that we initially faced was narrowing it down. We were questioning which aspects we should focus on and how we were going to incorporate everything into our manifesto. We tackled this by collectively going through each of our positioning statements from Assignment 2 and communicating all of our ideas regarding the film canon. From this, we gathered that we had similar beliefs on the film canon and formulated a plan for our manifesto which encapsulated this.

Reflection:

Engaging with what we covered in the studio, this final project is designed to make the audience question which films are canonised and why. The ‘cult of the canon’ that we based our manifesto around reflecting the way the film canon is revered and blindly followed by both critics and the film industry, and yet is incredibly flawed. Privileging the straight white male perspective and silencing any other perspective. As a consequence of this, a great deal of cinematic history has been erased. Art is designed to be a multiplicity of voices and intersectionality of experiences and yet the film canon refuses to evolve and remains chained to rigid standards.

This manifesto is an opposition of the film canon on the basis that it is innately elitist, sexist, and subjective. Leading to the conclusion in the final part that we need to erase the film canon and embrace a new perspective of film. A perspective that is intersectional, that embraces numerous perspectives and voices and that looks to the future.

Future of ‘The Cult of the Canon’

If I were to develop the manifesto further, I would go back to pre-production and the script-writing process. Developing it in order to make the three sections flow, to produce a complete piece. For instance, think that expanding on the “cult” concept that is primarily in the first section and incorporating it more throughout the piece would make it more interesting and convey our point better. Visually, the three sections also look very distinct and different; I would work on creating a consistent theme throughout the manifesto. The manifesto could also benefit by developing our ideas regarding the manifesto and workshopping that further- perhaps to focus further on criticising the critics themselves who develop these film canons. And I would also work on refining the quality of the final piece, and perfecting the film burn effect (from my final section).

Overall, I believe these changes would improve the overall quality of our final manifesto piece and communicate our message better.

Part 1

The first half of the Canon Fodder studio has challenged me to explore various questions about art and film. It has helped me to recognise the issues within the film industry and the biases that exist. In this blog post, I will attempt to condense what I have learnt across the past weeks- analysing the concepts of art and film, exploring the idea of canons and a canon of film, and finally challenging the film canon.

History of the Canon

The concept of a canon was originally related to religion and used to refer to the practices or standards of the Christian Church- transitioning into realms of art in the late 18^th century. The intersection and similarities between religion and art have occurred throughout history, for instance, works of art and artists are often described using religious terminology (Langfeld 2018). Although, the process of canonization in the artistic realm has mostly become a secular concept and has separated itself from religion. In their paper “Canon Fodder” (2006), Paul Schrader establishes a definition for the contemporary view of a canon as relating to a ranking “based on criteria that transcend taste, personal and popular” (p.34).  However, canonizing art throughout history and in contemporary spheres has come with a great deal of discourse and many challenges.

Film as Art?

Immanuel Kant established the three main classifications of fine art– plastic images, words, and tones (as cited in Schrader 2006). However, as technology developed, new forms of art; like photography and film, have challenged this conception. Forcing the expansion of a narrow, and as Schrader (2006) describes it “closed system” (p.38). Which various people opposed; resulting in a debate about what art is and whether newer artforms- like films and photography are even considered art. In her paper ‘Trash, Art and the Movies’ (1969), Pauline Kael contended that cinema “took their impetus not from the desiccated European high culture, but from … what was coarse and common.” (section v), adopting “’artistic techniques’ to give trash the look of art”. Since the publication of this essay and as cinema has developed it has become clear that films are in fact a form of art. Although there are many different definitions of what constitutes as art; as Schrader (2006) says going simply by the dictionary definition of art as the “products of human creativity” (p.37) film is art. But even as a whole; a film is an artform because it is medium designed to reflect something, convey meaning and make the audience feel something. Additionally, the accumulation of efforts between writing, directing, filming, editing and everything else involved to create a film classifies it as art.

Despite this, there is still division in the film industry, with certain types of films labelled as ‘trash’ (reflecting Kael’s sentiment) or lesser films- for instance big budget studio films or animated films. Although, this elitist view only maintains the rigid standards that prevented films from initially being considered art. Now as society develops and establishes new forms of art; it is necessary to break free of these confines of what art can be and look to the future.  For instance, the film we viewed in week five Manifesto (dir. Julian Rosefeldt, 2015) was a work showcased across museums around the work and converted into film for the Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Cate Blanchette plays 13 different characters in various settings reading out artist manifestos, the film essentially a form of meta-art.

The Film Canon and Criticisms of the Canon

In a similar fashion to literature and paintings and other forms of art; many film canons have been developed over the years ranking the “greatest films of all time”. As mentioned earlier in the blog post, Schrader (2006) defines a canon as to a ranking “based on criteria that transcend taste, personal and popular”. However, one of the greatest issues of developing a film canon or any art canon is that this isn’t the standard. Oftentimes (much like the film industry as a whole) these canons are biased and subject to various prejudices. As such, these polls are usually static, made by critics with similar opinions and regurgitating the same films in each new iteration with little variation.

Short Films

When analysing film cannons, it becomes apparent that certain types of film or certain genres are not included. In particular, there is an apparent absence of short films that are canonized in these rankings and recognised by critics. In week three of the studio, we explored several great short films that have not been canonized. For instance

• The Street (dir. Caroline Leaf, 1976) runs for approximately 10 minutes and is based on a book of the same name. The film is reminiscent of a book in its smooth flow, transitioning from one scene to another, as it explores the complex emotions related to childhood grief. The film also had a unique animated style, resembling whiteboard marker, developed by Leaf through paint on glass.
• Night on Bald Mountain (dirs Alexander Alexeieff & Claire Parker, 1933) is a surreal experimental animation depicting a shadowy and nightmarish world. Although the quality of this short film is not the best, the viewer only able to vaguely make out shapes of figures among the clouds and landscape, what is particularly significant about this short film is the method which it was made. Alexeieff and Parker using a technique called pin-screen animation- which used pins to manipulate light and shadow to create the film. A long and painfully difficult process.

After viewing the short films, it was unclear why despite producing groundbreaking techniques and incredible stories they haven’t been canonized. In fact, I found that these short films resonated with me then many of the canonized films that we had viewed. Perhaps it’s due to an elitist view that short films are not real films and as a result, they should not be ranked against full-length films? That because a short film runs for less time, it took less effort (this is not necessarily true, see Night on Bald Mountain)? The quality of a film should not be determined or measured based on its length, and yet it seems like that is what has occurred; with short films often overlooked by the canon.

Another important thing to note is that many of the short films that we viewed in week three were directed by women. So, the exclusion of short films from the canon may in fact, be an extension of the sexism that pushes women out of the film industry entirely. Reminiscent of film pioneer Alice Guy-Blaché, one of the first filmmakers and a woman who was erased from history and excluded from the canon; the erasure of women’s achievements and their significance within the film industry is continued.

The Future of Art, Film and the Canon

I’m not going to say that a canon for film, or any canon is not necessary. A film like Citizen Kane (dir. Orson Wells, 1941) with incredible storytelling and which introduced various ground-breaking camera techniques in Hollywood for the time- the iconic crane shots and deep-focus techniques, inspiring future films, and filmmakers, should be recognised. It was a ground-breaking film that should be canonized and studied. But the canon needs an overhaul. There needs to be a shift in the elitist views and unchanging opinions. There needs to be more inclusivity static. As our understanding of film changes and the industry develops, the canon should do the same.

And as art and film develops, we are seeing a rise in newer perspectives that are looking towards the future. Through manifesto’s that speak of a changing industry and a shift in values. Girish Shambu’s, For a New Cinephilia (2019); compares old cinema (cinephilia) to newer form of cinema (cinephilia). Describing an expansion of cinema beyond a single narrative to “multiply a diversity of voices and subjectivities, and a plethora of narratives about cinephilic life and experience” (p.32).  This diversity, promoting the voices of the underrepresented and erased in cinema. Shambu’s image of new cinema, reflecting the “revolution of the screen” (Wente 2019, p.42) that Jesse Wente describes in her manifesto about increased representation of the Indigenous people in Canada in the film industry. These contemporary manifesto’s reflecting a recent shift in the film industry away from the elitist values and standards that privilege certain groups of people.

Part 2: My Challenges to the Canon

• Film canons maintain the prejudices and biases of a sexist film industry, and are designed to silence women.
• The frameworks and standards of film canons are elitist and rigid, unwilling to diversify and consider different types of film.
• Therefore, these standards that we use to canonise films need to be overthrown and redeveloped to incorporate a more inclusive perspective of cinema and film.

Reference List

Kael, P., 1969. Trash, art, and the movies. Going steady, pp.85-129.

Langfeld, G. 2018, “The canon in art history: concepts and approaches”, Journal of Art Historiography, no. 19, pp. 1-18.

Schrader, P. 2006, “Canon Fodder” in Film Comment, vol. 42, no. 5, September-October 2006, pp. 33-49

Shambu, G. 2019, “For a New Cinephilia” in Film Quarterly vol. 72 no. 3, University of California Press, Berkeley, 2019, pp. 32-34.

Wente, J. 2019, “Doing All Things Differently” in Film Quarterly vol. 72 no. 3, University of California Press, Berkeley, 2019, pp. 42-43

Part 1: The Greatest Films of All Time

Part 2: Reflection

For my first two weeks of the Canon Fodder studio, I was unwell at home and consequently I didn’t benefit from the insight of my classmates or group discussions. So, my reflection of the films, readings and the film canon are based on my own independent viewings and work. Admittedly prior to beginning this studio, I hadn’t seen many of the films that are considered the ‘greatest films of all time’ and saw this studio as an opportunity to explore the history of cinema and understand what makes a film go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.  

Based on these first two weeks it became apparent to me that it is not possible to watch these films that have been canonised on their own and understand why they have gone down in history, it is necessary to instead understand them contextually- the directors background, the impact on audiences and the techniques that they introduced to cinema which revolutionised the industry and inspired films today. 

For instance, the thriller, Vertigo (1958) by Alfred Hitchcock (ranked the greatest film of all time by the 2012 Sight and Sound Poll) inspired the likes of Martin Scorsese and other more contemporary film directors. The stylistic and cinematography choices (particularly the zoom in techniques that Hitchcock used to heighten the anxiety of vertigo in the film) were new for the time and are reflected in the film industry today. 

L’Avventura (1960) by Michelangelo Antonioni- another film that we viewed as part of the Canon Fodder studio marked a change in cinema where “cinema’s old props were being kicked away” (Koehler, 2012). Creating an impact on audiences at the time and enduring over the years creating a pathway and new direction for subsequent filmmakers.

Based on my viewing experience of the first two weeks of Canon Fodder, the most memorable was the documentary on Alice-Guy Blaché, Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice-Guy Blaché. Labelled the “forgotten mother of cinema” by Toniann Fernandez (2018), Alice-Guy Blaché was one of the first filmmakers and created one of the first narrative films. However, her legacy was erased from history (with much of her early work credited to other directors) until uncovered by the documentary. This raises issues with the nature of film canons and its biases- how someone so influential can be overshadowed and overlooked.

My final takeaway from the first two weeks of this studio is that; film cannons have some value and can provide insight on films that have been significant in creating a pathway for filmmakers and establishing contemporary cinema. However, rankings of the greatest films of all time (like the 2012 sight and sound poll) should not be taken as a complete list- they are ultimately subjective and open to bias. And as Owen Gleiberman (2012) opens his article ‘Vertigo’ over ‘Citizen Kane’? Why the new Sight and Sound critics’ poll is full of itself, “these lists are meant to be fought with, argued over and competed with”.

Reference List:

Owen Gleiberman, “‘Vertigo’ over ‘Citizen Kane’? Why the new Sight and Sound critics’ poll is full of itself”, Entertainment Weekly, August 7, 2012.

Robert Koehler, “What makes Antonioni’s L’avventura great”, Sight & Sound, 27 July 2012.

Toniann Fernandez, “The Forgotten Mother of Cinema”, The Paris Review, December 7, 2018.

Studio: “Future Machina”

In the Future Machina studio, we explored the interaction of media with futurology. Exploring and depicting the potential of future technologies, to both improve and threaten our lives. Researching future AI technologies, in order to determine whether the benefits of these potential technologies outweigh the negatives. We learnt new techniques to depict these technologies in our media productions, such as green screens, holograms, and AI photo animation applications.

The final project for this studio required us to develop a script, shoot, and edit our own short film that explored solutions that future technologies can provide to solve a global issue. Accumulating the knowledge and techniques that we learnt throughout the semester to demonstrate our own conception of what the future might look like.

Final Project: Be there in Holograph

Link to short film: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/2022-future-machina/2022/05/24/be-there-in-holograph/

The short film “Be there in Holograph” by Jessica Yates explores how holograph technologies might develop in the future to help make communication easier and connect people across distances, improving mental wellbeing. The issue and technology that the short film explored is relevant in the context of COVID-19 lockdowns, which left many of us isolated from our friends and family. I also enjoyed how Jessica opted to use hand-drawn animations, rather than filming- creating a unique and visually interesting short film.

Final Project: The Road to Eternal Life

Link to short film: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/2022-future-machina/2022/06/03/the-road-to-eternal-life/

The short film “The Road to Eternal Life” by Holly Colvin explores the potential of AI systems to help a person live forever (become immortal). It follows an AI system that regulates the life of a person to encourage a healthier/safer lifestyle and preserve their life. However, what I enjoyed about the short film is that it does not glamorize immortality and instead showcases the negative aspects of this technology.

Studio: “Directing Performance”

For my reflection of another studio, I chose to explore the final projects that were developed by the ‘Directing Performance’ studio. Reading the description of the course, the primary focus of this studio was to engage the students to consider the importance of working with actors. As well as develop an understanding of the role of directors when working with actors; in order to “elicit memorable performances”. This included working on script analysis and developing a script, as well as working with actors (the process of casting, auditions, rehearsals, and improvisation).

Overall, the main aim of these final projects was to showcase this directorial journey of the students, through a short film which they have developed the script for, cast, shot and edited.

Final Project: Girls Trip

Link to short film: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/2022-directing-performance/2022/05/23/abigail-camenzuli/

The short film “Girls Trip” by Abigail Camenzuli is a horror film with elements of comedy, about two girls who were locked in a bathroom hiding from a serial killer while on a girl’s trip.

In this film, the characters appeared like real people and the performances were natural. This is due to the elements of comedy and horror, and the overall development of the script that made the characters real. As well as the incredible acting performances with Abigail Camenzuli as Charlotte and Sousann Barakat as Olivia. In her description, Abigail also describes how one of her actors dropped out right before the shoot, and she had to step in last-minute to play one of the characters. However, if she hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have noticed because her performance was so good. Demonstrating improvisation and the skills required by a director (outlined in the description of the studio). Overall, I really enjoyed this short film and its depiction of realistic characters.

Final Project: I need to tell you something

Link to short film: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/2022-directing-performance/2022/05/23/anna-fountain/

The short film “I need to tell you something” by Anna Fountain follows a conversation between two best-friends, where one reveals to the other that their ex-boyfriend is seeing someone else. I really enjoyed this short film, it had an element of realism, and the conversation between the two friends looked like a conversation I would have with one of my friends. It was also visually engaging, and the close-up shots of the two characters faces tied into the overall story.

ASSIGNMENT 4: https://vimeo.com/716779219

ASSIGNMENT 4 REFLECTION

In the Future Machina studio, we explored the potential of future technologies. Analysing how future technologies can both improve and/or threaten our lives, and considering whether the advantages of these technologies outweigh the disadvantages For this final assignment in this studio, we were required to explore solutions that technology can provide to solve any global issue.

My final assignment “Plastic Pollution”, focused on the future of ocean cleaning technology, and aimed to highlight the potential of this technology to benefit the environment.  I hope that my short film communicates to its audience the necessity of researching and developing new technologies to help improve our world and global issues. Furthermore, I hope the audience is engaged visually and sonically with my final piece and the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean.

For future development of this piece, I would focus on refining the entire final project- the quality of different shots, the audio quality, and the editing. Additionally, I would consider purchasing an underwater camera in order to capture more dynamic shots and create a more interesting final project.

“Plastic Pollution” Pre-Production

I decided to explore the global issue of plastic pollution in the ocean for my final project. I chose this issue for a couple of reasons

• Firstly, I feel strongly about keeping the environment clean and reducing waste
• Secondly, I believed that choosing this topic would allow me to create a visually and sonically interesting piece to engage the viewer.

Overall, my final project was designed to mimic a documentary that tracks the development of a new technology that cleans plastic pollution from the ocean. Initially exploring what the ocean was like before the technology was developed and the overall issue of plastics in the ocean, and following that by exploring how the new technology is working to solve the issue.

In terms of pre-production for this project, I began by developing a script of the voice-over, which formed the basis of my work.

When considering the different types of shots that I would use for my voice-over, I had some rough ideas of what I wanted to capture but I decided to wait until I was at the filming location to decide what I wanted to film. Therefore, I developed a mood-board instead of a story-board.

However, I believe that this hindered me and the quality of my final project. I believe that if I planned it out more, the shots in my final project would’ve appeared more integrated, rather than in-cohesive and random.

“Plastic Pollution” Production

In the production stage, I shot my final project at a lake near my apartment. I was originally planning on shooting my short film at Port Melbourne Beach but I was unable to get a ride and opted to shoot locally instead.  I don’t believe that this significantly impacted the quality of my final project, however, if I had the opportunity to work on this final project further, I would reshoot at a beach location.

I also planned to shoot underwater for my final project using a waterproof phone case but my order didn’t come in time for the shoot so I had to remove it from my final project.

However, despite all of the issues I faced, I was able to collect lots of footage to chose from for my final project.

“Plastic Pollution” Post-Production

In the post-production stage, I used Premiere Pro to edit all of my footage together. In order to enhance the atmosphere of my short, I included some background music from with ocean wave sounds and light piano. Playing softly in the background, so not to detract from the voice-over that ran throughout the entirety of the short film.

“Plastic Pollution” Reflection

Overall, I believe that my short film meets the brief for the assignment and explores the potential of future technologies to better the world.

However, there were aspects that I could have improved on. Overall, I should have focussed spent time on the pre-production stage and developed a story board, in order to better plan my shots and produce a more comprehensive final project. Additionally, in my final project the quality of the audio could have been improved upon- although this is something that I have struggled with in previous projects and it has definitely gotten better.

In previous studios I was able to collaborate with other students on projects and bounce ideas off each other. However, due to difficulties that I faced this semester I was unable to attend classes and work with other students. As a result, I was unable to receive feedback on any of my ideas in the pre-production stage of my project and I do believe that this negatively impacted the quality of work that I managed to produce.

Student Presentation Reflection

From all of the assignment three presentations, I was most intrigued by the Stephanie Barton’s pitch. Her idea to explore the future of infrastructure and transportation is interesting. I appreciate the comprehensive perspective she proposes that explores both the benefits and downsides of this future, reflecting what we learnt in the studio. Her filming ideas of using food to create miniature infrastructure to provide commentary on consumption is an interesting idea, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.