QUESTION #1

Paste the link here from your version of the abstract editing exercise.

Then reflect on the whole process – Consider: the quality and usability of your recordings; the effect of layering and juxtaposition of both the audio and the video and; the things you learnt from working with this kind of audio and video.

In this abstract execrise, Many footages are very useful so I can easily combine them together. I filmed some footages on a tripod due to the shakeness issue. The tripod can scure a good quality and usebility of my pictures.

Most of my footages are close-up shot because my concept is what people get from the text of adversting posters? You can see the extreme close-up on a figure’s eyes, mouth, and hands. I think the symbolic signs represents some specific things. Those signs guide people to think. Therefore, I want to look closely. This is the reason that I decide to use close up shot to emphasize the texts.

According to my idea, I realize my choices of audio should relate to people when I am editing. Therefore, I try the sound about human activities such as the footstep, the crowded, the  tram and the traffic light alarm. The audio and video perfectly fit into each other.

It is very interesting that when you combine two completely different things together, the result is always suprised. How to use the audio is very important. Although the video give most visual information, the use of audio lead to the atmosphere of the video. Perhaps, I use another type of sound like clapping or laugther instead of footsteps, the result is totally another version. This is what I’ve got from this execrise.

QUESTION #2

Select from one of the readings and briefly describe two points that you have taken from it. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you. (Please put a full stop when you return so we get a paragraph break. Makes it easier to read.)

I’m very interesting in the readings by Rabiger, Directing the Documentary. In the chapter, Research Leading Up To The Shoot, Rabiger reveals his finding of “The Dramatic Curve”. He claims that how the filmmakers tell their stories with the concept of the dramatic curve. It is originally derived from the Greek drama and represents how most stories first states their problem, develop tension through scenes of increasing complication and intensity, then arrive at an apex or “crisis”. After the climax comes change and resolution.

Rabiger generally summerizes the dramatic curve as five steps in telling a story.

1. The expostiion

To lay out the main character and their siutation is the first step. The story teller has to give enough inforamtion of the time, place and period, etc.

2.The incling moment

To create a conflict, a story needs two different sides people with opposite interets. Therefore, the second step is to reveal the oppostie interets against the main characters. In other words, the filmmaker is able to bring out the problem in the early of his film and solve it out later.

3.Rising action and complication

Producing the complication usually means the conflict being played out as variations having  surprise, suspense and escalating intensity. The filmmaker make two different sides people confront each other to build up the tensions. All these steps are to generate the final climax.

4 The final confrontation

The final climax in a film. This moment is the most intensive situation when two different sides of interests finally come into each other.

5 Change and Resolution

After the climax, the filmmakers gives the answers of the final confrontation. It is always the ending of a story.

Question_1

I’m very impressed by the landscape shot in ‘End of The Line’. The landscape is not only a great establishing shot but also emphasise the major feature of ‘Broken Hill’, the loneliness. In this landscape, we can only see a small town which is surrounded by a desert. I remember the film starts with this landscape shot and it finishes with the same shot at the end of the film. Perhaps, the filmmaker considers that he is a tourist to visit this mysterious small town, therefore, he generates the natural view of the Broken Hill to say “I’m here.”

The second thing is the interviews. The filmmaker prefers the informal interview and he just grab random people to interview in the town, mostly because of the reality. I think the filmmakers wants to illustrate the reality of the Broken Hill people. The formal interview may destroy their innocence. In one scene, the filmmaker interviews three guys at dark night, they seem to be shy and they do not really know what to say in front of the camera. Sometimes they just awkwardly laugh to each other because they don’t expect to be interviewed by someone from outside the Broken Hill. The pursuit of people’s innocence is greatly emphasised in this scene.

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For the following project in the future, I would like to be a DOP, an editor or a sound operator. I’m very interested in cinematography and I like to hold a camera to shoot something. Also, editing is always my favour part in any projects because I can create something in the post. Finally, I’m not familiar with sound, not as good as editing. So it would be a great challenge for me.

Question_2

Select from one of the readings and briefly describe two points that you have taken from it. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you.

In Bernard’s readings, I found something very useful for me. According to Bernard, the story is always revealing so the filmmaker can receive the new findings when they are documenting the story. In the documentary-making process, the filmmaker cannot just simply record the materials without thinking because the story must have a focal point or a theme. The filmmaker get to explore in the story in whatever way. For example, ‘Daughter From  Danang’ is a successful documentary.  The filmmakers Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco had a great exploration about the main characters Heidi Bub and the birth mother. However, they didn’t know the story of the film was great until they started to film it in Vietnam. Before reaching in Vietnam, they could only anticipate this story was only a happy reunion of a family. They didn’t know what was going to happen and they only went with their concept.

Another interesting thing for me is the access. Bernard considers filming with the subject needs an access,. The access not only represent a established relationship between you and the subjects but also secure the trust with people who can grant it. When you are exploring your the story, you need to consider “Can you get inside your character’s story?” or “where is the deadline that you cannot step over?” Your shooting has to be granted by the subject in order to they know what will be shown in the film.