Traditional documentary or what is commonly known as documentary is essentially a collection text information with visual as supporting materials. This is to solidify the knowledge that it is attempting to transmit to the audiences. While there is nothing wrong with this format of transmission, to the audience of today’s standard entertainment become a key element to keep their interest to continue watching. This is a by-product of online media being widely available on multiple platform or different kinds of audiences, contents are free, therefore they becomes disposable, if the point of interest does not line up.

Political documentaries can often be seen as propaganda, but sometimes it is merely a method of mobilizing the public towards a certain direction of development. As policy is not always on the governmental scale of a country, it can be applied to as small as an individual or smaller if there it is something that can be ‘governed’. In this following video shown below is my 3rd production of this semester, a conceptual attempt to create a documentary solely based on sensations. By the modern standard, pieces that are not ‘entertaining’ are often ignored by the majority, however when the audience have no choice but to consume it, that would be out of the calculation. Leaving the ‘entertainment’ element on the side and focus on the essence and the essence alone.

This documentary piece can be seen as a suggestion of simply slowing down or upon further investigation it becomes ‘modern meditation’. “Modern Meditation has materialised from people seeking a more flexible and contemporary practice than traditional meditation can offer…The result is a highly individualised practice that meets the needs of those practicing it.” (Jeff Cannon, 2015)

Being poetic in a way that there is no need for texts to guide/babysitting the audiences. As perviously stated, this piece is solely directed by sensation, the complete opposite to rational audience, this documentary is addressed to real people, people that are not complete rational simply because they cannot be rational all the time, so might say “follow the guts feeling…” or at least that’s how I remember it.

Thus the construction of this piece is made by having the “problem” being in the 1st act creating a chaotic sensation, frustration, pressure and all those common anxiety of the modern practice of workflow. Then present a couple solutions to the audience by having this section being unusually long, meditative, and calm with a much slower pacing to depict a suggestion of ‘meditation’ or simply ‘slowing down’. Although it is expected that the latter would be the more common version of most people’s understanding, it is all the more rewarding for those who have figured out the B story behind the piece, in a way is much like tasting the Tam part of Tim Tam.

The choice of music in the second act in some way suggestion religious meditation, despite the song is originally made for a play with nothing to do with religion. This may not be a huge part of the documentary, but it is indeed suggesting that direction if the audience is willing to accept this version of the message.

It is on purpose that this documentary does not give a clear message. Each individual’s path is forged with their own hand, even if that path is given, it is ultimately their choice to follow or not follow, therefore the intention of this documentary is to mobilising people to start thinking about how to create their own counter-measure to this constantly enlarging disadvantage of expected unreasonable efficiency of the modern society.

Perhaps it may be another Great Depression bubble that we are simply unaware of? Assuming it is of such nature, one of the best tactic is to avoid it by co-existing with it, assuming the trend of development is still mainly focusing on efficiencies.

Reference:
Jeff, C, 2015, The Simple Truth to Modern Meditation,, blog post, updated on 02/20/2015 11:10 am, viewed 22nd May 2018,