To begin with, the editing stage was quite overwhelming, as we had a significant amount of footage to work through. I sat down and tried to work out the simplest way of editing it all, so I started by going through and watching all of the rushes – this way I knew where everything would be located, and take notes of what I had to cut out. I imported all of the footage into Premiere where I continued editing by cutting out the questions in the interviews, and the unnecessary words that Carly said before and after her answers. This took time, but was worth it in the end. I saved all of the files with relevant theme names, allowing them to become more identifiable and automatically know what content they contain. Watching all of the footage allowed me to pick up on the mistakes we made while filming such as the sound recorder and interviewer being in the frame, the camera being too jumpy, and the car was seen in the frame when we were recording whilst driving. For these issues, I just cropped the frame in Premiere so that they wouldn’t be seen. These are all things that can be fixed with further concentration and planning for out next shoot.

For the filming day we all met at Blackrock at 10am to get set up and get prepared before Carly arrived at the designated cafe between 10:30 and 11am. This allowed us to set up the equipment, run through what we wanted to do, what we are going to do – and what we wanted to achieve for our final result/project.

We started by buying coffee with Carly and introducing ourselves; having a casual conversation to calm the nerves – on both parties- and discuss with her our plans for the day. We then got the sound recorder out along with the cameras and started recording. We underwent some test shots in the beginning where we just filmed her conversation with Sonia (group member). From here we conducted a series of interviews, where we then changed locations from cafe to park. In this transition we filmed Carly riding her bike along the road. The second half of the interviewing was more natural, as the nerves calmed down, and she started to feel more comfortable and confident around us all.  As this happened she opened up her answers, which led her to revealing stories about herself that are more personal, which will work well in our k-film, as the audience can connect with her on a more personal level.

We then got into the car with the cameras, and attached the clip on camera to Carly’s bike – this part of the day was spent filming scenery, while Carly was recorded the path she took, while talking to the camera and showing us around (seeing what she is seeing).

Overall this day was successful, and we gathered more than enough footage for the day. The only problems we encountered was the wind, using all of the battery power, and running out of room on all of the SD cards. These are all elements that can be fixed, and we will learn from these mistakes going forwards into the future shoots.

The question is how we go about Project brief 3, and we have started planning for this by hiring equipment, and putting together themes for the interviews, and then forming them into questions.

The equipment that we will be hiring for this shoot will be:

-Camera x 2

-Tripod

-Sound recorders x 2

-Spot microphone

-Clip on camera (to put on bike)

Ways to film:

-Filming interviews

-The interviews will take place with various people doing this event, and they will be held when they take their breaks at cafes etc.

-Attached microphone and camera to bike to follow the journey of the rider, when we cant be there. The camera could be facing the riding to be a more personal shot, and then spun around so it is filming where they are riding.

-Film them riding past (we will be on the footpath or in the car).

-Follow them in the car and film them.

-While in the car we could shoot the scenery. Just take shots of the road, document the surroundings in which they are riding.

-This could be of the ships, cafes, the bay, the road, other cyclists, people in parks. It is a Sunday, and we want to capture the whole event, and what goes on around it.

-We could make it more personal, as charity is already personal to people, especially when riding for a cause.

-Do we focus on just one main character and then have other people and their stories in the background? Or do we make everybody the same?

footage of someone on their phone using the app.

Ways in Korsakow:

-Possibly work with a non-narrative system, the story will allow for this, as it could be effective to have it all integrated in together.

-Have themes for the snu’s.

-Group multiple videos together with the same classification or names.

-Do we need to specifically have a start sun and an end snu?

-To treat the project kind of like an onion, peeling back the layers until we get to know the people. Kind of like the change of seasons one.

-Is there a way to combine videos so that they show in the first half and then others show in the second, but still have them randomly scattered?

-Bridging videos

-Its a journey, so it isn’t all random. Something happens so that the user knows they are into the next part.

animation

-Slideshows – still shots

-Start with a map of the bay, and then in each section have a zoomed in map for the background, showing where they are.

Core Topics: Try to keep them talking and make them elaborate. 

-Basic cycling questions. Why do you like cycling, why do you ride etc. Tell us the most interesting cycling story you have had, or know from someone else.

-About the app. How do they use it etc?

-Gran Fondo. Tell us the details. What is it? Tell us the history of the Gran Fondo.

-Personal cycling. What do you think about? Do you plan stuff? Do you mediate and not think about anything.

-Personal about why they do Gran Fonda. Where is the most interesting place they have done one?

Interview Questions:

1. Introduce yourself. What do you do, what are your hobbies. Where do you live. Where are you from. How old are you?
2. When did you start cycling and why?
3. Why do you cycle? Motivates?
4. What types of cycling do you do. (commuting, for fun, with family or friends, social, exercise).
5. What kind of bike do you have? Tell us about your bike. Why you chose that one.
6. What if The Gran Fondo? What is its history? What is involved?
7. Why are you involved? How did you get involved? How long have you been involved with this event?
8. Where do you do the Gran Fondo? Where is the most interesting place you have done it?
9. Who do you do it with? Or do you do it on your own?
10. Do you do it for a certain reason? For charity? Or for fun?
11. Do you set yourself goals?
12. What charities do you support? Why? Is there a reason or story behind your decision?
13. How does this event test you both physically and mentally?
14. Do you like the challenge? Do you struggle? Do you enjoy being pushed both mentally and physically?
15. Do you train for the event? How do you prepare yourself?
16. How does weather affect this event and your cycling?
17. Do you think of it as a competition? Do you compete against yourself or the people involved?
18. Tell us about the app that you use to track your process? Do you find it beneficial?
19. Does it motivate you to complete your goal? If so, why?
20. When you ride: What do you think about? Do you plan? Do you meditate and not think about anything. Do you talk to yourself?

Plan for the day:

-10am meet at Sandringham station

-10:30/11 am Carli and friends get to  Blackrock.

-11am-12:30: Breakfast at cafe.

-12:30-1:30: Following bikes in car.

-1:30-2: Finish

We have come up with a plan, and an idea that acts as a structure so to speak, and it is about the journey. Carly starts at Williamstown and ends in Blackrock, before she turns around and goes back. We want to follow her and her friends on this ride, and document the stages through the use of locations and maps. We like the bridging structure that Matt Soar uses with seasons. A way to distinguish the different stages, when the videos are all brought together. It is a way of dissecting her ride, so that the user can follow her journey.

We like the idea of using a map to set the journey, to show where she is going and were she has been on her bike. The use of animations would be effective which leads into different video and filming techniques.

To follow this journey in more detail we are wanting to connect a camera to Carly’s bike, and have that camera recording while she is riding, that way the user cans he what she is seeing and saying. This is a more personal perspective, a more intimate view which is a way of engaging with the content.

Other techniques we wish to use:

-Collage

-Interviews

-Landscape shots

-Observing

-Cutting together of different materials – montage effect.

Coming together and regrouping with our new idea that we had decided on, it is time to plan how this is going to happen, and what we need to do to prepare for project brief 3. Working as a group of 3 is beneficial, as there are more ideas, the work is spread out, and we can rely on each other for both positive and constructive criticism.

PB3 Criteria:

-A working draft k-film prototype that demonstrates the theme you will focus on within the topic and how it will be recorded. A presentation that follows the criteria in the teaching blog.

-Focus on determining the design of the content for the major production in PB4.

-Use the discoveries from PB2, and work towards finalising the design and production of PB4.

-Finalise them for nominated i-doc topic.

-What we will be recording and how it will be recorded for PB4.

-All recording protocols will be organised in relation to locations, the people you are recording, ethnical issues and copyright.

-This process will involve more field research and sketching, with the aim to move towards a draft prototype example of material in Korsakow.

-Document the process and reflect on issues and problems encountered.

All of theses points are what needs to be covered for PB3. After the PB2 presentation, my group and I want to tick all of the boxes and give a strong presentation at both the PB3 submission and the mid-semester critique.

Just some background information about the topic that we have chosen to go with for PB3.

Gran Fondo is a type of long-distance road bicycle race, that comes out of Italy since 1970. It is a mass participation cycle event that has gathered momentum around the world. The proper translation of Gran Fondo is “great endurance”, and it can be both a full-on race, or just a ride. This event is run on challenging courses that are usually between 120km and 200km and have between 2000m and 4000m of vertical climbing, however some events also offer a shorter and easier version. A range of people can be involved with this event, which is part of the hype around this race, anyone can do it! Some riders just participate for the satisfaction and are proud of just making it to the finishing line, whereas others want to improve their previous times, and challenge themselves physically and mentally.

Project brief 2 consisted of all three group members getting up and talking about what we have done as individuals, and we we bring to future project briefs. We came away with our final idea of Gran Fondo. This is an event that takes place each month, that sets a certain amount of kilometres you have to ride in 24/hrs. Overall the presentation was good, but it could have been stronger and more cohesive. We all had our own ideas that we are putting together for PB3, and we showed the work we have done to get to this point. The way we delivered our ideas wasn’t as explanatory as we would have liked, which comes down to preparation and group meetings (this is a note for next time).

After PB2 I have a clear understanding of the direction that we want to head in, meaning we are all on the same pathway now, which is good for the best group dynamic. We all want to come together  to create a piece that we are proud of, and that incapsulates what we have learnt across this course.

For this presentation, Sonia had already interviewed Carly (the cyclist), which is good for pre-production purposes. Rachel has gone away and focused on a different topic, BMX in Melbourne, which allowed her to develop her own filming and Korsakow techniques, which is what she brings to the group; along with me, who mainly focus on my method of working, seeing what works best in terms of content and narrative techniques.

The feedback that was given, showed me that I don’t have to have a linear narrative, and it is encouraged that we don’t. It is all about multi-linear non-narratives for these projects, and working with that structure, which is none at all. The point of a k-film is that it is not planned, it doesn’t need to be structured because that isn’t the point of it. This made me look deeper into the concept of linear and non-linear story lines, which lead into Korsakow and the user experience.

As a group of three, we each started with a separate topic in order to see what works and what doesn’t when going forward into future project briefs. We were able to individually discover elements of Korsakow and see how we work best. This will be beneficial in bringing the group together.

The point of this exercise/test for me was to see what structure I could or wanted to work with. I liked playing with the idea of not revealing the character until later in the online documentary. I experimented with the idea that what if the bike you rode/ owned told us about who you are. I used someone that I know that rides a bike.

Altogether I have 12 videos that I made into a k-film, 10 to 20 seconds long each, with the project having a start SNU and an end SNU. The videos throughout have various outpoints, giving the user more options. I wanted the viewer to be able to see the bike or parts of the bike before showing the character. This way the viewer can create expectations about the bike and decide what person could be riding it. Over the videos there are voice overs of the character telling the viewer why they ride and what they think of cycling, and what they use their bike for, and where they go.

I wanted to start with the outside layers, and slowly work towards a more intimate level. I created this project so that the viewer would see the most important videos, besides that, they created their own journey.

I experimented with text throughout the k-film, so I created two projects, one with text and one without, to see how it affects the project. I didn’t think that it was as effective, as I didn’t want the text to be explanatory, and I didn’t want it to influence where the viewer clicked next. The text I used was more questions that applied to the story, not the videos themselves.

The technical issues were not the most important feature when creating this test, as I was mainly focusing on my method of working. From doing this brief I have learnt possible ways to approach the future projects that we will be doing as a group.

My whole aim of project brief 2 is the idea of revealing a character and their attributes, by moving in closer and closer, gradually as the story progresses, thinking about the form, and getting to know the character. I need to look at the topic, and then look at the style. I am trying to figure our the ways of an online documentary through the Korsakow program. At this stage it is not about the footage quality, it is about finding a way that works, through the type of narrative that I am portraying. I had to edit my 12 videos together and make a k-film, that worked and showed what I have learnt and how far I have come.

Types of form in documentaries:

CATEGORICAL FORM:

-Categories are groupings that individuals or societies create to organise their knowledge of the world.

-We tend to group the things around us based on common sense, practical approach or on ideological views of the world.

-Categories and sub-categories may provide a basis for organising the films form.

-This form normally begins by identifying its subject.

RHETORICAL FORM:

-The filmmaker presents a persuasive argument.

-The goal is to persuade the audience to form an opinion about the subject matter, and to the act on that opinion.

-It tries to make an explicit argument.

-There are 4 main attributes to this form:

1. It addresses the viewer openly, trying to move him or her to a new emotional attitude or action.
2. The subject of the film is usually a matter of opinion, where a person may take a number of equal attributes. Filmmakers do this by resenting their different types of arguments and evidence.
3. If the conclusion can’t be proved beyond question, the filmmaker often appeals to our emotions, rather than presenting only factual evidence.
4. Film often attempts to persuade the viewer to make a choice that will have an effect on his or her everyday life.

-There are 3 main types of arguments a film may use:

1. Arguments from source
2. Subject-centered arguments
3. Viewer-centered arguments

EXPERIMENTAL FILM:

-The filmmaker may wish to express personal experiences or viewpoints in ways that would seem eccentric in a mainstream context.

-Types of Experimental Film:

1. ABSTRACT FORM:

-There is no argument or no survey of categories.

-Slowly changing pictorial qualities of line, shape, tonalities and movement.

-An abstract pattern becomes a means to an end, and is often organised in a way that we might call theme and variations.

-Experimental filmmakers often start by photographing real objects.

2. ASSOCIATIONAL FORM:

-Systems suggest ideas and expressive qualities by grouping images that may not have any immediate logical connection.