Young Male aged 22-30.
Location: local watering hole – At protagonists home – a Yoga studio or studio space.
Genre: Comedy?

(from previous post I changed the name of ‘Tom’ to ‘Kevin’ and changed ‘Jacob’ to ‘Jake’ also with some minor changes to the order of events.)

Brief Overview of entire Skit.

Kevin believes he is a bit of a rut socially so his friend tries to make suggestions to go out and try and make new friends or meet a girl.
Jake tries to convince him to start yoga for health and to meet people as he says it’s a great way to meet girls.
Kevin believes yoga studio is an old gay night club
Jake convinces him it is not and it is now a hip hop yoga studio.

Meanwhile this young man is distracted by a cute girl(Genevieve) he sees at the bar.
Gen accidentally leaves her purse so he goes and picks it up and awkwardly chases after her
Kevin makes an awkward but endearing chit chat with the girl as she offers to pay him back and he suggests a coffee
Gen, uncertain but interested, agrees.

Kevin returns to Jacob and briefly mentions the girl while Jacob continues to ramble on about suggestions for new things.
Kevin goes to yoga but isn’t sure of attire so wears singlet and old footy shorts from school.
Kevin starts hip hop yoga with Jake and finds the class increasingly uncomfortable in its overtly sexual positions, that of which Jake seems to have no problem with.
finished the yoga session confused and unsure if he should come back

Camera cuts to Gen who happens to be walking down the street of the Yoga studio, speaking of Kevin the previous night with her friend.
Gen sees the Kevin coming out of the yoga studio in his head band singlet and footy shorts shocked.
friend of Gen tells her it is a gay night club and gives her condolences to the girl.
End.

Scene 1.
Begins with a pan away from Kevin and Jake, and slowly pans towards them and stops with them framed mid conversation to begin the scene.

Kevin: I have no clue what you’re talking about.

Jake: There is just no way that he could hit an exhaust port without his computer!

Kevin: You’re missing the point he guided it in

Jake: Well seems all a bit silly that an exhaust pipe was the problem… How are you going anyway?

Kevin: Yeah I’m ok man. I think I need to get about a bit more you know? Start meeting new people again.

Jake: well yeah that would be a good idea, none of the guys have seen you in months! It’s like you were giving Hide-and-seek tips from bin laden.

Kevin: Dude, I was on my honeymoon by myself.

Jake: who goes on a 4 month honeymoon to Coffs Harbour??

Kevin: …. I had no travel insurance and I wasn’t going to New Zealand and running into her.

Jake: At least in New Zealand they know how to take care of a ring.

Kevin: Well whatever I’m back and I’m fine now I just want to do something.

Jake: well you could take up an instrument, or Photography?? A lot of bored mums take that up?? or come do hip hop yoga with me?!

Kevin: …You do Hip Hop Yoga…?

Jake: yeah man its great! Just down Exeter st, next to the cinema. There’s so many fit girls there and I’m usually the only guy you’ll love it. Great way to meet chicks.

Kevin: Isn’t that a Gay bar?

Jake: No man that place went out of business last year, they’ve turned it into a yoga studio.

Kevin: I’m not looking to meet other girls yet I just want to meet new people.

Angled shot of kelvins eye’s looking past Jake behind him across the room.
new camera angle sees a young girl sitting with her friends and laughing to subtly turn and briefly lock eyes with the camera to then turn her attention back to her friends.
Camera angle back to Kevin and his eyes as his attention is brought back to Jake counting their conversation.

Jake: Whatever who cares, Girlfriend – friends with benefits – downward dogs – its all good.

Kevin: Hold on just a minute

During this time Kevin has seen a girl from across the bar get up and leave her wallet on the table so he gets up to go grab it and return it to her.
Kevin catches up to her outside or just before she leaves the establishment.

Kevin: Excuse me. Sorry excuse me miss… Sorry Ugh, Hi, you dropped this.

Genevieve: Oh my thank you so much you’re a life saver!! I would have died without my credit card!!

Kevin: Uh yeah can’t forget Mr. Plastic Fantastic!…

Gen: Uh, yeah… well can I pay you back somehow like pay for your next round?

Kevin: ahh well how how about a coffee sometime?

Gen: oh no, I was thinking more like your friend-… uh actually yeah sure sounds great.

Kevin: cool well how does Thursday sound…?

Gen: Thursday sounds great *smiles*

Gen hand Kevin a card with her number on it as she smiles and then walks away
Kevin looks down at the card to inspect the number as Gen walks away
He looks up

Kevin: oh uh, It was nice to meet you…

however Gen can no longer hear him.
Kevin returns to the table to his friend Jake.

Jake: What was all that about??

Kevin: I just got that girls number *Gleefully*

Jake: What by stealing her wallet??

Kevin: returning it.

Jake: sure mate, whatever works for you. But seriously come with me tomorrow morning to yoga and just give it a try.

Kevin: Ok fine but just don’t be weird about it.

Jake: Nothing weird about two blokes enjoying a nice view.

Kevin gives jake a concerned look with cheekily grinning.

End of scene 1.

Here is an interview I had the opportunity to conduct with a Melbourne Bluegrass band Mustered Courage. Although the content within the interview much of the process it took to set up and get there heavily involved similar attributes to things we have done so far in Film 3.

To begin with having the right camera settings was important as I was weary of stopping the interview and having to start again due to fault of my own. Such things involved setting up the tripod, camera, camera settings and functions, lighting, contrast, making sure everyone was in frame etc.
As far as things went I was moderately happy however I feel the backdrop chosen was poor and is distracting to the viewer. The Lighting is fine however the framing is not the best as it could easily have been centred a bit more, something just seems a little bit off about the whole frame.
Editing is really where most of this video is related to Film 3. The content of the interview is the most interesting as sometimes the band does not come across as the most compelling speakers however I learnt and re-learnt many editing techniques throughout the editing process like having different sequences throughout the editing process makes it a lot easier to stitch it all together at the end…. who knew?
Cutting between different content and overlaying and moving different titles, audio, or photos was also a valuable skilled learned throughout this process.

The audio throughout the entire interview is poor. I did – as you can see in the video – have an extra recorder on the table however not only was it pointed towards one side of the room, making one side of the room much louder than the other, the interviewer I handed it to for record after placing it on the table, failed to hit the right button. All the audio you here in this video comes from the directional mic that attached to the camera, where the sound is a bit static and the levels are not consistent throughout the video, illustrating the importance of multiple audio recorders or at least a thorough run-through with the equipment with all team members to ensure optimal recording.

The editing for this interview is not entirely finished so I look to update this post as I learn and discover more of what I could have done better.

Lift 1a/b

This first 15 seconds of the clip show an idea where we where trying to tell a story of conflict that could be altered or told without sound and only using certain camera angles. The story we chose was fairly simple and involved a student in a hurry trying to catch a lift to get to class, however as other students came out of the lift his books were knocked out of his hands and onto the floor, he misses the lift and has to take the stairs. The first 15 seconds show a first take and the timing between the entry and exit of the lift was off due to poor communication among the team. The second take improves this timing however still take a little longer than intended and it is still a little bit uncertain of what is actually going on in the scene.

Due to time constraints in the class we were unable to get another take where I believe we could have further improved on the time, the sense of urgency for the student, and the ultimate frustration of missing the lift. It was however a fun exercise to run to see how quickly and well we can work as a team given little time to think of and execute an idea, showing how everyone needs to be on the same page to get the intended message of a scene correct.

This photo is of a Hip-hop Yoga studio called ‘Yoga 213’. This yoga studio is located in South Yarra next to the prominent Jam-Factory off Chapel St. Given this it is a fairly accessible location to get to by car or public transport so getting any necessary gear to the location shouldn’t be a major problem. Gaining access to the studio for a brief period of time shouldn’t be too big of a hassle as long as it is pre-arranged with the owner Sammy Veall, I say this as this is the Yoga studio I actually attend around 3-4 times a week. Sammy is a very relaxed and easy going person so I’m sure if I explained what it was for and my purpose she would support the idea and we could come to some kind of arrangement.

Some of the problems I can see is the size of the studio space. For the scene within the actual yoga studio I would like it to appear it is vary busy and that most if not all of the mat spaces are being taken up to create a sense of claustrophobia and make it seem a little bit uncomfortable for the protagonist. This would mean that the camera angles and positioning would have to be done in a very special manner or just many multiple takes of the same scene. This seems like really the only viable option as I’m certain I would not be allowed to actually put up any kind of rigging or fixtures for the scene which leaves us with many time constraints. If I was able to gain access to the studio during the day between classes then I would have ample time, however that is very uncertain if that is plausible.

Really I’m certain it can be done within this space and surroundings, however it is more a matter of the techniques and time required to be able to pull off the scene and its camera angles to really create a sense of a ‘fish out of water’ within the yoga studio for the main character Tom.

It became apparent very quickly that this class could not be defined with in the course outline provided and their would be a lot more hands-on and creative work, both things I very much excited for.

To me the first few weeks kind of felt like a crash course on everything I had probably forgotten while I was travelling, throwing in some new things as well. I’ve enjoyed it because the process isn’t moving at a snails pace but rather we are expected in our own time to practise certain techniques or practical aspects outside of class so we can move on to the more hands on or interesting aspects of film making. Like actually developing a story or genuine directing of scenes that give the learning process a certain authenticity that makes it feel a lot richer and a more enjoyable learning experience. So far it appears we are going to focus on every aspect of Film making and I’m learning a lot more than I thought I would and genuinely look forward to going to class on a Thursday and Friday. No easy feat for Uni students known for having the attention span of a…of a…..

I can’t really be certain whether I’ve had an epiphany or anything similar but there have definitely been a few moments that have made me feel a bit stupid with the techniques I was trying to use before, particularly within editing. Editing to me is probably the most important aspect of filmmaking as it is where the story really comes together and the rough diamond is cut and shaped into the beautiful jewel it had the potential to become. So many shortcuts and hotkeys that for the last two years I had been spending an extra 10 minutes on something that could have taken me 30 seconds.

One aspect that I did really enjoy exploring and discussing in class is the way that an idea or a theme can be conveyed. The documentary style vs the dramatic. In class it was posed what was the purpose for choosing a documentary style film when watching Punishment Park and an almost off the cuff remark of “Why does it matter?” suggested by a colleague became the entire point of the subject. It doesn’t matter! It is just a process in which different people convey an idea or a point and that to me is the closest I’ve come to a really epiphany. There are multiple ways in filmmaking to reach the same goal and it is really up you how you feel you can best make that point when choosing your method.

Young Male aged 22-30.
Location: local watering hole – At protagonists home – a Yoga studio or studio space.
Genre: Comedy?
Story about the misadventures of his own life.

Young man (Tom) at a bar with a friend (Jacob/Jake) as they discussing what’s new to their life lately.
Yo believes he is a bit of a rut socially so his friend tries to make suggestions to go out and try and make new friends or meet a girl.
Meanwhile this young man is distracted by a cute girl(Genevive) he sees at the bar.
The girl accidentally drops her purse so he goes and picks it up and awkwardly chases after her
Tom makes an awkward but endearing chit chat with the girl while Gen suggests a coffee to pay him back for returning the wallet.
Tom shyly agrees.
Tom returns to Jacob and briefly mentions the girl while Jacob continues to ramble on about suggestions for new things.
Jacob tries to convince him to start yoga for health and to meet people as he says it’s a great way to meet girls.
Tom believes yoga studio is an old gay night club
Jacob convinces him it is not and it is now a hip hop yoga studio.
man goes to yoga but isn’t sure of attire so wears singlet and old footy shorts from school.
Tom starts hip hop yoga with Jacob and finds the class increasingly uncomfortable in its overtly sexual positions, that of which Jacob seems to have no problem with.
finished the yoga session confused and unsure if he should come back
cuts to the girl he met at a bar and her walking down the street speaking of the young man the previous night with her friend.
Girl sees the young man coming out of the yoga studio in his head band singlet and footy shorts shocked.
friend of girl tells her it is a gay night club and gives her condolences to the girl.
End.

Thoughts: This is really the first scene or script or piece I have ever seriously written. To be totally honest I’m not sure if I personally find it that funny anymore but I still believe it could be if it is done well. The dialogue here would really be the important factor.

You need it to obviously be believable and with this particular script as many of the humorous moments would come within the context of the situation rather than the actual dialogue. That’s not to suggest that there wouldn’t be any funny lines, that of which would be provided by the character Jacob, as the friend. I’m not sure if I’m a fan of this idea yet as it feels a bit formulaic having the best friend being the comedic relief but theres a reason why it works and it will allow the main character to be fleshed out and ensure the uncomfortable situations to be not only more believable but more unfortunate for him.

One thing I have identified with writing comedy as the you have to ensure that it doesnt try and do too much. Many pieces of comedy try too hard to be funny, and ultimately lose any of the charm it may have had. Not every line needs to be a zinger nor every joke be so obvious. I’d rather write something with a bit more subtlety and nuanced than something where every joke is in your face and explained for you. Thinking something a bit more like HBO’s Bored To Death rather than The Big Bang Theory.

This I feel is easier done with situational comedy and something I think this piece is on its way to being.

At first I had pretty much no clue as to what we would be studying in Film 3. I had no idea what to expect because to be totally honest I didn’t actually choose this class. While I was away apparently RMIT’s elective process has changed and was blissfully unaware of any kind of balloting process to choose my second semester classes. When I found out I had been allocated my own slot I immediately expected the worst, to have been allocated into a class that didn’t have enough numbers and was of no interest to me whatsoever…

I am so glad I was wrong.

What I want to get out of this class I guess is pretty generic but honestly just want to become a better film maker. I want to know how to take a better shot, when to take that shot, and why I’m taking that shot. I want to be able to go into a scene with the best idea of how I think that vision can be implemented, and actually have the capability to do so.

More importantly I want to be a better editor. My film editing skills have never really been amazing and I could always get the basics down for simple scenes or interviews but there is a certain amount of nuance and complexity in some of my peers editing techniques that I have never quite been able to achieve and this is very much something that I think will improve throughout this course.

As I touched on earlier I also want to be able to not only identify why a certain scene or aspect was shot that was, but what the intention behind it, and how can I articulate that appropriate. Can I emulate such ideas, or what would be the most effective method for getting my message across? These are just a few of the questions I have for the coming weeks and all of which and more I’m sure will be answered.

As my debut post this is what I was working on in class as a 30 minute writing exercise.
I didn’t feel confident writing a drama or a horror in that time frame however I did try and put together a mildly amusing skeleton of a sketch comedy:

Young Male aged 22-30.

Story about the misadventures of his own life.

Young man at a bar with a friend discussing their lives
young man believes he is a bit of a rutt so his friend tries to make suggestions
meanwhile this young man is distracted by a girl he sees at the bar
The girl accidentally drops her purse so he goes and picks it up and awkwardly chases after her
makes awkward but endearing chit chat with the girl while she suggests a coffee to pay him back
he shyly agrees
returns to the friend and briefly mentions the girl while friend continues to ramble on about suggestions for new things.
friend tries to convince him to start yoga for health and to meet people
man believes yoga studio is an old gay night club
friend convinces him it is not and it is now a hip hop yoga studio
man goes to yoga but isn’t sure of attire so wears singlet and old footy shorts from school
starts yoga and finds the class increasingly uncomfortable in its positions
overtly sexual poses
finished the yoga session confused and unsure if he should come back
cuts to the girl he met at a bar and her walking down the street speaking of the young man the previous night with her friend
Girl sees the young man coming out of the yoga studio in his head band singlet and footy shorts shocked
friend of girl tells her it is a gay night club and gives her condolences to the girl.

http://www.themediastudents.net/im1/2014/edward.goldsmith/edward.goldsmith.html

In this instance I will be looking at “His Long Goodbye” (2012) by Georgina Wills, Emily Watt, Cinzia Samassimo and Sacha Stephan. A Link to their work can be found here: http://vogmae.net.au/classworks/media/2012/kfilms/hislonggoodbye/

Pattern:
Watching and observing the piece ‘His Long Goodbye’ it becomes apparent that there is definitely a clear theme and pattern very early on in the Korsakov film. It ensures the audience can identify a pattern by having every short clip in Black and white, illustrating a commonality among each of the clips to give it an early 1920’s film noir feel to the film piece. More patterns begin to emerge with repeat viewings of some clips along with the continuous narration over the top. The narrator describes himself, a mediocre private investigator, and what lead to his ultimate and somewhat tragic death. The very nature of the narration feels like something that you would be listening to in a classic Hollywood crime drama, where all that’s missing is the smooth jazzy baseline. Furthermore the utilization of the protagonist being a private investigator, only provides more to the already abundant film noir atmosphere, which by now has clearly become the intention of this Korsakov film. The separate cuts of film continue this theme or idea as each piece is black and white with very little movement, making it slow and almost stagnant. It creates a feeling as if we are searching for the narrative and continuing to look for something, a clue even, much like a private investigator. It is not in the videos, however, that provide the narrative but rather the uninterrupted narration over the top. It is only by listening to the full narration that the videos become abundantly clear in their relationship to the story and each other.

Interface:
It becomes apparent that instead of the videos being the narrative, they are the context or backdrop for the narration, which ultimately ties the different mediums together (in a very interesting way, which wasn’t immediately appreciated at first) and draws on some of the ideas of Bordwell and Thompson of cause and effect through narrative. This idea however was not immediately clear though as it wasn’t until the narration had reached a certain point in its story would some of the previously mentioned patterns in the videos become evident, ultimately delaying the narrative, thus ensuring the cause and effect relationship would be reached at its own pace, regardless of how many of the clips had been watched. Once the narrator was finished though we could then “Connect the event spatially” (Bordwell and Thompson, page 1, para 5) instead of using our imagination we can use the provided clips as a space to build upon the narrative. For instance when the narrator is explaining being tied to a chair one can reflect upon the short clip of a wooden chair, much like one you can be imagine being tied in. (not that you should ever be in that kind of situation…) example:

‘His long goodbye’ is riddled with moments just like this, with the video and narration becoming tied together to create a more vivid space in which the story can be materialized in your mind.

Content:
The Content itself in ‘His Long Goodbye’ is actually very fitting. Once again it is only after the narrator has articulated the story to a certain point that some of the content becomes relevant as if “time shapes our understanding of narrative action.” (Bordwell and Thompson, page 6, para 2) That is not to say the some images don’t immediately add to the narrative, such as this shot:

contributing to the private investigator like feeling throughout the narration, allowing the audience to feel as if it is receiving a play by play of locations if followed in the appropriate order, however this is not usually the case. With all this in mind, we can now see how some of the carefully chosen clips such as the lone chair (above) or this one

(with various clothing items sprawled out across the floor as if to have been thrown off in a drunken and lustful manner) does it become clear that only once the narration has reached a certain point in its timeline, will some of the videos show relevance to the story arc.

As far as finding a balance between patterns, the interface, and content I believe this Korsakov film has done a very good job of creating an interesting narrative. By allowing yourself as an audience member to become engaged with the interface this Korsakov film provides, will you have the most stimulating experience. It is only by immersing yourself in the interface can one see how all the mediums be tied together nicely, ultimately making it a very interesting and unique project.

Refernces:

Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, 2013

Rascaroli, Laura. “The Essay Film: Problems, Definitions, Textual Commitments.” Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media 49.2 (2008): 24–47

Wills, Georgina. Watt, Emily. Sammassimo, Cinzia. Stephan, Sacha. “His Long Goodbye” RMIT, Korsakov, (2012)