Web synopsis:

From the age of crayons to graphics pads, Bridget possesses an inherent passion for art and illustration. Through the use of colour and line, she is able to express thoughts and feelings in a way that resonates with audiences as well as helping herself understand these feelings. Although she put down the crayons years ago, the pure love and single minded creativity remains and has translated to the beautiful works she produces today.

PB3 Reflection: “I Make Art”

Originally my vision for this portrait was to take Bridget to the NGV Andy Warhol exhibition and film some candid footage of her admiring the works of her favourite artist, I thought this would contrast well with footage of her creating her own artwork, and I planned to ask some Warhol related questions to tie it all together. However after the Lectorial discussion about location release forms and copyrights, I knew that having Warhol artwork in my film was out of the question. I then wanted to use some found footage of Warhol, so I would still be able to use the Warhol orientated interview questions, but I discovered this footage was not public domain footage, therefore I was unable to use it. I threw out my plan to have any Andy Warhol references within the film at this point, there wouldn’t be a point, so I removed those Warhol orientated questions from my mind and conducted the interview using only questions that related to Bridget herself and her own art. I found that this was probably for the better, with a 3-minute limit; there isn’t room to focus on anything other than the subject directly in order to paint an accurate picture. In the final product I used found footage from a handful of children’s programs of young kids drawing, I find this fits really well with Bridget’s retelling of her childhood experience with art and emphasises the pure, unhindered love for art and creating that young kids often have, and how I see this quality in Bridget.

I found that the use of candid/ more natural footage as well as the interview questions where the subject is very aware that the camera is rolling is very powerful and insightful. People can often put on an act to appear a certain way, or are shy when faced with a camera so the balance of more candid footage is something I found to be very useful in portraying the subject in the portrait. Even though the interview portion is at risk of being ‘fake’ or passive, using a close up shot allows a more intimate shot; focusing on facial features and expressions, the audience is essentially able to become closer to the subject, feeling they are getting a candid insight into the subject’s personality.

Through this project I learnt about the importance of release forms for individuals, locations and artwork. Before this I had no experience with the legal side of documentary making so it was both an overwhelming but really important aspect of this project. The issue of release forms also cemented the importance of being organised and doing your research before even thinking about filming! As the creator it’s your responsibility to the talent, your crew and the owners of the location etc. to use time effectively, make sure the subject understands the terms and organising locations, all while ensuring you are able to gather the material you need through these elements.