Assignment: Construct a 1min edited film which includes the requirements below.
Requirements: – at least 3x original audio recording trimmed, treated, mixed
– at least 4x photographic images
– at least 2x video max. 20s each
– at least 1x piece of text
– opening titles
Restrictions: Only self-created, original media to be used.
THE PROCESS
In contrast to PB1 (collage), constructing a film for PB2 allows us to create a more figurative and immersive environment by combining stationary and moving perspectives, change of tension and sound.
It was challenging to record and edit while keeping note of elements in film form. I tried my best to incorporate new knowledge from Cinema Studies: motif and patterns, function and meaning, development and unity.
To be genuine is to be vulnerable. An honest self-portrait would include uncomfortable emotions. Therefore, the content is largely based on my desires and insecurities.
Since emotions are intangible things, I aimed to direct focus away from the objects’ physical qualities. Instead, I explored their symbolic qualities. The narration supports this by following the visual pattern: an introduction of the subject’s positive trait (desire), followed by its negative trait (insecurity).
The first subject for example, is a flower. The word “beauty” highlights its general positive trait masses associate with. This is followed by a clip of a bee finding nectar. The words “rape” and “beasts” cause viewers to see the insect’s act as less natural but more invasive and crude. So the narration helps to paint a different picture (possibly the recent debate about women’s wear and catcalls).
I am frustrated with the soundscape. Since visual pattern is pretty consistent, sound becomes the driving force for suspense in this film but I was unsure how to create a clear climax. Furthermore, the narration is sometimes drowned out, even at maximum volume during editing. I thought the visual text at the end may be too corny and cause the suspense to die but I was being truthful and did not know how else to change the words.
All symbols portrayed are which consistently appear in my life. My family is very spiritual. Having seen death, we acknowledge worlds outside of our physical plane. I love hiking and have a strong attraction to natural elements as well.
Through this assignment, I experience the challenges in filmmaking such as pre-production scheduling and deciding when to move on with the process. I explored creative possibilities and identified my limitations to overcome.
Everyone to record and upload to a shared folder, at least five 10-15s video clips.
Each video recorded with a stationary camera.
Everyone to pick a Haiku and edit into a 30s video using whoever’s shared footage.
Looking at the clouds blue in the ice-wind space flows
It does not strictly adhere to the 5-7-5 syllables structure. The English language is very different to the Japanese language. I hope you will be more lenient.
The text arouses a search for tranquility and nature. Living in the city, dominated by metals and walls, it may be challenging to feel a strong connection with the Earth.
This train of thought then led me to construct, the video as a visual response to the poem.
THE WORK
The first 10s includes many shots of what represents an industrialised city – man-made lights, traffic, buildings, smoke and pollution. Strung together in quick succession, such rhythm mirrors today’s fast-paced lifestyle and constant stream of mediated information we are bombarded with. The motif of a red man appears regularly to interrupt and direct us, figurative of a demanding employer or the lack of control one may feel as part of the “rat race”.
Finally, a door opens to a deserted alley. The change in visuals has changed the function of the background music as well. Repetitive piano music that contributed to increasing the viewer’s tension, now has its effects shifted: louder volume accompanied with a longer scene causes the draw and power of nature to be heightened.
The piece of clear sky in a deserted alley contrasts with the hustle-bustle and noisy scenes earlier. Our yearning for a break from pollution is dramatised by this long shot; this vast distance between viewer and sky. We are then allowed to meditate for a while before being rudely interrupted by the red man once again, closing our door to peace and pulling us back to the city.
THE CHALLENGES
“You don’t know what you don’t know.”
It was the first time I operated with Premier Pro. I had no idea where to start. What was a frustrating beginning, taking time going through online tutorials and library book, has now become a rewarding experience.
This exercise has given me the confidence that I am not totally inapt in the technology department.
I want to explore using effects for the next project! So stay tuned…
The following are photographs and a video that I composed but did not curate for submission.
Check out the submitted workshere.
Title: “Naik Puncak Gunung” (“Climbing Mt. Puncak”) Objective: I love aerial shots but can’t afford a helicopter. Played with manual zooming and tilting. To open with a zoom in so viewers have no idea what’s happening but focus on the camera tilting. This camera movement allows audience to understand the folk song and partake in the journey of “climbing up” Mt. Puncak. Upon reaching the peak, the zoom out gives a bigger picture and a sense of fulfilment. Why it didn’t make the cut: Frankly, I was embarrassed. I had put in a lot of effort in constructing the picture and kept losing my balance operating the camera. I was not sure if english-speaking viewers will be guided by the camera movement and understand this childhood song or if they would think it is plain rubbish. In retrospect, I should have just put it out there and test waters. Anyway, I had submitted a recording of a monologue (“Portia”) so there is no point fearing my own voice.
Title: “Elements in Order” Objective: This was taken in the newly opened National Art Gallery in Singapore. I aimed to depict a sense of balance with the presence of elements like water, earth (greenery) and concrete; and a competitiveness with clean lines and form around. Why it didn’t make the cut: Submitted photo titled “Forward Looking” had similar elements, plus an optimism with the inclusion of a human subject.
Title: “Death” Objective: To show frailty, vulnerability and the acceptance of life and death. Why it didn’t make the cut: There is not much context to give from my personal experiences. So I thought it less relevant as a self-portrait. However, I am mystified by butterflies and moths as symbols for metamorphosis and a vessel for spirits of loved ones.
Title: “The Luggage and its Banana” Objective: My family and I are like nomads. We did not plan to but life had us moving form house to house. So I chose the luggage as a prop, symbolic to travel, transition and homelessness. My family members are funny so to create humour, the luggage has been placed at a park to feel out of place. The banana is there for added humour. I really like how the passers-by are busy and ignore the props, adding to an awkwardness. Why it didn’t make the cut: It was very hard to drop these 3 photos, especially the middle one with the lady’s funny walk. I spent a long day at this location exploring different angles and positions. However, the audience doesn’t care about the process if the product is bad. After considering for a long time, I submitted the photo “Nomads” instead because it has a more obvious playful tone.
These are a couple others from the “Luggage Series”:
Title: “Balancing Act” Why it didn’t make the cut: I want its seat to be higher so the luggage looks like it’s playing but was not able to make it happen.
Title: “Company” Objective: I want humour but this seems more lonely than funny.
Title: “Vast” Objective: I didn’t plan, simply took a picture of what’s beautiful. I love the colour gradient of the sky and how the land is swallowed in darkness. Melbourne must be the only city in the world where you can see the vast sky. Why it didn’t make the cut: Can’t say it’s a “self portrait” cos a strong connection between the subject and my life is absent.
Standing in Melbourne Central, we are completely surrounded by media. Specifically, advertisements. Logos, LCD screens, banners, boards, stickers on the ground and mannequins – brands were promoted everywhere.
Surprisingly, there were not many forms of media that are informative. The only ones identified were signboards for directions and the metro schedule. Even the store directory is not easy to find.
Then there is the more interactive and helpful media like QR codes and vending machines (this one sells power-banks and phone accessories).
Could media take on a more abstract form? Such as uniforms, lighting, upbeat background music and bright attractive colours.
Some patterns have also become synonymous with specific brands, like Sephora for example.
Through this exercise to raise awareness, I realise that media has become such a grand, immersive environment we live in. I observe that advertisement/marketing makes up the largest fraction of media, be it in physical or digital form.
It seems that humans are generally more comfortable with less interactive media. In this crowded location, I only chanced upon one occasion when a sales person was physically communicating with a potential customer. Maybe humans have evolved to be less social now? Is there a point in arguing that we should “get out there” and interact physically?
Assignment: Produce/Generate individual and original media components that might contribute to a creative self-portrait.
Requirements: – 3x original audio recording of at least 20-30s (.mp3)
– 6x photographic images (.jpg)
– 3x video max. 20s (.mov, .mp4, .avi, .wmv)
– max. 50 words of text
Restrictions: – No “selfies”
– No post-production
THE BEGINNING
Upon receipt of the project brief, a question surfaced in my mind, “what makes me, me?” It was undoubtedly essential to understand who I am before producing an honest self-portrait. I have come to understand that a person is more than skin and bones; more than the colour of his eyes or the strength of her muscles. A person is also made of all his or her experiences encountered.
“I am the sum total of everyone I’ve ever met… and so lucky to absorb some of it.”
– Sylvester Stallone
With this in mind, I decided to record and organise my files under the headings: “Life Lesson 1”, “Life Lesson 2” & “Life Lesson 3”. These major lessons were taught through my experiences with specific people and things.
THE BODY OF WORK
Life Lesson 1 – Family
Blood relations can be the most exhausting and painful relationships to manage in life. (Yeah, shit tough.) Sometimes they do not know best. Yet, it is through the suffering that our parents or siblings or relatives, who stand as our greatest teachers as we learn from their successes and failures.
Title: “Acceptance” Objective: I tried to portray a sense of vulnerability and surrender. The hand, a symbol of action, is open and relaxed. It is a part of my physical body; a body of gene pool direct from the family tree. The colour contrast with the black cushions helps the subject stand out better, making the lines on the palm (like roots of a tree) become clearer as well. Challenges: It is difficult to maintain consistency while directing an animate object. Furthermore, I had to control one hand as subject and the other as a tool for the bulky camera.
Title: “Family Portrait” Objective: A deliberate close-up on the core, thorns and bright green colour, to make parallels with the nature of familial relationships. I grew up in my grandfather’s house, whose garden was filled with Aloe Vera. With thorns and healing properties, it represents my family – how hurtful, nurturing and very resilient they can be. Challenges: As a beginner photographer, I was not sure how to control the camera functions to focus on the right parts. There were many angles that did not work and shots out of focus. This exercise was a glimpse into the time and effort a photographer needs to capture the “right” image.
Title: “Familial Love” Objective: Firstly, I know I’m using the F word too much by now but I need a blatant title for this audio recording. It’s a sequence of events in the kitchen. All the females in my family spend most of their time cooking. To my family, giving food is equivalent to giving love because times were hard when they were young. I cannot record the sound of food but I can record the sound of cooking. Challenges: Multiple props were needed and I had to remember the sequence of events. Living on a budget meant I couldn’t afford wasting ingredients. I usually eat to survive and cook at an unhurried pace so it was difficult to create sounds with a consistent “inner rhythm”.
Title: “Morning Coffee” Objective: To capture the city half lit by sunlight to show daybreak. Morning time is synonymous to drinking coffee. When I was young, raised by my caffein-addicted relatives, I would wake up to the strong smell of black coffee and soft whispers around the dining table. Challenges: Since the viewer is attracted to the brighter object, the position of the crane on the bottom left did not work to my advantage. I was also working against time. I wish I had not hesitated so much because the lighting between this shot and the next I took is drastically different. The time I missed could have been the right moment.
Title: “Nomads” Objective: The luggage is a symbol for travel. The playground setting and people ignoring the luggage adds to a funny awkwardness, feeling out of place and loneliness. Due to unforeseen circumstances, my family and I constantly lived in different locations but through it all, they strived to find the humour in life. Challenges: The playground got increasingly crowded. With so many children, I tried my best not to look suspicious to avoid capturing any children in frame.
Life Lesson 2 – Self Love
We are all individual entities. Alone, we gather the will to form and live. Alone, this Earth we will leave.
Title: “Rebirth” Objective: Well with this, I simply wanted to capture the majesty of mother nature – the clouds, mountains, forests…This is a shot downhill of Tanjakan Cinta (“Slope of Love”), behind Ranu Kumbolo (“Lake for Community”). This is part of my first trip up Mt. Semeru in Indonesia. On this trekking trip, I had received much enlightenment. It filled me with renewed appreciation for life and a deeper understanding of death. Challenges: Mountain trekking is a challenge!! Mt. Semeru is one of the tallest active volcanoes in Indonesia!
Title: “Faith” Objective: God is in the details. I do not have the urge to do experiment. It’s a showcase of a wonderful, vast, continuous length of clouds. It’s simple moments like these that make me fall in love with life all over again. Challenges: The window is reflective and dirty but everyone will die if I break it.
Title: “Independence”
Objective: This was taken on Australia Day. The fireworks symbolises passion and celebration while the silence, focusing and distance, a sense of loneliness and yearning. These represent my feelings as a young adult living abroad, on her own.
Challenges: –
Title: “Forward Looking” Objective: To compose a sense of optimism an pensiveness. To allow viewer to see what the model sees. Under a clear sky, the model literally looks ahead, past the obstacles, at the growing city. This shot was taken at the newly-opened National Gallery of Singapore. Challenges: It helps to direct models by giving their character an objective, e.g. “What are your dreams?”
Life Lesson 3 – Trust & Dependence
My friends have played a major role in inspiring to be brave, take chances and face all that life has to offer. Friends are like family but without so much drama cos you don’t feel obliged to love them. So affection comes naturally.I learnt that it is alright to depend on others and to trust my future. The files below each portray an element of insecurity and attachment.
Title: “Dear Friend” Objective: How many ways can you say “how are you”? With these simple words, I wanted to explore the subjects my friendships revolve around – being present, new boyfriends, our well-being and being geographically across the globe. Challenges: The trigger to my responses were imagined so changing the circumstances on the right beat was a lot of trial and error.
Title: Portia Objective: To create an immersive environment for listeners by using distance of source and sound effects through props. This is based on one of my favourite monologues by Shakespeare. I imagined the setting Portia was in and created sounds that will give clues about her environment. Challenges: There were many things to do so striking a balance was difficult. The speech may be clear but sound effect was not, or vice versa.
Title: “Uninvited” Objective: Explore stillness vs action, shadow play and horror genre to make audience feel insecure and question who or what is the one out of place. Since the scene does not reveal the location, audience will not be able to identify if setting belongs to the subject or a general “human”. Challenges: There is no post-production editing so I had to pre-record the creaks around my house and play them together. I had to multitask filming and moving in tandem with the sound recording.
Balaenoptera Musculus
Safely enveloped by a cloak of blue,
the giant breached,
its slap thundered with echo.
A sudden jet of water
escapes and drizzles.
Heavy droplets fall back home,
appeasing the agitated sea.
Satisfied, the elusive creature
disappears once more…
Title: Balaenoptera Musculus Objective: Portray cheekiness and shyness of the Blue Whale through personification and its relationship with the ocean. The ocean represents safety, security and home to the animal. I just love whales – their sensitivity, intelligence and massive size. Challenge: –
THE WRAP-UP
This project gave me a better idea of the things I want to further explore in program. It’s also an eye-opener and refresher of media elements, e.g. plot, character, rhythm, lighting, proportion, etc. It was so frustrating to work within the given requirements! Sometimes, the recording seems too short and sudden, other times too long. I realise how important team work is, to complete a media project. Having only my body to multitask is very limiting and compromises the quality of work.
I look forward to future assignments and picking up editing skills to enhance the quality of work!
Click here to check out the works created & expanded but not submitted for this project.
