We started off the second class of semester with an overview of aesthetic standards to make sure everyone knew how to correct the exposure, focus and white balance of the camera. Although I had learnt the basics of these before it was good to have a refresher, especially as I haven’t used the particular camera we will be using this semester. We were then sent off into groups to walk down to the Queen Vic Markets and shoot a variety of establishing shots without actually entering the markets. I found this activity a little challenging because it was very hot and sunny and I tend to get a little impatient in the heat. A couple of times I had to duck into the shade while the rest of my group counted 15 seconds per shot- my pale skin couldn’t handle it and I’ve definitely learnt to keep sunscreen in my bag for the rest of the semester. Asides from that the activity was helpful to get us thinking about the different ways you can let the audience understand a location without always spelling it out for them. For example, we got a few shots of things like the trams going past, hire bikes lined up and the tops of skyscrapers to indicate we are within the Melbourne CBD before moving onto the QVM.
After a lunch break we returned to class to go share our best ideas regarding PB#1, the observational excercise completed earlier in the week. There were some interesting ideas within the class and hearing them made me realise my initial ideas (graveyard/indigenous issues) wasn’t the best direction to go in for this particual project, as 4-8 minutes doesn’t seem enough to properly address such a broad issue and I couldn’t visualise it being as dynamic as some other ideas. The class conducted a blind vote to gauge the popularity of each idea and to get us thinking about group formation. The three ideas I thought had the most potential were Punk/Vegan, Female Willy Wonka and The Lonely Eaters. The Punk/Vegan had the most votes and is the idea I was the most interested in so I let Claire (who’s idea it was) know that I was keen to join in on seeing where the idea could go. One other girl in the class (who’s name I forget…) felt the same so it seems we have the startings of a group. I prefer working in smaller groups so I’m happy to stick to a group of 3 if all goes ahead. Claire planned to visit the Punk/Vegan character over the weekend to find out if he was interested in participating so we will find out on Tuesday if this idea will go forward!
