Translating Observation Assignment Three

A man and a woman are reclined in two similar oval-shaped chairs under the hot sun by a river’s edge. Their chairs are facing one another, and each has propped their legs up and onto the other’s chair so that they may lie down. His head is slumped along the side of the chair, it appears as though he may be in a deep and comfortable sleep. She is evidently awake, sitting upright and facing forward, presumably appreciating the picturesque view surrounding them.

 

For this final assignment, I had the opportunity to approach the two video pieces in two unique ways: one was to be made individually, and the other I would make with a group we formed in class together. This solo piece was an opportunity to approach an observation that I or someone else had written with absolute control over every step of the pre-production, production, and post-production phases for this video piece. Therefore, every creative decision regarding the translation of the observation to a video piece would be made by myself. Ultimately, if all were to go well, the production would then best match the creative vision I would perceive. However, working individually sacrifices the benefits that group-work propose, and provided many challenges that would have to be overcome in one way or another. Although working individually allowed for complete creative control, and as such it would be plausible that my vision of the translation of the observation would only be inhibited by my own capacity to envision a suitable translation from written text to observable video piece, in reality, working alone meant that it was simply not possible to achieve certain shots or camera movements that would be otherwise possible were there someone else to assist in the production of the video piece. Therefore, although I may have viewed certain moments in my written observation to be depicted in one particular way or another, I had to consider whether it was realistically achievable (and to a high standard) when I was shooting the piece myself. As such, the final product produced was a relatively static piece, with next to no action or movement coming in and out of frame, as it would be troublesome to attempt to operate the camera, maintaining frame and attempting to alter the focal length when actor’s hit their marks. Were it appropriate or had been decided that the observation could be depicted in a documentary style video piece, then it would be acceptable that the camera movements may be clunky (even obfuscating the frame) while changing the parameters of the shot. However, this observation was selected because it worked well in conjunction with the limitations of working individually, as the observation described a couple seated adjacent one another, with the tension of the piece stemming from the absence of movement one of the two characters displays (i.e. are they dead, is something wrong, etc.).

Speaking to someone online versus seeing them in real life is a concept that is baffling to many individuals such as myself. My plans to meet up with a friend I rarely see but speak to online happened on a Wednesday afternoon. Brunch was the chosen mode of activity at a local cafe. There were no expectations of how it would be like when we met up, but once I saw her, it felt completely different as to how I would usually interact with her. Because we seldom see each other, there was no sense of familiarity as you would have with an old friend but also, it is a completely different type of interaction even though we’ve spoken on multiple occasions online. There is just that unexplainable awareness of one another, especially because you witness everything is in real time and in the flesh.

Final Group Edit

Completing one of my video pieces in a group scenario was a refreshing change of pace compared to the demands of working individually. Each of us was given a role and set of responsibilities that we were accountable for. In this case, I was gifted the responsibility of assistant director and was responsible for ensuring that the production was running smoothly and to schedule. During the pre-production phase we each worked alongside one another to translate the written observation to a viable script, corroborating all of the unique interpretations of the text that each person held into what we all felt was an accurate and comfortable portrayal. Of course, there were some ideas that had to be scrapped, either they were not agreed upon because they were too left of field, or simply would not be plausible given the location or for any other number of reasons. Certainly, there were disagreements about how it was that we were approaching the creative process, and everyone will have their own particular issue with the final production, as there were unfortunately problems that arose during the production phase: crew members arriving late, conflicting schedules, temperamental weather (and subsequently lighting conditions), poor audio conditions, and mismanaged shot logs. It was evident on the day of shooting that we had not properly managed the shooting schedule, as there was only a very poor understanding of what we would be shooting and when, and after the day’s shoot it would have greatly benefited the final product were we to have given it all another go, with the knowledge we had of that first time we could have really nailed it. Unfortunately, due to limited availability and conflicting schedules it was only just manageable that we could organize that one day to shoot. The final product was by no means bad, and I do in-fact like it very much (mostly the interpretation of the written observation’s awkward as now characterized by an ongoing internal monologue drowning out the sound of and reality of the character’s exchange with one another).

Individual (rough) Edit

Reflections

Working alongside a roster of other people affords each person the capacity to take on less responsibility and better focus on accomplishing their attributed task to the best of their capabilities. Furthermore, working with others in the production phase allows better control over each of the fundamental properties of filmmaking: camera, sound, and direction. The simple addition of one other person to the crew allows for a multitude of things that cannot be achieved individually and will provide better results for those things already achievable with one person. Two people, as opposed to just one, allows both a camera operator, and a sound operator manning a boom-mic, which would obtain infinitely better sound than the built-in shotgun mic that the camera has. Assuming that multiple crew members can work collaboratively effectively, then a group production allows multiple visions of which the sum of their parts may be better than each is individually. Different people will of course have unique interpretations of any one piece, and the unique backgrounds and mindsets of others will reveal perspectives that your own background and mindset could not have understood independently. Much of the work that we have undertaken during class-time this semester has afforded us frequent opportunities to work alongside and refine our capacity to work well with others in this setting. It is of immense value that we’ve had these chances to do so, and that Robin has gone to great lengths to define the value of effective group work, as it is especially challenging working alongside others when they are unaware of the expectations of and necessity of each role in a production.

My first efforts at translating a written observation to a video piece yielded what I felt was a subpar result. I had admittedly underestimated the challenges that the written observation would present for me, as I had thought it to be a relatively easily adapted piece. Focusing solely on an abandoned umbrella in a parking lot, what could be difficult about that? Needless to say, there was many hardships experienced in the production of that piece, most frustratingly was the umbrella itself which simply refused to cooperate and would not hold still while trying to shoot. Although I was not satisfied with the end result of this production, the experience was extremely valuable and greatly influenced my process for the individual video piece I created for the final assignment. What was most useful was to assume that things would not go smoothly, and likely require some degree of alteration on the day. Furthermore, I would need to explicitly plan everything during the pre-production phase in great detail. There’s no such thing as being too prepared. Of course, all good planning requires that you are aware of your limitations, in this case, the video piece would have two actors, and only myself working behind the scenes filming it. Had I chosen to utilize two actors with experience handling a boom mic or sound equipment I could have used them for such a thing while shooting solo shots of the other. However, I had decided to use two friends of mine whose schedules were very open and lived close to myself as my actors. These latter qualities were deemed more valuable to the production than the former and were what informed my decisions. Despite the meticulous planning of storyboards, set location, shot schedules, etc. in the post-production phase the video piece took on completely new life when I discovered that there were far more interesting ways of presenting the piece when shots were mutilated, rearranged, and reimagined. It’s extremely important to plan, prepare, and practice everything during the pre-production phase, but it’s also just as important to be capable of making adjustments as you go along (which good planning will afford the opportunity for).

Throughout this semester we’ve focused meticulously on the unseen, of the everyday observations that occur around us all the time, whether noticed or not, there is a multitude of things occurring at all times that we’ve demonstrated through the application of the process of translating observations to text and then again translating from text to film that these everyday occurrences and observations are perfect for compelling filmmaking. Whether it’s compelling because of the unique subject matter, or the unique process of screenwriting, translating observations with no regard for their filmic potential, concerned only with their objective truths (objectivity being a concept of vast debate), yields unknowingly great results. This approach to filmmaking has greatly altered my understanding of creativity and the creative process of filmmaking and will greatly inform my own approach to my work in media 6. Whether I choose to unpack an observation that I’ve already committed to text, through a continuing exploration of the everyday world around me will observe an instance that I may then deem to have great filmic potential, or I imagine a scene taken from the ether, in each case my approach to filmmaking will be interested in exposing the subtleties of the everyday and the mundane. I’m fascinated by horror films, they can be hit or miss, but good horror films demonstrate some of the best filmmaking of any genre of film, as horror can be so difficult to pull off and requires immense talent to do so. Horror is a genre that influences my filmmaking decisions immensely, and I can foresee great potential for great filmmaking by utilising observations of the everyday, and contorting them into unnerving video pieces. It’s the known but not as we know it that can greatly disturb audiences.