Monthly Archives: April 2015

Harry Potter and the Usual Conflict which creates a Series of Unfortunate Events (Lectorial 8)

Date
Posted by
Comments0

My understanding of narrative is as a sequence of events  motivated and propelled by casualty (cause and effect), in which characters are revealed through their interactions, a series of which propels a plot through the relations between characters reaching a resolution. This does not mean that narrative necessarily has to be portrayed in this linear fashion as Jean-luc Godard said “a story should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order”. Narratives traditionally follows a structure, using tropes, conventions and repeated representations to create audience expectations. By manipulating these expectations that convention has created, modern producers are able to evoke a stronger, more personal response for example when somebody slowly swings shut the bathroom mirror while a baby cries in a monitor there is (more than likely) somebody standing behind them with a knife. But what if they’re not there? What if they’ve already stabbed them, they close the cabinet and the camera pans down to reveal their blood-stained torso, and then the baby cries into the monitor. Conventions can work across or be limited to genre.

There are some interesting examples where authors have challenged conventions and commented on them within the text itself. I recommend Tex Avery’s Red Hot Riding Hood, and Walt Disney’s Duck Amuck. Most commonly these conventions are challenged in video but  the use of the narrator is prominent in books and audio as well, challenging conventions of narratives in medium is the whole concept behind famous radio adaptation war of the worlds. It is not, I believe, always necessary to go to this extent to criticise convention and will experiment in the manipulation of audience expectation to have a more powerful emotive impact in individual scenes within a greater narrative form.

Sitting on our Hands (Or Covering our Asses?) – Practical 8

Date
Posted by
Comments0

Yet to take form our fourth project brief is well and truly taking hold. Early on we have been asking quite demanding questions. Today we have been able to sit down and summarise our process so far and brainstorm our options left open to us. At this point there are far too many pathways that we can take under such broad and indirect guidelines. Our approach is certainly one of caution, patience and comprehensive research in terms of action as it seems becoming too dedicated to an unacceptable program is our biggest risk. As our class co-ordinators and teachers continue to modify and adapt the project requirements we are seeking to establish strong foundations from which our artefact will take structure.

Our brainstorming began with some points of research that run tangible to themes or studies discussed in class. These will become the key references in our annotated bibliography and from there we can delve further into concepts that interest use and will be useful for our project. We also summarised what we understood “texts” to mean as a media concept and key components which we could expand on. Then we arrived at the questions that have been stalled by the project outline which was still being morphed by the teaching staff. We set out a brief outline of what mediums are available to us and we are leaning towards the multimedia platforms of a website domain or powerpoint presentation – incorporating all our various skills and interests. Our focus, inspired by lectorial notes and separate readings, is the use of conventions and forms and we discussed types of media which had strong conventions.

11124746_805089152915327_775610464_n11128089_805089146248661_2025198793_n11198507_805089182915324_657721572_n11185842_805089169581992_333964182_n11198892_805089096248666_1575340089_n

 

I’ve learnt from the first few weeks of this project the bureaucratic procedures which are used to create a cohesive basis for a collaborative project. For the moment I am unsure whether it is absolutely necessary but the detriment it has on efficient progress within the group is immediately apparent. Further affecting our movement through this piece is the timing of this project and its requirements with the schedule of our media content. We are unable to make decisions that will aid the outcome of our project as information regarding what is required of us is being with-held. However, we have gained an understanding of what it is to work collaboratively and efficient means of doing so.

Read Between the Signs – Connection 7

Date
Posted by
Comments0

Today, a rainy Saturday, with my headphones broken and a mind recently activated by coffee I sat silently for the duration of my hour long ride on the 86 Tram and began to consume any information readily available. The carriages were riddled with posters containing images, text and symbols to convey the rules and regulations of Melbourne’s Metro. For a form of text whose whole basis lies in clear and concise messages there’s peculiarity in the vast differences between their denotations and connotations (first and second order meanings). Hardly had I noticed before the amount of assumed knowledge we bring to interpret messages such as these.

It is after all a huge leap from the sign of white circle and lines on a blue background to identify a person in a wheelchair, which in turn comes to represent all persons with disabled mobility, and stands as a symbol that there are sufficient mechanics in place (a ramp, a handrail) to allow access for such persons, and further that they shall be given priority access to the service nearby. Even by following the length and structure of the above sentence we see the lengthy, still not exhaustive, process we take as everyday viewers, consumers, audiences, humans, to understand even the simplest of texts. Crucial to the importance of this pictures cohesion is that the same shapes, in another context,  would not be perceived in the same way. Simultaneously, a perfectly sketched portrait of some-one in a wheelchair would not be received identically.

Key to the effectiveness of such informative texts are their strong conventions. Relying heavily on visual aspects to transcend barriers of language and literacy each poster I saw contained only simple or fine text if any, pertaining to the precise technicalities rather than the dominant meaning. The typical poster used gender and age unspecific drawings, simple depictions of other objects were greyscale – this use of objective characterisation limited the play between the authors intentions and the audience response. Other techniques of colour and framing enhanced this unidirectional movement typical of its form. Also crucial to the successful functioning of cautionary, and safety signs are their external conventions, including their placement, and greater salience. We look overhead and near entries and exits for information, an exit sign on the right hand side of a corridor is read differently to one in the centre.

Our ability to interpret and understand these texts is developed over time, from reading, repetition, and recognition, actions all taken predominantly by the subconscious. It was in fact as recent as 1984 that the identifiable “no symbol”, a red circle with a diagonal line on a white background had a publishing standard in the UK. In the last thirty years it has efficiently created a social and cultural code allowing it to be read universally (in the sense limited to its use, rather than a literal sense of universal.) Continuing to observe the way that I receive texts from an audience perspective will greater enhance my understanding of the techniques and approaches in regards to connotations, signs and codes that I can use as a producer to create meaning.

 

“Texts” (Lectorial 7)

Date
Posted by
Comments0

Recently I’ve been issued a group assignment in which we must produce a media artefact (sound, film, photograph, artwork or a combination) the only guideline being that it creatively engages and responds to one of five central concepts of Media. Our group was assigned “texts” which resulted in three blank faces and one combined sub-vocal groan of dismay. What do they mean texts? Like SMS? Emoji’s? Surely not classic English literature? I have had enough sleepless nights contemplating the contextual motivation behind Jane Austin’s romantic feminist perspective and god help me now if I’m to remember everything I forgot about Shakespeare when I burnt my notes in the bonfire.

Today though I can rest somewhat assured that we will NOT be unpacking Frankenstein nor comparing its literary techniques to other gothic novels. Indeed “texts” from a media perspective involves film, audio, documents, fiction, non-fiction, both visible and confidential, even extending as far as architectural design. Furthermore, our approach should be one that works closely with the effect of media texts, the intended  meaning of the producer and the meaning(s) received by the audience.

From this new perspective of “texts” I can agree when UTS professor Alan McKee said “Texts are the material traces that are left of the practice of sense-making” (2003: p.15)that on a timeline of history various producers, authors and artists have left us clues as to how we can make sense of our society, our context, from an individual or collective perspective. McKee goes further to say that texts are “the only empirical evidence we have of how other people make sense of the world”, but this involves a much more analytical way of thinking, one that I hope to  explore throughout this project.

I look now to further engage with the interaction between producer and audience, to perceive how audiences engage with materials and the ways in which this creates cultural and social value. As thus, to effectively analyse, we must appreciate first the ambiguity of media texts – how their meanings can be interpreted in various ways, due to the dissimilarities in audiences formal, social and ideological codes; and the play in the process – the inevitable difference, on whatever scale, between the producers intended message, meaning and evoked response, to the audiences reading, interpretation and understanding. What I most look forward to is finding my own approach to critically analysing semiotics in which I can enhance not only my understanding of a text’s meaning but my understanding of the audience’s reception and how the skills a producer utilises to achieve this.

Project Brief 3 – Feedback (Tutorial 7)

Date
Posted by
Comments0

Seeing the rest of my media classes finished projects has helped me understand the processes that other students go about producing material and editing. Jordan’s back and forth between produced interview and found footage, meant his film was able to take a cohesive aim while following two parallel paths. A great example of conversation, investigation and reflection can be found in Tyler’s memoir-esque piece. Meanwhile Jennifer’s  visual representation of her partners’ tunnel vision was a confronting way to portray perspective.

I also heard of the interesting ways that people recieved my project, above all their feedback gave me an insight as to how my piece communicated meaning. Generally people had said that the piece was powerful, evoking an emotional response, though it was lost effect through my attempt to overcrowd and clutter leaving no time for audience reflection. I think then that I’ve achieved my goal in moving the audience through the content material, guitar track and editing, but next time I will focusing on exploring less concepts in greater detail being simple yet not simplistic.

Feedback summary:

  • The flow and sequencing of the piece efficiently established a premise and consistently evolved and unpacked the concept in a way that would otherwise be illogical without that consistency.
  • The separation of sequences (i.e. outfits, stop motion) meant many multiple aspects could be conveyed while following a central theme.
  • Focus was drawn to the important parts of the film by the framing, timing and overlaying – particularly in reference to audio.
  • The use of the male perspective on body image was detrimental to the focal point as a young, female demographic.
  • Some experimentation with the use of silence and the slowing of material would strengthen the impact of the scenes they are used in and further develop the response to the other scenes by contrast.
  • More consistency is needed in the audio levels where it is not used for effect – i.e. interview.

Project Brief 3 – IMAGEine

Date
Posted by
Comments0

My portrait is a representation of my partner Eloise Vincent, focusing on her struggle to find self-confidence and identity in a life of pressure and routine. For this project I took a more abstract approach and attempted to challenge conventions in my communication of meaning through this film. I hoped to create a piece that displayed the subject as an individual – through the stop motion mirror scene and the constant portrayal of unique image and voice – while also communicating the context of a greater issue, “body image” – through the interjections and commentary of archive footage; techniques of contrast and compliment that will be useful for future projects. Here I discovered how to simultaneously convey two (or more) messages through editing, taking a leaf out of guest lecturer Liam Ward’s “Art of Persuasion”.

The main hurdle in the process was locating suitable “found footage” that would compliment my general idea while being powerful enough to evoke audience reaction, interestingly I feel they became integral to the meaning of the film. The final section where the archive video getting fit plays from “think not about image” to “I am okay as I am” is the most successful aspect as it draws the viewer back to the relationship between “body image’ and our subject as intended through audio and visual edited together from separate sources. Conversely, the opening passage of the film created a mood and meaning that I hadn’t intended, problematic to the finished project. It lost some effect through intensifying audio clips and editing that I hoped would portray an increased tension and feeling of claustrophobia but while not paralleled in the visual aspect seemed cluttered and out of place.

Initially I was worried that my material, seemingly disparate in content, form and genre, wouldn’t create one cohesive piece. However, I underestimated the impact of “the gutter”, as editing with intent to create conversation between materials (through layering, sound bridging, repetition and varying transitions) produced a cohesive film that spanned genre and transcended convention. This incidentally revealed the ability of post-production work to create, change and challenge meaning of raw materials. I will continue to develop my understanding of the production and editing processes to communicate multiple messages and begin intentionally creating media that can be read and received in different ways by an audience.