RMIT Fact Check Credential Reflection Post
Fact Check Group Post
http://www.mediafactory.org.au/jemma-perelaer/2019/03/26/now-this-fact-check-group/
Post 1
http://www.mediafactory.org.au/jemma-perelaer/2019/03/26/now-this-post-1/
Post 2
http://www.mediafactory.org.au/jemma-perelaer/2019/03/26/now-this-post-2/
Post 3
http://www.mediafactory.org.au/jemma-perelaer/2019/03/26/now-this-post-3/
Taking the RMIT Fact Credential was a really understandable and informing introduction into ‘fake news’ and fact checking. Before undertaking the credential I had little to no fact checking skills so this has been really useful for me in learning the basics of how to fact check.
Something I would like to explore more is misinformation and disinformation and how personal opinion and bias can influence this. Sadly I think there is a lot of bias through misinformation in the 21st century, especially with their being such intense political climates in countries like the US. Television channels such as the American Fox News are notorious for their extreme right wing bias whilst Australian newspapers such as the Australian are also known for their conservative bias which is made obvious by their misrepresentation, exaggeration, underestimation and source selection in regards to their stories. I definitely agree with the credential in that ‘a fair and balanced report will provide differing points of view.’ It was interesting to learn that there can be bias through language and placement. Colourful language that uses adverbs can single bias whilst the prominence given to a certain news report through its placement or coverage can indicate bias.
Disinformation isn’t something I have heard much about but I find it really fascinating and would like to further research into the topic. Of course there can be a lot of misinformation on social media but I’m curious in regards to who in a political sense has and would intentionally spread lies and the impact it has had on the people exposed to this ‘news’. Both disinformation and misinformation of news, especially political and environmental news, can be extremely manipulating to the public which is why fact checking sources are so important.
Brief Film Summary
The Recycled Wardrobe takes a look at the vintage store, RetroStar, and the people that shop there. In capturing the patrons of one of Melbourne’s hidden gems, we wanted to highlight the colourful and exciting world of vintage clothing and the people who love it.
Course Highlight
A highlight from this studio was being able to have such a big amount of creative control over our final assignment. Because of this we were able to create a documentary about a subject matter that we are both very passionate about and are therefore proud of our final product.
Film Link
Studio Experience/Insights
This course has made me consider my own relationship to my neighbourhood and how living in a specific area has had an impact on my identity. I am now more aware of the significance of a neighbourhood and what it’s impact on a resident be. I’ve realised that I don’t hold a strong need for my neighbourhood. I don’t feel Brighton East has shaped my personality in any manner and I wouldn’t particularly choose to live where I do. I’ve realised that neighbourhoods that I don’t live in such as Brunswick and Fitzroy feel more comfortable and inviting to me than where I have lived for the past 17 years. They have more culture, personality and history whereas Brighton East is cold and bland. It is a neighbourhood I have many memories in but I don’t account these memories to the geographical location but to the people in them.
Film Project
I think Andi and I worked really well together in the making of our documentary, the Recycled Wardrobe. We both respected each others ideas and comments and contributed equally to both the conception and production.
We both spent two days at RetroStar filming our interviews, introduction and b roll footage. We were hoping to film a majority of our documentary on the first day we went there but we were unhappy with the lighting, however this was still a good opportunity to touch base with the staff and get familiar with the physical space. We did discuss and try and find a camera and lighting equipment that would better suit the yellow/green lighting of RetroStar but ultimately used the camera we originally had. On our second day we had more of a clear plan and were able to film our interviews and b roll footage. As we were unsure of how our customer interviews would turn out, we filmed a substantial amount of footage with one of the employees, Chelsea. Andi filmed a majority of the b roll footage and then talked with our interviewees whilst I operated the camera and sound. We were both a bit unsure in how we would go using the sound equipment and video camera given that neither of us have much experience but I think the quality turned out really well so it was definitely a good confidence booster and learning experience. After we finished filming we decided it would be easier if just one of us did the editing process. However to make it less overwhelming for one person, we came up with a detailed plan together about how I would cut everything together.
Documentary Editing Plan
-Shots of the city
-RetroStar walking shot : silence or ‘hidden gem audio’
-Tracking shot going in
-Title (not related to retrostar)
-From the outside going in, just when it gets in cut to Chelsea; cut aways with Chelsea
-History Chelsea; introduces RetroStar
-Interviews, one question at a time
-End with favourite retro star item
-Echo their voice or end with old lady
One of our biggest stresses whilst filming was the colouring and if we would be able to successfully edit it. Our footage within the store was very yellow due to the lighting and it was quite dark in the space we did our interviews but we played around in Premiere Pro and were able to adjust the footage to a colouring we were both happy with. I felt confident using Premiere Pro to edit and with our plan it didn’t take an overly long amount of time to put everything together. In the editing process I realised that with our introduction and footage of customers, we were nearly at the 5 minute mark and wouldn’t have time to feature our interview with Chelsea. After discussing it with Andi we both felt that if we had Chelsea speaking at the start and for a majority of the documentary we would be going in a completely different direction to what we had wanted given that all of our customer interviews were highly successful. It also seemed promotional for RetroStar if Chelsea was our main character, which was one of the biggest notes from the panel in that we should avoid that vibe. I think the most successful part of our documentary was featuring such a variety of people and specifically when each individual described their favourite vintage piece. After getting the classes feedback we were both really pleased and took on their comments that the introduction was a bit long so I went back and sped those clips up. I was still having problems with exporting my video at a high quality which is very frustrating but not much can be done about it.
Overall I am really pleased with our final product and think we both worked hard. I still think our colouring could be better in some of the in store shots but we did the best with what we could. Our aim was to present a documentary that featured customers of a vintage store discussing their personal relationship with vintage clothing. We wanted the documentary to be light and display a variety of cliental that concisely answered our questions and gave the viewer an insight into their identity and I think we successfully achieved this. In relation to place and neighbourhoods I think our introduction was essential in emphasising the location of RetroStar. It emphasised not only that the store is a hidden gem, but also that it is in the very communal area of the CBD meaning that anyone has access to it.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rvkC5JgwDxi3zCtkCvAOsdaj3IgjY5FJ/view?usp=sharing
Hoop Dreams is a 1994 documentary by director Steve James. The film follows William Gates and Arthur Agee, two African-American teenage boys who are aspiring NBA players. We are introduced to them when they are just 14 years old and are part of their entire high schooling life as the documentary concludes when the two boys leave for college. As someone who has absolutely no interest in sports, I was surprised at this documentary’s ability to keep me so intrigued for it’s long 170 minute running time. Although the title suggests this film will be entirely focused on basketball, which to an extent it is, what ultimately stood out to me were the themes of family, wealth and the American dream. Both Gates and Agee live in lower socio economic neighbourhoods in Chicago and each teen experiences different struggles including financial issues, education, drug use, teenage pregnancy and difficult family relationships. By focusing on not just the boys but also the world that surrounds them, I think Hoop Dreams was so successful because it opened itself up to a wider viewing base than just sports fans. This film is further successful due to the boys and their families being filmed over the course of 4 years. We can see and feel the trust that developed between the social actors and Steve James and become emotionally attached to Gates and Agee as we start to want them to succeed nearly as much as they themselves do.
The Silences is a 2015 documentary by Margot Nash that describes and analyses Nash’s family, specifically her mother. At the start of watching this documentary I was very hesitant to keep watching as it seemed slow and uneventful. Having finished it I don’t think I could watch it again, but it definitely made me consider my own family relationships. This film largely connected to the reflexive mode of documentary. Nash narrates the documentary and had a voice of authority as she attempts to convince the viewer of her own opinions of her mother. It is evident that Nash has respect for her father despite his mental health issues whilst she clearly has a strained relationship with her mother who is depicted as harsh and unloving. Given that this is a story about Nash’s family history there is a huge use of footage from interviews and archive material. However the documentary also dabbles in reflexive mode conventions as there are many techniques borrowed from fiction film with there being multiple recreations of her childhood shown in the documentary. This documentary also raises the question of ethics in that Nash is portraying her mother and father from only her perspective and as they are both deceased, they have no right of reply. This therefore made me question whether or not the documentary was offering an authentic portrayal of Nash’s family, especially considering she is relying so heavily on memory.
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer is a 2003 documentary by Nick Broomfield and details the crimes committed and eventual death of American serial killer, Aileen Wuornos. Wuornos is an incredibly interesting character and the documentary made me feel extremely sympathetic towards her as it is clearly evident she is mentally unwell yet is still executed under the death penalty in Florida. The documentary gravitates towards tropes of the performative and participatory modes of documentary in that the documentary maker, Broomfield, makes his presence extremely evident. However I felt that by inserting himself so heavily in the documentary, Broomfield was portraying himself as the hero trying to save Wuornos and her reputation. Whilst I agree her punishment was unjust given her mental state, I think the documentary is at a disadvantage at the fault of Broomfield and his saviour persona. He evidently had built a relationship with her after having made his 1992 documentary Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, however his continuous presence throughout his new film can at times distract from Wuornos who is ultimately the star of the documentary. I would still recommend and rewatch this documentary as it is a unique and interesting human interest and crime story however I question what the different outcome would be if Broomfield wasn’t featured as much.
The September Issue by R.J. Cutler is a 2009 documentary that follows American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, creative director Grace Coddington and other magazine employees as they work on the 2007 September issue of Vogue. In the opening sequence, Wintour is being interviewed and states that ‘just because you like to put on a beautiful Carolina Herrera dress or a pair of J Brand blue jeans instead of something basic from Kmart, it doesn’t mean that you’re a dumb person’. She then further argues that ‘there is something about fashion that can make people very nervous’. I thought these two statements set the tone and direction of the documentary really well but I also liked how you were being asked to consider your own relationship with fashion from the outset. Personally as someone with a strong interest in fashion, it can at times feel scary and intimidating to wear something that is new and a bit different as I don’t want to be judged by people who wear more simplistic clothing. I agree with Wintour in that it is largely due to the fact that a lot of people are intimated by fashion so they judge as a defence mechanism. The documentary raised the question for me of whether high fashion is an unnecessary luxury or form of artistic creation.There is definitely a stigma that fashion is a luxury and it’s considered lunacy by many to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a handbag or dress from a designer brand. However I think this documentary attempts to show all the artistic creativity that designers and Vogue magazine put into fashion which they consider to be an art form. Surprisingly by the end of this documentary I felt a sense of sympathy for Wintour and Coddington. Although they both clearly love the fashion industry, it is evident it takes an emotional and creative toll on them. When Wintour’s family is featured or described it is clear that they think her work is somewhat frivolous and dramatized, however having seen how effort Wintour put into publishing the September issue for 2007 I felt compassion for her. I further enjoyed this documentary as it felt very real as there was so much behind the scenes footage of the months of planning as well as the photoshoots that would appear in the magazine.
My older sister recently moved out of our family home and as someone who has only moved house once when I was very young, I was curious to ask my sister some questions about how she is adapting to her new neighbourhood of residence and it’s impact on her identity.
What neighbourhood do you live in?
Mordialloc.
How long have you lived there for?
Three months.
Do you think it has had an impact on your identity?
Yes, it makes me more low key and more of a homebody because there’s less to do and brings out that part of my identity.
Do you feel a connection to the neighbourhood?
Yes and no. I like it but I haven’t lived here long and I’d like to live somewhere with a bit more culture. I’ve lived in the south east most of my life and I feel like I’ve done it.
Do you live there out of choice or circumstance?
Circumstance. I would prefer to live in the north side but my partner is from Mornington so it’s a nice halfway point so neither of us are too far from our family or friends. But I am happy with the particular suburb we chose.
What has been your favourite suburb you’ve lived in and why?
In terms of actual location – East Melbourne, close to the north side, Richmond and CBD. Lots of places to eat, go out. In terms of how happy I’ve been, Mordialloc. I feel relaxed at home and love living with my partner.