UNTOLD STORIES: Assignment 1
UNTOLD STORIES: PEOPLE, PLACES & OPEN SPACES
Assignment 1
Part A: About you
As a Melbournian I am fascinated by my city’s natural features, wildlife, historic buildings and the people who have lived here. All too often the experiences of ordinary people die with them, old buildings are demolished, fall in to private hands or are altered beyond recognition only to be forgotten by the general public. One method to ensure a rich history is not forgotten is to create a documentary that tells a story that otherwise would have gone untold. My plan is to go to physical sites, look around, research media archives, listen to people’s stories, then collect the information and display it somewhere current and future generations can learn from. I have a deep interest in the impact documentary can have on people and communities. A good documentary can move people to take action.
What attracted me to the Untold Stories studio was the chance to work with Melbourne’s Living Museum of the West. When I talk to people who live in the western suburbs I am often struck by the level of pride that they express. Their enthusiasm for their region is often in stark contrast to the impression that those from other geographic parts of Melbourne. I feel that this is a great opportunity to work with an organisation that has an existing ethos and mission that will in some ways simulate the working environment that I envision after my studies. I want to utilise the theoretical knowledge I have learned about film and documentary in other courses while expanding on the technical skills I have gained so far. I want to increase my competency in research, interviewing, camera work, sound recording and editing. My personal aim is to create a piece that is informative, persuasive and entertaining, while contributing something new to the museum that builds on the work that has gone before. What we learn from the past can directly influence what happens in the future.
Part B: Influences
Earlier this year the National Gallery of Victoria had an exhibition called ‘NGV Triennial’. The exhibition featured works from artists from around the world and featured among other works; paintings, design, textiles, sculpture and film. Among all the exhibits the one that had the biggest impression on me was Richard Mosse’s Incoming (2015). Incoming (2015) is a fascinating video-art installation that also doubles as a documentary. Mosse’s film used a long-range thermal imaging-camera that was designed for military use, most commonly for border surveillance. The camera produces black and white images that are generated by heat rather light. Human features are blurred and become shadow puppets in a very real serious current event. The film focuses on the turmoil in modern day Syria and the refugee crisis. Due to the content it is easy to describe Incoming (2015) as a documentary as well as art, however it does break some documentary conventions that make it stand out. Along with the unique footage that is achieved by the use of the thermal imaging-camera, Mosse does not included any interviews or human voices for that matter. The effect created is one of unease and makes the viewer feel they are on the ground at the cold face of the Syrian crisis.
Incoming (2015) is an example how a documentary can be poetic and informative. A filmmaker does not have to tell their audience exactly what is occurring on screen in order to convey meaning. I would really like to borrow some elements from this film. While I don’t have access to military grade camera equipment, I can make a film that does not use traditional documentary conventions. I would like to make a film that leads an audience to reach their own conclusion and hopefully take positive actions as a result of it.
Part C: Research Montage
