April | 2016 | Michael Firus

Class Team Work

One has to love a good stock image… When PB4 was announced as a team-focused exercise, a fair amount of the lecture theatre either groaned or laughed nervously. However, after this week’s practical, I can honestly say that their fears were misguided. A quick scan of the room reveals a set of content groups humming…

Print Media vs Audio/Visuals

Physical Print is a medium which I am aiming to become more acquainted with, though modesty forbids I have some competency now. Ever since my stint as editor of my high-school magazine SCOBE, I have grown to like the idea of two-dimensional creation. Front and back cover (laid flat) of SCOBE. (Cover design by me)…

360 degree Video: Multilinear Narrative?

The premise of 360-degree video is thus: multiple cameras are arranged around a single point with different points of view. Collectively, these cameras capture every angle around their position simultaneously. These views are then stitched together with specialized software to form a single panoramic spherical video. (click and drag on the video) This footage is…

PB3 Peer Feedback

Grace: Grace, your interview was well shot and the use of effects was notable; specifically, the parallel action achieved with the many shots arranged in one frame technique. The unusual angles you used also added visual interest to your shots. The story of your interviewee was presented coherently and in a way that was enjoyable…

Project Brief 3

Reflection: I decided to experiment with a format of interview that seemed to be less conventional; the walking and talking interview. I decided this because I wanted to attempt to attempt a departure from the conventional ‘sit-down’ interview format. This technique did turn out well in my opinion; giving the engaging aspect of movement…

EXERCISE – NARRATIVE STRUCTURE IN PB3

What is the ‘controlling idea’ (Robert McKee) of your portrait? In other words, what is the most interesting thing about your participant/interviewee that you want to communicate? The controlling idea in my portrait is the fact that vibrancy – to a normal or even greater than normal amount – is achieved within disability. …

Teamwork: The Only Way To Do

“There’s a level of sophistication of filmmaking that’s mind-boggling. Anything you need for your movie, there’s an establishment that can make it happen really fast” – Ang Lee Not many worthwhile things happen without teamwork. This is true for any human endeavor in any discipline. Need to move…

Teamwork: Universally Imperative

We live in a world of collaboration. Moreover, this characteristic is by no means specific to this age. The ability to work in a team is fundamental; as social creatures, it is hardwired into our nature to be part of a team. In fact, I can bet with absolute certainty that you wouldn’t even be…

Us as characters:

In this course, we have been looking at the term ‘character’ as a fictional entity that we can construct in a book or film script. Maybe not all of us want to become writers, but we all create or have a say in creating characters of some kind. If nothing else, then it can…

Objects as Characters

Characters are probably one of those fundamental things… like thought or existence. I say this because everything has the potential to become a character; if they are not inherently one already. Objects as Characters: I recently saw the 1998 spy thriller Enemy of the State. Its narrative revolves around the NSA dealing crookedly in almost…