Interview:

Montage:

Voice-over:

Within Assignment two I decided to research and uncover a better understanding of the details surrounding the Bridges collapse on the 15^th of October 1970. Initially I thought it would be interesting to look at the social and ethical reactions of having two Australian flags raised on the bridge, specifically focusing on the lack of an indigenous flag. Although, from my external research and visiting the Living Museum of the West, I felt it important to explore the events surrounding the collapse, and that this material I created could be of good use to the museum itself.

One work I have taken some resources from and much knowledge is Donna Jackson’s audio documentary titled; A West Gate Bridge Documentary, which explores the collapse of the bridge. This was made available by the staff of the museum and after recording it, I was able to listen to personal accounts of some of the workers and gaining a better understanding of the effect this event had on not only the workers of the bridge, but their families and Melbourne society at the time. Further research into news paper clippings and radio recordings created a stark contrast between these personal accounts found in Donna Jackson’s documentary and I believe may have inspired her to create this piece. Something that I have discovered through this research is a dubious interest in what political perspectives and motivations could have been present when considering the manufacturing of the West Gate bridge and what effect these views and expectations could have had on the production of the bridge. I hold a curious nature when considering the way media outlets covered the events surrounding the bridges collapse, compared to the real accounts of workers of the bridge. This idea of truths and reality is discussed in Documentary Media: History, Theory, Practice where its stated “Despite the potential range in form and content, all documentaries make truth claims about our physical world”. (Fox, 2009, p. 7) This concept has stuck with me and highlighted what the claim of ‘truth’ or ‘reality’ might mean when documenting events such as this. Are these personal accounts true and real or are they subjected to failings due to the memory recall or even the act of recording and interviewing. Furthermore, when considering news articles and radio reports to be documenting events, what external factors can affect the validity of truth.

Within this assignment, we as a group decided to divide the edits into three, each individual would complete one edit and we gathered resources together through visiting the museum, independent of class time. We used time together at university to reflect on the editing process and through social media, shared idea’s for our production and bounced approaches off one another. I feel this allowed for our group to work well together, gaining resources and insight into our topic whilst allowing for individual creativity when approaching our production. I created the interview and used audio recordings supplied by the Living Museum of the West. My intentions with this production was to recreate the accounts of one of the workers, Eddie Halsell, whilst creating a sound scape and visual stimuli that would reinforce idea’s of time, memory and emotion. The choice to use colour within my production to convey time worked well, as much of the resources we gathered from the museum were black and white photographs of the event and bridge at the time. Beginning the production in colour and desaturating it to black and white allows the audience to recognise the importance of time within this interview. The use of opacity within the interview was to signify memory, as this is quite old interview (30+ years) and the subject is recounting the events of time past, I felt it important to convey this through visual cue’s and felt it would create an emotional connection with audience, allowing better understanding and engagement with the interview. I feel the production I have created closely resembles the expository mode of documentary and Eddie’s narration works as a voice of god and the visual content I have chosen reinforces and creates truths through archival material.

When first considering approaches to this assignment, I thought it would be really interesting to be able to get in touch with someone who could recall these events, whether it was a worker of a bridge or just someone living in Melbourne at the time. But due to the time constraints for this assignment I did not have the opportunity to conduct this type of interview as I currently don’t have access to someone with this experience. This is something I would definitely like to achieve in a future production. Because I was working with a pre-recorded interview, there would have been elements in the interview I would have liked to elaborate on but could not because I didn’t record it myself. Elaborating on this, I had to edit and rearrange the interviews audio sequences so it made sense for the listener, this detracts from the validity of the interview and is insincere to the original recording. In future productions I hope to be able to create more validity in my productions whilst not being confined to the expository formatting. To achieve this I will need to create more of the productions content myself and push myself out of my comfort zone when considering composition.

Reference:

Jackson, D. 1985, A West Gate Bridge Documentary, Audio Recording, Australia

Fox, B., 2009. Documentary Media: History, Theory, Practice. Allyn & Bacon

This weeks Tuesday class consisted around interviewing and practicing the skills essential for conducting a good interview.  We continued to use the Sony X200 which was great as I now feel much more comfortable and confident with this camera. Adding a Lapel and Boom mic to the mix was something I am quite familiar with but is always good to have the experience with, especially when working with students that have a varying knowledge with this equipment, I was able to gain some tips and trick that I was unaware about.

After class myself and my group were able to gain resources from the Living Museum of the West and discuss our separate approaches to assignment 2 and what content we were going to cover. We were lucky enough to take scans of photos taken before the collapse of the bridge and after, news paper clipping and other official documents that surround the collapse.  Other resources included a record which contained a song that was created post-collapse of the bridge, a bolt that was once part of the bridge and audio recordings from Donna Jackson’s documentary about the bridge.  All of these resources will come in use when producing assignment 2.

Sadly I am sick this week and was unable to attend this week’s visit to the museum of Friday, luckily we made our visit earlier in the week. I have used this time to edit together the interview production and explored all the resources we gained earlier in the week. Through editing the production I have gained a better understanding of the events that unfolded around the bridge’s collapse and feel that this is a subject I would very much like to delve into deeper, in future assignments. Creating an interview from archival footage is something that I have never completed before and it held many different challenges compared to those you would find when editing together an interview you have conducted yourself. Something that I found quite challenging was the lack of control you had on elaborating or extending content surrounding a certain subject I wished to explore. For example, Eddie, the worker I decided to focus on, would say something that I would like to elaborate on, but because the archival audio I was sourcing had a range of other workers, it could cut to another personal account and cut Eddie’s recalling off. I feel I was able to counter this by re-arranging Eddies interview segments but would have loved to be able to interview him myself.

On Tuesday we spent some time going over the different documentary types. I have some experience with Bill Nicholls modes of documentaries from completing the documentary cinema subject last semester. I have also created participatory  documentaries in previous studios, one I will link at the bottom of this post. The one mode that sticks out to me in Bill Nichols list, and one that I have never participated in/have much knowledge of is the poetic mode.  Kim showed as a few examples of poetic documentaries, one exhibiting the art of blowing glass, another where two separate videos were placed side by side and due to this, meaning is created by the juxtaposition.  I really enjoyed the contrasts created and the simplicity in which meaning can be conveyed without the need for text or narration. Not only is it enjoyable to watch, I feel it makes the message more impactful as the audience is able to create their own impressions and meanings.

On Friday I was able to explore the Living Museum of the West with the class. We started by going through the website and looking at some work that was already available online.  Something that was highlighted for me was that there is a section of the website for ‘bridges’ but has not been fully fleshed out and appeared that they would appreciate any work that could be added about this tiopic. This has concreted in my ambition to continue exploring the theme of the West Gate bridge.  My group and I were able to find some great information about the bridge’s collapse. This included news clippings, a record of the radio report, images taken at the time by Donner Jackson who re-opened an investigation into the bridges collapse and cover-up’s of the safety procedures in place at the time. Peter, who was available to talk to at the museum, also sent us promotional information about a book he believes would be helpful with our production and informative about this subject (he also mention that Donner might be willing to be interviewed about the subject). It was a great chance to see the museum and gain a better understanding of who we will be working collaboratively with,  I feel I have also gained direction for future assignemtns within this studio.

As promised:

This week Assignment 1 was due, as posted below I took one of the interviews we conducted and placed visual stimuli that correlated with the audio to create a piece that explored the West Gate bridge.   I think the subject of the bridge is something that I will continue to explore as I feel its something, everyone has a knowledge of. This can stem from just crossing it, to knowledge of its collapse or people that were involved in its construction.

Sadly I missed our first visit to the museum this Tuesday, but as we are visiting next Friday I look forward to being able to explore the museum and possibly find some information or archives about the bridge that will help start constructing assignment 2.  On Friday we were given the opportunity to experiment with the RMIT cameras. I have used these camera’s in the past but only briefly as in most university productions, I have often used my personal DSLR. It was a good chance to refresh my knowledge of a stand alone video camera and audio equipment, practicing with the different setting whilst getting comfortable with the tech we have access to. We had some difficulty setting the white balance outside as it was a nice, sunny day and our audio quality wasn’t great as we didn’t position the boom mic close enough to us. It was also a good opportunity to play out different senario’s we will be conducting in productions but also to get to know some of my fellow class mates and start forming connections which will help in future assignments as most are group based.

Something from this weeks reading that really resonated with me is the idea of pushing documentary form and function. I have commented in the past about wishing to widen my knowledge of documentary production,  as I have produced doco’s before, but always in a start to finish manner, always answering a question or exploring a subject. In my future productions I would really like to be able to create something that is able to interest an audience, without having to spoon feed them content, try approaching a subject differently whilst still being able to convey meaning.

Part A:  About Me

One reason I decided to take Untold Stories was due to keen interest in documentary making. I have taken previous studios that cover this topic but nearly always have created something that follows the type of formula of asking/answering a question. I eagerly wish to obtain the skills to create something that doesn’t follow this linear fashion and believe Untold Stories is where I can learn these skills. The freedom we have in approaching this studio allows me to feel comfortable in experimenting with different forms of documentary making which may include interactive projects or immersive audio experiences, both styles of documentaries I haven’t produced. Whilst considering this, from this studio I would like to improve on my audio editing skills and my ability to produce creative content for a project. I wish to branch away from the typical video documentary and experiment with different media styles that could have more collaborative opportunities with its audience and producers alike.

The opportunity to work collaboratively with the Living Museum of the West was something that intrigued and interested me as no other studios had offered this experience of creating for a project outside of RMIT. I enjoy storytelling and capturing the accounts of people and their experiences in life. I myself have traveled much of my life being born into a family of expats, and relish in the chance to engage with Australian history. This is my heritage, but I feel disconnected from it as it was not my upbringing. Being able to work with the Living Museum of the West gives me access to stories, journeys and lives that may differ drastically from my own. Something I am very interested in and connects with other subjects I’m doing this semester is australian history, specifically Australian media as I am completing Australian cinema. If possible, it would be interesting to see if I was able to incorporate the knowledge I am learning in my cinema class to some of the history I will acquire from the Living Museum of the West.

Part B: Influences

A source of non-fiction documentaries that I find very interesting and influential on how I wish to develop my production skills are Vice documentaries. Examples from Vice that I find especially intriguing are Inside The Laughing Gas Black Market (2017) and Inside a Gang Initiation with the Silent Murder Crips (2018). The ability these style of documentaries have to gain great insight into the lives and experiences of the individuals and their societies inspires me to create similar things.

I think in today’s media we often view these taboo subjects (along side lots of other subjects investigated by Vice) as only newsworthy topics, where the target audience will be ‘concerned citizens’ that don’t want to know the people behind the subject or why these things happen, just what’s being done about them (police involvement or justice system). I really enjoy being able to learn about topics that mainstream media might not make available to its viewers, such as the societies surrounding fringe subjects and the personal reasons why people may indulge in a life of crime and illegal behaviour.

Being able to complete an insightful documentary which uses high quality video resolution, artistic video styles, soundscapes to accompany the themes found in the production are all features I wish to master. Elements from these productions that I wish to borrow for my own production is the ability to create a level of trust and insight, to create a feeling of discovery or the uncovering of a subject not often discussed in mainstream media. I feel the personal style in which these documentaries are created, using close-up shots and individual narrations to construct story allows the audience to relate to what they are viewing, taking them out of their own position and place themselves into style of life they might not be familiar with.

This was our first week of the studio: UNTOLD STORIES: PEOPLE, PLACES & OPEN SPACES. After getting all the icebreakers done and comfortable in our new class, we started an activity of looking at what the west means to us an individuals (West Melbourne).  There was a variety of different thoughts which included food, people, sport but the main focus I took (and the main experience I have with the west) is the West Gate Bridge.

I expressed my frustration with crossing the bridge over peak hour and the congestion you can face at this time. We were then asked to expand on our subjects and create questions to be asked so that we can create an audio play/research montage of our chosen subject. My group and I decided to do some research and came up with these 5 questions:

• What are your experiences with the bridge?
• Tell me about your knowledge of the West Gate bridge’s history?
• Did you know the West Gate bridge collapse? (do you know what happened to the bridge in 1970?)
• If there was an efficient toll alternative to the West Gate, would you use it?
• What’s your opinion of spending 1 million taxpayers dollars on flags for the West Gate?

We then got comfortable with some audio equipment and went out to ask the masses about their opinion and details about their knowledge of the West Gate Bridge.  We were about to interview 3 random people off the streets and collect a variety of opinions and outlooks which will help create the research montage.

Within this production, collaboration was something that obviously ran into some issues because of differences in scheduled,  but was overcome with ease due to great communication within the group.

As most students will experience this within group work, there were a few moments within the production where some members would not be able to attend shoots or edits due to work or other factors. Within our group, this was always addressed at the time and if a member of the group couldn’t make a scheduled meeting,  work was often distributed fairly to ensure that everyone had something to do and the assignment load was distributed evenly.

For example, Lisa vocalized at the beginning of the production that work commitments would mean that she would probably not be able to attend all of the editing meet-ups. This was fine due to the reality that its sometimes better to have less people huddled around a computer. In turn, she was happy to complete the treatment with our input. Similarly Lisa was also always available for her feedback on the draft edits.  Similarly I had another assignments due around a editing meet-up, so my group took my laptop (where the edit was being completed) and  continued to edit without me.

To conclude, through out all my group work this far at RMIT, this has been one of the most enjoyable and evenly distributed experiences.

Tristan is a music producer who’s been confronted with a profound discovery. Exploring the nature of human identity in the face of adversity, we learn that life-changing discoveries can have far-reaching impacts.

Tristan is a young music producer who works full time at Woolworths. With a vibrant social life and deep passion for music, it appears Tristan’s life is outwardly carefree. Tristan confides a dark truth that complexifies the nature of his identity. He has been diagnosed with a rare immune deficiency disorder and has been told by doctors that he won’t live past the age of forty. Tristan has to grapple with his identity and the trajectory of his life. Tristan is a film about optimism in the face of adversity.

Leading up to our final class and the submission of our production, there were  a few last minute alterations we decided to do on our interview.

Some of the more simple changes were to add fades of the music and interview audio to create a more fluid transition between cuts. We also played with the EQ at the start of the interview and the volume levels of the second piece of music, due to the singer in the audio being quite loud and distracting.  Rohan suggested we shuffles the order of some of the B-roll and removed a few clips that didn’t quite fit the production. This resulted in us using different clips which I feel added more to the production and actually allowed us to present visual footage to accompany what was being said in the interview audio more accurately.

One of the altercations that actually proved to be more difficult to complete than expected was the choice of fonts. Strangely enough, its hard to find a font that not only fits the theme of our interview but also is legible and clear enough. We tried a few different types but ended up choosing a graffiti styled font as we believe this suites the grungy style of the production.

After all of the changes were complete we were very happy with the final production and feel we are ready to submit!