Analysis/Reflection 5.2

It’s been a really long semester and I better start this off by saying I let everything fall to the side.

I missed at least one Analysis/Reflection, I pretty much wafted through the production of the documentary with little-to-no creative input (not to say that I didn’t like where it went) and I don’t remember a single second from my 1+3 presentation.

However, I did enjoy this subject. Honestly, I didn’t learn much. The information I got about producing documentary I’d heard from the producers that I bother on a daily basis. The equipment had all been gone over either in Film/TV 1, Broadcast Media, Writing Media Texts, though my work with RMITV or on TV commercials and the like. I did enjoy it though, trust me, and I did get valuable experience.

I didn’t expect to have such a fun experience while filming. It was relaxed, cheerful and I ate SO MUCH FOOD. I love food. While I knew all the info about documentary filmmaking on paper it was great to really get into it and see all that theory in action. Nothing went wrong, the editing process has been smooth – barring a few audio issues, but six tracks of nearly identical audio has been very useful – and I’m actually keen to see this on the big screen, while last time I dreaded it.

My desire to have creative input didn’t come to fruition, which is my own fault. I wasn’t really paying attention during the development and conceptualisation stages of production, and by the time I was back into it and eager to get going the idea, the method and the subject were pretty much set in stone. I think the only things I got a say in were on the technical side. ‘It’d be best to use a lavalier microphone’, ‘A 6D is great and will look good but the audio will be dodgy’, that kinda deal. Actually, I suggested filming and using a lot of the reflexive stuff, i.e. the shot of Theano doing the clapper that opens the documentary. I also campaigned for the whole thing to remain in Greek.

The shocker of the semester was really how much I enjoyed making this. Obviously this was an idyllic situation: a comfortable environment, a lot of time, catering provided, enthusiastic and charismatic participants, a beautiful story to capture on film. It was, dare I say it, easy. And there really is something rewarding about being involved in this, as compared to Cursed which I honestly considered dropping my name from. Yeah, it turned out fine, I just did not like making it at all.

Maybe this is all attributed to Ella and Tiana, who really did everything they could to make it work well and look good, while I was the yes-man who stood in the back and nodded and ate spanakopita.

I think it was spanakopita.

I’m not blaming myself for the lack of input so much, I feel like I helped to the best of my ability. I just… I don’t know. I loved making this film, and I’ve decided I definitely want to make more. For some reason, beyond my mental grasp right now, I feel like I didn’t put in as much as I took out.

 

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