Category: Translating Observation S2 2020

Final Piece:

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/10/16/assignment-4-video-piece-830am/

Observations:
13 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/09/19/observation-13/

14 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/09/19/observation-14/

15 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/09/21/observation-15/

16 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/09/21/observation-16/

17 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/09/28/observation-17/

18 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/09/28/observation-18/

 

Weekly Reflections:

W7 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/09/19/w7-reflection/

W8 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/09/21/w8-reflection/

W9 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/09/28/w9-reflection/

W10 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/10/05/w10-reflection/

W11 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/10/11/w11-reflection/

 

Response to W9 Class Presentation:

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/09/28/presentation-reflection/

 

Two Practical Reflections:

1 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/10/05/a4-practical-reflection-1/

2 https://www.mediafactory.org.au/eleanor-holloway/2020/10/16/a4-practical-reflection-2/

 

‘8:30am’ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pFuDZk0OHqTfLm6bbwvECyHN9DsIzwBV/view?usp=sharing

My final piece for assignment four, ‘8:30am’, is finally complete and I am overall extremely happy with it. After corresponding with Robin, we decided the best route would be to create some more scenes of similar nature to the one shown in the presentation, all with that similar theme of trying to reach a deadline or being late. I think this was perfect because I could continue to explore the same theme but achieve it in a few different ways. Additionally, it solved my issues that I had after completing that first scene, particularly that it could become fairly one-note if I kept going in that direction.

I planned each scene to stand on it’s own, working around the limitations I had with being the only creator with little to no actors available. I was concerned for a while that this would be consequential when it came time to put the scenes together for presentation, but I saw a natural chronology in the pieces together without it being to obvious or predictable. I believe this was the right direction to go in, and it was helpful that there were two different actors (my sister and I) which broke it up and showed that it was a few different stories combining. I see it as two people leaving the same morning, either trying to work around each other in one house, or in completely different places with their own tribulations in their morning routines, or working to a deadline.

It was important when I was constructing the vignettes for them to be different each time. It would be quite easy to assume that each could end the same way – rushing to get one thing done, stumbling, just making it each time. I wanted to keep that for the shoelaces tying, where that was my original vision, and because it worked the best when it came to filming. For the the kitchen scene and the printer scene, the character was almost avoiding or unaware of the time running out, so there was then more freedom in the post-production to make it something new. This was primarily done with the text on screen, which was a cohesive theme throughout the piece. Additionally, the slow-motion was used in two of the scenes, and was a fun way to play with the passage of time. Overall, each vignette was not the same, and I enjoyed creating some unexpected outcomes or endings.

In editing, each vignette had it’s own aesthetic or atmosphere, which allowed me to explore what felt right when I was filming. For example, the day I filmed the typing scene, it was a sunny day and I could hear the birds chirping from inside. My initial vision was to have it at night, but I think it came together far better to have it on a sunny day, and subsequently as a part of the introduction of the piece. One of my favourite shots was the light catching on the glasses frame, in the close up. I think little moments like this help to give a piece some character. Additionally, all of the birds flying in and out of the frame was extremely cute but also looked great for the editing I was going for which followed the movement of the frame in a swooping or flowing fashion.

In the shoelaces scene, I wanted the scene to turn to a film noir/chiaroscuro look in black and white, so I could have more defined shadows and highlights. This worked well with the dark black boots, and the shine of the eyelet rings for the shoelaces. Given I had one lamp to work with, I think achieving a heavily contrasting look with shadows was a success.

One of my other favourite shots was the first in the printer scene, where I caught the ‘dust particles’ of the study/library in the warm light. Again, this sole shot directed my vision for how this scene would be constructed. From this musty and old appearing space, I decided that a stereotypical old-timey mood with the music and sound would be perfect. I think this was a nice contrast to the technological failure of the printer, too.

One concern I do have is with my use of music. I find it easy to rely on music because it can add so much to a piece if I feel I do not have anything else to include. I did want to have a scene or two without music, but it just did not feel like a correct fit to me. I personally think music that is cut in different ways and has certain effects can do a lot for a scene that a certain voiceover or text on screen cannot. My constant reliance on using music is something I will need to address one day, but today is not that day!

I can say overall I am very happy with the piece, and I am delighted that I was explore to a variety of different filming and editing techniques to put it together. Even though I was certainly limited in some aspects, I do believe I worked efficiently with the resources I had available to me.

We looked at text in film this week, and I was reminded of a few TV shows that have had a modern portrayal of how teens text and the various ways characters can interact with their devices. For example, in this Euphoria (2019) scene Jules’ whole reaction is shown as she texts someone anonymous. Because all of the text is on screen, the audience can react alongside her. Additionally, the flow of conversation is fast-paced which is a fairly accurate portrayal of how teens text today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2bxhkfIk8&ab_channel=darkscott

Another show that came to mind was Skam (2015) where the text messages flash on screen, interspersed with the dialogue. As the messages are anticipated, the phone is a vessel for the character he is texting, almost having the same sensitivity to the dialogue as a real person may have. In this way, the audience feels that anticipation with the other characters in the room. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNGZzpadk-c&ab_channel=SVTZ

Also this week we watched ‘La France contre les robots’ to get us thinking about our filmmaker backgrounds and if we needed this context in order to enjoy or appreciate a film. I think even just based on what we have learnt this semester with voiceover and text on screen, I kept in mind when viewing. Additionally, I enjoyed the twinkling lights over the horizon in the first half, and the swan floating over the water alongside the character in the second. All of this together gave me a better grounding to think about what the film meant to me, which I don’t think I would have had if I had no prior education.

I was thinking about this when I went to see Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks (thankfully in the cinema) this week. My prior context was that I already liked the lead actors, so I had more of an appreciation of  the subtlety of the performances. Additionally, I know Coppola’s work quite well. I don’t think overall my prior knowledge affected my appreciation of the film, because it was so focused on the personal relationships of the characters which I think can only be subjectively perceived, regardless of a film background. That being said, I did enjoy the cinematography – the film was softly lit and had a predominantly cool-toned colour palette. The scenes in the city streets were constructed to have a lot of reflective surfaces – off the ground, the windows, and the cars – and the surrounding lights were minimal. I imagine the streets of NYC are a lot warmer and brighter in reality.

It does lead me to the question of what the purpose of a film is if it can only be appreciated by those with technical understanding. I think ultimately a viewer’s personal connection is far more important than trying to classify things as ‘good’ or not, and that can include having a filmmaker’s background, being a fan of the actors, or just the story in the film itself. For example, watching ‘La France contre les robots’ resonated because I could draw elements of my actual life and prior knowledge to the text.

Link to first piece: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UY0fCGxG5ZFYsqGauHL4thDYXPj8m5wM/view?usp=sharing

I created this concept of my piece based on my observation 11. That was inspired by a recurring dream I have suffered from or years, in which it takes me hours to get ready for school, particularly tying my shoes, and by the time I am finished the school day is already over. So far in my piece I have constructed one scene in my film, which is a sequence of the ‘getting ready in the morning’ piece. I am happy with how it has turned out so far, in both the shots I achieved and the general tone. I hope to colour correct and make a more cohesive palette that I just could not achieve when filming in my kitchen (with little to no production design control). I did film some other shots, like a waking up and turning off an alarm sequence, but I just do not have enough footage to put together a whole other scene at this stage. Additionally, I do not think they worked as well as the kitchen sequence. I think this is partially due to the strong vision I had for it, so it’s been fairly seamless to construct so far.

I unsure of the voiceover I used. I changed the pitch sound to create a very ominous presence in the scene. I felt that it was too sinister, so I added the Bach music overtop. I think this created a soundtrack dissonance effect, which is very intriguing to me personally, but leads me to wonder what the rest of the piece may look like. I do have a few concerns regarding this, one being that it may get too long if I chronicle a whole morning getting ready. Additionally, this could become quite repetitive and maybe then boring if it remains in it’s chronological order. This could be avoided in the editing to an extent, but I do have to think about where I want to go next with it. I want to explore some more music and sound options, and experiment with pacing to see what fits and makes a whole, cohesive piece.

I also have a vision for a second piece. I want to do something slower-paced and working more with the natural world around me. (Because I am surrounded by countryside currently, it would be a shame to not utilise it.) Scheduling wise, this could be a possibility, but I am becoming aware of my disinterest towards the first piece, as I feel that there is no mystery or intrigue to it. It would be very similar to that initial scene. All there is to do now is explore my options for this first piece and the unwritten second.

This week I had a consult with Robin where I solidified what my ideas were going to be moving forward. I was initially a little confused with where to go based on just the feedback in the presentation, but I now know that I can make more short pieces along the same theme but not have them necessarily in the same film as the first scene I made. This is good for me too because I have had ideas for different styles I want to try, so I can do this with the next scenes. This was also guided by seeing some of my classmate’s ideas that were leaning towards becoming more abstract, and the ideas for the sound that was discussed in everyone’s presentations.

We watched George Kuchar’s ‘The Mongreloid’, which showed how sound can be quite transformative in taking what could be just a home movie into something much bigger. It reminded me of the Free Cinema quote about perfection, where Kuchar’s film was not technically “perfect” but the sentiment was still strong. Another thing we watched was Jay Rosenblatt’s piece. Generally this style of film is not my favourite, but I did enjoy this one as it was quite fast-paced and in-your-face which I found to be effective in inciting an emotion towards it (slight disgust, perhaps).

Jean-Luc Godard’s films have provided us with excellent examples of sound use this week. I really enjoyed ‘Love’, I thought it was inspiring in it’s simplicity. Additionally, we discussed the competitive sound that can be present in his films, and the active engagement that is required when viewing. In ‘2 or 3 Things I Know About Her’ I liked the intimacy that the whispered voiceover brought to the scene, and as we discussed in class, it felt sincere because of that delivery. Finally, I was most inspired by the short ‘Made in the USA’ clip. I interpreted it as not every sound (for example, the singing) needs an according image in the same time and space. I think this is something to take note of because I often find myself stuck in a very chronological way of writing where everything needs to be clear or explained. I think that it will be good for me to branch away from that when doing these next scenes for the assignment. Overall, as we saw with ‘Citizen Kane’, there are almost no limitations to I am doing, I just need to keep exploring the possibilities.

Megan presented her piece based on an observation about her housemate sewing. The clip she showed was a mix of found footage with fashion shows and shining jewels, which I think was used in a purposeful way to create a strong luxurious aesthetic. I think her idea to have her own footage of close up sparkling makeup and textiles will work quite well to mirror the professional show. I was inspired by Megan’s desire to strive for an abstract piece through portraying the footage in reverse order, and getting clips such as silhouettes through a frosted door. 

I also liked her idea to film the makeup and fabrics in different shots because I think it will make a nice display of different textures. I think this was greatly enhanced with the colour palette, of strong warm tones like pink and orange. This gave the piece a very warm and homey mood which works perfectly with the concept of it being an at-home fashion show, essentially. 

Voiceover work can be a tedious process depending on what one is going for, but I think Megan was extremely successful in keeping her original observation as the voiceover. A lot of the detail of the written piece was necessary to keep the spirit of the video, so I hope she keeps the entirety of it moving forward.

Megan’s work so far has inspired me to go in a more abstract direction in my own work, and to keep experimenting. I think her idea to play out the scene backwards could be very successful, and is only something that is achieved because of experimentation. I particularly liked that the explanation of those first steps of the sewing overlaid the ‘final’ shots of the fashion show, because it urges the viewer to think about how the garments are actually created, and the personal perspective of the creator themselves. That being said, working to make a chronological timeline of the footage would also work, because that is how the observation goes – so this is a direction that could be explored with more experimentation. Overall I was very impressed with Megan’s work and look forward to seeing her final piece. 

This week we plunged in to Jean Painleve’s work, which was described as “poetic David Attenborough”. His films appear like natural history, particularly ‘The Seahorse’. The narration seemed mainly educational but the visuals were cinematic in capturing the seahorses movements through the water and with each other.

Additionally, we looked at Nanni Moretti’s ‘Dear Diary’, which was a very humorous fourth-wall breaking scene. This technique used in the imaginative diary-writing was reminiscent of some things I have seen before, but was ultimately a very satisfying and entertaining scene.  In constructing the scene this way, the medium was opened up in a way that those scenes could not occur otherwise, which is exactly what translating observation is all about!

I am quite happy with my observations this week. The first I had fun writing, because I interspersed what I was seeing and experiencing with my thoughts on each object, and what it’s history may have been. I have found throughout the semester that this has been one of my favourite ways to write. Additionally, my observation on the bonfire was simple but captured the evening nicely. I writing two different sort of styles this week, but I generally think my descriptive language has improved week by week, so hopefully in any more writing (whether that be for classes or personal) I can continue on that track.

This week we also had our presentations. I found it extremely helpful to hear other’s opinions on my work and the other scenes we watched, and it was nice to see everyone’s ideas come together from what had been previously discussed. I found my feedback reassuring that I am moving in the right direction.

My dad exclaims “look at the fire the neighbours have over there!”.

Through the blinds, I see a ginormous flame burning on the hill next to my house. I quickly go outside to take a closer looks, and I bring my camera too so I can capture it digitally. the fire burns high, with huge clouds of smoke floating and evaporating into the sky. Through the camera, I can see the embers whizzing through the air, disappearing a few seconds after emerging from the flame. All of sudden I hear galloping, and to my left a swarm of horses run freely down the hill where my house is situated.

The sun has already set, and so the blue sky falls darker and darker as each minute passes. I sit and appreciate the distant neighing, and I can faintly hear the music the neighbours loudly play as they enjoy their bonfire. The night falls upon the rolling hills and the cars on the highway become just lights, smoothly whooshing past, twinkling against the now almost unintelligible trees and shrubs against the road. Because of where I am sitting, and the direction of the wind, I unfortunately can’t smell the fire. Otherwise, as I sit and take in my surroundings, I think about what a perfect evening this has turned out to be.

We quickly threw up our umbrellas and trudged through the stretch of grass that had now turned to mud and puddles in the downpour. Dirt flew up onto my shoes, and  almost immediately I regretted wearing white sneakers instead of boots. We walked as fast as we could to the doors of the op shop. I shook off my umbrella undercover, and wiped my boots. We walked inside.

Rows upon rows of clothing engulfed the front of the store. Random objects like hats, scarves, and bags were haphazardly hung up through the aisles, presumably left by other customers. In front of me was the men’s section, so I began to shuffle through the racks of clothing. My mind went to the previous owners of the items. Had they given the clothing away because it was old, or ugly? Or had they been deceased, and someone close to them decided to just throw all of their belongings into bags to be subsequently donated.

Some of these items indicated who the previous owner might have been. For example, a collection of thick, short sleeve shirts with two huge pockets in the front. I assume fishing shirts. The shirts were in good condition, so I wonder if the fisherman just simply outgrew the size. Perhaps they hadn’t gone fishing in years, sold their boat, and realised they probably weren’t getting on the water anytime soon. Maybe they got the shirts as a gift and didn’t even like fishing.

I perused the men’s aisles for a good five minutes, ultimately not finding anything of great interest. I could see my friends towards the back of the store, and so I walked over to them. They were looking at the bridal wear, arranged scrupulously by the volunteers on a wall display. Hats, feathers, even veils draped down the organised shelves. To the right, a hefty collection of wedding dresses puffed out into the aisle. We looked through the gowns, pondering who might pick these up and wear them on their wedding day. “Some of these could have great material to turn into something new,” I said, thinking about the multitude of options that the embellished lace from one, and soft satin from the other could provide. I briefly thought about the possibilities, and what someone, more skilled on a sewing machine than I, could achieve. My mind was brought to another section, women’s jeans, where my friends were now laughing at the styles and cuts that had since gone way out of fashion. I quickly joined them. We had a good time that afternoon, reflecting upon all of the items that encapsulated both a moment in time, and the sort of person that may have once worn it. Once we had finished at that location, we stepped back into the soaking rain, heading for the car to drive to the next op shop.