Escape by Elsa,Iren , Ziyu: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eyVEnuD3jfFxDoeXEmoLG2U4RPcBUkQK/view?usp=drivesdk

REFLECTION (Individual)

The Peograss

First of all, I need to say thanks to all of my team members. They contributed a lot and response very soon. We separate our job clearly at the very beginning. So I think we cooperate quite smoothly and efficiently.

Firstly, because everyone is easy-going, we were hard l to decide on our theme. However it must be decided, so I think the easiest way is to develop the theme which grouping us. In my viewpoint, this is the reason why I kind of took the lead to the team and we have done the work so much faster than other groups. As soon as we decided on the theme, we got started (It started on the third day).

Next, another reason we decided so fast, is because I have a blueprint in my mind and some other ideas that I didn’t use last time, Jan was the leader of the pitch. So, thanks to such a quick thinking process, we can be easier to progress to the next step. Consequently, I almost wrote all the concepts in the first day we grouped up, and then we simply formed our workup (including photography, document editing). I am responsible for a part of the photography and the main idea provider, but both of them provide quite a lot of video and then Ziyu would edit the basic concepts to a doc file. Additionally, I’m happy to do editing, because all of the ideas are already in my head. Thus, I don’t have to draw a storyboard and script anymore and it can also make me practice more on editing proficiency. In fact, if someone other than me does the editing, it could be more difficult for us, cause we can only communicate online.

Following, since we’ve decided we will develop our escape concept, there’s no doubt we will use some materials from the last assignment. However, we use video only provided by the three of us and we did contribute more.

In assignment 4, the video that shooted by me are those with red mark (see image 1). But please note that this picture shows just some of our materials. More and more, it is worth noticing that Irene provides representative and high-quality videos, which directly improved the quality of our entire video.

Image 1

Moreover, I chose the videoleap to edit all our material together as a film because I am quite used to it. Again, it’s very convenient for me as I have to go out sometimes with my mom for the work sometimes. So, I prefer editing with no laptop or a computer in the car, rather than stay at the same place and manage a period of time to edit it (see image 2). The whole editing progress including texture, adjust colour, adjust audio, whole picture farmwork and transaction. Finally, the movie export with 1080p, 30 NTSC ( the highest quolity it can export is 4K, 60 NTSC).

Image 2

Learning and outcome

Learning from “Introduction to Documentary” by Nicholas(2017), I  think there is one sentence can easily find it documentary: “It involves real people (social actors) who present themselves to us in stories that convey a plausible proposal about or perspective on the lives, situations, and events portrayed.”. It inspired me and in my opinion, the documentary is about real things in society rather than made up a story or develop a fake story from the real story. As well as it has no many dramatic techniques with someone who just want to reflect the truth of life.

I also notice that poetic mode, our final work‘s mode, can sacrifice the editing technique to address the theme (Nicholas, 2017). In other words, the poetic mode is more emphasis on emotional change and expression, rather than a fluent storyline. In this stage, “Window water baby moving” (Stan Brakhage, 1958) helped me on building structure a lot. Especially on the editing, it provides an idea of how to present emotional feeling by sence to the audience effectively. In addition, I found that jumping between the different frame, overlay of the translucent lens and give some music were working very well for me. This makes me not only have one emotion or feeling when relying on the same lens but also makes me have multiple and complex tastes and ideas.

The other reason why it works well may be because it‘s a unique and unfamiliar expression way to most of the youth as it is a late 20th documentary. It brings up to me the consideration of that the translucent combination of our close-up and long-distance observational perspective, and it is very special. Within add the eyes combined with the existing window shot to create a person or a mind are stuck in somewhere. Plus, through a shot of opening the door and the eyes, I could create the feeling of a panel and connect the world to escape. Although it is kind of new ideas to me, it works well.

From the point of view that I have absorbed so much information and the output after so many classes, I think our film is a successful short film on presenting the idea of “Escape” and the emotional value. To specific, such as the emotional feeling from stuck in the one place to open mind can be easily be passed to the audience. Thus, just one example of many that can make our video at least a qualified documentary short film. There are other bonus points, such as The rhythm of the editing, the turn, the combination, the usage of music and colour.

Regardless, something is not good enough, that is, except for Irene, all of us were using mobile phones. Although my phone is an iPhone 12 Pro Max with 4K camera, this is not professional. And Ziyu’s mobile phones is actually not qualify for high-quality video shooting, so I rarely use his part as part of the film.

Overall, I have no idea about any creative way to improve our film as I am the director. But if there is any possible to make a different mode with no time limitation, I want to try to maek a whole day documentary with less cutting, and the documentary will be more than 6hr.