Author: jessiecaesar

SCREENING POLITICS AND ECONOMIES: WEEK SEVEN REFLECTION (SCREENING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE WORK SOCIETY)

SCREENING POLITICS & ECONOMIES

“It is an old story but, in all of its guises, a perennially appealing one. A poor boy makes good. A secretary marries her boss, thereby launching herself from the steno pool to the penthouse. A lowborn young man with a burning ambition and an idea that everyone tells him is crazy becomes a successful entrepreneur (Levinson, J., 2012, pp.1)”. This is the case in Ethan Coen and Joel Coen’s 1994 film, The Hudsucker Proxy – A satirical comedy about the world of business and corporate greed, following an ambitious but naive young man, who is blissfully unaware that he is part of the board of directors’ bigger plans, and moves up the corporate ladder from the mailroom to the executive suite after showing the directors his ‘idea’. “The myth of success, with its fervid conviction that the opportunity for material attainment and spiritual fulfillment is every individual’s birthright and is within each person’s power, is central to American national identity. Our public discourse and our cultural artifacts exalt the archetype of the self-made man who, with determination, industriousness, and strategy, propels himself to the pinnacle of achievement. Since the eighteenth century, the success myth has been a key component of American master narratives: those resonant stories that seem to contain the essence of the nation and that get told and retold across generations and genres (Levinson, J., 2012, pp.1-2)”.The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) uses a satirical approach to bring the Coen’s opinions on the workplace to the fore. But it’s only one approach, among many different examples of the many ways that entrepreneurship and the work society can be depicted on screen.

We can see the many examples of how this is done in the work of Michael Schur and Dan Goor alone, who hone in on the workplace in their many successful sitcoms inclusive of The Office, The Good Place and more recently successful, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. All of which discuss the workplace in a satirical, but simultaneously entirely serious all at the same time – approaching current social topics that involves workplace concerns inclusive of sexism and discrimination within the workplace and society, issues of inequality and even touching on specific social issues relative to the workplace such as police brutality.

CITATIONS:

  • Levinson, J., 2012, The American Success Myth on Film, Palgrave Macmillan UK, London.

SCREEN LAB: ASSIGNMENT #4 – WEEK SEVEN REFLECTION

SCREEN LAB

The key learning we did this week was in relation to preparing for Assignment #4. To do this, we need to begin working on Assignment #3, which is a presentation to the class, Cat and guest speakers that involves either a powerpoint presentation on our concept or a rough cut of Assignment #4.

The main conceptual elements we discussed were in relation to the topics that we have to choose from to create a micro-essay for ACMI. Talking about the topics we could pick, what they meant, and how we could possibly make them engaging – all while meeting the key requirements given to us by ACMI.

The main media making elements we discussed were ways that we would be able to make our micro-essays and presentations, given the current circumstances. This included helpful tips for pre-production, including storyboarding, shot-listing, research, and how we have to reference when presenting our concept and creating our content for the ACMI Exhibition.

SCREENING POLITICS AND ECONOMIES: WEEK SIX REFLECTION (ECONOMIC INEQUALITY)

SCREENING POLITICS & ECONOMIES

“First, argument is about the relations between one voice and others, one view and other. Arguing happens when voices oppose each other, when views conflict. Rhetoric seeks to understand how and why voices conflict… To argue is to engage with other views and voices, either explicitly (dialogue) or implicitly, anticipating how others may react to what one says. A second point is that argument is about address, about people addressing other people and other views. The aim is ‘to counteract’ arguments which seem ‘false’ and to ‘defend (themselves) or accuse'(Leith, D. and Myerson, G., 1989. Pp. 80-81.).”

This week we honed in on the topic of ‘Economic Inequality’, viewing Jacob Kornbluth’s Inequality for All, a documentary that follows former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich as he discusses the economic and social consequences that may result if the gap between rich and poor continued to widen. It’s interesting when we look back on this documentary now, as it was produced about several years ago now, as a lot of the consequences Reich discussed (such as the suspension bridge graphs that show similarities between the economies of 1928 and 2007 – and again now, as we face the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic) and feared, have come into fruition. Reich argues in this film, that as a result of globalisation, technology, job outsourcing, and Wall Street’s & the one percenters desire to have their profits as high as possible, we are now seeing stagnant wages, stilted college attendance rate, and the ruining of manufacturing jobs that made the middle class. Reich suggests that the solution to solving economic crisis is through the investment of the middle class, as they are the ones contributing to the economy the most. Reich’s argument is in an attempt to counteract the argument that is presented by the one percenters and the people on Wall Street, that this economic strategy is not working.

This same ideology was taken on and explored by director Henry Grazinoli, in his 2017 documentary Um Novo Capitalismo (also known as, and directly translated as A New Capitalism). After OXFAM launched a report showing that the richest 1% of the population owns the same wealth as the other 99%, Grazinoli wished to explore what could be done to tackle issues of social inequality. Grazinoli follows the stories of Brazilian, Indian and Mexican entrepreneurs and owners of companies with social impacts, that think they have figured out a solution: build a new, fairer and more human capitalism. These people that believe that having a profitable business while fighting poverty around the globe is possible, show us how it can be possible through examples of people who are doing it. This films shows us that we can see that this ideology and Reich’s argument that came out of Inequality for All (2013), is in fact, truth. The economic inequality crisis has only become worse since the production of the film, and Grazinoli’s film shows us that the new generation Reich was speaking to in his film, got his argument loud and clear – and are now taking it upon themselves to do something about it.

CITATIONS

  • Grazinoli, H., 2018. Um novo capitalismo. TALK Filmes.
  • Reich, R. and Kornbluth, J., 2013. Inequality for all.
  • Leith, D. and Myerson, G., 1989. The power of address: Explorations in rhetoric. Routledge.

SCREEN LAB: ASSIGNMENT #2 – WEEK SIX REFLECTION

SCREEN LAB

The key learning we did this week was mostly in relation to the development of assignments two and four. We looked into the expectations of us, as well as the constraints that are in place.

The main conceptual ideas for assignment two were to create a silent, three minute film with a three/five-act story structure. The main media making element we discussed was how we rely on the sound design and shots we take, in terms of trying to tell a story in this case, as there is no dialogue. We also discussed the importance of trying to create a film that was G rated, as this is an ACMI parameter, and we should be working to practice the development of content that works within ACMIs constraints, and developing our skills of working to a brief, for when we finally enter the media industry.

For assignment four, we mostly discussed collaborative contracts when working in group situations (which sign over the rights for everyones work who is in it to be able to be used in the final film), and the topics that would be in place so we could begin  to discuss and generate thoughts on what we will be doing when we come back from the mid-semester break.

 

SCREEN LAB: ASSIGNMENT #2 – WEEK FIVE REFLECTION

SCREEN LAB

The key learning we did this week was in relation to both assignment #2 and #4, covering the expectations and constraints within the assignments, as well as exploring this idea of the “gallery experience” – as we move closer to the ACMI Exhibition micro video essays we will be creating for assignment #4.

The main conceptual element we focused in on being this “gallery experience”, exploring how the video essays will be presented in the setting of a walk through gallery exhibition, as well as how they will be presented in the setting of online gallery exhibitions; in order to help explain how our video essays may be presented, so we are able to present the ACMI topics in an educating, engaging and entertaining manner.

The main media making element we focused in on this week being the silent era film, exploring silent films that have already been produced, to try help us understand how to create an experimental video with no dialogue, and find inspiration as well as understand the task that assignment #2 is asking of us.

SCREENING POLITICS AND ECONOMIES: WEEK FIVE REFLECTION (GENDER)

SCREENING POLITICS & ECONOMIES

“How, in the modern world, does gender manager to persist as a basis or principle for inequality? We can think of gender inequality as an ordinal hierarchy between men and women in material resources, power, and status. A system of gender inequality like this has persisted in the United States despite major transformations in the way that gender, at any given time, has been entwined with the economic and social organization of American society. A gender hierarchy that advantages men over women survived the profound social and economic reorganization that accompanied the transition of the United States from an agrarian to an industrialized society (Ridgeway, C.L., 2011., pp.1).”

Bonnie Cohen and Joh Shenk’s 2016 documentary Audrie and Daisy (2016) follows the stories of multiple teenage girls who have, while being intoxicated and unconscious at high school parties, have been sexually assaulted by boys they called their ‘friends’. After, the boys exploit their assaults to the entire schools, leading to the online harassment of the teenage girls – All of them attempt suicide, some, tragically succeeding, then blowing up into full criminal investigations. Not only does the film explore the public shame surrounding sexual assault victims and abusers, it highlights the complete legal mismanagement and gender/class/race inequalities that present within sexual assault cases.

This is an exceptionally important documentary when we discuss this idea of screening gender politics. Not only does the film explore the horrifying reality that is that in every 73 seconds an American is sexually assaulted, but the reality is that in most cases, their assaults are committed and swept under the rug by the hands of the people that are meant to protect and care for them; The law enforcement, their friends, their family friends, and so on. Cohen and Shenk have effectively created an open discussion, forum and community on gender and the prevalence of sexual abuse within the viewers of their screen text, through giving victims of abuse and unjust mismanagement of abuse cases a platform to discuss their stories. By doing so, the filmmakers have brought this idea of screening gender to the forefront, rather than leaving it in the background as a topic to discuss in the afterthought of the production of the film. It’s an upfront, honest, commentary from the filmmakers on gender and gender inequalities. There is no other subject the filmmakers want you to walk away from the film discussing, other than the gender inequality that presents in this modern society that tells us the above quote from Ridgeway is truth, and screams at us that “femininity is… not the product of a choice, but the forcible citation of a norm… Once… she cannot approximate or properly cite the feminine norm, she questions only herself and her “performance” rather than the norm itself (Cheu, J., (ed.) 2012, pp.118)”.

CITATIONS:

  • Ridgeway, C.L., 2011. Framed by gender: How gender inequality persists in the modern world. Oxford University Press.
  • Cheu, J., (ed.) 2012, Diversity in Disney Films : Critical Essays on Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexuality and Disability, McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers, Jefferson.

SCREEN LAB: ASSIGNMENT #2 – WEEK FOUR REFLECTION

SCREEN LAB

The key learning we did was learning how green screen is used within major film productions and virtual production on a major scale (e.g. in films such as Star Wars, that are majorly comprised of virtual production).

The main conceptual elements we covered were how filmmakers are synergising film and gaming advances – testing the limits of real-time and in-camera rendering. We discussed how new virtual production stage and workflow allows filmmakers to capture a significant amount of complex visual effects, using shots in-camera, real-time game engine technology and surrounding LED screens. The way this works, is LED stages are put in place to work in combination with a motion capture volume which is aware of where the camera is and how it is moving, with a rendered out Lat-Long 360, put up in the LED set. Production design teams would also bring in practical pieces that needed to be matched, followed up with a more precise lighting adjustment on the day that set would be used for final imagery and real takes.

The main media making elements we did this week was learning how to basically use VFX & Luma Key on Adobe Premiere Pro. Cat walked us through the process of using Ultra Key effect on a green screen image/video, to make the background black, then to add another background image/video below the green screen image on the timeline to make this the background image of the green screen image/video. I found this process super helpful, as I recently got a green screen going at home and was needing to learn this skill anyhow. I’m extremely excited to work with green screen on future projects, with hopes to use it for Assignment #2.

SCREEN LAB: ASSIGNMENT #1 – WEEK THREE REFLECTION

SCREEN LAB

The key learning we did in this week’s workshop was inclusive of recapping the past three weeks of content (three-act-structures, five-act-structures) before moving on to discussing short-form cinema, and the evolving position of short and episodic film/video content in today’s media landscape.

The main conceptual elements of short-form cinema we discussed were how online platforms have lowered the bar, in terms of entry level/ability of producing and distributing media, as it’s developed has allowed for platforms (for example Youtube), that give budding media-makers the opportunity to display their work. The other main conceptual element we discussed was how making a short film allows the filmmaker to dive into a subject or story cinematically without investing a lot of time and energy into the project – with room to expand it later, giving filmmakers the opportunity to tell a compelling story in a short amount of time.

The main media making elements I experienced and completed this week are in relation to my own short film. I spent this week consulting with Cat, and discussing different ways to fine-tune my work – as well as applying all the practical media making elements that we have discussed in the tutorials, such as video effects, audio effects and colour correction within the Adobe Premiere Pro editing programme.

SCREEN LAB: ASSIGNMENT #1 – WEEK TWO REFLECTION

SCREEN LAB

In this week’s workshop, the key learning we did was exploring pre-production tips, as well as production tips and post-production tips. Pre-production tips was inclusive of scriptwriting, storyboarding, shot-listing; Production tips were inclusive of composition tips, technical camera tips, lighting tips; and Post-Production tips were inclusive of brief Adobe program walkthroughs, covering colour correction, placement on the timeline etc.

The main conceptual elements of this studio that I learnt was definitely the expansion of the three-act structure model, while we were discussing Pre-production. I wasn’t aware, yet, that it was able to be expanded up to a five-act-structure, being:

  • STRONG STORYLINE / STORYTELLING
  • CONFLICT
  • HOOK – HIGH CONCEPT IDEA
  • GOAL & THEN;
  • RESOLUTION

This is something that will assist me in future productions, as I personally feel these models help me with the scriptwriting/storyboarding process. I find it’s easier to write a script if I have a step-by-step guide of sorts.

While there were a lot of main media making elements that I have already experienced and covered in previous classes at RMIT, TAFE and High School; I found that there was a deeper explanation of colour correction on Adobe Premiere Pro, then what I have had before, learning about the LUT colouring system on the program. We went through video tutorials, as well as had Cat share screens with us walk us through this method of colour correction, step by step. This made it easier for me to digest the information, leaving me with a better understanding of colour correction than I had before. This means I will be able to take these media making element tips, from this workshop, and apply it to all future productions, both personal and professional.

SCREEN LAB: ASSIGNMENT #1 – WEEK ONE REFLECTION

SCREEN LAB

This week in Screen Lab, we were introduced to our Studio Teacher, Cat Lew – who spent the first class with us breaking down the course and what is expected of us over the next semester. Our second class of the week we continued to discuss our assignment coming up as well as had a guest speaker from ACMI – Videographer Field Carr. Carr gave us an overview of ACMI, as well as discussed the exhibition we will be apart of with our video contributions at the end of the semester.

Some key learning we did this week in the studio in terms of conceptual elements was the covering of the elements of film form (i.e. Literary Design (Story ideas/script), Visual Design (What we see in the frame), Performance, Blocking, Cinematography (Choices made for the camera), Editing and Sound Design) as well as the idea of the Three-Act-Structure; which is a model used in narrative fiction that divides the story into three parts or acts (Open/Set-Up, Conflict, Resolution).

The main media making elements I experienced and completed in the studio this week was beginning pre-production for Assignment One, where we began to brainstorm ideas for our short directors cut film, using softwares such as CELTX and Storyboarder.