I’m quite satisfied with the result of both my group’s audio and video essay. I thought my group had a reasonably clear understanding of our topics, and the way in which we presented each topic was compelling enough for us all to be proud of our efforts.

The most successful aspect of the essay was how committed we all were to the ‘angle’. For the audio essay, we all shared the same opinion that trigger warnings are ridiculous. This allowed our meetings to be used as a forum for free and open discussion, as we are all naturally anti-censorship. For the video essay, after agreeing on our subject, we found The Interview to be a unique case study (cyber-terrorism, diplomatic relationships, culture and consumption) and since it was a relatively new film, there was plenty of content to research. As a result, we became more devoted to both of our topics, and the research process felt more interesting rather than a chore.

The main issue was the outcome of the edited video essay. We agreed that I would edit the audio essay, and that Lydia would edit the video essay. I’m very pleased with how I edited the audio essay, but I’m not sure the video essay came out how we wanted. It’s understandable; creating a video essay is much more difficult than an audio essay as there are more things to consider. While I found the information we presented to support our angle in the video essay to be compelling, the way in which it was presented could have been cleaner.

After delving into textual analysis through lectures, workshops and further research, I particularly was very interested in idea of “the sense-making processes that take place in the relationship between producers and audiences as mediated through media texts”. I saw trigger warnings as a good example for this due to the fact it is a recent phenomena, it involves education, and that it was primarily about a disconnect between media producers and audiences. For the video essay, Robert McKhee’s ‘Substance Of Story’ introduced the idea of how “the protagonist must be empathetic; he may or may not be sympathetic”. I saw The Interview as a case study of how culture can determine if a character is seen as “empathetic” and/or “sympathetic” in the context of a film. I feel we explored this idea quite thoroughly in our finished product.

Creating both an audio and video essay made me consider the ways in which you can present information through two different mediums. Audio essays are more about telling; sound is the only thing that can be used. When editing, I had to come up with a structure that wouldn’t bore the listener in that particular format. This is why I used different types of sound (music, sound effects and clips that were relevant to our topic) to make the essay a bit more dynamic. The video essay, however, was more about showing. While we used narration to focus on key points, we relied on found footage to provide the basis for our discussion.

During the making process, the main lesson I learned about collaboration was how essential it is to be organised. Despite assigning roles and creating deadlines for certain tasks, I think our group could have been even more organised. There were plenty of occasions where work was completed, but we were still unsure if it was the actual information we were trying to communicate. I think we probably could have had another session per week to discuss the actual idea behind each essay in greater depth, because a clear understanding results in a more developed product. As an aspiring media practitioner, you have to know what you are truly trying to convey. When you are in a group, it’s about having the team share that principle.

Overall, Project Brief 4 was quite fun. I gained a clear understanding of two topics, I thought hard about how to communicate these ideas through two different mediums, and I experienced what it is like to work within a team.

Easton Ellis, B, (2015), ‘The Gonzo Vision Of Quentin Tarantino’, New York Times, T Magazine’s Oct. 25 Greats issue

Famed writer Bret Easton Ellis wrote a character piece about Quentin Tarantino for the New York Times’s inaugural Greats issue in October 2015. The piece explores Tarantino’s (then) upcoming film, The Hateful Eight, and his incredibly successful career, before both Ellis and Tarantino rejoice on their shared love of film. The discussion of the latter was particularly interesting; they unpack how cinema has evolved, and the politics behind a film’s narrative.

This article is quite useful when trying to understand how the Oscars reward films through a moral lens rather than a cinematic one. Tarantino is an auteur filmmaker who has been the victim of the Academy’s political decision making; his films are seen as too politically incorrect to warrant a reward. Ellis and Tarantino’s love of film also serve as a reminder that we sometimes forget that films are primarily created to entertain and impress.

This article clearly supports our groups idea of how the status of certain ‘prestige films’ (films that have been created just to win an Oscar) are elevated purely because of their self-righteous and sanctimonious subject matter, rather than the actual aesthetic or cinema behind it. Tarantino believing “Selma should have won an Emmy” plays into this idea; despite the film looking like a TV movie, it was nominated because of its ideological-driven narrative. This type of opinion, specifically from an auteur filmmaker, is useful when building our group’s angle.

Diggin’ W/ Sam La Marca is short film that focuses on my friend’s record collection. I chose this as my idea as it is purely something I would be interested in watching; I spend much of my time watching YouTube videos of record collections. This film is about obsession. My subject’s obsession is vinyl, but in a more general sense, it is about how he developed this attachment, and what has come of it.

While the fact that my subject isn’t ‘well-known’ may alienate some viewers, I love the idea that there is a worldwide record collecting community who show equal interest in each other’s collection, regardless of who they are. They are one group who are brought together purely by their love and devotion to records.

I decided to shoot with my Canon 600D, and borrow the H2N Zoom from the tech office. This was because I’m quite comfortable with my camera; shooting handheld and adjusting the focus can be quite problematic if you aren’t familiar with how the camera operates. The Zoom served its purpose, and I was able to edit out some of the background noise through editing.

I thought it was most appropriate to film the actual ‘interview’ on a tripod, and the B-footage and record presentation handheld. My personal taste prohibits me from filming an interview handheld, it’s just not right. As a whole, I am delighted with how everything turned out; my camera skills have developed to a point where I think this was my most accomplished piece of filming.

As my computer doesn’t allow me use Premiere, I had to book many sessions in the University’s editing rooms. The experience was both positive and negative. I found the experience quite therapeutic; I could fully focus on the project in a quiet and secluded environment, which allowed me to develop my skills on Premiere. However, the hassle of constantly booking and making trips to editing suites, and the inconvenience of not being able to work on the project when I wanted to was not ideal.

I structured my interview in a way that I feel delivers some kind of progression. I felt that it was important that Sam introduces himself and provides context about his history and setup before he presents his records. That way, the audience can gain an understanding of what he is about.

I shot a few different endings, but I wanted something that wasn’t so final, such as a farewell message. I decided on a more open ending; while it may be abrupt, what I’m trying to communicate is that record collecting is a never-ending process. Obsessive collectors, such as Sam, are constantly adding to their collection. If the ending were more final, to me, it would feel like his collection only exists inside the duration of the video, rather than outside of it.

The searching for the ‘Found Footage’ was quite difficult. I wanted to use videos for all the artists, but could not find anything that useful (besides the Miles Davis one). I decided to use the many album covers/notes available, and I’m pleased with how I experimented with each one differently.

Overall, I am quite happy with how everything turned out. This can be attributed to the early planning stages; here I was able to work out how practical it would be to meet my vision. My planning, camera and editing skills are developing with each project, and I’m pleased I’m gaining comfort in different areas of media.

Project Brief 3 – Diggin’ W/ Sam La Marca from Ryan Rosenberg on Vimeo.

I wanted to create something that was true to living inside of my mind. My mind operates on two levels; reflection and observation.

To achieve this idea, I essentially created two films. One of footage that I had created, and another of me viewing it.

The act of ‘watching’ myself is a metaphor for the reflective process. My mind is constantly presenting imagery that I am familiar with through past experience, in this case, a walk I took through the wilderness. With this comes reflection. The two videos, set in day and night, were edited into a montage to capture how one thought can shift into different directions. My head is placed below the screen to look like my mind is at work in this process.

Analysing one particular thing in my head, in this case my cat, is true to the process of observation that I endure on a everyday basis. Again, the images were edited into a montage to show how my mind reacts to one thing in a thousand different ways. The progressive speed is symbolic of how initial analysis can descend into psychological chaos.

The two subjects I focus on; forests and cats, were chosen to highlight my fascination of the ‘real and natural’ world rather than the ‘superficial’ one we currently live in.

The “I’ve Had Too Much Time To Think” text appearing above my head is a moment of self-realisation. The truth is, no matter how deep we delve into something, we are still searching for answers. It is also a comment on how I tend to ignore action and prioritise thought.

While the creative process was successful, editing was pure hell. I would have also preferred to use a projector rather than a television (I originally planned to), and to achieve Kubrickian-esque symmetry.

Project Brief 2 from Ryan Rosenberg on Vimeo.

And it is. Especially at somewhere like Melbourne Central. The main thing I noticed during this exercise was how many stores/brands are adopting moving/interactive advertisements, as opposed to a more traditional poster or mannequin. The younger the person, the greater the need for constant stimulation. Something as tame as a sign no longer serves its purpose, especially in today’s market. Recognition is one thing, connection is another.

Main things I noticed:

UP HIGH
* Samsung Digital Billboard
* News Billboard
* Rolex Clock
* Mould Cloud

MID GROUND
* Info Touchscreen
* Nike Logo
* Mannequins

ON THE GROUND
* Stickers
* Advertisement(s)

Phone Check: Seven

        

This self-portrait aims to present what I consider to be the most crucial facets of my identity; experience, growth and interest.

Image: Experience
There are very few things I like. There are many things I hate. The photos below are completely unrelated in nature. However, they all share the fact that they caught my attention. These are my immediate reactions:

Positive

* Solitude, Escapism, Miserablism

* Absurd, Adventurous, Enchanting

Ambivalent

* Hilarious, Depressing, Oxymoronic

*Aesthetics, Indulgence, Vice

Negative

* Obnoxious, Superfluous, Loud

* Laughable, Repugnant, Cringeworthy

Video: Growth
Each video was created to document/explore the process and pursuit of progression; this is symbolised through movement.
Facing The Day: No time to waste, the real evil is distraction
Journey Into The Unknown: It is important to venture into unchartered waters if one is to grow
Nightwalk: It is important to take time to reflect in a peaceful setting

Interest: Sound
Sound is the my most important outlet. Here I have recorded three different sounds:
* 230355: Sound that I choose to consume
* 152832: Sound that I have created
* 144953: Everyday sound that I both listen to and am influenced by