This is a reflection on the screening for all of our group projects conducted at the end of the semester. As a whole I believe the event was executed very well. we had a speaker that did a fantastic job of introducing all of the groups and each of those groups  did a great job introducing all of their individual works.

For our piece, I feel it was well received and was very happy with the end result. The content that we were delivering was that of an emotional back story of a woman that immigrated to Australia when she was 16 on her own, not knowing how to speak English, her journey forging a new life and the struggles she had gone through. Part of the intent in the delivery was to emotionally connect the audience with the difficulties that she faced throughout experiences and give a real sense of her cultural identity. I think we achieved this successfully by the way it was shot, the score used, and the nuances captured within the narrative.

If I was to develop this piece further to make it a feature or wanted to submit it to a festival of some sorts I would rework it quite significantly. I would explore more into the community groups that she engaged with when arriving to show where she found her sense of belonging, I would potentially look at other subjects that went through a similar migration in that period and see how their experience differed, and I would shoot a great deal more footage both dialogue and cut aways to bolster the story further.

The Tiger’s Mouth, a film showing a dancer Jett Ramsey’s desire to succeed in an incredibly hard and highly skilled industry was another groups work that I quite enjoyed and thought it was a really great example of identity. It clearly demonstrated who Jett is as a person, what drives him and what his plans are. It was executed in a very stylistic fashion that was in keeping with the narrative.

The second film i’d like to make note of is D3030 by Delphi, Georgia & Jessie. I found this one quite interesting as the subject matter is not something that I would normally gravitate towards and even the interviewees were not particularly engaging in the beginning, however at some point throughout the film there was a paradigm shift were the false bravado that the subjects were displaying dissipated and you got quite a raw genuine look at who they were and their love and pride for their suburb. This was a very good example of representing all Memory, Identity and Neighbourhood.

Being part of the audience was a good experience, it showed me how people generally receive their own and others work and it showed me how to potentially film things differently in the future to fully take advantage of the big screen experience. I did however dislike having to introduce the film though that is just a personal issue with public speaking that I will have to endeavour to overcome for the future.

It was quite a journey from where we began to our final product, we started with the idea of exploring the various dynamics of living within a shared household and how the different personalities interacted within that space which we had to move away from due to lack of interest to be involved from the house we had in mind. From there we thought about the idea of interrogating the culture of art cinema within Melbourne, this however proved to be logistically difficult as some companies were only willing to participate if we were to pay a significant amount of money to them, additionally the concept itself proved to be this enormous beast that could have been directed in various different ways and would have been far too difficult to organise and deliver a concise narrative that would have been easy to digest with the remaining time constraints that we had.

In the end we decided to take the concept Sophia previously had done with her second assignment and explore that further, which was the story of her Grandmother (Yiayia) and how she migrated from Greece, her experience negotiating the cultural differences and how she learned a foreign language by engaging with local media and entertainment sources.

Due to Sophia already having explored this previously and being so close to the subject made the production move forward very easily. We went and shot at her Grandparents house again to further investigate the ideas that she had previously touched on and we gathered a great deal of cut away footage, most of which we did not end up using though just to have all that additional footage allowed us to create a visual engagement congruent with the narrative.

As an interviewee she definitely did a great job. She was engaging and you were able to connect with her story on a personal level, she responded to prompts very well and told her story in a manner that was clear easy to understand. The way that we shot the interview I believe really captured the emotional Journey really well. I positioned the camera sightly to the left and Sophia was sitting directly next to it on the right and the passage of discussion was between the two of them. We used both mid close up and close up to ensure we had a variety of shots to use when putting it all together in post-production. For the majority off the cut away shots we used a 85mm lens with a 1.8 maximum aperture which created a beautiful bokeh in the either the background or foreground which gave the footage this great sense of depth. We captured really great audio and that was because we used a shotgun mic that was attached via an XLR cable to a device connected to the camera that had a very good preamp built into it. There was also a panel that gave us the ability to adjust the gain manually throughout the shoot. The camera that we used was one that I had only bought not long previously and even though I’m very happy how all the footage came out I still am learning how to use it most effectively so I think that with more experience I will be able to get even better results

I think our collaborative process was quite good, we established a good means of communication and regularly kept each other apprised of developments continually throughout, we successfully allocated individual tasks and completed them to a high standard which is reflected in how the final product has come together.

Personally I did have some significant personal issues that unfolded throughout the duration of the project, however I remained in continual communication with my group members, participated and completed the elements which were my responsibility to a good standard. However I feel no matter what project you do you should always look at what areas you lacked in and could improve on for the future and I feel in this instance I could have been more involved in the post-production process and assisted more with the editing.

During this process I have learnt a great deal about Documentary and Non-fiction filmmaking, I personally find it more difficult because there are more variables I believe that you can not control as well as you can in other areas of content creation, for instance a subject you may be looking to interview could be incredibly charismatic and engaging in discussion however when in front of the camera there persona changes and they become closed off. There is a great deal more leg work required in the pre-production stage when you are trying to find the story whilst at the same time reaching out to a number of different potential interviewees, locations and subject matter experts and can be quite difficult when you have trouble finding people who are willing to participate. That being said, I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of exploring this area of content creation and definitely look forward to exploring it in the future and further developing the particular skill set required for making Documentaries. At the beginning of the studio I struggled to wrap my head around the concepts and how to execute them effectively, though as the semester went on my awareness and understanding grew considerably when it came to the nuances indicative with this style of filmmaking, and although I have a great deal still to learn in the area the process has lit a spark and desire to continue that development moving forward.

So I have often found the process of borrowing equipment from RMIT to be difficult, whether it be rushing to get all the shots you need done before having to get back the equipment on time, or previous students not respecting and looking after the equipment, due to that I decided to go out and get my own so I don’t have to worry about any of that, for the majority of the time moving forward.

I purchased a Sony a7iii camera, which is 35mm full frame mirrorless, 24.2MP & ISO range of 100-51200 and has the ability to create video content in up to 4k. However that in itself means nothing at all and can do nothing without a lens to accompany it, and when looking at lenses the most accurate way I can describe the experience is overwhelming, to say the least.

There are different lenses for absolutely any aesthetic style and design choice, different aperture capabilities, depth of zoom or even static prime, you can get lost in the choices. I decided to go with an 85mm prime lens with a maximum aperture of 1.8, which creates beautiful bokeh in the foreground or background of shots creating a real sense of texture na depth.

I also got a pretty basic zoom lens 24-70. it functions as an average across the board zoom lens however, you need to zoom manually by turning the ring on the exterior which doesn’t create a smooth zoom unless you have an experienced and steady hand. I have plans to purchase a different zoom lens next which is 18-105 that has a powered zoom toggle built into it to allow for that smooth zoom capabilities, but seriously there are so many different types of lenses that do all sorts of different types of things, I have a feeling that this could be an ongoing, continually evolving, expensive exercise.

Additionally to the camera and lenses, I bought a Sony XLR-K2M shotgun mic and attachment, which connects directly to the camera via a hot shoe allowing the mic to function using the camera as the power source. It can capture clear crisp audio that is imbedded directly to the video being shot.

I’ll finish by saying that while it certainly has been and will continue to be beneficial to have my own camera and audio equipment for content creation, it is definitely a large investment of money and could continue to be so depending on how many different lens options you wanted.

Writing & Reflection

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/shaun-rimes/2019/09/19/assignment-2-writing-reflection/

Deconstruction

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/shaun-rimes/2019/08/25/assignment-2-deconstruction/

Video – Dash

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1OiQijrNkRD0padXfg5NuXlwxI_PEAyAq

What makes something iconic and why do we memorialize places?

“Iconicity in architecture which is defined in terms of fame and special symbolic/aesthetic significance as applied to building, spaces and in some cases architects themselves”

What makes something iconic is essentially its level of fame and significance. (Sklair 2010) This means that the term iconic is relative because the significance of a structure or place is relative to the community within which it exists. There are certain neighborhoods and structures which have cultural significance across the whole world. For example, the world trade center buildings were iconic before they were destroyed in what was a culture changing and catastrophic event. By comparison, the Astor theatre is iconic to Melbourne and perhaps even Australia, however, it certainly does not have the same cultural and iconic significance as the world trade centers, or the memorial which stands in their absence. This does not make it less iconic, necessarily, it simply means the nature of the iconicity is different and the people for whom it is significant are a more specific demographic.

There are a number of reasons a place may become iconic. This can be the result of it being a ground-breaking accomplishment in some way. Perhaps it is the first of its kind or represents some kind of new and innovative cultural trend. Steiner’s Goetheanum is iconic because it is one of only seventeen buildings designed by Rudolf Steiner and was intended as a synthesis of sensory impact and a multitude of artistic media including sacred geometry and has been imbued with spiritual significance. This makes it iconic.  More often though, buildings and places become iconic because of events that have taken place there. Iconic places often become so because of human’s tendency to romanticize and memorialize significant events in history. Perhaps this is because of the impermanence of the human condition and the unreliable nature of memory. Places which have been cultural hubs or have seen significant cultural events often become iconic to the surrounding community. The Astor is a good example of this. It is iconic in Melbourne for a number of reasons, not only is it an example of unique and beautiful architecture, it is the last cinema of its kind in Melbourne. The reason we iconize and memorialize places speaks to this human need to remember and immortalize significant events as a historical reference point that perhaps we fear will be lost to time, maybe it is a reflection of humans` fear of our own mortality.

Sklair, Leslie. 2010. Theory, Culture & Society, Iconic Architecture and the Culture-ideology of Consumerism, Volume 27, Issue 5.[ONLINE] Available at: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0263276410374634

Last week in class we looked at the first five minutes of a series of documentaries that showed people that have led incredibly interesting and obscure lives that could be considered as vastly unique in comparison to the majority of the population.

The group I was a part of was allocated a film called Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter Jr.directed by Errol Morris, who is best known for The Thin Blue Line (1988) and The Fog of War (2003) for which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary.

The story is that of a man who identified systemic flaws in the methods used to carry out executions to incarcerated inmates on death row, and created a series of devices to replace the ones that were currently in place that performed the executions in a far more humane and efficient manner. Furthermore, the devices utilized technology and components that were manufactured at a minimal cost which additionally made the system financially beneficial to put into effect. Due to this Leuchter was approached by correctional facilities all over the United States to implement the new systems.

Looking at the production from the creative perspective, the first element that really captured my attention was the title sequence, which isn’t often the case for me, however the choices made within this section were quite deliberate and engaging. The font flashes in a way that resembles some sort of electrical current, and the choice to use a monochrome colour scheme compliments this by creating subtlety to its presence allowing a space for individual interpretation. This theme is further emphasised by cutaway shots to a faraday cage firing jolts of electricity around an individual, in keeping with the context of the film and foreshadowing the narrative.

The score is interesting in that it is quite upbeat and almost seems somewhat inspirational or motivational which is rather incongruent with the macabre themes surrounding the text.

The manner in which the film introduces the interviewee is quite Avant Garde with its shot construction, maintaining the use of monochrome and framing the shots as extreme close ups, first of a cars rear view mirror showing only the reflection of a man wearing glasses, followed by the back of the man’s hand gripping the top of a steering wheel. This aesthetic continues throughout the next few shots then transitions to a more conventional format in colour, using a static mid shot on Leuchter who is speaking directly to camera, followed by a number of hand-held shots using a very unique method of zooming in on a subject, swaying the camera side to side while moving forward and twisting the image creating a sense of disorientation.

That pretty much describes the section of the film that was shown and my thoughts on the piece are somewhat mixed, there are quite vivid artistic devises employed that do a great job in creating the mood and tone, however I feel that the movement in some of the hand-held camera shots came across as forced creativity and made the presence of the camera very evident which disconnected me from the narrative. Furthermore, the score used in the opening credits does not align with the themes and topics explored within the documentary, and sets a false initial tone to the film that consequently results in a jarring change of pace when the filmed footage begins.

The documentary that I have chosen to deconstruct for this part 0f the assignment is “The Great Hack”. It is a very interesting documentary that outlines how a company called Cambridge Analytica was able to manipulate people’s political position to assist in gaining a victory for the Republican Party in the 2016 United States Presidential Election. This was achieved by attaining and  analysing peoples online data and essentially play with the psychology of the entire country, without their consent or awareness, to influence the democratic process. They identified specific groups of voters in specific areas that did not strongly lean left or right and manipulated what they saw through their social media accounts to align their point of view with Cambridge Analytica’s clients agenda, in this case Donald Trump’s election campaign. They essentially brainwashed individuals from certain neighbourhoods and location to get them to vote for who they wanted them to.

I chose this documentary because in the current zeitgeist of information technology our online presence is quite prolific and this demonstrates how the data we generate about ourselves can be easily used against us to manipulate our identity and opinions.

The documentary as a whole is made up of a culmination of many different elements from archival footage, court room footage, to camera interview pieces and much much more, however the particular sequence I have chosen to do a close analysis on is a segment where the documentary focuses on a American voter that has began legal proceedings to attempt to gain access to the 5000 data points of information that the company has on him and is doing an interview about said lawsuit.

It begins in a seating area with the camera in a static position slowly zooming into the back of a man sitting in a chair, it then cuts to a close up of the mans hands using his mobile phone, slightly out of focus in the beginning but then sharpens around his hand and phone. There is a slightly distorted narration happening simultaneously, almost as if we’re hearing a person having a conversation. The scene then cuts to a close up of the man walking through a doorway, the camera is hand-held for this shot and tracking his movements behind him, sometimes going slightly out of focus, you can hear his foot steps and a voice out of camera shot say “ok we’re ready guys” this creates some gritty realistic visuals for us to get an impression of a behind the scenes feel. It then cuts to a formal interview setting with both the interviewer and interviewee in a static shot, and the only audio that can be heard is that of the interviewer introducing her guest. The sequence of shots to follow while the interviewer is talking is interesting, it cuts from actual footage that would be aired for the interview and specific stylistic shots of the interview by the documentary team. This allows the audience to engage with the content of the interview whilst maintaining continuity with regards to the feel of the documentary itself, this is a technique used throughout this production.

Where do I begin…

I began the project with a particular idea, I went and shot on site and edited it together, however once i had put together the final product it just didn’t feel right, so I scratched the whole idea and went back to the drawing board. I have always been of the belief  that you shouldn’t get completely invested in elements of a production cause even though you may love the content, it just may not work for the desired end result, so you have to be able to kill it without remorse.

To come up with the basis of a framework for both the representational and poetic video, I walked the streets of where I wanted to film with my dog to try and find different, obscure, poetic imagery to shoot. The things that we don’t take notice of in our lives where we are so destination focussed, and real statement images to accurately represent the suburb.

The biggest issues I had through the filming process was with stabilisation. Although I was able to reduce the amount of shakiness by applying a warp stabiliser effect during post production in Premier Pro, that entire process could have be completely negated by simply using a tripod to stabilise when shooting in the first place.

I feel there are some pacing issues within the representational video I believe. I just don’t feel that the cuts are as polished as they could be. To rectify this in the future I think i’ll shoot for a longer period for each take to have more footage to be able to choose from.

I’m happy with my pacing in the poetic video. I made some very deliberate choices such as extended cuts and using a blank screen at times to create a sense of emotion within the piece.

My presentation was fairly generic. My delivery felt rushed and I didn’t particularly engage with the audience. This is something I have struggled with for a long time, I can get quite anxious and flustered when presenting information to a group of people and doesn’t really look very professional. I guess the best way to move beyond this is to continue to present things and become more and more comfortable with the process.

At the end of the day, I’m quite happy with the overall result of all aspects of the project, there is definitely room for improvement and will be focusing on bettering those elements for my future assignments.

Film 1

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15vNdDN1Um0G4jsAa0r0GG5Dqe4OeA3e8

Film 2

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1y_5iDdpgZ33vi3L-dQVA44ICwvJnANYt

Quotes & Mood Boards

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1g5W_mdqPLLoYVIHKkyncnFFOt7zRgfXi

Blog

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/shaun-rimes

Upon reflection of this process, my mind seems to play tricks on me, I feel I have nothing of worth to say however nothing could be further from the truth. My mind is continually going over ideas and processing information, I just need to learn how to articulate those thoughts in this space, As I am writing this I can feel myself hitting road blocks, not knowing what to say, all of a sudden lacking content and any knowledge to present, so I have decided to go with a stream of consciousness and hope I come upon some nuggets of gold.

I guess i’ll talk about my filming experience this week. I went into the project with no idea how I would approach representing my suburb and with even less of an idea of what I was going to do poetically, so I just walked. I got my dog and we just walked all day and we came across hidden little obscure & beautiful areas and elements that I simply would never have seen. We generally just go by in this world with blinkers on, very destination orientated only really concerned with where we end up. When I took the time to actually slow myself down & take in my surroundings the world suddenly opened up both the grotesque & the beautiful. The framework for my ideas were coming into shape finally. I was starting to gather a body of content that would eventually form my completed products and I began to feel better about the whole scenario.