Reflections:
1. My Thoughts & Aspirations
2. My Findings (Thus Far…)
3. My Initiative Post
4. My Way of Working

Although we are just 3 weeks into the new semester, I have absolutely started to notice some positive changes to the way I work.

Firstly, the way in which I organise my files has become much more considered.

I have always taken pride in being a neat person, and this holds true in my edits. However, in a studio consultation last semester, I remember an instance when I became extremely flustered because of the way I had organised my footage. When the Studio Leader asked me to show him a particular shot—which I knew I had seen the night before—I simply could not find it. Back then, I shrugged it off without a second thought, and associated it with my lack of sleep.

In our very first class this semester, Paul shared his concept of “red-face-rising,” and his story really reminded me of that miserable moment. In Deliberate Film, a lot of emphasis is placed on properly labelling and sorting our files; and understanding why we should organise things in certain ways.

With this newfound knowledge, I have become more methodical and considerably faster at editing. I am confident that—were I to experience the same situation again—I would be able to find a shot without needing to scrub through a mess of footage for ages.

Secondly, I have gotten into the practice of creating multiple versions of sequences while editing.

“If you ever get to a point where you think: “oh, I want to change something”—you duplicate the sequence and then you edit in a different version.” (Ritchard, P 2021)

Perhaps resulting from my time as a Promo Producer, I have only ever understood “versioning” as a process that is done upon the completion of an edit.

For example, different versions of this edit would be:
V1: Monday at 9.30pm
V2: Tomorrow at 9.30pm
V3: Today at 9.30pm
V4: Next up

However, this studio has taught me that “versioning” can also refer to an entirely different process that is done during the edit, and I have made a conscious effort to apply this method to my weekly edits.

“The beauty of this is that it gives you the bravery to change something.” (Ritchard, P 2021)

As Paul mentions above, this method of versioning allows us to be more flexible and less afraid to make changes to our edit, and I really wish I had known about this sooner.

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References

Ritchard, P 2021, ‘wk 1 Monday 1.30 / recording_1’, Blackboard Collaborate Recording, 1 March, RMIT University, Melbourne, Viewed 17 March 2021, <Link Here>

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific 2017, ‘Discovery Channel – Carspotting‘, YouTube, 10 August, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Singapore, Viewed 17 March 2021, <Link Here>

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While I am by no means a film buff, I do spend a good portion of my free time watching shows on Netflix. Most recently, I have been binging the new Korean dark comedy series Vincenzo.

Episode 4 was released the night before our first studio lesson, and I knew upon reading the prompt for this reflection that I would be writing about its opening scene.

For a little bit of context, Vincenzo (Song Joong-Ki) had discovered that Yoo-Chan (Yoo Jae-Myung) was secretly in contact with a researcher who had gone into hiding. Known to us only as “RDU-90,” the researcher had been attacked and was desperately phoning Yoo-Chan—presumably for help.

The scene begins with a wide shot that shows the 2 men sitting together in a pub. Our view is quickly obscured by a white vehicle that drives into frame, and only in hindsight did I notice the clever construction of this shot, which serves as a foreboding of the events to come.

This shot prompted me to think deeper about establishing shots and I would love to try something similar this semester. Thus far, the films I have made have typically opened with some kind of a wide shot. While this serves to inform the viewer of the location, Vincenzo has taught me that the opening shot has the potential to be so much more.

At 00:24, we cut to another wide shot that directs our attention to the full-length glass windows surrounding the pub. We notice the bright lights of a truck as it barrels around the corner before unexpectedly crashing through the building.

While it does break the 180-degree rule—as many of the shots in Vincenzo tend to do—I felt that it was a great transition that pieced together the overall scene beautifully. I especially liked how long the shot was held before the truck made impact. Even now, as I rewind the scene for the umpteenth time, I expect the truck to complete its turn around the corner. I am made to believe that it is nothing more than a part of the background.

To me, this really highlights the importance of good shot construction: a point that has been strongly emphasised in our studio. This shot makes me reflect on what it means to become a more deliberate filmmaker, and I look forward to working on this over the course of the semester.

While Vincenzo has undoubtedly opened my eyes to the wonders of good camerawork, it has also inspired me to think about the power of editing.

At 02:53, we see Vincenzo laying face-up on the soft white sheets of a hospital gurney. The shot fades ever so slowly and reveals a contrasting shot of Yoo-Chun—face-down against the cold hard metal of a mortuary trolley.

I felt that the intensity of the moment was greatly enhanced by the use of this particular fade. Without any words, the edit tells us that Vincenzo is alive and Yoo-Chun is dead.

This was the thing that provoked me into writing this reflection.

I have always disliked fades. I cannot find the words to explain why exactly this is, but this edit really made me question my personal aversion towards them. Moving forward, I will try to keep an open-mind and think more laterally about editing.

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References

Netflix 2021, ‘Vincenzo S1:E4 “Episode 4″’, Streaming Video, 28 February, Netflix, South Korea, Viewed 17 March 2021, <Link Here>

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Deliberate Film has been incredibly fun and thought-provoking thus far, and I have learnt a great deal from all the work we have done in and out of class. With that said, 2 of the exercises in particular brought about some of the most biggest eureka moments I have had in recent memory.

Firstly, the Make the Bed Exercise from week 2.

In all honesty, I went into this without much prior planning—and it showed. The whole shoot took me about 2 or 3 hours as I was actually cleaning my room for real.

I had decided to link the shots together through continuity. However, this approach made the first version of my film over 7 minutes long—and the requirement was for it to be kept under 40 seconds.

I remember laughing hysterically to myself for a bit as I realised that I had completely missed the brief. Back then, I mistakenly believed that I would be able to make up for a lack of proper planning by sweating it out during the shoot itself.

I ended up submitting a film that ran for a minute and 30 seconds—still far too long but a huge improvement from the ridiculous mini-documentary I had initially intended to submit.

On another note, I also learnt a lot that week from watching the videos my peers had created. I was especially intrigued by how relatable Rachael and Joyce’s films were. They both emanated a certain quality of “warmth” that my own film really lacked.

Looking back, my moment of discovery that week was in learning about the importance of being deliberate. Unlike myself, the others had went about the exercise with way more thought and care, and this was blatantly obvious in the resulting films. Moving forward, I will try my best to apply this learning point to my filmmaking practice.

Secondly, the First Film Exercise that we are currently working on.

Due to circumstances beyond his control, my groupmate was unfortunately unable to attend class on the Wednesday that the exercise was first introduced.

As such, a key part of the work has been in informing him about the tasks at hand and getting our group steadily on the right track to be ready for our consultation on Monday. With this in mind, my eureka moment came from thinking about ways to improve our virtual collaboration.

Initially, I created a to-do list as part of an email reaching out to my missing group member. The intention behind it was purely to get him up to speed on our situation. However, the list has radically evolved into a system that our group discussions have all been based around.

While it may not sound all that spectacular or ground-breaking, I am personally over the moon with this development as our adoption of the list has unquestionably helped to provide some much-needed clarity within our group. This simple tool has significantly expedited the whole process of our collaboration and because of it, I am confident that we will be able to meet the deadline with ease.

Another thing I have come to learn from this exercise is that working online is not always a bad thing. In fact, it is arguably more effective than face-to-face discussions would be in certain situations.

For example, our group was able to work out a shot list really quickly by annotating on the location pictures we had taken prior to our meeting. By comparison, it would have taken way more time to scout out locations together in person, and we would more than likely have seen diminished results due to time constraints.

From this experience, I have come to believe that virtual collaboration will play a big part in carving the way forward to a new era of filmmaking; and I am truly excited to be a part of it all.

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When I first applied for Deliberate Film, I saw the studio as an interesting opportunity for me to get a fair number of small media projects quickly under my belt.

Whilst reading through the studio description, this line really hooked me in:
“Through an iterative cycle of learning, making and reflection…” (RMIT, 2021)

I recognised that the process of repetition this portrayed was precisely what I had joined RMIT to experience. Therefore, I believed that the studio would be a sure-fire way to improve my technical filmmaking ability and—just 3 weeks into the semester—I am confident that this assumption was right. However, I have since come to realise that Deliberate Film has so much more to offer beyond the development of my basic cinematographic skills.

At present, we are still living in a world ravaged by COVID-19. Although the resumption of intercontinental travel appears to be on the horizon, many of us international students are unlikely to step foot on Australian soil anytime soon. Naturally, this poses many challenges to us as filmmakers.

Additionally, from what little experience I have of being on set, I have come to develop certain expectations towards the filmmaking process. With virtually no exceptions, the director, cast, and crew have always been physically present on-site. In a wonderful departure from this norm, Deliberate Film has truly opened my eyes to the far-reaching possibilities of media creation in our current day and age.

In the class exercises thus far, I have been connecting and collaborating with peers from quite literally everywhere across the globe. Someone in Kuwait or China could be directing an actor in Australia as I assist in recording the action from the comfort of my bedroom in Singapore. As an aspiring Creative, this really excites me as it deviates from our centuries-old approach to filmmaking. For all we know, it could be the turning point that forever changes the way films are made in our industry.

Putting aside my fanatical ideas about virtual collaboration, I sincerely believe that this studio will help me in maturing as a media creator. With this in mind, I shall end the post with a list of 6 goals that I will work towards achieving this semester.

1. To enhance my overall understanding of media production
2. To improve my collaborative, communicative, and interpersonal skills
3. To be more open-minded and expand my outlook on media creation
4. To increase my efficiency across all stages of the filmmaking process
5. To become a more purposeful and deliberate filmmaker
6. To forge new friendships along the way

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References

RMIT University 2021, ‘MEDIA ONLINE ONLY STUDIOS SEMESTER 1 2021’, RMIT University, Melbourne, Viewed 17 March 2021, <Link Here>

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