Reading and Writing

I’ve had the habit of writing while reading notes, articles and books that are related to my topic of study. I think this motivation came from one of the Labsome sessions but I can’t remember whom it was anymore. Anyway, somebody in class said they always type in quotes before they start on anything – but of course prior to reading into a question and such – so that they could just blend in things together in the process of completing something.

It was hard for me to do at first because being the “clutz” that I am I tend to lose track of things and I zone out easily. Very easily that I always have to go back to where I started. But after much practice I see now I’ve had the gist of it and everything is in order. However, of course doing this would land me on another kind of trouble. Sometimes I end up with too many quotes that pinning down the most appropriate ones would be a hassle. With that in mind, I have to keep reminding myself that while reading, I should be focused on the things that are of most importance regarding what I am reading for. Of course while reading something, there would be many things in the text that could be useful but my mind does its own Jedi tricks on me all the time making me think everything is useful therefore making me type in most of the sentences/paragraphs in a given reading. I hope that one day I’ll be able to tackle this and keep my focus on the things that are useful as only. It would definitely make my life much easier and I guess it would contribute to the quality of my work.

That aside, Adrian’s been telling everyone since day one that “research is in the writing itself”. Strangely, books state the same thing. So no matter how many hundred of books you read for self-help in order to enhance your research skills, the only research you can do efficiently is to start writing and go from there. I have been practicing this and trying to polish it up. Then with every writing and editing that I do, I tend to stumble upon something better, or fresher than my initial idea – always making me feel like I need to change the direction or path of my thesis. I don’t see this as a good thing because it might stray me from my initial focus but then come to think of it, it actually opens up my eyes to the scope of my research because it is vast. The only problem with this is that there aren’t many references that I can go to with regards to RTB which make me rely heavily on articles so I’m hoping that things would work out in the end.

Have I ever asked myself what if things don’t work out? Sure. But I’m not going to whine and not do anything about it. I have tried contacting people from RTB asking them how relevant my study is with what they are trying to do research on so fingers crossed they’ll give me useful feedback soon enough. Anyway, if ever Philip tells me that this will not work and that I should be looking for another direction then maybe I should be worried but then again this is what education is all about. Heck, this is what life is all about. Things don’t always go the way we desire them to go so come what may.

Meanwhile, research for the thesis continues!

Post Doco

I know I have not been doing much updating as of late but that is only because I have to keep up with other modules this semester. I think I have been devoting much of my time to Transient Spaces, because I enjoy doing the work, hence sacrificing the other ones that need equal attention. However, now that Transient Spaces is over and done with, I thought I’d do a little reflection of my experience whilst doing this elective.

Needless to say, Transient Spaces is my favourite class to go to and do work for, not only for the freedom that is given to me as a student who is so used to the confined space of “specifics”, but while learning about the weekly topics, I also have learnt something abundant and much more important to life in general.

Firstly, I have not done much of filming and editing that involves people who aren’t my family and closest of friends. Although the rollerbladers ARE my friends but I’ve only known them in the span of three semesters I guess and I don’t see them every other day so when I had to suddenly request seeing them every other day for filming I started to question my intention – whether I’m doing this just for the sake of acing my assessment or to strengthen the bond between me and them.

But then in the end it goes both ways. What I mean is that I kind of overlooked how cool these bunch of people were. I knew they were easy-going and accepting but I’ve always thought that was because I was a newcomer. But they are who they are and knowing that I’m producing a documentary for uni, they gave me all bits of support and hoped that I’d get a High Distinction. They presented themselves very well while filming and upon realising how supportive this community is made me feel a lot closer to them. It helped with building a rapport between me and this community and after publishing the documentary, I soon realised that having that bond and understanding going between each other helps a lot in promoting the documentary.

I was very nervous to promote my documentary to this community because they are exposed to all sorts of rollerblading films and clips. I was quite anxious to get feedback from them because the doco actually touched upon issues that are somewhat not talked about in the open amongst this community. But anyway, the feedback I had gotten back from them are all very supportive!

Secondly, Transient Spaces has taught me the beauty of documentary making and I think this is the highlight of my semester. I have always been involved with films but never to the extend of making them. I have always been in discussion revolving around documentaries and films but never been asked to be part of the crew in production. I have produced things by myself for myself and my friends but those are non-professional looking and always lacking arguments and especially lacking narratives. My videos would usually be more independent from any kind of narrative but always having titles that would direct people to something else, usually negating the meaning of the videos. So that was pretty easy to do for me, especially when all I had to do was record clips, edit and put titles. Therefore having to craft something from scratch, researching about it and then producing it puts a lot of pressure on me.

But in the end I pulled through because I devoted my time to it. I had a lot of issues while editing too – especially with software but I am a true believer of patience so things went smoothly in the end and my documentary is done!

I enjoyed the freedom given while doing this elective. I don’t think I remember the last time I actually enjoyed something as much as this. I think perhaps it gave me the chance to go around places, have fun with friends but at the same time do my work that’s making it more interesting. I can’t do what I’ve done with Transient Spaces with all of the other modules so maybe that is why I had so much fun with it.

So thank you, Jenny, for giving me a uni experience that in the past I could only dream of! This is one of the many things that I would remember for the rest of my life and it would be one of the stories of uni I would be sharing with people who are curious about my experience at uni. And lastly, congratulations for the baby

Documentary

It links HERE.

I have met with a problem

Don’t you just hate it when you’ve done something you’re so proud of because that’s the most dedication you’ve given to something only to be frustrated in the end?

That is excatly what is happening at the moment with me and Vimeo AND the internet connection both at home and at uni. I knew I should have listened to my instinct when it nagged at me during the weekend but I was too busy with other things that I neglected to listen to the better side of things. I think stress is the devil. It is trying to ruin my life and it likes to waste my time. I have been trying for countless hours to upload my videos into Vimeo and I have even opted YouTube to no avail. First I thought it was a compression problem vis a vis my clips need to be compressed because they were too big and the first time I tried uploading them it was going to take 12 hours to complete! I was appalled at how long it was going to take but as a friend told me 500MB of a high definition video is normal and it usually would take four to six hours to complete the upload. So I thought, OK, perhaps it is my connection at home because I have been downloading stuff a lot. So I went to uni. But I guess I chose the wrong time to come to uni because the server is a bit down!

I have now sacrificed the quality of my clips and converted them to mp4 format. I am hoping this will help me upload faster and would not jeopardize my overall marks. Nothing bugs me more than being told I have not done well, when I have put my heart and my soul into it, because I have to compress it to a lesser product. It breaks my heart. Fingers crossed I hope I get at least a Distinction with this. PLEASE!

Make Your Own Documentary Film

10 Easy Steps from Conceptualization to Completion

1. Watch documentary movies. Go see them on the big screen if you can. If not, then hit your local video store or join Netflix or Greencine to get movies mailed to your door. You can even watch them online at sites like FourDocs and the Documentary Film Network. Learn what makes or breaks a documentary film. Think about what kinds of documentary films you like. Learn the various genres and filmmaking styles. For example, Michael Moore’s filmmaking style is very different than Ken Burns’ filmmaking style.

I like documentaries by Michael Moore, mostly because I’ve been exposed to them over the years. Plus, I like knowing about what kind of politics is happening at other parts of the world because I like feeding my general knowledge bank. I don’t remember liking another Documentary Maker, except for Agnes Varda but I have only seen one of her film. I probably like a vast range of documentary titles without knowing their Directors or Producers. I remember throughout the semester of doing True Lies, I was overly obsessed by Nanook of the North and even wrote an essay on it but I feel like I’ve forgotten about it already.

2. Become familiar with technical equipment. Beg, borrow, steal equipment like DV cameras, final cut pro editing systems, cheap mics, flood lights. Experiment with lighting setups, audio recording, splicing clips together. Read filmmaking forums like IndieTalk to get sound technical advice from experienced filmmakers.

Check!

3. Choose a subject that you find fascinating and is accessible to you. Choosing a subject that is compelling & timely will result in a strong and relevant film. It is often better to focus on a local personality or local event so that you will have access to loads of resources for your film. Besides, it’s much simpler & cheaper to shoot at home than abroad.

It didn’t take me that long to figure out what subject I was going to choose for my documentary project because I have immersed myself on the whole aggressive rollerblading scene – sometimes just sitting outside the part and watching them, basking in their oblivious acknowledgment of my presence but it gave me time to learn a lot about these kind of rollerbladers. This will be shown in the clips of my three-part documentary.

4. Become an expert on your chosen subject through research. Research your subject as thoroughly as possible. Gain knowledge through the internet, books, and word of mouth. Attend events pertaining to your chosen subject.

I don’t know if I’m an expert but after following my subjects around I seem to know them a lot better. Not just personally but passionately. I realised how passionate they are about this sport that isn’t given enough recognition, respect and attention. I have been watching a lot of rollerblading videos from around the world so I think that does justice to how much knowledge I have about this community. I have also edited my clips to comply with how the videos are mostly edited, especially the pace and the songs that appeal to them.

5. Create a structure/outline for your film through visualization. Close your eyes and imagine how you would like the final product to look. Think about how you want to structure your film. What do you want to start with? How are you going to build your film? Write down your ideas. This will give you a blueprint for shooting. But remember that in documentary filmmaking, unlike fictional filmmaking, the footage informs the final structure of the film. Your initial written outline exists to serve as a guideline for shooting.

I did this numerous times actually. However, the final products do not look like what I had planned them to look like in the first place. I think that is a good thing – the fact that I did not stick to what I had planned for because the final product seems to be much better than what looked like in my drafts.

6. Analyze your wants/needs for making the film. Make a wishlist of any people, locations, items, equipment you WISH you could have for your film. Cross-reference this list with any people, locations, items and equipment that you do have access to. Ask people. Check with local art centers, film departments at universities and colleges. Talk to the local film office. If you still can’t find it then go to Myspace or Craigslist and see if you know someone who knows someone who can help fulfill some of the items on your wishlist. If you are looking for footage, check with stock libraries for material that is in the public domain and free to use.

7. Find finances for your film. Use Google or check with your local film office to find out what existing documentary funding programs are available to you. For example, the International Documentary Association has a great list of grants you can apply for. Hold fundraising events. Other options are to apply for credit cards, borrow from Ma & Pop or donate yourself to a pharmaceutical company and become a lab rat like Robert Rodriguez did.

8. Shoot! Don’t talk about doing it – get out there and shoot your film. This is the step that differentiates the aspiring filmmakers from the actual filmmakers.

Done!

9. Post-production. Fast forward through all of your footage, and take printable screenshots of key scenes. This way you simplify the editing process by creating a visual map of your footage. Once this is done you should watch ALL of your footage and create an action log listing timestamps. This will help you to save time in the editing room.

I did this too.

10. Show your film! Upload it to the internet, four-wall it in a theatre, send the cut to distributors/networks to see if they are interested, hit the festival circuit. You can apply to multiple film festivals at once through the website Withoutabox. If all else fails, invite people to your place to screen. Burn multiple DVDs and get the film into the hands of family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, anyone you know who is in the film industry.

OK this is essential and I am all ready to upload my clips to VIMEO but I am also thinking of uploading my clips to Current TV. Part of the reason why I’m planning to upload my clips early is to get as much feedback as possible so that I could be able to accumulate discussions from the documentary. This could then be used to craft, perhaps, the conclusion for my documentary.

Reference: http://documentaryfilms.suite101.com/article.cfm/make_your_own_documentary_film

Documentary I’d like to watch

Winnebago Man

Click HERE for to watch the trailer.

Jack Rebney is the most famous man you’ve never heard of — an RV salesman whose hilarious, foul-mouthed outbursts circulated underground on VHS tapes in the 90s before turning into a full-blown Internet phenomenon in 2005. Today, the “Winnebago Man” has been seen by more than 20 million people worldwide, and is regarded as one of the first and funniest viral videos. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer goes in search of Rebney — and finds him living alone on a mountain top, unaware of his fame. WINNEBAGO MAN is a laugh-out-loud look at viral culture and an unexpectedly poignant tale of one man’s response to unintended celebrity.

Following a two-week shoot in August 1988 for a Winnebago sales ad, a 4-minute outtakes reel surfaced and eventually came to be known as “Winnebago Man.” While the finished sales ad was sent to Winnebago dealers to promote the 1989 Itasca Sunflyer motorhome, copies of the “Winnebago Man” outtakes were being passed amongst the crew and their friends on VHS tape. Eventually the video fell in the hands of videotape collectors, who began copying and trading it, sparking an underground phenomenon that turned Jack Rebney into a cult hero. When the online video revolution took off on YouTube and other websites, Jack Rebney became one of the first viral video superstars.

Today, the “Winnebago Man” clip continues to attract new fans from around the world, including a notable following in Hollywood. The “Winnebago Man” has been quoted in movies and on TV by everyone from Ben Affleck to Alec Baldwin to SpongeBob SquarePants. Conan O’Brien named the “Winnebago Man” video as one of his all-time favorites on YouTube, and Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are) is rumored to have sent out copies of “Winnebago Man” as Christmas gifts. Iron Man 2 features a scene with Tony Stark’s dad, inspired by the Winnebago Man outtakes. There’s even a painting of Jack Rebney – as Shrek – that hangs in offices of Dreamworks Animation!

I for a start do not have any idea who this Winnebago Man is but after watching the trailer I’m looking forward to experience this man’s humour! But before that perhaps I should surf Youtube and watch the video that made him a well-known “funny-angry-man”.

Reference: http://www.winnebagoman.com/about.html

Rough Cut and Conclusion

How anxious was I to show my rough cuts today for Transient Spaces? I do alright with criticism but heck, I was nervous! But then as I entered class there was only Jenny there and then James also came later after I did. Lessened the pressure for me.

Getting my videos out there on the internet as I have always done in the past is alright by me because I can’t see people’s faces when they watch my videos and they never give constructive feedback, ever. For all I know if they ever hate my videos they’ll just snigger in their conscience or tell their friends how bad I am at building up something. AND I do not have to sit there with them cringing over the fact of how high-pitched my voice is on camera!

But how enlightening it was today in class when constructive criticism was given to me. I enjoyed it and I’m going to make several changes to my clips and get them ready to be handed out in two weeks! Jenny and James helped me with the things that I’ve subconsciously been struggling with – especially with the use of effects and my own voice. I hope after the changes are done I could be sending out a larger message, not only to the rollerblading community here in Melbourne but also to everyone outside of this community.

That’s my main target with the whole conclusion for the three clip documentary. There is an obvious outreach towards the Aggressive Rollerbladers in Melbourne but on top of that, I would like to create a conclusion that could help these community voice out their need for freedom of expressing themselves – skating on the streets without getting screamed at by security guards or frowned upon by communities outside of the rollerblading scene.

Styles

These are aggressive rollerblading videos that are worth watching. I chose them specifically because one, admittedly I’m too lazy to browse through older ones and two, because they both have their own styles.

Videos taken from Rollernews.

Xsjado Team Mix
Nothing fancy here. However, the reason why I’m keeping this video here is to make a point about these rollerbladers’ “fashion” sense. This is something that was discussed last week during the tute and this video would prove it amazingly. I don’t really like the first 20 seconds of the edit but the rest of it I enjoyed.

Metabolysm
This one has a really good first few seconds. I like it because it’s different than the first one and it’s more artsy. It does not immediately show viewers the rollerblading scene, instead it shows random landscapes but at the peak of the music’s tempo a rollerblader comes in and skates around. This is something that most of the skate videos do – tempo working together with the footage – but this one in particular stands out from the rest for being different. It has that mellow feel but I like it!

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

Courtesy of DVDnear.com

Friday’s Transient Spaces tutorial showed us a few different openings for documentaries that we could possibly adopt for our own documentary assignments. From what were shown to us during that day, I think one of them bears similarity to my own rough cut but I am still gleaning for other types of opening as it might enhance the narrative of my doco.

I have decided to watch a documentary bought last year called The US vs John Lennon. This is the synopsis at the back of the DVD cover:

Before Iraq, before the Bush Administration, before the Dixie Chicks, Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam… there was John Lennon, the celebrated music artist who used his fame and his fortune to protest the Vietnam War and advocate for world piece. It was a move that incensed the U.S. Government and put the CIA on notice. In this new and highly acclaimed documentary, THE U.S. VS. JOHN LENNON, filmmakers David Leaf and John Scheinfeld trace Lennon’s metamorphosis from music superstar to anti-war activist and inspirational icon, revealing the true story of how and why the U.S. government tried to silence him.

So the introduction of the documentary is like this, it starts with a view of a crowd on some kind of concert. Then somebody announces Jerry Rubin. So Rubin, from backstage, goes onstage and talks to the crowd. You can only see Rubin’s big messy Afro ‘do while talking to the crowd. The scene then is interrupted by a dissolving title which tells viewers where and when the scene takes place – December 10, 1971. Ann Arbor, Michigan – and then comes back to showing Rubin’s head. Then it is followed by the next scene, which shows John Sinclair talking to the camera, telling us how he was sentenced to prison for giving joints to two policewomen.

The introduction to this documentary is simply intriguing and has the power to pull viewers in and watch more of it because you know it is a documentary about John Lennon but you don’t see him at the start, instead you see somebody who has the same passion as his. So, immediately you know the things that are going to be discussed and argued in this documentary.

This is probably what I want my documentary to be like. I want my documentary to show something vaguely at the start and then give a little bit of title intervention, and then straight away show what my documentary is all about. However, there might be other types of openings that I can look for and adopt for my documentary. I’m still on the look out for the one that stands out to me.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCflgygCrMw

Reference: The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Lionsgate, 2007.

Sounds Like Techno

Sounds Like Techno is an interesting online documentary about the history of techno music in the form of a flash presentation. It looks very futuristic with fancy buttons on its interface that allow me to explore each section in depth and listen to extensive interviews.

What I like about it is its informative and educational aspect that teaches viewers of the history of techno, its origin, what happens next and how people in other parts of the world are adopting techno and make it a part of their lives. I think my favorite bit of information from this interactive documentary is the fact that techno music actually creates a youth subculture, but not only that, it lets people of other ages to become members so as to avoid generation gaps. This non-discriminatory aspect of a specific genre that is usually enjoyed by a certain group of age is what music is all about. Music is not about how old the listeners are but it is about how passionate its listeners are and commit themselves to it. This commitment is shown in the documentary through clips and stills with commentary that engages with listeners.

What I don’t like about this documentary, however, is the fact that the voices are muffled and much quieter than the music. I can’t really make out what they are saying unless I place my ear next to the speakers on my laptop! But maybe this is some kind of techno style – the emphasis on music rather than what people are saying. The different chapters of the documentary is not really ideal to my liking either because I would rather it be a continuous documentary where I don’t have to click on a new chapter after a chapter ends. Even so, what I like about this is that when each chapter ends, there are options on the page that give allowance for viewers to listen to much clearer interviews which have a way different volume setting than the flash presentation itself.

I think maybe a lot of people would fancy this documentary but I don’t see myself being in the same boat as they are. The fact that this documentary is made to be too interactive is a bit too overwhelming for me because it makes me feel a bit at lost and away from the information that is supposed to be presented to me. The reason for this is that each different chapters contain too much information which make it look a bit rushed and when I’m about to reach out and glean for more information, the music stops – making it quiet and boring and throw me off straight away to skipping the information immediately.

That’s just what I think about this documentary though. I actually like how futuristic it is but I’m looking for the information more than aesthetics.