New Idea

Janaan Jan 

We have been able to make a breakthrough on our idea. We began by thinking about what the idea was missing, which was something/someone to ground in. We all thought about people we knew who used film and how it helped them, at this point I began to think of my own family, particularly my older sister who has 'Dissacociative Depersonalisationalisation/Derealisation Disorder, Dissacociative Amnesia'. Her mental health has caused some problems in her life but she never let it be and excuse to not pursue her goals. She has always used film to escape life when her mental health has proved to much and she also wants to enter a film related career in Film Theory.

This idea would focus on Janaan as a person, it would still explore the escapism of film but instead the film theme will be tied to Janaan's experiences. We would like to explore how the interviews would tie into the narrative and if both the film professor and film shop owner would be needed. In the new idea we do not want to shy away from the dark side of mental health but we also want to show the amazing things that Janaan has been given as a result of her condition. 

Overall I am looking forward to exploring this idea and seeing how we can bond both film and Janaan to raise awareness for mental health as well as the importance of film in today's ever evolving society.  

  

   

Where Film Takes Us

This is one of the idea's we have for our four minute documentary, it looks at the location of film, not so much the literal place but the place of escapism or safety. I think that this idea will work for all of us as we are all film lovers and have a point of view to show. However there are both positive and negatives to this ides.

The possible interviews are endless, but we have decided on three main types of interviews

1. film professor 
2. film student(s)
3. film shop owner 

These interviews will discuss the importance of film, the safety it offers and why we want to escape. Though I like this idea and feel there is potential, we all feel it  needs something more to create another layer that will help it link to one of the themes clearer and end more interest. It is also limited in terms of tone as we can not evoke any deeper emotion then slight realisation instead of something deeper.

We are going to continue to brainstorm for this idea and figure out a way to add more interest to this idea.     

Grey Gardens (1975)

This documentary follows two women, who are related to Jackie Kennedy. The mother, daughter duo are loud characters who have both lead interesting lives but now (in the documentary) they stay mostly inside. 

Notes on viewing

• Filmmakers voices can be heard
• Women talk to filmmakers
• Interesting characters
• Focus on two loud characters (their interactions)
• Long takes close up’s
• The tone shifts (anger)
• Confrontation. Raw emotions on New York and family
•  See house get wilder, into disrepair
• Dance, sing and preform for camera
• Loose handheld shots
• Characters look into camera

 I really enjoyed the dynamic of these characters, and how they are so raw and real, but some moments felt to long and as if they lingered on one topic too much, and the structure becomes repetitive. I think I would like to use interesting characters if we do a character documentary but perhaps have less of a presence as the filmmakers in ‘Grey Gardens’   

Bright Leaves (2003)

Bright Leaves (2003)

Directed by Ross McElwee as a reaction/response to the 1950 Gary Cooper film ‘Bright Leaf’. The documentary/biographical film looks into the tobacco industry.

Notes on viewing:

• Voice of filmmaker narrates

• Interviews with family

• We can hear the voice of filmmaker in in interviews (stand up on the move interviews)

• Filmmakers view, and perspective shown in narration

• Has preformative aspects as well as participatory

• Slow pacing, rather dull voice

• Cuts away to follow interviewer’s thoughts (‘black cat’)

• Covers many aspects and themes, family, tobacco addiction, history, film  

• Many shaky hand-held shots

• Questions to self in narration

• Can see camera in glass (reflective?)

• Shows setting up of camera (when seeing film critic/theorist)

• Chased by a dog (comic elements)

Overall, I liked some moments in the film, but I felt it tried to cover too much with no real outcome in any theme. I enjoyed the moments of comedy and the shots that captured personality (i.e. the girl on the cover smoking in sunglasses). Although the film had to many themes in my opinion I felt that having more then one helped to keep some moments from getting boring, but they perhaps should have choices two or three. Lastly I enjoyed the link to film itself and the discussion of cinema, this is something i'd love to add to our documentary as I myself have a personal connection to film and I feel that when we create what we love the end result shows passion.

Initial Idea

When first receiving the theme for the Four-minute documentary (a portrait of a character or location) I had many ideas, but one stood out to me. I began to think about not only a person or a single location but what builds up these things makes them individual. From a background in doing Art A-level on the theme of nostalgia I became interested in the metaphorical place of childhood and the want to return to it.

Concept

The idea would explore why we long for childhood and would focus on the theme as a metaphorical location. I would ask people of all ages where nostalgia takes them as well as asking a psychologist about the appeal of nostalgia and why it offers safety.  

Relevance 

I thought about how and why it would interest modern audiences and I came across the high influx of the theme of nostalgia in TV and cinema. Films like 'IT' and shows like 'Stranger Things' have become highly popular and have evoked nostalgic feelings even among those who were not born at the time, this shows how modern audiences are drawn to the theme and therefore there would be interest for my idea.   

Feedback 

After presenting the idea I discovered that although there would be a relevance to the idea, it may be to vague and therefore must be tied to a certain person or place. I was also missing some specific information and details making the idea too abstract. Although I enjoy this idea I also wish to follow the task and make sure the idea is as solid as possible, which is why my team and I will be brainstorming further to come up with some more ideas. 

Documentary Modes

Bill Nichols' suggests there are six different modes of documentary filmmaking, Poetic, Expository, Participatory, Reflexive, Observatinal and Preformative. These modes use different approaches to express their topics. In this blog post I will be exploring these modes.   

1. Poetic Mode - This mode is usually subjective, as it favours the audiences views rather then a determinant argument set by the filmmaker. It typically uses visuals to help guide audiences and has a rhythmic style. 
2. Expository Mode - This is usually a voice-over  ('voice of God') that is directed at the viewer and shows information rather than an argument (this is used commonly for TV news shows)
3. Observational Mode - this tries to observe the reality of the topic by having a 'fly on  the wall' effect, it tries to make the filmmaker as non-noticeable as possible.
4. Participatory Mode - when the filmmaker interacts with the subject, allowing for development or change in both the filmmaker and subject(s) or a reaction from the subject evoked by thee filmmaker.
5. Reflexive Mode - this tries to show reality by displaying the documentary making process in the final documentary cut. The filmmaker becomes  part off the film.
6. Preformative Mode - addresses viewer, and usually involves the filmmaker as participant. This can be subjective or expressive and can be experimental

Although Bill Nichhols suggests these modes come in in order (in history) I disagree as these modes usually become hybrids  and overlap. It also would mean that the older modes would be out of date and therefore not  used inn modern times however this is not the case. I also feel that it is harder to achieve a pure mode and that the documentaries that enter into multiple modes are the once that interest for me the most. 

Beginning documentary

This is an introduction to my learning process of the art of documentary, I have just begun to study documentary as a form, its origins and its present state. Although I have never been an avid fan of documentary I find it fascinating that the form is so rich and comes in many different styles. Before this I mainly focused on surrealist and artistic works so grounding my style documentary is going to be an interesting journey for me. Upon beginning the class I believe documentary to be stern form of film in which cannot be artistic however after looking at some examples and studying different forms I was able to see that this was not the case. 

The next few weeks I will be learning about the different stylistic and technical elements of documentary and developing my own ideas for our four minute documentary. Though we have not begun our own ideas yet I have already started to develop some understanding of where I may go in my concept. This proves to me that there is many a story to be told documentary not just the common everyday aspect but also the magical and even surreal.

There is also been some change as we have changed tutors, our class began with a tutor who was very knowledgeable in the form but had strong opinions and strayed us away from certain documentary types however a new teacher is open to all forms of documentary and has also what or why knowledge of the form and experience in making documentary. This change has opened some more doors for ideas and opportunities and has allowed us to be a little more open with ideas.

Overall I'm looking forward to taking this class and discovering how I can better my skills in filming editing and my overall knowledge of documentary as well as how I can betray my style in an effective way. This