Thursday, January 30th

Hi all! Here are my notes and thoughts about the 409 class held last week on Jan 30! Once again, I'll start with the notes I jotted down in class, and then discuss how I thought the class was relevant to our project.

For this class, our professor Andrea Walsh invited her former student Devin Tepleski, who is very proficient in both film-making and still photography, to talk to us about some of the technical aspects of filming that we should be thinking about for our own projects, and to show us his own student film "Mango Driftwood" that he shot in Ghana. First, I will list the notes I took specifically from watching "Mango Driftwood," and then I will list the notes I obtained from Devin's talk.

Mango Driftwood:

• introductory text (what will we use for ours?)
• using simple sounds, or natural sounds; when using music in another language, display translations at the bottom of the screen
• display chapter names in inter-titles (our project is divided into three sections; name each section and divide by inter-titles?)
• zooming in/out >> cheesy?

Devin's Discussion Notes:

• when filming, leave "handles" on each end of film clip for editing
• lack of control in the field
• do I have what I need?
• are there problems with existing footage?
• obtain extra audio tracks; building sense of the environment
• planning the shoot
• start with introductions (not necessarily on film) to make it feel more relaxed and comfortable
• shoot B-roll first (environmental shots; silent scenes); do it while talking to the person
• when going into the studio, establish how to use the space
• shoot an establishing shot (moving into the studio)
• in crowded room, pay attention to intimate details
• what details can tell you about them
• example: shots of drawing/close ups of hands
• casual vs. formal interview shots
• linking different locations symbolically through objects
• following the person through space (line of action)
• good practice exercise?
• be aware of which side subject left the shot
• B-roll must be information about the art (ex:materials) or the artist
• Rule of Thirds/Diagonals
• being thoughtful of horizontal lines (markers)
• challenges involved with shooting in interior spaces
• triangles; grounded aspect to the image
• headroom and nose room
• starting audio a few seconds before next frame, even with pan shots (leads into next shot; not as jumpy)
• point of perspective; where does eye go to in the distance?
• shots: extreme close up, close up, medium close up (shows part of person, objects), medium shot (waist level), long shot (some background), extreme long shot (mostly background)
• lighting
• be aware of competing colours
• use natural light as much as possible
• adjusting white balance (what camera sees as pure white)
• presets vs. custom (using white card)
• check every time you move location
• stay a little underexposed; better than overexposed (can fix)
• be aware of distracting sounds (ex: fans, music, etc.)

I gained some knowledge of photography when I was an editor for my high school yearbook for three years, so some of this material is not new to me (Rule of Thirds, for example), but I can already see how creating this film will be challenging in terms of producing meaningful shots and capturing motion rather than still images. I definitely know this will be a rewarding experience, and I'm pretty confident that our group will create an amazing film!

Thursday, January 23rd

Hi all! Here are some notes I took during last week's Anth 409 class. We watched a number of films about art, First Nations and otherwise, as well as some films made by former students of the class. Viewing these films gave us an idea of what questions we should be asking Maynard, what types of shots we can use to create meaningful images, and how to effectively use music and narration. The notes are somewhat fragmentary, but I think there is some important information in there that we can use towards our project.

1. Man of Masks film:

• using different media (photos, articles, archives); secondary information that supports what the artist's work is about
• he is asking the questions in his work, the viewer is the one looking for the answers
• theme of "modern"; culture contact
• use of sounds (ex: deer bone rattle); pushes story along, but not necessarily narration
• shaky camera reflecting who he is as an artist (shaking things up)
• showing pieces in context
• using Maynard's shots of pieces in the process of creation
• how are we going to portray residential schools?

2. Expressions film:

• more about the process; none of this discussion with Lawrence Paul (Man of Masks)
• what is important? the process or the product?
• what can we do that captures the process?
• Maynard drawing freehand (no computer)
• does the process say something bigger about who they are as an artist?
• use of extreme close-ups vs. studio shots
• how do you let the image show the idea?
• close up of his head; says "now I'm thinking" (part of the process)
• close up of Maynard redrawing what he did while discussing the making of the piece?
• how does he try to connect with audience?
• who is the audience?
• what does he expect from them?
• over the shoulder shots (dynamic); artist's perspective? (importance of camera placement)

3. Charles Elliot (S'yewe pole) film:

• show raising of the pole, creations of the pole (with voice over)
• telling the story while going up the pole
• consistent head shots (intimacy; portrait of the artist)
• outside working with the log (history of the piece)
• no background music; simple
• portraits driven by images
• narration a negative; takes away from Charles
• be absent from the film
• foggy to focused shot

4. Rachel Whiteread film:

• titling the piece with date at bottom
• first art; then voice
• talking back through pieces, how the first ones came to be
• "what pieces do you want to talk about that speak to your process, what's important, that informs on the new piece?"
• discussing what she wants from the piece rather than from the audience
• "what were your goals of the piece?" vs. "what is the meaning of the piece?"
• be particular in what you're asking the artist
• playing with colours (Maynard's piece: blues, reds, blacks on cedar and glass)

5. Bill Reid film:

• dream-like images; "edge of the world"
• cross dissolve
• how you edit is part of the story
• ex: cross dissolve to show extensive career

6. Vagina Monologues film:

• images on campus of "vagina shapes"

7. "Going Postal" film:

• titles on letter
• intertitle questions

I think we came up with some pretty good ideas after watching these films. We've discussed using newspaper articles in a collage to help set the context of the residential school system, and what shots to use in order to achieve certain effects. I found the film about Charles Elliot to be quite interesting, because, like Maynard, Charles also installed a piece on the UVic campus, and his views about using modern tools and technology to create his art are similar to those expressed by Maynard.

I definitely think we have a pretty great group, and I can't wait to actually start filming!

Introduction

Hi all!

This is a blog dedicated to my Anth 409 - Applied Ethnographic Film class. For this course, I'm teaming up with three awesome fellow students to create a film about the renowned Coast Salish artist, Maynard Johnny Jr., and about the piece that he has created for the UVic campus. We are also required to write reflections on the material from each class, so I'm posting my thoughts and notes on this blog in the hopes that my peers will respond! Thanks!

Amina