BVA703 Research - Week 3

28/02/2020

We were tasked to develop the arguments for our research and keep them brief for now. At least have them not long to the extent where you have to take a breath

Arguments are points predicting outcomes and the examples in proof of this in other people's work

Initial arguments
Having three cameras shot at the same time can supplement the same wide aesthetic like was accomplished with the Cinerama format in late 1940’s
Climate change can be an effective subject on film in the form of a documentary
2040
Aspect ratio is a creative tool to filmmakers nowadays and can help them stand out in the industry
Andrea Arnold
The choice of aspect ratio can have meaning and the filmmaker can use that to their advantage 
Wes Anderson, Michael Bay
The ‘pan and scan’ technique can remove vital information to the audience and limits them from seeing the whole picture or what the filmmakers intended for them to see
Statements made by Martin Scorsese, Roger Ebert

Active documentation can be instrumental in documenting how filmmaking has a human element involved

Advice from Kathryn

• Current question too broad
• Watch more documentaries on climate change
• Narrow down my angle since it will make my research much easier
• Modify the question more. Have a theoretical question with a technical element (lighting, camera, editing, dialogue) attached to a methodology. I must define the methodology and how a tool in that methodology will support the project
• Test audience aspect makes it too big

With these points in mind, it seems my current question is too practical and not theoretical enough

Brainstorming new research question
How can I reflect those in the Invercargill community that are concerned about climate change through a short documentary?

How can aspect ratio be used to make a short documentary stand out? (still broad)

How can aspect ratio help reflect views made by the local climate change movement in Invercargill through a short documentary
This aspect ratio can.....
The Academy Ratio shows a transparency about the protagonist

Research about how editing is critical in forming the story
How asking the hard questions and conflict will bring drama

How can political activism as a film medium help reflect the local climate change movement in Invercargill, New Zealand and convey it in the form of a short documentary?

Brundibar art thearpy

The chat with Kathryn got me really stressed out knowing that I'm kind of back at square one on my research project. Others discussing their arguments for feedback to the class did help me think of potential research question and arguments for my project.


MAA Invercargill

I'm Jerry Westaway, a SIT film student undergoing a postgraduate qualification, Graduate Diploma in Screen Arts (Filmmaking) and writing to you to express interest in doing an internship as part of my study.
I'm interested and good at video editing and camera operating, plus I have a background in videography, graphic design, and photography, and I have a degree in motion design.

Image compression
You can compressed by turning down the resolution form 300ppi to 72ppi and if it's a RAW image, change it to a JPEG format image. To fill the web page, change the size of the image to the average computer monitor size if possible (1920x1080). You can preview it if you save it as on Photoshop, which will help you figure out the minimum best quality you can get for the purposes of web and it will help be sustainable with your storage space.

In Save for Web, you can preview with multiple formats at the same time. I never knew this existed because I thought it was an outdated and overlooked feature. In addition, I have been fussy about the quality of my images and so I have been stubborn to compress my images.

Viewing the image at 100% on Photoshop is important to see how others would see the image at full size on the web. 
Vector art is good for PNG because it's more thorough with exporting the pixels, whereas JPEG will be lazy about it and you will get quite a bit of pixelation. If your vector art have radiant colours, you should increase the number of colours in PNG to 64
Never compress a compressed image because you will eventually have no image information left in your image

PNG-24 - Cleanest transparency you can get
PNG-8 - Vector art

JPEG - for photographs, not big flat colours
GIF - not for images with radiated colour (radial) or transparency (essentially photographs)
PNG - Vector art and not necessarily images that require transparency



How can the aspect ratio help reflect views made by the local climate change movement in Invercargill through a short documentary?
- A widescreen aspect ratio can help make an event more cinematic
- The Academy Ratio shows a sole focus on the character in the interview
- Filling the screen will help the documentary look more naturalistic



How can political activism as a film medium help reflect the local climate change movement in Invercargill, New Zealand and convey it in the form of a short documentary?



Research about how editing is critical in forming the story

02/03/2020

I gave a go at working on the arguments for one of the questions, but couldn't think of any for the other.

03/03/2020

Bender, L., Burns, S. Z., Chilcott, L., & David, L. (Producers), & Guggenheim, D. (Director). (2006). An Inconvenient Truth [Motion picture]. Paramount Classics; Participant Productions.

The narration at the beginning makes you feel peaceful and at ease. The narration also supplements and literally connects to the visuals

In amongst the crowd documentary filmmaking

Fragments of the worst to come or has come. What could I do being influenced by that?

The environmental movement started within 18 months of Apollo 17's photo of the Earth. It's considered the most published photograph in history.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been directly measured since 1958 and the c02 levels has been continuing to increase since then.
Soil in the ground has been the key to calculate the carbon dioxide levels prior to that, especially with the ice in Antarctica being the key to the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the past 350,000 years.

Al Gore does mention opposing views on the subject, but does not document them

The documentary uses Al Gore's personal tragedy to make the audience sympathize with him.

It does seem like one long lecture, but that's not what the whole documentary is about. It's also a biographical documentary of Al Gore, in respect of the subject

Effective use of material from presentation slides

So far, it only uses music when the documentary is being close and personal about Al Gore

The real drama comes from the effective results of climate change and Al Gore's personal life.

I managed to watch the first 31 minutes of the 90 minute documentary today.

04/03/2020

Hibiscus and Ruthless
The Water Diviner 


Film companies in Perth
CM Film Productions - film production company based in Perth
http://cmfilms.com.au/about/

Studio Orange - Multimedia (film, video, animation, photography) company based in bvoth Perth and Melbourne
https://www.studioorange.tv/

Perth Youth Film Academy - A film school for children, teenagers, and adults based in Perth

Perth Film School A film school that specialises a multitude of areas like make-up, cinematography, but mostly acting.

Work in Australian film industry is very limited compared to the booming New Zealand film industry and Australians are preferred to be employed over New Zealanders.

Hawaii


An Inconvenient Truth - continued.

I watched 15 minutes of the documentary this morning...

Al Gore compared climate change denial to those who ignored Winston Churchill about another war with Germany (WWII)

The documentary addresses how he overcame personal tragedies - losing a presidential election, his son's accident

Subtle zooms on high resolution still images

Not only we learn of Al Gore through the downsides of his life, but get to know him as a character by being informed about his early life and upbringing. Music is continued to be used.

Al Gore's findings is not far from what is happening right now in the world. It seems to have more credibility and relevance now in 2020 than it did in 2006.

I watched the rest of the documentary tonight...

The documentary includes archival footage of a US senator, and former US presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush Snr as a way to present opposing views. Applying this makes the film's subject two-sized because it not only comes out of Al Gore's mouth, which makes it even more two-sided than 2040. Al Gore also has discussions with scientists in China that support his arguments

Scientists have been persecuted and/or their reputation, credibility, or career ruined.

Economy vs the environment is comparable to gold bars vs the planet

It's human nature for us to take a long time to connect the dots e.g the tobacco industry was big part of the economy like other industries that rely on carbon emissions, but it ultimately led to millions of deaths

Like the tobacco industry, we could lose millions of lives due to being blind to the real issues

We are capable of change - democracy, freedom, the womens' right to vote, non-violence movements against oppression, the end of fascism, the end of the Cold War and the Soviet Union, cures for diseases like polio and smallpox, treatment for cancer and diabetes, the end of apartheid in South Africa, and the Moon landing 

From that sentiment, I believe history has taught us that if we can do this, we can do the same for climate change, and history is proof that we are capable of change despite the odds, especially when it comes down to risking the economy in favour of the greater good.

The film at the end returns to the calm, idyllic beginning

How to contribute through climate action is stated in between the ending credits starts

My review of An Inconvenient Truth
Despite being partly documentary, lecture, and biographical documentary, it still works as an effective documentary and succeeds in delivering the film's message. 
The message being encouraging climate action and the urgency of taking climate change seriously.

It certainly has currently stood the test of time by being more relevant now than it did at the time of the film's release.