BVA703 Research - Lockdown Week 3

10/04/2020

At midnight brushing my teeth, I suddenly came up with options to capture amongst the crowd stuff to convey urgency of my subject, what if it could achieved with green screen or animation. 
Green screen would be a big undertaking and would require each person being filmed individually with a long lens, which would be potentially too consuming on time and resources. A long lens would be necessary to feed into post-COVID-19 health and safety.

Animation would require at least one animator depending on the time needed to animate sequences needed. The sequence would ideally be in a sketchy style similar to Stay Close or Dear Basketball. 

I would need to think carefully about this since it would need to not disrupt the style and tone of the live-action parts. The animation would need to be in sequences to limit the workload of the animator and I don't want it all animated because that's beyond me and letting animation students do the work for me visually makes me feel like a fraud. 
The animation sequence combined would be between one minute (minimum) and seven minutes (maximum).

It would likely prove tricky to get an animation student committed to this short documentary as I know from the class response when asking for feedback on my research questioning a few weeks back

13/04/2020

I have been continuing to have difficulty focusing since I don't have much direction at moment and I have to wait for advice from others on how to reshape my project in a post-COVID-19 world. I also can't focus on doing research without thinking whether these aspects will sacrificed or not for the sake of COVID-19 and if so, it would had been a waste of time. It still has an effect on mental health, especially with no visual or audio contact from people from SIT since the lockdown.

I sent an email to James for advice on reshaping my short documentary to suit complications around COVID-19, but I wouldn't be surprised if I don't get a reply until at least Wednesday because of the long Easter weekend.

I got in contact with Traci for advice on how to reshape my project and suggested a few things like ask fro advice from my subjects, but the thing is I don't want to look incompetent in that way and the next time I contact them, I want to provide them a solution around COVID-19 to put their minds at ease.

The other suggestion of hers is for my short documentary to instead focus on how climate strikes has been transitioning from on the streets to social media. It helps me on WHAT, but I still don't have a way on HOW. 

My dad suggested filming empty streets, land, and car parks on my walk around the block that I have been having. The only problem would be that the City Council like it down the track without their consent, plus even if i asked for their consent, they would likely not allow it under the level 4 lockdown.

I did go a Google search into documentary filmmaking during COVID-19, but all the relevant sources focused on the distribution during this pandemic.


Stronach, A. (2019, July 16). The Zoom video conferencing exploit that sends ninja waiters into your home. The Spinoff. https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/16-07-2019/the-zoom-video-conferencing-exploit-that-sends-ninja-waiters-into-your-home/

Nostalgivault. (2018, July 20). Shrek II DVD menu walkthrough [Video file]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhujBga39vI

One way I could reshape my short documentary is have it structured around the form of a video conferencing aesthetic. Tomorrow, I'll try to draw a sketch on how it could work in my documentary. This idea could perhaps also have value in breaking the fourth wall a bit. This idea has potential and could help make the tone more optimistic and warm, but I wouldn't call it 'a silver bullet' to the problem.

15/04/2020

I heard back from James and gave his advice on my concerns, which is that I look for images and footage of the climate strike by school student and use that as B-roll. 
B-roll is not always meant to be of a good quality.
I may research into potential ethical considerations on consent for using other people's work. 
James reckons I will be fine with going ahead with this as long as I focus on what the subject is about and interviews with key players. I could use their work and have interviews in voice-over, however I will consult with the course outline to double check what is required of me to do for my film project.
He also reckons my main concern is not being able to film climate strikes, which was only part of the problem. However, the B-roll could still convey drama and urgency depending on its content.
I will email James back and ask whether he could call me and we can talk about it properly like I did with Traci. 

James is also impressed with the synopsis that I completed and sent to him a couple of weeks ago. He also reckons self-isolation will be over in three weeks at most.
I feel like I have direction again with this project.

I have been feeling better today. I hadn't been feeling mentally good from just before Easter until yesterday


Copyright research for using another person's work included into my own work


Digital Media Law Project. (n.d.). Getting permission to use the work of others. Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. https://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/getting-permission-use-work-others

When you request permission to use material, be sure to notify the copyright owner of your name and contact information, the works of theirs you want to use, and reason for use (research, educational purposes, documentary).

If you are to intend to publish your work (with another person's work included) online, you can include their URL links in the description

Flickr and Open Photos are potential online places where you can get stock images to use for free. However, Open Photos doesn't look like a reliable provider.


University of Otago. (n.d.). Seeking permission to use copyright material. University of Otago. https://www.otago.ac.nz/administration/copyright/otago016321.html

If you don't hear back from the copyright owner in getting consent, it still doesn't justify you in legally using their work

Be sure to document the permission you request and/or receive


New Zealand Intellectual Property Office. (n.d.). Finding copyright owners. New Zealand Government. https://www.iponz.govt.nz/about-ip/copyright/finding-copyright-owners/

Copyright doesn't expire if a business has gone out of business or if the copyright owner is deceased. Someone else may have inherited the copyright ownership of a deceased person's work, depending on the deceased person's will.

If a business is liquidated, the liquidator tends to own that business' copyright and any other assets.


New Zealand Intellectual Property Office. (n.d.). Getting permission. New Zealand Government. https://www.iponz.govt.nz/about-ip/copyright/getting-permission/

Permission and acknowledging the copyright owner is not the same thing. You must get permission before you use or acknowledge their work, if it's work done or owned by someone else other than yourself. 

A formal legal contract is not always necessary to obtain consent for using an individual's work(s).

The request for permission to use an individual's work(s) should be reasonably clear like mentioned in the Digital Media Law Project webpage.

• A precise description of how you want to use their work in your work, what will happen to the finished film with their work included, what type of audience the finished film will be targeted to (with their work included)
• The person requested for permission can confirm that it is their own original work and not someone else.
• Ask if the copyright owner have preference on how their work is to be credited
• Request for the copyright owner to reply at their convenience.

Obtaining permission to use another person's work is a matter of negotiation. In the case they allow you permission, it sometimes may have limitations, conditions, and/or a fee is included.

Do not use another person's work in a disrespectful or immoral context. Acknowledge the person who make changes or modifications to the work, depending on whether or not the copyright owner will allow such changes.

The inability to find a copyright owner is not justifiable in committing copyright infringement.
However, you can claim that you couldn't track down the copyright owner after meticulous searching for him or her, as well as the assumption that the copyright has expired or the author has been deceased for 50 years or more.

When using another person's material without permission, some people in that situation determine the weight of the benefits of using the copyrighted material against the risks of legal action from the copyright owner

You can include a 'good faith' notice in the credits stating that you could not track down the copyright owner, but are open to pay a reasonable fee for using their material.
However, this does not give you legal protection from copyright infringement


New Zealand Intellectual Property Office. (n.d.). Duration of copyright. New Zealand Government. https://www.iponz.govt.nz/about-ip/copyright/duration/

Copyright for still images last 50 years form the end of the calendar year, in the case of the author's death. This also applies to screenplays and lone film scenes.

Copyright for film and sound recordings last 50 years from the end of the calendar year, in the case of when the film or sound recording was made or released to the public. 
This also applies to podcast, television broadcasts and repeats.

WildEarth Guardians. (2019, September 22). Denver climate strike march 2019 [Video file]. Flickr.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wildearth_guardians/48772908058/in/photolist-2hiTUkU-2fcDC5k-2e6Hx9s-RrhSzk-2f7Y3cJ-RrhwKv-RrgZ1D-T4sxRA-2dNMjtH-2huEtVV-24A7PYV-2dNMnGr-Rrhyxt-2f7YHwf-2f7YEKJ-24A7ynV-24A7kN6-RrhKUr-2hpsQeB-2hje2LS-2hmKzp4-24A7i6x-RrhKXx-2fcCK4c-2huBJtL-2fcDzgV-T4s6tf-2f7YJKC-2fcDjdi-RrgWhc-2e6HkTG-2fcDzkH-2fcDjaH-2f7XZsL-2hiEN1W-2itvNR2-2himjon-2e6Hj7L-2f7YELA-T4szNS-24A7qfH-RrhMsg-Rrhanv-2dNM4D2-T4rUJj-2huEtje-2dNMx6g-T4rUNs-2e6Hq5Y-24A85qR

I searched for climate strike images on Flickr under the Creative Commons, only to also find footage that I can legally use. The footage is from America, but it will likely not make a difference to the viewers or audience and gives you an idea what I was aiming to do if the COVID-19 pandemic didn't happen this year.


Main aspects in the documentary
- Interviews with human subjects; 16:9
- B roll of Invercargill (location, abstract snippets); 16:9
- Dramatized scenes of main human subject; 4:3

Minor aspects
- B roll of school climate strikes
- B roll of parliamentary debates

- B roll of news articles; 16:9


New ethical considerations

• Include permission from media outlets (Stuff, Newshub) to use their articles in my short documentary
• Include permission from students and others to use their footage or still images of the local climate strikes in my short documentary
• Appropriate crediting format for stock footage or images protected under Creative Commons
• Include standing order that allows me to use footage of parliamentary debates