I had a very productive, very exhausting weekend. Shooting 8 interviews in two days, I've found a familiarity with the equipment I was first intimidated by, and the beginnings of understanding the way I work best.
I put together a reel of clips from some of the interviews for my friend who is composing a soundtrack to see.
This has unexpectedly also aided my overall idea for this piece, knowing that I have over 6 hours of footage and 12 minutes to communicate to my audience. I think I now have a clearer outline and am excited to get to more editing as well as another weekend of shooting coming up.
If only I could just edit. Edit with no exams, no hunger, and no life.
My sample:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgG6irbsErU
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Developments
Documentary has definitely proven to be more persuasive to me in these past couple of weeks, more so than fictional narratives. It's depressing to watch films day in and day out about corruption in our government, corporations, and all leading back to corruption of man.
I'm excited to start chipping away at our first major documentary assignment this week. I've made an insane amount of lists of equipment to take, supplies, interviewees, locations, and interview questions. I want to investigate the sticky situations involved with farmland. It's also an attempt to learn more about the place that I've come to know very little about, my hometown.
Locations:
I'm also really excited because the weekend of the 26th because there will be a small conference discussing important ag issues with area representatives. We'll see how I fare under pressure.
I'm excited to start chipping away at our first major documentary assignment this week. I've made an insane amount of lists of equipment to take, supplies, interviewees, locations, and interview questions. I want to investigate the sticky situations involved with farmland. It's also an attempt to learn more about the place that I've come to know very little about, my hometown.
Conceptual Questions for myself:
What does it take to claim your origin?
Do you have to conform to its tradition?
Has leaving home caused me to lose my identity?
Did I even understand my identity?
What does it take to earn a voice?
Respect?
How do you have to look or how old do you have to be?
Will I dread coming home, being different.
Format:
12 minutes
16:9
Occasionally multi-channel
Locations:
FC, Lundgren Elevator
Horizons along Samson Ave, Hwy 50
Single Tree on gravel road
Nifty Fifties
Dad working
Our Cattle
Municipal Building
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Burnside
Schwendemann’s House
Gowrie Sale Barn
I'm also really excited because the weekend of the 26th because there will be a small conference discussing important ag issues with area representatives. We'll see how I fare under pressure.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Response to Fast, Cheap...and Food, Inc.
Two very different views on life. But man, they were really heavy. I'm still not over Food, Inc. Cyan was right, it was truly devastating.
Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control was a very playful and experimental prod at four people of fairly unrelated paths of life. It unfolds to us that they are very much connected through the overlap of b-roll and amazing music. By the last 20 minutes, I found each of these men very connected in the beauty and wonder they see in their own worlds. I loved how the editing let us breathe and think, connect for ourselves, and reflect on our own lives. I also really liked Errol's technique to bring back the eye contact with these people. I will definitely have to watch this again.
This morning I went of a small documentary binge on my Netflix instant play and watched Spirit of the Marathon and Food, Inc. Both caused deep emotional responses and I felt like this has been a very important day in the development of my life as an artist.
Spirit of the Marathon was a traditional style documentary that discussed the history of the marathon and also followed the experiences of a diverse group of marathon runners. Among them was a first timer single mom, a seasoned running couple, an Olympic bronze medalist, a marathon almost winner from Kenya, and a 70-some year old man.
On a small level I can relate to them while they train for the Chicago Marathon, having run 2 half-marathons myself. I know how emotionally involved runners get and how devastating it can be to get injured in an important race after months of training. Near the end as they show footage of all of these people on their journeys in Chicago I felt myself get caught up and actually did cry when they finished the race. It's this unexplainable emotional roller coaster during a 12.6 mile or 26 mile and 300 yard race. But anyway, I move on.
After that I decided to watch Food, Inc. I was hesitant and kind of scared to hear about yet another dimension of corruption in our world.
During the whole film I was heartbroken, disturbed. Absolutely devastated.
The majority of the topics they addressed not only effected every consumer in the country, but my own family's way of life.
Coming from almost carbon copies of the farming communities they shot, I was knocked over. I knew there was a lot of controversy in land, hogs, and seed. But My God, I have friends that have worked for Monsanto, I had no clue that was why most people call Monsanto; Monsatan. I just can't fucking believe it.
I'll get to the point. These were topics I had already started developing and discussing for my independent works later this semester. But after seeing this documentary I know this is my struggle, my personal cause as an artist, the unveiling of these injustices close to home is what I want to give all my energy to.
These documentaries have shown the humor and beauty of life, and the ugliness of what man will do to man. It's hard for me to grasp that they both exist.
Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control was a very playful and experimental prod at four people of fairly unrelated paths of life. It unfolds to us that they are very much connected through the overlap of b-roll and amazing music. By the last 20 minutes, I found each of these men very connected in the beauty and wonder they see in their own worlds. I loved how the editing let us breathe and think, connect for ourselves, and reflect on our own lives. I also really liked Errol's technique to bring back the eye contact with these people. I will definitely have to watch this again.
This morning I went of a small documentary binge on my Netflix instant play and watched Spirit of the Marathon and Food, Inc. Both caused deep emotional responses and I felt like this has been a very important day in the development of my life as an artist.
Spirit of the Marathon was a traditional style documentary that discussed the history of the marathon and also followed the experiences of a diverse group of marathon runners. Among them was a first timer single mom, a seasoned running couple, an Olympic bronze medalist, a marathon almost winner from Kenya, and a 70-some year old man.
On a small level I can relate to them while they train for the Chicago Marathon, having run 2 half-marathons myself. I know how emotionally involved runners get and how devastating it can be to get injured in an important race after months of training. Near the end as they show footage of all of these people on their journeys in Chicago I felt myself get caught up and actually did cry when they finished the race. It's this unexplainable emotional roller coaster during a 12.6 mile or 26 mile and 300 yard race. But anyway, I move on.
After that I decided to watch Food, Inc. I was hesitant and kind of scared to hear about yet another dimension of corruption in our world.
During the whole film I was heartbroken, disturbed. Absolutely devastated.
The majority of the topics they addressed not only effected every consumer in the country, but my own family's way of life.
Coming from almost carbon copies of the farming communities they shot, I was knocked over. I knew there was a lot of controversy in land, hogs, and seed. But My God, I have friends that have worked for Monsanto, I had no clue that was why most people call Monsanto; Monsatan. I just can't fucking believe it.
I'll get to the point. These were topics I had already started developing and discussing for my independent works later this semester. But after seeing this documentary I know this is my struggle, my personal cause as an artist, the unveiling of these injustices close to home is what I want to give all my energy to.
These documentaries have shown the humor and beauty of life, and the ugliness of what man will do to man. It's hard for me to grasp that they both exist.
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