Writing for Video

Class Notes

Something at Uni that said something broader about the institution:

When I first came to La Trobe I was captivated by the bell tower. Where were the bells? What was the tune they were playing? What was the purpose of the the music and what meaning was the composer trying to convey. Later that month I visited Box Hill Tafe, where I had the year before completed my music degree and I learned that the tunes played by the bell tower were in fact compositions by one of my Lecturers at Box Hill. This symbolized for me how in education institutions what is pasted down from teacher to student is often not just raw knowledge

Something that someone did or said that says something broader about him or her.

According to my mother, my brother and myself had very different responses to music as babies. I loved music. It had a calming affect. My brother on the other hand hated music being played to him. It did not have a calming affect, and as soon as he was old enough, he would tell my mother stop.

As an adult, my brother works in the computer industry. His favorite music – in fact the only type that he listens to – is emo.

I, on the other hand, am a pastry-cook and a music teacher.

I think or different attitudes to music as babies demonstrated a different attitude to artistic expression that showed up later in our choices of jobs and musical tastes.

Responses to Movies Played in Class

My Mother Nancy:

- Weight motive. The mothers weight diminishes as the same time that her relations with her husband and some relatives also diminishes

- One side of family argument. The only point of view that is heard is the mothers and the daughters. As the husband is never interviewed and full story is never known by the audience

-
- Exposes the human impact of values. The documentary shows a devastating example of how relations between people can be destroyed by different world views about how family relationships should be conducted

Man on wire:

- taken on new significance since twin towers destruction. The twin towers take on a new symbol as a metaphor what extremes are possible by humanity

- Plenty on material to work with. Documentary makers dream – he shot a lot of his own material in the lead up to the walk

- Girl insight. The respect and admiration from his girlfriend give some insight into the responses from people that he got from his work which perhaps is where he got his motivation

Rainbow bird and monster man:

- Close up of bad teeth. These close ups are a constant reminder for the audience of the social economic environment that the subject grew up in.

- Use of poetic elements in re-enactments. Slow motion – smoke. Focus on one element while the rest of the screen is dark

- “I just felt warm and loved” demonstrates how it is a cycle of abuse, not through an abstract concept, but coming from his mouth

The falling man

- the events of 9/11 have been well documented, to does this add anything more? In the aftermath there were many profiles on families who had lost loved ones – how they died – how the family found out – what they were likeas people. Many of the stories and interviews I felt were like ones I had already heard and for me did not add much insight
-
Go back to were you came form

- example of a documentary taking its inspiration from popular tv. Format based on reality tv shows such as Survivor and The Amazing Race
- Starts on the basis that these are ignorant ordinary people who don’t understand the issues. While is largely true, in reality the issue is nether black or white and some of their concerns have validity but this is never acknowledged

Trumbo

- Using Hollywood actors is a way to engage an audience that might not otherwise be interested in seeing an historical documentary on the McCarthy era.

Standard Operating Procedure:

- Direct to camera done with uncluttered background which gives nothing away about the civilian life of those being interviewed. The viewer just focuses on their words and story.