Meeting on Wednesday 26th

We re-grouped for a meeting on Wednesday 26th to discuss five main points:

1. Louise and Joe- editing
2. Production Folder
3. Meeting with Lee
4. Music
5. Friday

The main points that I focused on was that of 1,2 and 3 as they were linked directly to me.

Joe and I decided to meet after the meeting with Lee on Thursday so that we could plan out an edit schedule for the whole of this week to make sure we are ready for the presentation on the 6th of March.

As a group we gave all important documentation to Paul (the producer) for the production folder to show Lee as well as discussing points we want to raise with him.

Group returns from Liverpool

Once the group returned from Liverpool and I was well enough we met and discussed how the project had gone. Although all the footage that we had was exactly what we wanted in terms of style and visual quality we found a large chunk of audio missing. This was due to a member of our group, James, either not recording the audio or deleting the audio accidentally (is is unsure which). Due to this it was decided that a skeleton crew would return to Liverpool to re-record what was missing. While there they are going to re do the sit down interview as we felt we needed to ask more questions to gain a better image of Michael Phoenix as a whole.

Decision on Roles and Illness

When first deciding the roles they were decided as followed:

• Paul- Producer
• Megan- Camera Operator
• Louise- Sound Recordist
• Myles- Sound Editor
• Joe- Video Editor
• Chris- Direcor
• James- Extra Sound Recordist

However due to illness I was unable to attend the residential filming meaning we decided on a role change where Myles became the recordist and I became the editor. This meant I could still play a part in the creation of the project.

Pitch Feedback

After pitching these ideas to the group they both received an equal amount of votes meaning it was left for us to decide which one we would go for. However Debbie pointed out that focusing on a specific artist rather than just interviewing different ones around the establishment. We took this on board and decided that we would do a documentary on one of the artists situated at Bluecoats.

Megan suggested an artist called Michael Phoenix who makes violins in the old fashioned way that Stratovarius used to do including by candlelight at night. We decided to re write the pitch and contact Michael to see if we could work with him.

See below for pitch:

Treatment for ‘Scouservari’

‘Scouservari’ is a five minute long documentary film about Michael Phoenix, master violinmaker and restorer based at The Bluecoat in Liverpool. Michael first started working on musical instruments when he was eleven years old and has become a master in his field, recently working on a historic instrument made by Antonio Stradivari, the ‘Englemen’, crafted in 1709 and worth £10 million. What sets Michael apart from fellow violinmakers is that he keeps absolutely true to the style and techniques of the great Cremonese master, Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737). This means that he uses no electric power tools to craft his musical instruments, only hand tools and 400-year-old techniques to work the wood. When night falls, Michael continues working by candlelight to further heighten the authenticity and quality of his instruments.

We will capture Michael’s passion for music and the art of making musical instruments, as well as showing his great sense of humour and love for life in general. The film will begin by showing the audience a glimpse of Michael’s background, exploring what led him to pursue this unusual and highly skilled career. These will be in the form of interviews, which will take place in his workshop. As his techniques are so interesting and unique, these will be a major focal point of the documentary. They will be shown through beautiful close ups as Michael crafts by candlelight as well as natural light, showing the dedication to his work and making the highest quality instruments possible. The film will also include stories from Michael’s career and life in general, giving the audience an insight into his personality and character. We also plan to explore Michael’s emotional connections to the instruments he works on, and his passion for music and how he thinks it is a vital part of the human psyche to appreciate it.

Michael has incredible care and attention to detail when working on his instruments, and this will be reflected in the visual style of the film. We intend to use numerous close ups of the instruments that Michael has made and worked on, as well as close ups of his hand-made tools that he uses to craft them. This will show the audience the level of care Michael has over his instruments, making sure that the wood on every one is perfectly finished. The soundtrack to the film will consist of classical guitar music played by Michael himself as well as violin music recorded off-set. This will compliment the footage and help set the tone that we want to create.

‘Scouservari’ has been influenced by the documentary, ‘The Archive’ (Sean Dunne, 2008). We have taken inspiration from the way the subject’s love for his record collection is portrayed and intend to capture that same dedication in our subject. We have also been influenced by documentaries about luthiers, particularly ‘The Violin Maker’ (Dustin Cohen, 2013), which uses beautiful close ups of the violin making process. We intend to broaden our audience’s knowledge of the art of violin making and heighten their appreciation of music itself. Michael’s character will make this film stand out to others on the subject by highlighting his unique persona, adding a touch of Liverpool humour. We intend the film to be accessible to all audiences; however, the subject matter will predominantly appeal to those with an interest in music and the arts.

First Ideas and Pitches

When first given the brief we came up with two ideas. The first was that of Jake Morrison who was the youngest ever elected councillor at 18 years old and our second was that of the sceptic society who we at first thought would analyse different conspiracies however they did not. Instead the group would meet and analyse how these things aren't conspiracies but straight up facts so we thought this wouldn't be very interesting for a documentary.

Instead we decided to change our second pitch to that of The Bluecoats, an independent creative centre for artists, our plan was to interview different artists in the centre about the importance of Bluecoats in Liverpool.

Please see below for pitches:

Treatment- Councillor Jake Morrison

A personal profile of Liverpool’s youngest ever elected councillor, Jake Morrison. Elected to office at 18 years old, we find him over half way through a 4 year term. A term mired in controversy. We discuss Councillor Morrison’s aspirations, his successes and his failures during his time in office.

We will ask what makes an 18 year old enter the political world and what are the challenges that a young man faces when attempting to do so. Does Councillor Morrison consider himself a victim of his early success? What are Councillor Morrison’s hopes for the future? We will discuss his plans to become an MP, who he is as a person and what shaped his early years. In addition we will focus on what Councillor Morrison considers to be the biggest challenges facing local government today. Does he feel like his youth and relative inexperience have caused difficulties? Has his use of social media helped or harmed him?

The film will aim to not simply focus on Councillor Morrison as a political figure but as a person to drill down to the man beneath. The man behind the headlines. We will follow Councillor Morrison through the course of his day as he attends to his constituents and see the challenges faced by those who have the task of representing the people.

The mood will be reflective, introspective and insightful. We will take a more stylised approach in terms of the filming of the documentary. Rather than to take a traditional approach such as a direct interview like set-up, they suggested using the idea of the documentary “Pockets” which is not directly shot of the interviewee but rather objects they are carrying and the story which each of the pockets unfold. We would apply this to our documentary idea so that Councillor Morrison’s responses and story will be shown in a series of shots about his life such as the area in which he grew up and his ‘rise to power’. This will strongly express and strengthen his story, in a way which is engaging to the audience with the intention of creating a response from our peers about Councillor Morrison and his life. Specifically drawing upon what he has achieved, the controversy around his persona as a political figure and his life in the online spotlight (Twitter). We will use point of view shots to compare both the subject matter to the visual, so that the audience can identifying and understand what Councillor Morrison is identifying within the interview.

We imagine the film will be of interest to academic institutions hoping to raise aspiration in young people as well as this the film could also appeal to those interested in politics/local authority figures.

Treatment- Bluecoat Creative Community

An exploration of a thriving arts community based in Liverpool’s most historic building. The Creative Community at Bluecoat consists of three groups; create industries, independent creative retailers and artists who work across all art platforms.

The Bluecoat houses a wealth of artists working across a wide range of artistic disciplines including painters, video and sound artists as well as fine artists, textile designers and multi-media collaborators. The documentary will feature interviews with artists asking what makes Bluecoat so unique/ successful and how they feel Liverpool benefits from having such an established creative community. We will look at the rise of the nine independent retail units, selling variety of handmade and unique objects from textiles to ceramics. Alongside this we will ask how/ if they can compete with big chains. Also looking at the stories of why some people set up these businesses. We will consider the contrast between the thriving creative community at The Bluecoat and the struggling contrast between the thriving creative community at The Bluecoat and the struggling high street and ask if the Bluecoat faces any issues in its immediate future in terms of budget cuts and how will it plan to sustain itself as an enterprise. We can ask the independent stores how they are faring in the economic climate, how important the Bluecoat is to them to continue trading and what they would do without it. Also we can ask the shoppers why they choose to support small shops instead of large chains.

The piece will be light in mood and focus of the positive aspects of regeneration and community spirit. We will be mostly using diegetic sounds recorded in the artists own workshops to accurately represent their world. Given the artistic nature of the community we will be profiling we intend to reflect this in our treatment of the footage during post production. We intend to use colour tones to further enhance the emotion of the film. We will begin with a brief history of the building utilising old photographs of the building then fade them in/out to our own shots of the buildings now. Alternatively we will use time-lapse shots of various parts of the building and people making art. While using voice over of contributors stating how important the community is to them. We plan not to use a traditional interview set up whilst speaking to the artists instead we will film them while they’re making their art. There will also be lots of close ups and short depth of field shots of the art.

We intend the film to be accessible to all audiences however given the nature of the documentary it will appeal predominantly to those with an interest in the arts or independent scene. The film could be used as a promotional tool for the benefits of small business and arts communities nationwide. 

Experimental Film Evaluation

 From the beginning of the project we had a clear concept that we wanted to create and that was to portray the human body as a machine. To grasp the idea of “sense of place” that the brief wanted us to create we felt we grasped this idea of the “sense of place” within our bodies as they work every day to keep us alive. Also the use of objects that we use everyday such as tram doors and freezers to create the sounds of the body reflected the surroundings around us.

Our aim was to create the sound of the body through the audio but then back up the complex sounds with a simple visual piece which reflected the body that although sounding loud and intricate is actually graceful and works seamlessly.

When researching a way of creating an experimental dance piece I analysed a piece called Choros by Michael Langan and Terah Maher where they used chronophotography to show a dancer’s movement as she performed a simple dance routine. I liked how they kept the piece simple by just using simple lighting and graceful movement combined with one effect to create a piece that although simple to create looked extremely complicated.

To start with the planning of the audio Paul and I set out a plan of what we wanted to create. By setting out a step outline of when we wanted different sounds to enter the piece. Our method mainly involved the use of counting so that each sound started and finished within a certain marker. This was used to reflect the different parts of the body turning on like a robot and then it shutting down again after. To make the sounds we selected more transhumanist we firstly looped certain sounds that we felt portrayed this then used the plug ins reverb and sci-fi. The use of these plug ins created a repetitive sound that reflected the body going through the same systems over and over again each day. For example to start our audio piece we wanted to start with the sound of a neuron firing as that is the main message signal that travels around the body. We created this using an engraver pen as this was the closest sound we could get to that of the scientists recording of a neuron. We incorporated this with reverb to show that the signal around the body just carried on going. 

When looking back on the way we created the sound to be the body starting then stopping I know see it can emanate the idea of being born then dying.  When you’re growing up your body begins to work such as learning to walk but then you reach a stage in life when you stop being able to use some of these functions until you finally die. The final piece consisted of ten layers that slowly built up texture to create a complex piece of audio that reflected the working body. We wanted to create a gradual crescendo and diminuendo so that it imitated a machine powering on and powering off making it seem like the dancer, who will be in our film, was quite like a robot. In essence she was turning on her body to create her “sense of place” of dancing.

When it came to filming we already had a clear idea of what we wanted to create as we thought of the whole task as one large piece rather than two separate. We selected a contemporary dancer to depict the bodies movements as we wanted the piece, although supposed to be depicting a robotic feel, to be graceful and fluid. Olivier shot most of the filming as he was unavailable for all of the audio making side of the project however we all contributed to the style of shots that we wanted to use to make the piece flow. While shooting we encountered some problems such as the dancer’s dog having to be on set throughout the filming who constantly whined and jumped into shots due to his attachment to his owner but we combated this by tying him up and someone staying with him constantly so he would stay calm. Another problem that occurred was the lack of heating in the building due to the electrical set up of the place because of this we had to take breaks so that the dancer could wrap up warm so she didn’t end up being ill from cold.

For the filming side of things I took on the role of producer meaning it was my job to sort out the health and safety side of things and ensure the smooth running of the set. Before reaching the location on Sunday I constructed a call sheet and a risk assessment form to ensure the safety of the whole cast and crew during filming. When creating the Parashoot form I had to take into account many things. Firstly was the use of heights that would be used to capture the bird's eye view shots but climbing up a ladder onto a stable platform. The procedures included that another member of crew always had to be present when using the ladder and safety mats were placed below the platform. As we were creating a costume from pieces of fabric we had to take this into account as they could cause a trip hazard so we made sure the whole dance was performed on safety mats in case of tripping. 

When we began to start editing we looked through the clips to try and pick out a routine that could be created from sections of the clips. This proved harder than expected as we hadn't originally set out any set routine so finding a flow to the piece proved to be difficult. To combat this we decided to reverse some of the clips meaning we could piece together a pattern more.By reversing the clips this created a different feel to the piece. It made the whole dance seem more robotic as it created a surreal style to the dancer's movement. Another technique we used to make sure the flow of the piece worked was that of slowing and speeding the images up. Not only did this help with the dance becoming a choreographed piece it again created a more robotic and transhumanist vibe to the whole film.

Working as a team on this project was quite easy. Although to begin with the work mainly fell to Paul and I to create the audio as Olivier was unavailable the work load was soon balanced out when we began to film. As a group I felt we worked well all round together. Everyone contributed their own ideas to the piece such as my contribution to have the dancer to only be partially on screen at times so that only parts of her body was captured at times. However it was the same for the entire group from the start where Paul contributed the idea of the inside of the body which from then on we only added the different ideas of how it could be portrayed through screen and audio. On the other hand I did at first struggle at working in a group due to before this project I’d only ever worked on my own so I was used to being able to create exactly what I wanted without having to take other people’s ideas on board. However once I got to grips with listening to what other people had to say the project began to move on forward easily.

After finishing the piece I began to weigh up the pros and cons to what I’d created. Although I was pleased with the way in which we used the electrical and everyday objects to create the aspects of the body I would have personally changed the sound of the heartbeat to something that was also an everyday object. For the heartbeat we couldn’t find a good object that would depict a heartbeat well for example the rhythm and the tone to it so instead we used a contact microphone and recorded the sound of Paul’s heartbeat. Like the other objects we put the sound through sci-fi to make it seem slightly more electronic however I still feel it sounds too much like an actual heartbeat and not transhumanist. Another aspect of the audio that I would change would be that of the crescendo in the middle of the piece I feel it was too sudden and that we didn’t build up the section around it enough so it seems to come quite out of the blue. If I were to change the audio piece I would try to build up the middle section more so that the crescendo has more of a build up than just appearing.

After examining the audio piece I began to look at the film side of the piece and began to analyse any changes that I would make if I was to redo the piece. Although I enjoy the simplicity of the piece as a whole I would have tried to experiment more with effects such as the use of split screen or repetition of images similar to that of Choros as I feel although the piece is pleasing for the eye isn’t technical enough to portray the full movement of the body. I also think that we should have spent more time in choreographing the dance piece so that the whole of it flowed well rather than having to reverse and speed up certain parts of the footage.

This project for me was a huge learning curve as most of it was learning how to use new equipment and technology I never had before. Due to never recording audio separately from the camera before the project let me try out new techniques of creating sound such as using the Zoom microphones and Pro Tools to edit on. However it wasn’t just the use of equipment that was a large learning curve but also how to create a piece that relied more on sound rather than image. From the beginning we decided that it would be the audio that was the main focus of the piece rather than the video so I had to learn from this moment on a good way of making the sound complex without making it sound over the top. Lee showed us some complex audio pieces that when listening didn’t seem to over the top and explained the use of layering to create an effective sound. I took these ideas into account when making my piece by relying mainly on layers to add different sounds to the piece.

  

Choros Film Analysis

Before I began working on my project I analysed an experimental film to help me to develop my ideas. However I forgot to publish it onto my blog. 
Here is that analysis:

Choros

The experimental film Choros, directed by Michael Langan and Terah Maher, uses chronophotography to capture the movement of a dancer. This technique usually used in sport photography helps to create a surrealist image of dancing. 

By using only two different locations along with one camera and one set of lighting equipment the directors have managed to create a what seems to be simple dance piece into a complex visual creation. 

Although my film is also a dance piece I won't be completely following the ideas that Langan and Maher have used but I want to reflect on the simplicity they have created of one camera in one/two locations to just capture the shapes and sound through dance.

Screenshot from Choros