Not much later though, I am looking forward to putting this together, I am just waiting for the weather to warm up a bit and then we will have fishy mayhem. There will be death and destruction galore and I will film it all.
For new readers of this blog I am not really about to indulge in a bit of fish assisted homicide, for even though he is very grumpy I am rather fond of The Spouse.
I am talking about the film I said I was going to make during my creative concept development class.
I have discovered that there is a little bit more to making a film than grabbing a video camera, shooting some vision and sticking it all together in a watchable format.
I have discovered that the practice vision that I shot will suddenly take on a life of its own and demand to be shown as a short film instead.
I have discovered that I really, really enjoy film making. My poor Nikon still camera has been slightly neglected in favour of a second hand video camera and I have been hoovering up vision left, right and centre.
Yesterday we all had to present our work to our teacher Glen Dunn and our colleagues. I wasn’t prepared for how nervous I felt presenting my short film to my class. I am cheerful, outgoing, opinionated, wisecracking and flippant. I am also intensely private which is a bit of a contradiction as I am a gregarious show off with theatrical tendencies. I rarely get nervous, stressed yes, nervous no.
My ceramic work is what it is.
All my emotional energy goes into the clay and afterwards I am drained. Even though my artist statements are usually quite emotional, my inner thoughts aren’t really out there on display next to my pots.
With this first film I made I was giving people a glimpse into myself. I was really sharing what I see in an unambiguous manner and I think that I was so nervous because I really wanted people to like what I had done. As opposed to my ceramic work where I just want people to respond to my work and I am not really fussed whether people like the work or not.
I am sure that I will get over it though and soon my film work will be the same as my ceramic work, where the response is enough, but it was interesting to analyse my feelings towards this first film.
Anyhow enough babble. I have uploaded the film to Vimeo. This is the first draft, is that the right terminology? Do films have drafts or edits?
This is the first version of my first film. Drive.
I am interested in what you think about it.
Comments on this entry are closed.
Well done! Beautiful images & great choice of soundtrack. If I can offer a couple of suggestions, some of the side window footage was a bit too shaky & a little distracting, and (this is from a musician’s perspective) at 01:37 when the slide guitar kicks in would be a perfect time to switch from sepia to colour, and really give the dramatic shift in the music a visual impact.
Just my thoughts. If it were my song I’d be stoked to have this as the video. I look forward to your next project.
Thanks for the feedback. I see what you mean about changing to colour at 1.37, that would work really well. 🙂
Great soundtrack, Kim! The whole sadness and despair goes so well with the imagery.
I’m no artist, you know that, but perhaps the red tail lights of the truck can be zoomed in more – red, blood, destruction – perhaps overlay so images of trees?
I’d love to try film maming, but I suspect I’ll never really get the time. Once these last couple of chapters are done and we move house, I’m going to work on my shell collage and my creative writing. There’s ideas in my head but I don’t want to start until I have time!
And film making takes heaps of time Watershedd, it took me forty hours of editing to get this first rough edit done.
I would like to focus more on the yellow of the machinery as well as the red of the tail lights. It is heaps of fun filming but terribly hard work editing. 🙂
I’ll be interested to see how you tie this lovely piece of work into the plight of the Aborigines.
Loved it Kim. I have no technical advice or suggestions as I don’t know anything about film-making beyond what I enjoy watching and that was a beautiful, haunting piece of work. The soundtrack was an inspired choice. Never heard it before, so who is it and where can I get a CD? I’m sure it would make a great surprise Christmas pressie for Husband.
Sharon the song is “Oh Honey” by The Audreys from the Album ” Between Last Night and Us
They are an Australian band and the whole album is lovely.
Damn, this thing is taking forever to load…….
I’ll get back to you with my thoughts on it.
Loved it…and this is just the beginning! The song, the understated colors, the sad rain and soft haze. I have to admit the side shots made me feel a bit queezy, but I have trouble with my eyes and sidewise motion. The wipers and smeary light were just right for the feeling of it. I’ve never seen Tasmania (sadly), and your pictures are all I know of it. The misty trees are beautiful, even where there are just a few still bravely standing among the construction ruin. The distant hills make me wonder what the area looked like before all the roads came through… lovely, no doubt. Thanks, Kim.
I got a bit lost at the start, it wasn’t really until it was right into it that I started to make meaning from it, whether that was the intended meaning I’m not sure. Do you have to write an abstract for it? Would be lovely to read it.
Does have personal meaning for me, takes me back to the place.
Such a simple and dismal theme, one that we have all experienced; who would have thought you could make a film from it? Congratulations. First effort, well done.
AV
Good choice on the music. It went very well with the film.
I’m quite impressed Kim. I don’t know anything about movie making, so I guess the other comments above have more meaning for you. This is part of the woodchipping going on down there? Such shameful destruction.
A bit like an epileptic fit in a washing machine, but less enjoyable
I must have dreamt I commented, now thats a minor worry….
Dave can I just say, my husband and son have epilepsy, I hope you don’t. Perhaps you think you are witty? Nothing about a seizure is enjoyable.
I found it mesmersing and although I know nothing about film making. The music blended well for me with the subject. Can you give me more info on the music. I loved it. The film held my attention and I have a poor attention span for visuals. I liked it.
Achelois the song is “Oh Honey” by The Audreys from the Album ” Between Last Night and Us
I often think that I have commented on a post and then I go back and realize that I have only thought about commenting. *oops* I am a bit slack about replying to emails as well. Sorry 🙁
I know nothing about film making and you have more creativity in your little finger than I do in my whole body but that was mesmerising!
I loved the colour treatment you used, and the blurring of the images (even the natural blurring of the rain – makes the clarity of the windscreen after the wiper moves across more striking). The music works so well with it, too.
I hope that is just the beginning 🙂
I think it’s brilliant. I love the colour and the soft, sad tone to it. The song is perfect for it. Well done you.
I think it’s a wonderfully moody, thought-provoking piece. I actually liked the hand held shakiness in the beginning, it gave it a kinda music video feel and it made me pay attention. I also really liked how you kept going back to the lovely tall trees (never saw trees like that) standing there amidst all the “development”, like they were watching and waiting. I loved your choice in music. My son is a film student so I may sound a bit artsy-fartsy because of that, but I thought it was really good.
The music, the sepia color, the rainy car windows, roadkill, red lights of that big truck, the road work machines all give it that sad feeling I think you intended. Loved it Kim.
(I’m hopelessly late with my comment, but I had some catching up to do)