Time Travel

In class Oral presentation-

Pick a clip, roughly 2 minutes, from a film, music video, TV show... anything really- that has had some sort of impact or influence on you. Then talk about why it had an impact on you.

I think post production is ace. So I guess it makes sense to talk about my first conscious realisation of that fact.

Jump back in time to December 1999.

I had just started skateboarding, and what comes with that, is watching an obscene amount of skateboard videos.

While they were great to watch, the production lacked style and creativity.

For the average skate video, post production went a little something like this- import your footage- cut it- drop it in the time line- slow motion on a few tricks- add music track- export.

The style and aesthetic at that point in time was very simple, and every video kind of looked the same. Nobody really complained, they were just happy to see some skateboarding. But it was around this time that Transworld Skateboarding Magazine decided to start producing videos as well; The thing that would set them apart (and ultimately raise the bar for all future skate video productions) was that they were going to adopt cinematic principles, from preproduction right through to postproduction.

Chris Ray (Transworld cinematographer) preparing his kit, circa 2003

With more planning and consideration gone into shooting methods (lens type, camera angles etc.), this was already a big leap from the older method of just shooting from wherever was convenient, with whatever equipment you had with you. A lot more coverage of the environment was also shot, which would become crucial in what was to be the biggest change of all- post production.

Utilising all of the extra footage that was planned in preproduction, film makers now had the chance to edit thematically. In the example I gave in class (Transworld's First Love), the concept of passion for the sport is depicted using segments of voice overs from interviews of the featured riders. The actual footage of the urban environment is coupled with the skateboarding clips to edit to the beat of the music.

 

 

Gone are the days of shooting interviews in the kitchen with the cameras internal mic.

 

This element had an immediate impact on me, and how I perceived what was possible with post production. Having always been interested in the actual process of filming when my friends and I were skating on the weekends, I started to try to emulate the Transworld video productions- paying special attention to editing clips to the beat of the music.

I think the biggest thing i took away from these videos as a kid is that there is no right or wrong way to edit. If 200 editors working independantly are all given the same lot of footage and told "here, cut this together", you are going to get 200 different results. There may not be right or wrong, but just like any art form, some results are going to be more aesthetically pleasing than others- and it takes a whole lot of planning, instinct, and trial and error to get the best result.

 

I think i jumped the gun last week...

I’ve got it stuck in my head that I don’t want to be that guy who attends a class, and then simply transfers the notes from class to my blog. Aside from being boring as hell, I figure it doesn’t really demonstrate an understanding of the in-class discussions. So what I have tried to do each week is to pick one topic and let my brain vomit Times New Roman style onto the unsuspecting online world (I can see I’ve had 64 hits so far, I’m destined for blogger stardom).

The problem with this approach is that I might head off on a tangent and accidentally cover something that hasn’t yet been covered in class. This week, that problem has occurred- the topic of society's changing television viewing habits.

It’s no big deal though, because that means I can talk about Girls (the HBO series that is. There’s got to be a million other blogs where you can hear about fellas whining about girls).

Girls

 Before seeing it I was given the description of “Sex and the City for mid-20’s hipsters.” And after seeing it, that description seems pretty spot on. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it though- and the question of why we enjoyed it was something we kept coming back to all afternoon.

The most obvious answer is that it is relatable. But to paraphrase Mark, can you really relate to a group of people with such disgusting personalities? How can you see yourself in such a selfish contrived bitch?

(The joy I find here is that I can lump all of the female lead characters under that label. And Charlie. That boy needs to grow a pair.)

A rare exception to the un-likable characters. Adam is pretty damn weird though.
 

Maybe the addictiveness of the show is that the problems that the characters find themselves in are relatable? That’s probably the most plausible answer. No money, uncertainty, and awkward sex- I think most people can get behind that.

Because when you can create a piece of fiction that seems to fall not too far short of a truth that you have lived (or are living), a close relationship can be formed with the characters, whether you like them or hate them, because they are mirroring either you or your friends when you were (or are) in that situation.

That sounds legit right? I’m going to say yes. If there is a film or television series where you can say “I’ve lived this”, of course it’s going to spark an interest. Because to be perfectly honest, there is no such thing as a person who isn’t self-obsessed in some way.

WHY WASN'T BECKER MENTIONED IN CLASS?!

I just need to know that. A 3 hour discussion on sitcoms and no one even gave that show a mention. I guess this is the conundrum faced by anyone entering tertiary education as a middle aged student.

After talking about the paradigm of situation comedy last week, I started to think a little about one point in particular- the structure of sitcoms, and how it is adapted to commercial television in regards to advertisement breaks. Under normal circumstances, a half hour slot for a sitcom will allow for 2 commercial breaks, roughly 4-6 minutes each, and the template (for lack of a better phrase) used to shape each episode accounts for this, in the same way the 3 act structure is a defining form of narrative film.

This is the way it is. Because that’s the way that commercial television works. Without ads, we're without commercial television.

The point that I’m (slowly) making is that I don’t think I know a single person under the age of 30 who actually watches television anymore. Sure, they’ll turn it on if they’re home, and sure, they’ll leave it on if something they like is on- But less and less people are saying “oh shit I need to get home in time for Parks and Recreation!”*

The fact is that people are working longer hours. They’re getting married and starting families at an older age. In 2013 work is the centre of everyone’s universe, now more so than ever. And while most still have favourite TV shows, they don’t actually watch TV anymore, because they just don’t have the time. What they do have however, is unlimited broadband at a monthly cost of less than a case of beer. So rather than tuning in once a week to watch The Big Bang Theory, people are smashing through 24 weeks worth of illegally downloaded programs in 12 hours whilst powering through bottles of Gatorade on the couch on a hung-over Sunday- and they’re doing it all without commercial breaks.





Love it or hate it, when you think "sitcom", Seinfeld comes to mind



So if the “template” used for sitcoms and commercial television really is crafted to accommodate for commercial breaks, shouldn’t that structure eventually shift, given that our viewing habits are changing, and ultimately making commercial breaks redundant? Will commercial television eventually wind up feeling cinematic?

I’m curious about that last question. Because last week I watched The Shawshank Redemption with the director’s commentary, and I most certainly did not hear Frank Darabont say anything like “and at this scene, we thought the audience might need a break for a minute- maybe to piss, or grab a bevvy, or just to unwind from the film for a little, so we just threw in a 5 minute nonsensical scene…”

When you combine this with the fact that it is becoming increasingly common to watch TV shows on a laptop in bed and in the dark (This is starting to drag on a little so I’ll let you all draw the parallel between the cinema experience and the bed + laptop experience), surely there has to be at least some discussion in the industry that the structure of commercial TV shows is in need of serious reform.

Viewing habits are changing fast, and it’s almost as if everyone else has made the step forward, we’re all just waiting for the networks to catch up.

*You also never hear anyone say this because Parks and Recreation is about as enjoyable as Hep C.

It's true!

... Why is he always leaning? Promotional photographers need to refresh their ideas.