 | Analysing |
DSLR Documentary:
One of the topics to come out of this week was the recent surge in documentary filmmakers using DSLRs to capture footage. After being informed about Philip Bloom I began to conduct some research around him and the concepts of DSLR filming.
Philip Bloom:
2 nights in Mallory Square from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.
After spending some time exploring Bloom's website (Philipbloom.net) I found an archive of films filmed on DSLRs, many of them are experimental, several are time lapse videos and others are social commentaries on various cities and places, all of which demonstrated the strength and capabilities of filming on a DSLR. While watching the films I began to take notes on the common characteristics which were recurring throughout the films:
- Small depth of field in most shots, rarely shots with a long depth of field.
- High use of music, probably due to the limitations of sound recording on a DSLR.
- High quality imagery.
I started to investigate the technical side of DSLR filming by exploring a few websites with information about the pros and cons of choosing a DSLR to film with.
Pros:
- The shallow depth of field that the cameras are capable of adds to the quality of the imagery.
- They are small and compact which makes them idea for documentary film making.
- The ability to capture footage and stills means its very versatile.
Cons:
- Separate sound recording is needed as a DSLR's on board microphone will not give professional results, this could cause problems when editing if we do not research into sound synchronisation.
- Storage space becomes an issue when recording for long periods of time, as the file sizes are very large.
- Focus becomes an issue when the depth of field is too small, when filming interviews with people their outline may be out of focus.
Websites:
http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/video/articles/119646.aspx
http://www.pcworld.com/article/220415/how_to_shoot_great_video_with_a_dslr.html
Racism in the UK against the British Pakistani Community
(Charlotte Savage)
From watching this documentary, I was shocked to find how strong and vicious racism is against the Pakistani people living in the UK, and how young these abusers can be. I found this very disturbing to watch as these young children being openly violent and racist to Pakistani women, it was as though they ad completely lost their innocence. However, i had to wonder where they had got these strong racist views and whether they had developed these views from their parents, peers or from the media. Therefore, I feel that it will be necessary to find out from our primary if he has been a victim of racism both at work and through out his normal day to day activities.
Idea: The Life of A Taxi Driver (Natalie Markall) After disgussing the idea of basing our documentary on the lives of taxi drivers, I researched further into past documentaries that were based alongside the same principle. This was when I came across this film and website: http://www.beijingtaxithefilm.com/#
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"Beijing Taxi' is a timely, uncensored and richly cinematic portrait of China’s ancient capital as it undergoes a profound transformation. The film takes an intimate and compelling look at the lives of three cab drivers as they confront modern issues and changing values against the backdrop of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Through their daily struggles infused with humor and quiet determination, BEIJING TAXI reveals the complexity and contradictions of China’s shifting paradigm." - http://www.beijingtaxithefilm.com/thefilm.html
From watching the documentary, I really liked the use of the gliding shots taken from within the taxi. I thought that this was an interesting breather from the interview's with the taxi drivers and also represented the complexity of China's roads, suggesting the struggling lives of the drivers. What I didn't like about the documentary was the shots taken of the taxi drivers whilst on the roads. The shots were simple medium close ups taken either to the side or behind the subject creating no atmosphere and nothing that keeps me interested thoughout the whole interview. Therefore, when creating our documentary I want to ensure our interviews are stylistic, switching between shots of the interviewee as well as showing any car accessorise to link a personality to the taxi driver which will create a relationship with the audience. Also, throughout most of the documentary it rely's on non-diagetic sound. An example of this was when an orchestra based, triumphant tune is added over the interviews talking about the olympic games. These signify the joy and importance of how the asians feel about the olympic games coming to China, as well as the importants of the olympic games. With stunning shots and imagery of Beijing and a contemporary style rich in atmosphere, 'Beijing Taxi' communicates a instinctive sense of the common citizens’ persistent attempts to grasp the change.
Pakistani Taxi Drivers, and Taxi Drivers as a Whole in the News
(Natalie Markall)
http://www.infopakistan.pk/2010/03/pakistani-taxi-driver-asif-hussain-shah-writes-a-book-and-goes-online-with-his-taxi/
A Pakistani Taxi driver, Asif Hussain Shah, who drives his cab in Rawalpindi/Islamabad and is citizen of Rawalpindi, is the person who thought out of box and has written a book. His book is named ‘For Hire’, the book is based on his daily experiences while driving his taxi, information which is mostly based on experiences and thoughts he heard from passengers who traveled in his taxi.
Asif hussain shah wrote his book ‘For Hire’ not only to have separate source of income but also to preach the good values of Islam, he points out lots of issues in this Pakistani society and how to cope with them. Following is a video captured by a TV Channel which features Asif Hussain Shah and provides his thoughts about the book. The video content consists of both English and Urdu language.
