Go to the page here

Hampe also discussed the preparation for the interview, which is VERY important. The importance of doing research on the interviewee, and the situation we find the interviewee shows through in the interview — good questions will be asked and the subject will be explored in an informed way. Dumb questions will only lead to dumb answers, ‘noninformation,’ as Hampe calls it. Researching beforehand will help define the purpose of the interview, the ‘why,’ guiding the interviewing process, and thus leading to a cohesive statement at the end.

Part of the process that is also important to address is the decision for portraying the interviewee– an important concept for this class. The location you set the subject in, how they are dressed, and the lighting can all have an affect on the representation of that person, and his story. For practical purposes too, it is important that the subject be comfortable; insuring that the subject is not scared by the equipment and shooting situation will lead to a relaxed interviewee and a flow of ideas important to telling the story.

He also discusses how editing takes an important role in telling the story. Unmotivated cutaways can be distracting and unnecessary; eliminating them during the shooting process itself can help build the cohesive piece you are searching for. Spontaneity in the interview keeps an authentic atmosphere, and this can be achieved by shooting the cutaways of the interviewer afterwards.  These editing decisions must be well-informed.

One final important idea Hampe conveys is that the interviewer is in control. Having the control of where the interview takes place, prepping the interviewee beforehand, and asking the right questions will create an effective interview. You want to keep the control in check as well, by not cutting off the subject! Hampe reminds us of the importance of listening (which should seem inherent in an interview). Rushing down a checklist of questions does not actually explore each issue, and the whole process might as well be null. The point of the interview is well, to get a view into the speaker’s world, to find out what he or she thinks. That part of the interview is of utmost importance, and cannot be forgotten. Hampe offers us an experienced perspective, which can be very helpful to a first-time interviewer– we just need to listen.

Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Alex’s project is not the creative application of adjectives, which was very good, but rather the structure of how he put it all together. His adjectives played out in little scenes, of course, but he pieced it all together, if I am watching it correctly, to create a narrative about these two roommates. This narrative pieces together a normal evening, yet within this microcosm, it exhibits actions and reactions that show off this roommate relationship so well, it is almost as if we were watching an entire semester-length timeline. He shows us the primary character by placing him in his own scene at the very beginning, which is very effective. Most of the adjectives thereafter had both roommates, and the interaction between the two was very effective in exhibiting the adjective.

The only element I would consider looking at again, Alex, is the scene for the adjective “depressed.” In comparison to the others, it is quite short. It seems pretty comical, and if that is what you were going for (I think you were) then you could have timed it out a bit longer to exploit the possibilities – perhaps have the sound of a tinny violin, or a classic romantic film in the background?

Overall, Alex created a very effective, cohesive work. I know that in my project, I had a hard time thinking of how to piece all the adjectives together, so I abandoned that idea. His use of the adjectives to aid the story process was very creative!

to see his video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI0sGBryUew

Mulling over your idea and figuring out your main point is critical to the clarity of your film. Before a project, we have to figure out our topic and point of view, and then figure out how we are going to get our point across. Pictures are an effective way to do this, and a creative combination between pictures and words can trigger powerful emotions in the audience member. Structure is critical because it relates directly to the previous two elements; you need to figure out how you are going to combine the elements to create your argument and, therefore, the desired effect.

This week we saw a very effective video by Michael Wesch, anthropology professor at KSU, that synthesized these elements in a very creative way. Perhaps the most striking element of this was the creative use of images to get the narrative across. The creator of this video combines pictures and his narrative into one, focusing attention to what is happening on screen in a direct way that shows his point. The person writing in pencil changing to writing on a computer screen is an effective transition, and again, relates directly to what he is saying.

He travels through different realms of communication on paper and on the computer, and delves into the implications of our ability to (as I am doing here right now) express an idea, transfer it to text on the computer screen, and then share it for the whole world to see. Working behind the cover of describing the evolution of text, he is really describing the human thought-sharing evolution. Through our extensive use of said text, we really begin to connect our ideas, our thoughts, ourselves, through this medium, as shown through his video.

Through his structure (moving from one idea to the next in a logical fashion) and his pictures and narrative voice (both are the text we see), Michael Wesch created a compelling and video that expresses perfectly his ideas. We need to learn from an example so notable as his.

In-Class Writing Exercise from Monday 14 January:
Why take a course like this?
“After first seeing this course listed in the catalogue, and after seeing of course the lucrative three-gen-ed. knockout opportunity, you ask what else there is to gain from taking this class. After some pondering, the answer reveals itself to be a challenge, in the sense that taking this class would be a challenge. It seems that this is rather obvious but oftentimes, we need to take on these challenges to help us grow, to help us create and to express.

This course is valuable because it allows the students the rare opportunity to do this in a hands-on atmosphere where all too often there is a hands-off approach to teaching in the college classroom. Working (and wrestling) with ideas and technology is important and an ever-more applicable task in our society. Better not pass it up.”

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Reactions to La Jetèe and the Readings:

The depth and insight found inside the reading and also in “La Jetèe” is almost overwhelming. Both are interrelated on varying levels and require much attention. Something I drew from the overall input of these varying media was the importance of “thematic synthesis,” or an “uninterrupted unity” that needs to exist in the making of film to create a marriage between the narrative and literature with images and pictures (and also sounds), ultimately creating art.

A stunning example of this marriage between narrative and images comes in its rawest form with “La Jetèe.” While using still photographs, Chris Marker is able to forward his narrative in a very unique and creative way. The film is wonderful, and in its production has three elements (in its most basic form) I would like to discuss: narrative, images, and sounds. These three elements are perhaps even the purpose of the film, if not just the story.

At the beginning of the film, sounds of a jet airplane and an image of the airport first appear. The choir enters; a gloomy, ominous music flows forth. Then the narrative enters, “This is the story of a man marked by an image of his childhood.” This introduction is so well-drafted, and exemplifies this “thematic synthesis” wrought about by the great revolutionary Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein. This combination isolates the different elements and joins them together in very subtle ways. He continues to work in this fashion throughout the film and I do not think that using still photographs, as opposed to moving images hindered his storytelling effort at all. In fact, he uses this unconventional method to his advantage in the structure of his film.

I cannot claim to fully understand the film, but I believe that the point where he utilizes a moving clip of the woman (or image of woman) with whom he is in love shows a point where his “dream-world” or “image-world” takes over him. The woman blinks, and the background summer noise crescendos to an abrupt, shadowy shot of the scientist. The expression on the protagonist’s face shows a very human vulnerability, in my opinion. At the same time, however, I became very confused in the combination of the pictures with regards to the time-travel concept and I will have to view this film again.

Another reason for me (or any viewer) to watch this film over and over again is for its photographic worth. Iconic images of the jetty, and elegant, graceful images of the man and woman peering into the glass cases at the museum conjure an array of emotions and ideas about the nature of the story and existence. Of course, these images are assisted by the music and the sounds, and undoubtedly by the narrative.

This film can be about many different ideas, either about the nature of filmmaking itself, or, on a larger scale, about the vulnerable nature of the human condition we all experience. It surely is an important member of the film repertoire and needs to be studied for its incredible value. The different elements of images, sounds, and narrative combine and mix to produce a very important montage of thought.