And it's November
The screening was good. Lots of impressive works.
I liked a lot of them, but there were a few standouts that are still quite fresh in my mind. And is it just me or was there a lot of doggy business going on that night? A lot of the documentaries screened had an "awwwww" factor, due to too much cuteness from our little furry friends.
CHEER
I like this one a lot. Eric Calatayud, I always knew you had a fetish for cheerleaders ;)
It has a really interesting lead character, and at times it feels like a confessional. The participants (cheerleader + enemies) are all very engaging. They're eager to talk about things (bitching about each other?) and that makes for a very fun to watch documentary about the bitchy side of cheerleading.
What makes this doco work (besides everything else) is the editing. They really made something watchable, you know? A lot of the time student-produced films are a bit hard to watch, especially with fictional stuff.
The cuts are efficient and quick, and they had the right pauses at the right places. They had a lot of good things going for them. Also, visually it's always interesting to watch scantily-clad girls being thrown high up into the air.
Good job, guys.
PET CEMETARY
I liked this one too. It's something different.
The cinematography definitely stands out from the crowd.
It's intriguing.
As a pet owner, I don't want to think about the day my dog, Leo, has to die. In my mind, he'll live forever and ever and play with my kids and sleep under the dining table and scare the hell out of tiny squirrels.
The doco made me think of that though, which made me a little sad. And that's good. It evoked emotion. I think that's very important; To be able to touch somebody with your film, that's a job well done.
Good as it is, I can't help but feel like if only they had more time, it could've been something spectacular. I feel like there should be something more, something epic.
But I understand the limitations and difficulties they must've had.
It's still, very good.
NIQABIS
This one is highly entertaining. Awesome job.
The comedic factors of course, make up a large part of the doco. Other than that, they really put themselves in the shoes of their participants. Conducting an experiment like that is a good way of experiencing what people who wear Niqabis feel.
There's really not much more to say about it except that I really liked it and that it is awesome.
I think among all the docos screened that day, I feel like this one relates to ours most, in its construction and narrative.
Like us, they also put themselves (the filmmakers) in the doco, to bring to the audience not just the facts and the views of their participants, but also their own journey of discovering what it's like to be looked at the way a lot of Muslim people do when they wear Niqabis out on the street in Australia.
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Those are my top 3 I think. There are lots more that left an impression on me, of course.
Time's really gone past me this semester, really fast. It felt like there wasn't enough time sometimes but it feels good now that it's over. And also kind of sad.
Good thing I signed up for yet another year of this! Hooray!
Yay.... ?
Actually now that I've had time to think about it and reflect, why in the world did I just sign up for more...
Oh, right.
Because it feels so good when it's over.
:)
And also because I still have so much more to learn.
Top 10 things I've learned this sem:
10. Be responsible
9. When in doubt, consult Google and YouTube
8. When absolutely nothing on Google or YouTube helps, consult the people who know how to do it.
7. Always ask questions. Just try not to piss off the person who's answering you by asking too many questions all at once.
6. Pick a topic that I am interested in. There's no point doing something you have no passion for. That's called a half-arsed job. If it's mandatory to do something you're not interested in, get interested.
5. Time management is of the utmost importance.
4. Paul is boss.
3. Be professional.
2. Delegate
and the number one thing I've learned from this semester of Tv is
1. You can't please everybody. There will always be someone who will hate your film. Just make sure the majority loves it and forget about the rest. Be true to yourself. Don't make something just to please other people. Unless the possibility of failing an assignment arises. Then you should try to find the middle ground...
Thanks Liam, I've had an enjoyable albeit stressful semester. :)