Chimes of Gaviota or: I've Got the Real Estate Blues is the environmental mockumentary that I am producing through the Greenscreen Program. Today was the last class of Film Studies 183, and so it was the presentations for the three Greenscreen Films' rough cuts.
Seeing the scenes arranged and on the big screen, should have gotten me focusing on the plot and the costumes and the sound, and the notes to improve it, but it had a different effect on me. Instead, I found myself reflecting on the purpose and message of our film. For me, the meaning of the film is about the range of an individuals mode of caring in a particular situation or on a particular issue. We follow these characters around this land preservation and residential development issue, and get to know them not only for what they stand for, but for who they are. The search to understand your own point of view is found in understanding the point of views of others. Essentially the levels of caring in this film are reverted to the audience, mainly our local and young community, in our attempt to strike down on apathy and promote understanding and gradual action.
Social consciousness and caring is what I want to get out of this film. At the feedback session, we discussed that everything starts with a conversation. I see our montage of characters as a conversation. Everyone has something to say, and it's initiative that is key.
We are offsetting our carbon footprint. We are also off-setting the separation that comes with debate and replacing movement towards understanding and self reflection. We are off-setting overwhelming facts of environmental issues by realizing that confusion is natural and everyone is as confused within themselves as much as they are with one another. Opposition is our defense mechanism for admitting that we are unsure about our viewpoints.
memory for today: Our crew was asked a question a the feedback session; Me, Evan and Steven all raised our hands and when it was decided who should talk, I said, "Either one of us will have a good answer, so it doesn't matter." I meant that. The three of us have equal investment and care in our film. Needless to say, we all ended up saying something. Our conversations always bounce off each other; we never have to vote or extensively argue..it's all natural.
I always do a mini: "what did this class teach me" at the end of a quarter. 183 changed a bit how I think about films, in terms of finding meanings and intent and effect. So I guess it makes sense how I viewed this rough cut today. I'll be writing notes and talking to my crew about the technicalities of the production as soon as an hour perhaps, but at least for now, I'm all about the meaning...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment