Interviews (2018-19)
Being the Interviewer #1:
I interviewed Chapin Eyre, and for the most part, it went well, except I had trouble coming up with questions. Once I ran out of the obvious questions: what's your name? where do you live? I had to improvise and come up with new questions while he answered. This was not as simple as I had hoped and we often ended up staring and waiting for me to produce a reasonable question. If I were to carry out an interview again, I would come up with the questions in preproduction to make the process run more smoothly. One challenge that came up was when the director of photography (Mia Grigsby) commented and responded to the questions and answers that Chapin gave. This was particularly challenging in post-production because some footage was unusable as it had been talked over. The next time around I would make a point of asking crew members to save questions and comments for the end.
Being Director of Photography #1:
(The footage from when I was being D.P. was lost.)
I was director of photography when Sophie Jager interviewed Mia Grigsby. The was the most comfortable position for me because I've had more experience being behind the camera than in front of it. I ensured that Mia was framed with the background brighter behind her in order to emphasis her face. I also attempted to frame her face to the right side using the rule of thirds. Then I checked to make sure her face was in focus by using the zoom button and adjusting until the individual hairs on her head were visible. Afterwards, we adjusted the color and intensity of the lighting to make sure Mia wasn't washed out.
Being Interviewed #1:
I was interviewed by Mia Grigsby and the process itself was relatively simple, but it was a bit challenging, especially in the beginning. One thing that was challenging for me was remembering to reference the question in my answers in order to give viewers context and make the interview flow better and easier to edit. I also had trouble keeping my composure and refraining from laughing a lot because being in front of the camera and lights is not something I'm accustomed to yet and my way of coping with discomfort is laughing. I was afraid to stumble over my words and ironically, this caused me to stumble over some of my words and say a few things in weird ways. Next time around, I would remind myself that we can always retake shots and I can answer again if I'm not happy with how it went the first time. I would also focus more on giving the viewer context for what I'm saying.
Being Interviewed #2:
The second time around of being the interviewee was easier, but I still had to restrain myself from laughing because the order in which words come out of my mouth can sound unnatural/weird sometimes. I had a sense of the kind of questions that would be answered and this made the process more simple and less stressful for me. There’s something about facing the lights and camera that causes a feeling of vulnerability, but also power, because you’re in command of the room.
Being the Interviewer #2:
I interviewed Sophie Jager for the second interview. I prepared questions prior to rolling the camera, and this made the process much more natural and smooth. Additionally, Sophie, having lots of experience with performing and being in front of a camera, made the interview that much easier, because she spoke more than was expected and left the editor (me) a lot to work with, which is extremely helpful.
Being Director of Photography #2:
I was D.P. while Sophie Jager interviewed Mia Grigsby. While I had Chapin Eyre film b-roll footage from an additional angle, I made the executive decision to use only the main camera footage, mostly because I misplaced the b-roll footage by not fulling importing it into a folder prior to editing. (rookie mistake) I used the same process of focusing on the subject, by zooming in and making sure to get structured lines when looking at a minuscule section of the interviewee’s face or hair.
2018/19 Documentary Review- The American meme
The American Meme dives into the experience of being an internet sensation. Various celebrities and internet stars discuss how their lives have been changed, for better or worse, by the power of the internet. Brittany Furlan, DJ Khaled, Kirill Bichutsky, Josh Ostrovsky, and Paris Hilton bring viewers behind their social media pages to see the kind of life, luxury, and pressure that comes with having such an influential persona online. The documentary sheds light on the dangers that come with massive online followings and the real-life trauma and drama that can unfold as a result of constructing a social media empire. We see what it’s like to have millions of people know who you are but very few who genuinely want to be around you or actually care about your mental well being. As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that social media influence is a two-way sword, and mental health can come in the line of fire. The documentary shows that social media can take a toll on anyone, but especially celebrities, whose lives are monetized without pause but are still human beings and also desire genuine connections.
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I really enjoyed the concept behind this documentary, the question of how celebrities live beyond their online presences because I feel like it’s something everyone has thought about but no one has pursued the idea through the medium of a documentary. I was impressed by how up-close and personal the celebrities were willing to be about their struggles. I liked the authenticity and bluntness of the film and interviews, and how it didn’t stray away from topics that can sometimes be considered taboo like mental health. I thought interspersion and juxtaposition of the celebrities’ interviews and personal life footage beside posts of photos and videos from the lives they lead on their social medias was particularly powerful in conveying the message of the film. The film didn’t have much of a story in itself, but was rather a woven presentation of the lives and stories of celebrities within the film in order to produce an image of what social media influencers’ lives can be like. I think the casting was well done because each influencer was unique in that they had their own experience with social media that led them to different places.
I was not particularly blown away by the most of the cinematography, although the vast majority of the film was home videos and content pulled from the internet for b-roll, so it was understandably lacking in opportunity for great cinema. The lighting for the interviews looked professional in an attempt to make the celebrities as attractive as possible. The candid footage, on the other hand, was not as well lit, as it was candid, and couldn’t be prepared prior to shooting. While not necessarily visually appealing, this lack of professional lighting created a greater sense of authenticity in the footage surrounding the methodically planned interview shots.
The music was pretty superficial and switched throughout the movie with each scene and depending upon story discussed but didn't add much to the movie in particular. In my opinion, the best use of music was during segments where it was intentionally not used, often to add emphasis the sheer absurdity or sadness of what was happening or what was being said by interviewees. For example, one of the internet famous celebrities walking into a liquor store and then chugging an entire bottle of tequila on a city sidewalk in 10 seconds.
Some of the interview shots were close up, especially when the interviewee was having an important realization or was disclosing something personal and vulnerable. A lot interview shots and home life shots also had a handheld look, which made them feel more personal and authentic, like we as viewers were actually in these celebrities’ rooms.
The b-roll consisted mostly of interspersed with screen recordings and vertical photos and videos from social media, but also a significant amount of home videos and childhood/personal photos throughout the interviews whilst the stars talked about their childhoods and families. and were The ken burns effect was utilized on a lot of still images and screenshots from the celebrities’ social medias.
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I would recommend this film to anyone who consumes or uses social media, follows online influencers, or is attempting to build a following for themselves. I think, more than anything, this documentary is relevant. I don’t know how relevant it will be 5, 10, 20 years from now, but as of right now, I haven’t seen anything that gets as real and is as accurate about the digital age my generation is currently growing up in. I think it’s an important film to see, but especially people in my generation, who often have no understanding of the other side of being internet famous.
2020 Doc. Review- Tell me who I am
I watched the dramatic new Netflix documentary Tell Me Who I Am, which shares the lives and horrors endured by twins Alex and Marcus at the hands of their mother. The twins were sexually abused during their early childhood by their mother who, among violating them herself, passed her twins around like objects to strangers who exploited them for days at a time. When Alex gets in a serious motorcycle accident in his late adolescent years, he wakes up with amnesia, unable to recall anything about his childhood or parents other than his brother. Alex trusts Marcus to bring his memories back and help him reintegrate into social settings and remind him of the friends he doesn’t even recall the names of. Marcus is faced with the opportunity to either relive the trauma of his childhood and disclose the horrors he and Alex shared or spare him from the truth and create an alternate reality where he won’t have to live as a victim. Marcus chooses the latter and attempts to protect his brother, and in turn himself, from the reality of their situation until Alex finally confronts Marcus over suspicions. The documentary is the first time, after twenty years of lies and cover-ups, Alex will hear the truth about who he is and what he comes from as Marcus finally exposes the truth about their disgusting childhood and abhorrent mother.
This documentary was very well done. The blocking and sequence of the movie provided for suspense and multiple gripping moments throughout the film that lead up to an intimate, devastating conclusion as the story is progressively revealed. If you look up the film you’ll see it’s labeled as “Drama/Mystery” and although I wouldn’t consider it a mystery, it was undeniably dramatic and was portrayed with a mystery-style buildup. I was particularly struck by the color-grading and film-scoring of this movie. The entire film is composed of cool tones and dull/darkened imagery which produce a look similar to that of a horror film, which is fitting, as it truly is a real-life horror. The film is broken up into three acts, starting with Alex’s point of view, then Marcus’s, and finally Alex and Marcus together. This formatting is perfect because it allows Alex to describe his experience after the motorcycle accident and how he slowly noticed things being off, then allows Marcus to fill in the gaps and share the disgusting realities, and concludes with a powerful one-on-one as Marcus unveils the truth to Alex. The interviews are intimate and reflective, allowing the brothers to each share each of the realities they lived creating a building contrast between the two. The use of close-ups and extreme close-ups are masterful and are used to emphasize powerful moments and discoveries. The B-roll filmed at their childhood house gives the impression of eternal dusk on a winter’s day, with bare trees and a cold stillness. It’s perfectly uncomfortable from the start but gradually more unnerving as the story continues to unfold.
I would only recommend this film to anyone looking to lose a little bit of faith in humanity, as the film recounts some heinous human behaviors in order to capture the everlasting trauma that persists as a victim of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation. Although the heinous acts aren’t explicitly shown, the descriptions go into details that start to make the viewer feel invasive and criminal. The film and story can be overwhelming and disturbing but is nonetheless powerful and, at times, poignant, as two middle-aged men both open up and break down in front of you.