Well Well Well... Look what we have here. You thought you could get rid of me, huh? Well, just as the phoenix rises from the ashes, I, too, rise from said ashes. I've missed this. I've missed... us. This just feels right. I have a lot to update you on, so let's make like a Zach London and write.
One of the first big projects in A Level (this just sounds British) was to watch some documentaries to prep for eventually creating our own. Let's go over them, shall we?
This piece was created by niche artist Banksy. “Exit through the Gift Shop” attempts to showcase the tumultuous, underground world of street art. From the perspective of said artist Banksy, the piece illustrates a uniquely verite style of filmmaking, using footage very few would have access to. The interviews with some of the craft's biggest names further elevate the piece, giving it an air of authenticity and credibility on the topic. Guetta, a fairly peculiar man attempting to scam his way into the art world, sees himself as someone of deep creative intelligence (much to Banksy’s dismay), and the music, editing style, and shot angles all work to develop that thought. The music, especially in the earlier stages of the doc (when Guetta was filming other street art), featured a grunge, angsty sound reflective of Guetta’s rebellious nature. Editing-wise, fast-paced b-roll clips and yellowish hues further this angsty feel of Guetta’s early work of running around filming street art. Shot angles like close-ups and extreme wide shots (that Guetta describes as him going above and beyond for) further showcase the dedication and almost exclusive access Guetta had for the art he showcased, and the surface-level depth he desired others to see him as. Throughout the Documentary, Banksy shifts how Guetta is perceived through a variety of technical elements. At first, Guetta’s footage is shaky, handheld, and very yellow (a by-product of the streets he filmed on). This is meant to portray Guetta as an amateur, not yet professionally known, and rebelling against societal norms. Banksy uses fast-paced editing and angsty music to further this theme. The interviews from a variety of artists describe Guetta, at worst, as a wacky guy with weird taste, still admiring his desire to document. Banksy talks of him as a friend, and a trustworthy one at that. This is designed to feel like a hero story, documenting Guetta’s rise to fame and notoriety. However, as Guetta’s ego grows, Banksy lets shots linger for longer, portraying Guetta for the shallow, egotistical man he turned out to be.
The music is now much classier, reflecting Guetta’s desire to be perceived as someone of high stature. Banksy stops including other artists' interviews, instead only using his own and Guetta’s to get as close to a true account of the change as possible. These stylistic changes showcase how Guetta fell from an artist to a shallow critique of one.
This short documentary follows the sometimes humorous ways New Yorkers deal with roach problems in their homes. From smacking to spraying, the doc looks at the various techniques that everyday people use to address problems in their communities. This sub-6-minute doc is narratively pushed by indirect interviews. The interview shots are handheld, often zooming in and out of the subject's faces. This builds the narrative of an amateur picking up a camera to document a problem in their community. The subjects are often placed at the more forward of the left or right thirds, not sitting still, and looking far off to the side. This furthers the idea of a person with little to no documentary experience being the one behind the story.
B-roll-wise, it's evident through the subject's comments that the b-roll was staged. One subject states how the roaches weren't "performing" for the crew, pointing to the crew asking for the subjects to kill roaches for b-roll. The b-roll and interviews mesh into one, with the subjects talking about their actions during the b-roll of them killing roaches. The b-roll shots are often close-ups, speaking to the size of the likely working-class homes the subjects live in. The ending of the song is a unique blend of humor and coping, giving the audience an even further look into the psyche of the residents dealing with the roach problem. These choices coalesce to form a documentary that portrays an accurate representation of New Yorkers dealing with an albeit disgusting problem in their community. I enjoyed the documentary for what it was. The personalities of the subjects came across the screen very well, thanks to their interviews and the way they were framed/shot in such a pedestrian manner. The close-up, personal b-roll really made me feel like I had to deal with this roach problem, too. For all the amateur aspects of this documentary, I loved it for its clear personality and groundedness.
The second op-doc I watched was called "Christmas Every Day."
This short documentary follows 2 sisters who, with a push from their parents, are attempting to gain social media stardom through dancing and vlogs, as well as contrasting this life with the desire to lead a more traditional life as kids. The documentary is pushed narratively by indirect interviews. Every shot in this doc is shot with a tripod, creating an almost hauntingly still picture painted by the content on screen. The shots are also often medium or wide, along being longer takes. This Likely speaks to the small production crew of the documentary, with only one person behind the camera. The shots are likely set up this way to give the audience the most visual information without risk of the subjects stepping out of frame. The stillness also contrasts with the active nature of the children, pitting their child-like wonderment and rambunctiousness with the often soul-crushing nature of the social media sphere.
The girls' outfits are representative of their actions. When the girls are making videos, their outfits often match those of a young-20-something, with elaborate sweaters, jeans, and hats. When the girls are being interviewed, they sport pajamas much more representative of what a 10-year-old would wear. 6-roll often features the girls filming videos or getting ready, again utilizing this still, wider shot strategy that makes the audience feel like a fly on the wall of the warped reality the girls are living in. Often, social media videos can be heard from the subjects' phones. This serves as a creative vessel for the documentarian to illustrate the building of stressors. The volume of the critiques, advice, and commentary the subjects are receiving in a short amount of time acts as a manifestation of the pressure put on the girls to succeed. These choices work together to create a documentary that showcases the almost backwards world of child influencers and the pressure put on them by their parents and society as a whole to succeed. This doc served as a haunting Look into a world I so rarely see. I enjoyed the stillness the piece provides. The tripod shots offered a very pleasing viewing experience, and the lack of traditional interview shots was a nice change of pace. The medium/wide shot b-roll, along with the auditory cues of social media videos, enthralled me in the story of the girls being pressured to perform. This doc provided a unique view into a world not properly covered, and the pleasing viewing experience offered an easy, digestible way for me to learn the info.
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