First Interviews
Interviewer
For this assignment, I interviewed Carol. I had trouble coming up with questions to ask her at first but it got easier as we started talking. This video was much easier to edit after reviewing Final Cut Pro from last year with my plushie. It was hard to find good b-role for some of the things that we talked about in the interview, because Carol didn't have specific pictures of some of the things she talked about, however, I made it work with what I had from the internet. Carol was very funny in front of the camera and I had to make sure to ask her simple questions. I think the lighting and sound were both good, and I was really happy with the shot overall.
Interviewee
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For this interview I was really comfortable on camera. I think I did a good job of answering the questions and being as animated as possible to make it interesting. I think Carol did a really good job of editing and adding
relevant b roll. Adam and Mark set up the camera well, however I would have fixed the frame so that there isn't so much open space next to me.
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Director of Photography
I was the director of photography for both Mark and Adam's interviews because we had a group of four. Both Adam and Mark are very animated and made the interviews very entertaining. I chose the gawlick room because it had a cool lighting and ended up being a good shot that I was really happy with. I used the rule of thirds to frame it and put a key light on their faces to light their eyes and hair. I think the sound turned out really well. Being director of photography is my favorite role because I like being able to choose the shot and be in control of how everything looks.
Second Interviews
Interviewer
For my second round of interviews I interviewed Duncan. Duncan was really fun to interview because his responses were so pure and funny. It was very easy to edit because he went on for a long time telling a funny story that is the main focus of the interview. I added b-role in the beginning but once he started with his story I just let him tell him because it was that entertaining. At first I had a hard time coming up with what to say but once we got going it got a lot easier.
Interviewee
*Ashley is still editing my interview, but it will be up as soon as she is done and puts it up on vimeo!!! (it's quite entertaining)*
This was my second time being interviewed this semester and I was very comfortable in front of the camera. I was surrounded by people I'm comfortable with and I feel like I really animated myself for this interview in order to make it entertaining. Ashley did a great job editting and adding relevant b-role from my real life experiences. After my experience with being interviewed I am more interested and open to being in front of the camera for future films.
Director of Photography
I was the director of photography for Leo's interview. I wasn't thrilled with how the whole thing turned out. It ended up being really loud outside so the sound could be a lot better and this is something I have learned from and will be much more cautious of when filming outside. The shot itself is not bad. I used the rule of thirds and a key light on his face, but it didn't catch his eyes as much as I hoped it was. Overall there was a lot I learned from being DP of this film that I can continue to work on in the future.
Documentary Review- Free Solo
Grace Pinkus
September 12th, 2019
Cinema Documentary Review
Muench
For my documentary review I chose to watch the movie Free Solo. I chose this movie because we talked about it in psychology class and it really interested me. It was cool to be able to watch a movie and learn about the psychology of the character while watching it from a cinematographer lens. Free Solo is a gripping documentary about Alex Honnold, a climber in his early 30s. Filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chinprofiles follow Alex on his quest to be the first climber to free solo climb El Capitan, a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park. As Alex takes months to study every inch of the rock face, and climbs it often with a rope. The documentary shows injuries from falls, and relationships he makes along the way that could make his life goal a little harder to reach. One of the most interesting things about Alex’s story is the psychology of it all. Alex was raised in a stable family, however, not the most loving environment. While being interviewed, he tells the audience that his family never once said the words “I love you” to one another. He also reveals that he taught himself how to hug when we got older because he never was hugged when he was growing up. The amount of psychological impact that this can make on a child is significant. Honnald speaks of an emotionally isolated childhood and the once “bottomless pit of self-loathing” that has driven him upward and into a goal-oriented mindset. After getting an MRI, the doctors found that Alex’s amygdala, which is the fear center of the brain, is not active. This means that his amygdala needs a much higher level of stimulation than most people’s do. Therefore Alex can free solo so well because things that would scare away most, don’t phase him. The plot progression of this film is very well put together and keeps the audience engaged the whole time. After reviewing interviews in class, I got a lot out of watching this film. It included heart-stopping camera angles and crisp transitions from camera to camera while following Alex up the rock face on the final scene. The interviews of the story tellers were in good lighting and the sound was very clear. Not only was the filming well done, but every interview and all b role was relevant to moving the plot forward. From a cinematic view, during the interviews I noticed that the camera kept rolling at times that the story became too much for the actors to talk about. They kept filming as they started to get choked up and emotional when talking about past climbers that I lost their lives. For me this added so much more to the film than any scripted storytelling could have. I would 10/10 recommend this movie for anyone looking for a gripping and exciting movie. From my experience in cinematography so far, I have noticed that I view films different now that I’m watching with a critical eye and searching for things I’ve been taught. I believe I learned a lot more about documentary style films from just this movie and I can’t wait to explore more.