Thursday, April 22, 2010

Reflect on Viven`s review

I agree with Viven`s point where they look more into the case rather then coming out with a solution at the end of the documentary. Although it is a great documentary in terms of getting the parent`s awareness towards their children`s cyber world activity, they should be getting teacher`s point of view as bullying usually happens in school. This will actually let parents as the audience know what action that the school takes in preventing this sort of issue. And yes, they did kind of portray technology as a bad thing for victims when what really they should have done is coming out with steps on preventing cyber bully.

Bullying behind the technology

So today at lecture we watched a quite interesting documentary about cyber bullies. I was quite surprised on how cyber bully issue can actually lead to suicidal for the victim. It was good that the director interviewed the bully and audience can look upon the bully`s perspectives. Personally, i think the bully victims are just being too hard on themselves. Victims can usually be seen as someone so fragile and easily let other people get into themselves. Insecurity easily strikes people at teen age. Even bullies themselves are insecure and the only way to make them feel superior or more dominant is by bullying. It is quite sad that we can see from the documentary,parents could not do much about this issue. So this leaves to the child itself on how they intend to overcome this issue. I agree when they say MSN is an emotional firewall as victims tend to turn themselves emotionally through it. Sounds cliche, but from the way i see it, usually bully victims are the ones who end up becoming successful and strong in life as they tend to strive for more and not to get bullied. Interviewing small children and kids actually let the audience think like " awwww poor kid" and give heads up to parents to monitor more on their kids. The background music they use for the documentary also gives that sad vibe to it. i It is a great reflective documentary as it reflects on realism.

Learning Contract

Content

1. What is the community that you will make your documentary?

Thugs on Wheels community or well known as ‘Mat Rempits’ in Malaysia.

2. Why do you think it is a community?

They travel in large groups especially around the cities at night during weekends. Even they know they are portraying a bad image towards Malaysia, they have this sense of unity or so called ‘brotherhood’ among them where they stick together doing illegal activities.

3. What theory about community have you read that is relevant to issues in this community? Summarize the relevant ideas.

Harris (1999) claimed how we feel about the communities in which we belong affects our sense of quality of life; and that ‘sense of community’ is itself crucially affected by the quality of interpersonal communication. In order to feel secure about where we live, and be informed about options and opportunities, we need connections to others. Those connections are strengthened by trust, which itself is reasserted by informal interaction in a ‘neutral’ context – in the street

‘Mat Rempit’ as we speak, needs acceptance among their society as they feel they could only relate among their members. Society already dislikes them, despite whether they are doing something illegal or not, public would still stereotyping when they see young adults riding a motorcycle. For them to fit in into society is rather impossible as insecurity and also class status hit them. So they seek for connections among their community to feel more secure. At least they feel accepted in belonging in a community.

It is important not to misrepresent this link between emotional and informational

content, but the distinction can be significant.

4. Are you in agreement or disagreement with these ideas?

Yes, I agree.

5. How can you use these ideas in your documentary?

By applying its content into the documentary and being able to relate to the community. Asking what sorts of acceptance they seek in comminute and portraying their lifestyle in belonging in one.

6. What is the structure of the documentary? (this could be a short treatment of the way you see your documentary unfolding)

Basically it’ll be the traditional way structure where I will portray the issue and the conflict in the beginning. Then will be going into the local media’s role in addressing this issue and how they portray the fellow rempits. To balance out the documentary, interviews with some of the rempits will be conducted and showed in the middle of the documentary. Who? How? Why? Questions will be asked but mainly focus on why they would do such activity. Then will show of the public’s opinion and see what we can conclude at the end of the documentary.

7. What is the style of the documentary? (you can refer to documentary theory if you know it; if you don’t, discuss how you see the relationship between you the documentary maker and your subject, and how that will influence the work you produce. Examples of other documentaries will be relevant)

It will be a reflective documentary that addresses issues of realism. .

Technical

8. What type of media will your documentary consist of (eg audio files, text, stills, video, animation etc)?

I’ll be using text, audio, and even video footage. I will add some animation into it if it’s necessary.

9. Given that your documentary will be published online, how will you tailor production and post-production to be appropriate (eg image size, frame rate, design issues, copyright)?

I will get the structure right first. After mind mapping and get all each sections right, then I will execute it to the final production. Some of the footage for the videos will be taken from online that have no copyrights. Of course I will look upon the copyrights in being able to use it in the documentary.

10. What are your skills in making this style of media?

Video editing skills wouldn’t be any problem for me as I have a background in editing videos and also design.

11. Are you enlisting the help of any crew during the production phase of your documentary?

Not at the moment

12. Will you need to borrow technical equipment from the School techs?

All materials have been gathered, no shooting will be involved.

Permissions

13. What talent do you need to get release forms signed for?

None

14. Are you going to interview any monitors?

Not at the moment

15. Do you need permission to shoot on location?

No.

Post-production

16. What software do you need to edit your documentary?

Video editing – Ulead video studio

Design – Adobe photoshop

Audio – Soundforge / Adobe Audition

17. Do you have sufficient skills with that software?

Yes I have

18.Do you have sufficient access to that software?

Yes I have just ordered the latest version of ulead video studio from home, and have access to other softwares I need.

Publication

19. What social software environment will you publish your documentary to?

I’m aiming in distribute it to some the Malaysian government forum as this will be a good documentary to share with them and the Malaysian local news forum as well. Youtube would be a good choice too.

20. Is the media you are creating appropriate for that environment?

Of course! It feels good to actually come out with a documentary that will enable and benefit the minds and perspectives of the public in this issue. The government would love this kind of stuff.

21. Have you become a member of that environment?

Will soon.

22. Have you done a ‘test’ publication?

No I haven’t

23. Does the environment stipulate any limits (eg file size, dimensions, file types, copyright, legal issues) that you will need to meet?

Normally there will be a size limit. I’m hoping that I wouldn’t have to separate it into 2 separate videos due to size issue. I could render down the size to upload them, but the quality will be cut down. File will be in mpeg or wav depending on what are the requirements needed to be upload ( usually mpeg works fine).

Legal

24. Have you got copyright permission for all the content you use?

All copyright materials will be referenced.

25. There is no defamation or slander?

No.

26. Any other legal issues?

Not at the moment

Risk assessment

27. What are the most likely things that could go wrong with your project?

I’m trying to balance out this documentary from both sides of perspectives so I will be conducting interviews to some of the ‘rempits’ asking their opinions regarding their activities., so I’m worried audience might get the wrong impression as if I’m giving them a chance to defend and justify themselves where we all know what they are doing is wrong.

28. What is your back-up plan if these things occur?

Well, I could always re-edit or cut out scenes if the context does not look balanced.

Project management

29. What is the date of your rough-cut showing?

Week 11 ( Friday 14 May 2010)

30.What is the final due date?

Week 12 (Friday 21 May 2010)

31. When do you intend to start production?

Saturday 8th May 2010

32. When do you intend to start post-production?

Saturday 1st May 2010

33. Given your production start date, have you already booked any technical equipment you need?

Most of the materials that I need have already been gathered.

34. How do these dates work in with assessment deadlines from other courses?

Even though I’ll be having 2 presentations in the month of May, there only 2 submissions required for this month. The first week of May will be perfect to start production as it is not a hectic week.

35. If you are using talent, dose their availability suit your production schedule?

Yes, talents that I’ll be using are for interviews. Email will be sent to arrange a date for conducting online interviews.

36. Remember to collect all the credit information as you go.

Of course

References:

Harris, K (2003). ’Keep your distance: remote communications, face-to-face and the nature of community’, Journal of community work and development 4

FOUR SENTENCES DEFINING OF DEFINITION

a) One sentence defining your community

Thug on wheels or well known as ‘mat rempit’.

b) One sentence defining the issue you want to explore

The illegal activites and the bad image they are portraying.

c) One sentence defining the conflict

Community vs. society

d) One sentence outlining relevant social theory

Socialization.