Midterm assessment

Após três semanas de trabalho com nossos pequenos cineastas moradores da comunidade Tavares Bastos, chega a hora de analizar nosso progresso. Muitas vezes video pode ser uma mídia bastante complicada de se trabalhar. Assim como na fotografia, o video lhe possibilita trabalhar diretamente com a luz, enquadramento e composição. Mas diferentemente da fotografia estática, o video acrescenta a complexidade do som (a não ser que você decida trabalhar com cinema mudo!). Você precisa estar atento a qual som você está gravando e como ele está sendo gravado. Uma fotografia estática sempre diz algo. Já um video pode dizer muitas coisa ao mesmo tempo e dessa forma pode haver um grande conflito entre o que a imagem e o som do filme dizem.

When you start using a video camera, it is easy to become overwhelmed by all these dimensions. And we have not talked yet about the movie-maker's intentions: what is story you want to tell and how you tell it.

For our young video artists, it was challenging to complete the weekly assignments while learning the technical side of their work. This is normal. It takes time to get comfortable operating the camera. Only when it has become almost a natural extension of your eyes and ears (and hands, to avoid shaky images!) can you really concentrate on the story you want to capture.

With only four weeks left - two of those being reserved for editing - we had to change our approach so the kids could get enough quality material to make their short movie. So far, we had worked on a different theme each week - the self, the family and friends, etc.

In class today, we explained how we would work from now on. We made two teams of four. Djhulie, Andre, Andrey and Patrick in the first team; and Heule, Fernanda, Ana Lívia and Tamires in the other. We proposed three various themes on which they could build. They are also free to propose their own theme, of course.

Our themes were:

• A guide for tourists: How would you present your community to people who visit Tavares Bastos for the first time;
• The dream festa junina: You are in charge of organizing the next festa junina in Tavares Bastos. Who will be there? Where will the party take place? Who will cook (and what food)? Who will play music?
• The space capsule: You need to leave planet Earth. Who and what will you bring with you to remember Tavares Bastos?

After brainstorming on the various themes, each team chose one. For the next two weeks, including during our workshop hours, they will film their story. We will accompany them, just to remind them to focus on what they want to tell.

Each team-mate has a role, too. The camera operator, the director, the assistant-director, and the narrator. They can rotate and change role at their will. But some expressed their preferences. We know Djhulie is already a natural narrator. She has ideas and opinions of their own, but she prefers to share them beside the camera, rather than in front of the camera. Hopefully, every one will find their place and ways to express what they want.

Off they are with the Flips, for the weekend. We are excited and curious to see what they will bring back on Monday!

Frédéric Choinière
The New School University, New York