Entry One: Week I & II.

shoot, yo. planning a film is difficult! these first two weeks have been a great test in group coordination and cooperation. but it has been fun. i think.

IDEA-MAKING
the group began the process of brainstorming with a casual group discussion about where we see the movie going. initially, we came to and somewhat settled on the idea of capturing motion in berlin through the different modes of transportation. getting around berlin, esepcially as a foreigner, has been something the group can all relate to. we began thinking of transportation in context with

- demographies; how certain people travel or why,
- pace; studying varying tempos of movement,
- intersection; how transportation is unifying or interdependent,
- point of view; how different ways of travling lend to different visual experiences of the city,
- history; what does "movement" mean in 2007 compared to, say, 1967?
- and time.

it is a perfectly sound idea with a lot of room for expansion, but i wasn't completely satisfied. i would like to say something maybe more personal about this city, convey an idea or a feeling that is more than an exposé about how one can move around and through the city. i began asking myself questions about what makes berlin, well, berlin? it's a city known for its "restlessness" (as we read), a city with a rather rocky history, a city that is presently highly attractive to young artists, designers, and creators, and a city in which i will be spending the next three months. i began to think about how i have or will experience this city. transportation most definitely still plays a very crucial role in that sort of understanding, but i can't help but think there is something more. something bigger i haven't quite digested yet. "berlin and the countryside" was an extremely inspirational piece of reading material for me. to read how other individuals have experienced this city and to read how they articulated that experience was very interesting. i especially enjoyed heidegger's piece about getting away from the city. that dynamic of rural life vs. urban life is also interesting to me, espeically since in one week's time we will be IN the countryside. so, in addition to the way one moves through this city, i have become increasingly more interested in how one feels and deals with berlin as an urban atmosphere.it wasn't until just recently i have been able to articulate this thought process (this journal is great!)and state of mind i am in.

GROUP DYNAMICS
right now, i feel like we are all on board for this project. no one seems to resist working together and so far brainstorming and decision-making has gone smoothly. at this point, we seem to be on the same page as far our conceptual vision for this film.

in terms of technolgoy, we have had a few snags here and there. we seem to all be very conceptual thinkers and the technology at hand is, for the most part, alien and complicated. kerry and i have been throwing around ideas about editing a mini project just to familiarize ourselves with the process of capturing, importing, editing, saving, rendering, and so on. at this point, the editing software is completely overwhelming and the thought of editing an entire film in a program we have very little experience with is even more overwhelming.

the group has also devised a loose work schedule that devotes each week of this month to filming. one group member is then responsible for gathering footage during their respective week. this way we hope to capture the majority of our footage within the month of october (the rest of the time will then theoreticlly devoted to post-production) and also give everyone an equal chance at using the camera. being the first person to capture footage in the beginning stages of this project has been difficult for me, mainly because our ideas are still very fresh and malleable. but i think as time goes on and our ideas solidify into actual, cohesive images, it will be easier to gather material.

we are very open with our ideas and unafraid to voice our opinions, but i feel as if i either dominate or direct the group discussion. i think i am most comfortable in this role, but i am curious to see what will happen if i consciously take a "backseat" position in group discussions. i don't want to feel like i am moving the group in any one direction or not, but at this point that is what i feel.

GOALS

filmwise: we have discussed our film as something that would definitely comment on, maybe update?, "berlin: symphony of a city." we hope to explore a few of the different feelings berlin creates for its urban dwellers and our movie would show this cycle of emotions through the tempo and pace of different modes of life (transportation, leisure, work, etc.)

techwise: tinker, tinker, tinker. i plan to personally get moving on the editing front. the camera so far has caused little if any issue.

our next step is to meet up before the new week starts, go over the footage i have gathered, share ideas, hand off the camera to a new group member, and brainstorm for our special assignment.