16:9 – The Bigger Picture
A Humane Society? October, 25,2009
In this segment of 16:9, the subject of Cruelty and Animal Abuse was targeted. Police and OSPCA officials charged a man with abusing a German Sheppard named Max. Max was sexually and harmfully abused by his owner, and it was all caught on tape. The reporter asked the previous owner why it had happened and all he could say was that he was drunk.
Most of these intrusive interviews are shot handheld, and the in-your-face camera shots are very personal and up close with the interviewee. This is effective because you get a real up close and personal reaction when they are asked a question. Most of them cover their faces, or hide behind a door. The beginning and opening sequence has one part with multi camera shots. This was very entertaining and had caught my attention from the beginning. It had a shot of the reporter, as well as shots of animals like dogs, and some of the people convicted of animal abuse.
A man that was convicted and charged for animal abuse is Bob Stevens. He sold videos of him having Dog fights. He was one of the first Canadians to be charged with this crime. It is disgusting to see someone harm an innocent animal. It makes you wonder why humans are human. Sexually abusing an animal? That is just disgusting, why purchase or own an animal if you need to pleasure yourself by abusing it. A physiologist who was featured on this program mentioned that children, who are usually abused growing up, take out their anger passively through animals. An animal cannot talk, nor speak verbally. What have they done to abuse you? It does not make any sense to me, why anyone would want to harm an animal.
The reporter heavily narrates throughout the program, and heavy footage of abused animals as well as disturbing footage of animal fights are shown. The narrations help the audience successful guide them through the whole subject of the program.
OSPCA officials also mentioned that if a dog fight is seized there is also potential drug use, and money laundering. Therefore the people who are usually associated with this kind of animal cruelty will be arrested. I was kind of disturbed by watching this documentary program. But it was very informative, given the fact that the footage was clear and precise to the subject as well as the narratives written.
Block Party - 2005
Directed by Michel Gondry
Block Party which features entertainer and comedian David Chappelle during the summer of 2004 hosting a big block party in Brooklyn, New York. He invited several alternative hip hop and neo-soul musical artists to perform at the party, including Kanye West, Mos Def, Jill Scott,
Erykah Badu, and the Roots along with the Central State University Marching Band.
What I enjoyed about this film was that David Chappelle is very comedic and always has the audience laughing at any given part of the documentary.
All of the camera sequences are shot handheld. I noticed this right away when watching this documentary, there is a lot of jumpy and jerky camera movements and that is how I quickly caught on. The handheld camera shots are not all that bad; in face they are actually quite appropriate. This is because when there is an interview in this film, you have to take realization that this is a comedic and funny film, so nothing should and will be taken serious. The interviews themselves are ridiculous at some point in the film.
Some of the sequences that I really enjoyed we’re the concert shots. The director had scenes of the concert placed in-between some sequences of the movie. These concert sequences are very entertaining they really catch the audience’s attention; it is sort of like a hook into the movie.
These concert sequences are long enough to show each artist equally. After all, this is a movie about hosting a big block party concert. My favorite shot/sequence in this whole movie is when David Chappelle is on a Brooklyn balcony watching the concert and he is in focus while the concert audience and performers re blurry. To me this shot is very dramatic, and aesthetically beautiful.
Overall I enjoyed this movie, I think it captured what it intended to capture, which was the concert as well as David Chappell’s whole idea coming into place. For me, this is a simple low budget documentary that, just took its time to come together. I do not believe that the director was stressed out about anything in this film; it was jut a fun project to do.
NFB - A Sunday at 105
Daniel Leger - 2007
Alden Pellerin Cormier was born on September 11, 1901 which makes her 105 years old.
This documentary follows Alden on her average Sunday. She simply wakes up and grooms herself up, eats some breakfast, prays a bit, then rocks in her rocking chair, eats some lunch, rocks some more in her chair, has a card game with her family, eats some dinner, prays some more, then takes a shot and goes off to bed.
The opening sequence of this short documentary which only lasted about 13 minuets long, is very comedic. It also establishes the subject and what this documentary entails. It shows Alden looking at herself in the mirror and getting ready by combing her hair, and applying some makeup. Music is accompanied in this sequence, it is very comedic.
The shots that the d.o.p. and director used in this documentary are very very simple. They are wide shots, medium close ups as well as just medium shots. There are no fancy or frilly effects, and because the subject is so interesting I would think that taking our attention away from the subject would ruin the point of the documentary. Alden is a special person not only because of her age, she has a certain philosophy about life, where our faith in God must be put before anything else in our lives. Because with out God there is no life, as well as taking whatever little bit of faith we may have and just re connect with God. Alden believe that working and praying is her forte.
Along with the simple camera movements and shot, ambient sound in is included as well in this film. This is the rain, and any noise that Alden might be making when she is preparing her lunch, or dinner. During interviews with Alden, she is usually on her feet and moving around, so the accompanied ambient noise is only natural to include. The director also likes to capture the reflection of the subject through mirrors and frames which are hung throughout the house. When I saw those shots, I thought to myself that this film is very personal, Daniel Leger is Alden’s grandson and seeing those reflection shots gave me emotions of love, and respect. Her eyes are very distinctive, and even though she just looks like any other old woman, her eyes make her distinguish who she really is. Her hands are also shown a numerous amount of time, throughout the documentary. This suggest to me again her age, but as well as the relationship between the director and the subject.
Overall this documentary is very comedic; Alden is a beautiful and bright spirited person who enjoys life. She is thankful for the time that she was given on this earth, and because she has lived so long she is no longer scared of what the outcome of her life will hold. She is very faithful, and mentions that God is always with her, so heaven is close by.
