Research on Social Storytelling

The following questions and answers were originally recorded for a friend of mine (Daniel Waldon) who was completing the final year of his Bachelors degree. The research proposal looked at how Transmedia is effecting the landscape of social storytelling, with a particular focus on the theory of Convergence Culture in which fans seek out extra content from a film or piece of art. 

The following interview questions are an attempt to gain an understanding of art, from the perspective of someone working within a creative media outlet. However following the interview, I found that the answers gave an interesting insight into what my passions are and how I perceive the media industry in general. And now, hopefully, you also gain some value from this work:

Firstly, I would like to know what is your art medium? (E.G Illustrator, Actor, Writer, etc…)

I’d say my art is video production. I mostly work as a camera operator, but my real passion is writing and directing.

What is your usual process when producing your art form?

As a camera operator the first focus is communication. What does the director / client want from the shot? The visual look of a film project can be changed dramatically (and the wrong look be applied) if an idea isn’t communicated properly.

From there I would be able to look at lenses, lighting and framing the image for the shot. Once the DP (Director of photography), Director or client is satisfied the filming can begin.

Do you have any special rituals you undertake?

I wouldn’t say I have many rituals, although I would say my technique has become more punctual. As I’ve gained more experience in producing video content, I’ve learned invaluable knowledge on what is and isn’t necessary for a particular shoot. It may sound silly, but knowing what you need and not having to navigate through a heavy load of gear is a real time saver.

How knowledgeable of the theory behind your art form are you?

I could write all day on the “theory” of film and video production but in terms of practical application it’s a whole other ball game. You definitely draw upon your theoretical knowledge while shooting a video but each project is it’s own beast. You plan out the shoot, write down shot lists, storyboard and then when the day of the shoot comes it might not click. So in them times you experiment. You try something different, go at it from another angle. And in the end, you end up with something that works.

How would you best describe the mindset you are in whist undertaking your art form?

I’m relaxed. I’ve done all my planning and I know what I’m doing. I focus on the task at hand and do it. And in the times when I’m waiting, I sit back and enjoy the art as a spectator.

Have you ever experienced art block in one form or another? (The ability to not create)

Yes definitely. Sometimes you can be on a roll, coming up with new ideas and projects you want to do and then boom, nothing. You can be working on a script, doing a storyboard; going over a shot list, and the ideas (the visualisation of what you want to achieve) just isn’t coming to you.

In the end though the best thing is to stick with it and push through. You realise that this is something you believe in and if you’ve gotten this far then you can make it through till the end.

If so, as accurately as you can, describe the emotions and feelings that went around your head?

When you experience that kind of creative block, it’s as though you’re stuck. You experience this kind of stunted feeling where you can’t see how you're goanna get out of it. It’s not an anxiety or depression like feeling, but… more of a difficult problem to overcome. It’s like walking along a beautiful country lane and discovering a large object blocking your way. Now you could end your journey there, walk away and leave the object blocking the path. But you want to keep going forward. You want to keep going on this amazing journey, and so you put in the effort, you take the strain and deal with the task at hand.

What exercises do you do to attempt to relieve the burden of art block?

In the past I would often be working on multiple projects at anyone time, so I would regularly go from one project to another in order to keep my mind fresh on each of them. However I found that this doesn’t always work. Often it ends up just giving you the excuse to slack off on projects.

Now what I do is breakdown what the focus is of each project. Lets say for example I’m working on a script. I’ve written a first draft but one scene isn’t working. What’ll do is breakdown the scene: what is it about, what is its point (and place) in the overall narrative? If it has information or something necessary to the script then I’ll reformat the scene. If it doesn’t I’ll discard it.

How far would you go, in terms of submission to art, to create?

I think we go as far as reason lets us. Obviously different people have different opinions on what they think is reasonable behaviour in-terms of submission to an art project. Damien Hurst put a shark into a tank preserved in formaldehyde. Some people would say that’s too far. To display a dead animal like that. Theo Van Gogh was murdered because he made a film with Ayaan Hirsi Ali that questioned the fundamentals of some religious practices. Is that too far? Is that to much of a sacrifice, to lose your life for making a film that discusses what some may consider “controversial issues.”

Speaking for myself though, how far would I go? I’d invest my valuable time, my money, my mind and my body into a project that I believed in. Luckily for me then my creative forum for expression is fiction based film projects. Which, lets face it, only requires my money, time, mind and a minimal strain on my body: mostly lifting and moving equipment.

Do you study other art forms in order to improve your own?

How could you not? I’ve learned so much about classical paintings, architecture, photography, classical music, theatre and literature. All of them have contributed to my knowledge of film production, from lighting, screenwriting, directing, shot composition, shot lighting, use of location and every facet imaginable in terms of storytelling.

Exposing yourself to these different art mediums and analysing their correlating motifs dramatically improves your ability to create with precision in your own area of interest.

If so, what art forms and how do you find that they help you with your own creativity?

For instance one thing that I like to look at is renaissance landscape paintings and similar art that that inspired. When I look at these paintings what stands out is how they capture so much emotion and drama in such a wide space. In Hollywood cinema today, it’s the close up that dominates. So much so that Oscar winners like Birdman are dominated by the close up and yet are still considered triumphs.

You see the thing is, it’s not always the biggest hyped films that leave the biggest mark, but those that do something different comfortably that stand out most to me. Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture and the films of Alan Clarke stand out because they are stylistically (in particular, their use of framing the shot) different.

Another example would be the influence of literature on how I think about story telling. In the past few years, shows like Breaking Bad and others have embraced a more novelistic form of storytelling. To better understand this slower form of character driven storytelling, I’ve read novels by highly praised authors. One of the standout books would have to be Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. The methodical way that Tolstoy tells this story and develops his characters really helped me breakdown and understand this form of character progression.

Actors often turn to method acting to get into character, can you relate to this? Is there such a thing as method creation?

As I see it, method acting is drawing on emotional events and knowledge in order to represent the way a character that they are portraying is feeling… and if that’s the case, I don’t know of any creative person who doesn’t draw upon some kind of collected knowledge in order to construct a piece of art.

Method acting is often given this kooky spin, as though method actors believe they are that character. It’s about maintaining the right mind-set for emotionally portraying a certain character. And if that’s the case, then I think there’s undoubtedly a kind of method creation.

Does your art form support your lifestyle or do you have another job in order to raise your own personal finance? How does this make you feel?

I do have another job to support my lifestyle yes. But I accept this for now. It’s a motivational tool. I know that I have the ability to make a living producing video and film content, and it’s up to me to find an avenue or revenue stream that can support me not only financially but also provide an adequate place for me to express myself creatively.

How does your life reflect the Art form you practice? How does it affect the way you live?

I’m not sure it does really. And I’ve met a lot of people who feel the same. I’ve worked on corporate video projects, short films, web series and produced professional photographs for advertisement purposes, yet none of the achievements I’ve made have been rewarded aptly in a financial sense.

Luckily I know how to live frugally. I write scripts that can be produced on a tight budget and often plan out films with locations already in mind. I suppose that in some ways, it forces you to be more creative. To expand your boundaries on subjects you might tackle. If we could all afford to fund whatever vanity project we might secretly have in mind, a lot of great pieces of art would never have been produced.

It is often said there is a heightened vulnerability with the production of art? Do you agree or disagree with this? Why?

To some extent there is a heightened risk in the production of art. Who is your audience, what is it about, what other things are similar to it? This doesn’t happen too much with other properties. You wouldn’t get KFC advertising that it is similar to McDonalds. But films are often market for their similarities to pre-established brands.

In Hollywood producers only want to invest in known properties. Comics, novels, plays and TV shows are all fair gain because they have an established audience on which to build on. But they miss the boat. Marvel didn’t become the entity it is (with it’s vast cast of established characters) by sticking to a get rich quick scheme formula. They got there because they allowed writers to create new and interesting properties: characters with interesting aspects and tragic flaws. The writers and creators there were allowed to create and experiment and it worked in establishing a dedicated audience.

If there is anyone in the film industry with a hyper sense of “heightened vulnerability with the production of art” then it is the Hollywood investors and producers themselves. They’ve lost faith in their own ability to create original content that audiences will actually want to watch.

Content producers or artists, whichever moniker you prefer, may at times come across as cynical or jaded. But they haven’t lost hope. Students continually fill universities to study art and it’s methods of production. They produce content on small and large scales, in collaboration with large corporations or independently, and each of them has their audiences. The fact is that people want to be moved. They want to be challenged and see things that make them think. People want to be stimulated by the art they consume. And no matter what a projects budget is the target audience will usually gravitate towards it.

Finally, imagine you could no longer produce your art form, how would you feel? (For this question I am looking at the raw emotions we feel as human beings when frustration no longer allows us to express ourselves)

I would feel like something had been taken from me: as though a part of myself was gone and that I would have to live the rest of my life without it. Yet, like the passing of a loved one I would begin to reflect with nostalgia. I would cherish the memories and opportunities that I had to express myself. To do things and fulfil my passions in a way that many people are unable to do in their lifetimes.