Critical Introduction: Video Production
Piercings have long been a form of expression or representation, but in recent years have become more of a fashion aesthetic. Punktured is an expository documentary which takes a journey down to the North Lane's of Brighton, into one of it's most popular piercing studios - Punktured Body Piercing (P.B.P.). Aimed at audiences of all ages, this documentary explores the functions and roles that P.B.P. has on the local community and hopes to convey the message that P.B.P. is a unique and friendly piercing studio, driven by it's passionate team of workers. From what intended to be a documentary based on the implications and industries involving the human mouth, Punktured's production crew changed their documentary concept focus to be on the industry of P.B.P., exploring its history, functions and impacts on the local community.
Taking inspiration from the methods of the prolific German documentarian, Werner Herzog, who once stated in an interview that he thinks "the worst that can happen in filmmaking is if you’re working with a storyboard. That kills all intuition, all fantasy, all creativity." (Herzog, 2009). Punktured follows this practice, resulting in a creative production which had no storyboarding, improvised shot sequences and dialogue. By keeping to Herzog's methods, the narrative style of the documentary was going to be dictated from the responses gained in the interviews. Shaping these response into narrative arc can be observed from this documentary, even though it doesn't conform to the typical conventions of its genre.
Filmed in 1080p, at 25fps, Punktured was shot on the Sony HRV-Z1E and Panasonic DMC-GH1, with it's audio recorded through a K6 and a rode shot gun microphone. Specific film theories were obeyed whilst shooting the documentary such as the rule of thirds, four points of interest, shallow focus and the golden ratio, especially within the cutaways. By applying these film theories to the project, it gives the documentary a professional aesthetic. In terms of continuity; positioning, breathing space, eye-levels, sound levels and use of titles were all important things considered, which is apparent in the documentary.
'Punktured' - a play-on word which has a correlation between the alternative music genre of punk and the word 'punctured' influenced the decision to have a punk themed score in the documentary. Piercings have been part of the fashion aesthetic of punk era in the UK since the 1970s and P.B.P. sponsor a punk night (Stay Sick) at a local bar, making it evident that Punktured has roots within that music genre.
The documentary proposes to the spectator that piercings still remain a form of representation or expression but it's an industry that has flourished from being part of the fashion world. As for Punktured, it gives an insight to why they considered a favourite amongst the piercing scene in the local area and a personal insight as to how they operate.
Bibliography
Taking inspiration from the methods of the prolific German documentarian, Werner Herzog, who once stated in an interview that he thinks "the worst that can happen in filmmaking is if you’re working with a storyboard. That kills all intuition, all fantasy, all creativity." (Herzog, 2009). Punktured follows this practice, resulting in a creative production which had no storyboarding, improvised shot sequences and dialogue. By keeping to Herzog's methods, the narrative style of the documentary was going to be dictated from the responses gained in the interviews. Shaping these response into narrative arc can be observed from this documentary, even though it doesn't conform to the typical conventions of its genre.
Filmed in 1080p, at 25fps, Punktured was shot on the Sony HRV-Z1E and Panasonic DMC-GH1, with it's audio recorded through a K6 and a rode shot gun microphone. Specific film theories were obeyed whilst shooting the documentary such as the rule of thirds, four points of interest, shallow focus and the golden ratio, especially within the cutaways. By applying these film theories to the project, it gives the documentary a professional aesthetic. In terms of continuity; positioning, breathing space, eye-levels, sound levels and use of titles were all important things considered, which is apparent in the documentary.
'Punktured' - a play-on word which has a correlation between the alternative music genre of punk and the word 'punctured' influenced the decision to have a punk themed score in the documentary. Piercings have been part of the fashion aesthetic of punk era in the UK since the 1970s and P.B.P. sponsor a punk night (Stay Sick) at a local bar, making it evident that Punktured has roots within that music genre.
The documentary proposes to the spectator that piercings still remain a form of representation or expression but it's an industry that has flourished from being part of the fashion world. As for Punktured, it gives an insight to why they considered a favourite amongst the piercing scene in the local area and a personal insight as to how they operate.
Bibliography
- Tobias, S. (25th November 2009) Werner Herzog: Interview, Available at: http://www.avclub.com/article/werner-herzog-35739 (Accessed: 10th April 2015).
