Thomas McMillen

Guest Lecture Response: Kirsten Johnson Today’s guest speaker was Kirsten Johnson and her lecture reminded me why I decided to take Film 160. Her energy and her essence captivated an entire lecture hall. Weaving through the isles, from one side of the classroom to the other, from the front of the class, to the back, Johnson understood how to retain attention. It was in her words, however, that I understood why she wanted to become a filmmaker of documentaries. She desired to understand the room and the individuals inside of it. She asked general and specific questions that forced students to think. She showed her work and went over her thought process revealing how and why she decided to shoot certain shots. The biggest take away I received was her commentary on why people choose to go in front of a camera. Something that has derailed my creative process for years has been my inability to approach someone to record/photograph them. Until recently, I only shot on my iPhone because ...

Question: I ask for trust, cooperation and permission without knowing where the filming experience will lead the subject.         Kirsten Johnson challenges the dimensions of cinematography by removing the traditional rules of continuity in order to present her own tale. There is a duality in the film, presenting those she filmed and herself to be the subject. It reveals the intimacy and existence of the human behind the camera. Unseen, but heard, through voice, content and camera movement. I learned the art of documentary through Cameraperson because it allowed me to not feel like an observer, but rather, feel the connections that are needed to produce films. Reality, not fiction, beyond the curation. While filming a documentary, one must enter the life of another. There must be a level of comfort in order to capture ones reality. This film is comprised of various stories of individuals in a moment of hope, fear, comfort and discomfort. Overall, I felt humanity th...

Pulp Fiction: Dance Scene. Explained through shots. Shot one included a close up shot of main character, Mia Wallace, staggering to smoke a cigarette with her eyes glancing over to something off scene with a sense of yearning. Shot two works with continuity editing by including a medium shot that shows what Mia was glancing at, a Marilyn Monroe impersonator introducing a dance competition. This scene included an eyeline match to further enforce that the impersonator was in fact what Mia was fixated on, this was created by using a low angle medium shot due to Mia sitting in a booth and the presenters elevated on stage. Shot three cut back to a close angle shot of Mia’s face to show her reaction to hearing about the dance competition. Shot four cut to a medium close up shot of character Vince, to show that he is in the booth and his opposing reaction. The similarity in shot type aided to the continuity of the scene. Shot five was a jumpcut back to the presenters, it was a wide shot tha...

A story about how a trip to Seoul, awakened my classmates soul.

As I walk to my bus after work, I unplugged my Airpods and turned my phone to silent. This “soundwalk” was the first time in a long time that after work I allowed my ears to absorb anything besides the music I choose to feed them. Iin order to hear the noises around me, I had to focus and breathe; after years of living here, the natural vibration of the city has become silent to me. Today, however, I heard it. I heard the sounds that I conformed into silence. There is the rumble of a car muffler, a low vibration that enters my ears as quickly as it left them. Music was playing, I first heard it through its bass. A pounding that went through my ears and I felt in my teeth, it was meant to grab my attention. Well, not mine exactly, but the music was at a volume that naturally attracted attention. There was three sets of car horns, played in symphony as the frustration traveled back from the second car at the light. Heels against pavement. Multiple clicks in a fast pace, quickly gettin...