kirsten johnson

One of the most compelling and anxiety inducing moments of Kirsten Johnson's presentation was her having everyone in the room line up in front of each other and stare into each other's eyes. Unlike what's expected from the norm of presenting to a large group of people where you'd expect just to listen to the presenter just speak and maybe have some slides as a supplement, Johnson does the opposite and tried to make herself as interactive with everyone as much as possible to keep the energy going and not make it passive. Making everyone stare at the person across from them but for two minutes straight was something that definitely wasn't easy for anyone. From a personal standpoint, being someone who's terrible with eye contact to begin with made it especially hard for me where I had broke eye contact less than fifteen seconds in. However, it was pretty obvious that for many it was hard to last the full two minutes to stare and not have any reaction when it comes to having that sort of closeness to a perpetual stranger. Though stressful, doing the activity itself was something that was eye opening (pun somewhat intended) when you relate the action to what happens during real life filming and that's what Johnson tried to show us in a unique way. Being patient and immersing yourself in the subject that you're filming is important to be able to capture the true feeling. Time is of the essence where it's not until you're found in a situation where you have to wait or do something for an extended period of time that you realize how long even two minutes can be. Just like how she mentioned how long she had waited in one location to get a specific shot, staring into someone's eyes can feel like an eternity but there's something that can be captured in those moments without even realizing and that's what makes it worth it in the end.

extra credit // cameraperson response

    The things one decides to film is, in some ways, an extension of one's soul and how they see the world. Kirsten Johnson's Cameraperson encapsulates that sentiment on her travels around the world for her films.Watching the film definitely gives you the sur le vif feel as each country she's in and her experiences there are a slice of life of just a small glimpse of the more hustle and bustle that goes on daily even Johnson's not filming.

    What makes watching the film more enjoyable is how Johnson connects herself with the shots in the locations she's in that she almost becomes one with the location itself, thoroughly blending in with the background as she lets her subjects shine instead. It creates a sense of intimacy instead the sometimes awkward feels with nonfiction films where you can tell there's a gap between the subject and the filmmaker. Even the simplest of actions from Johnson makes the film come to life more. One part that stood out particularly was her initial opening credits in Missouri where the cloudy sky is being filmed when the lightning appears for a split second and you can hear a gasp behind the camera followed shortly by the loud boom of thunder. The gasp feels like a breath of life to what initially was a still shot and Johnson follows this style to make scenes more interesting such as when she's filming her twins in her apartment or speaking to the nurses after they helped deliver children. Being able to blend in while also intruding into quiet moments quite naturally work to her advantage as by doing so invites the viewer onto a more personal level where it's like you're behind the camera with her as each shot is crafted so gently that make up the memories of her twenty-five years and you're on a journey through her memory with her as well.

continuity: hello tragedy

link to project