Filming in Fremantle.

So the cool thing about my degree is I get offers to film bands. Yeah, cool huh? So that's what I did last night. I traveled all the way to Fremantle to film a band that I still can't remember the name of. Yeah, I don't remember the name of bands I work for... I didn't actually get told what the band name was until I was there and now I have forgotten (but I've got them saying their name on tape so it's all good). I was a bit worried before I got there because I a) hadn't filmed a live performance before so wasn't sure how well I'd do, b) didn't know what I was doing this for exactly or what was going on other than "film this" until I got there, but it was surprisingly simple. There wasn't a big set up, it was just the band wanting me to film the performance for promotional purposes and were like "you think a static shot at the back would be fine?" That was ridiculously easy. Set up camera on tripod, adjust settings for light, press record.

Well yay. Recorded one set at the back, recorded the 2nd nearer to the front. Both times were from the left and the drummer was on the right so the poor drummer in his seat position kept getting partly covered by the dancing crowd. There was this one guy in white that I wish I could just film him. He danced in a very... interesting manner. Even when I was to the side, separated from the dancing crowd he still managed to dance to the side and into frame so the footage just has this one guy popping in and out in a strange way continuously. It's brilliant. I also learned that if there's a dance floor, like wood, that is set on top of the carpet floor then don't put a trip on that dance floor... things shake... and you will need to hold the tripod and camera continuously to minimize vibrations. Woops. I don't think it'll matter than much... 

While I was filming this old lady (not like grey hair "what's the sonny? My hearing aid is on the blink again" old) kept looking at me which seemed reasonable. Random guy with a big camera in the back of the room, sure a few people would look. Then afterwards I went to talk to the singer and the lady corners me and starts talking about how she knows what I'm doing etc and it was a bit uncomfortable and freaky until she explained that she a) taught at Murdoch for 22 years in media b) is the singers' parent and thus of course she knows why I'm here. OK well that's good.

Oh and she asked me if I'd be interested in a multi-cam shoot sometime so hell yeah. Potential new project to be part of! Increase experience and resume, obtain job in the industry in the future. Huzzah!

Oh! And the awesome thing was that I didn't get lost on my way there! I always get lost when I go to new places even when I have a map but this time it was easy. The train station, the place my friend lived that I needed to go to get the camera equipment and the pub formed a triangle on a map and so I only had to walk down a street and then turn a corner. Achievement unlocked: navigate simple street layout.

Also, if there are any local bands reading this that want a low budget music video feel free to contact me! I love doing things for no money for bands (that's not sarcasm, I'm a film student - it's what we do).

And that's the story of how I went to sleep at 3am and woke up so tired that I still want a nap at its 2 in the afternoon. Worth it.

Social Networking Porn... (you heard me)

Just imagine for a moment... that Facebook was filled with porn stars.

No, not your slut "friends" from highschool you don't talk to but still have on your friends list. Real naked people... that talk to you.

There are websites that manage to combine porn with social networking, where you can look at photos of models and favourite them, then add them as friends and say hello. That is... the weirdest combination of websites I have ever encountered. Could you imagine how awkward that would be?

"Hey, how's it going?"

"It's going well, I'm just casually masturbating to images of you also masturbating."

Part of porn is the detachment from reality, the distancing yourself from the reality of what you're watching and focusing on the fantasy of what's in front of you. It's removing you from the need for social interaction or romanticism so you can satisfy base urges. So yeah, it really is completely about objectifying women so one doesn't feel guilt. If it wasn't based on fantasy then normal porn videos are actually really homoerotic when you think about it. Seriously, you're deliberately watching a guy get naked and masturbating to a close up of his massive erection (which puts you to shame) while you only get to see the head of a woman as she performs fellatio. You're jerking off to a guy's dick as he moans. Then there's the close ups of his backside and balls as we get the under the legs shot to show off only half of the woman's rear or just her crotch as he does her. Once again, there's a whole lot of focus on that cock isn't there?


OK well this website I've found doesn't have guys on it. Yay! No need to worry about all that latent repressed homosexuality going on (because admit it, if there's a fat guy or a guy with a small dick on porn it turns you off. Of course if you watch only lesbian porn then congratulations! No sudden realisation that you masturbating to a guy unloading himself onto a girls face is kinda weird don't you think?) No, instead they've found a way to make it weird by making it have a social element. Forums. Things. It's no longer just the comment section of a porn site where you can all anonymously comment on "wow she was hot, that was a great fap", you get to go onto a models profile, read about her, add her as a friend and "favourite" her porn.

It's so weird... because suddenly these aren't strangers, those are people you know staring back at you from the computer screen. It becomes personal. It becomes uncomfortable...

And there's a profile! You can write your own profile, with those questions about basic info only with a few things about sex added in there just to make sure everyone knows everything about your sexual fantasies. See these models dress up and so you've got your geeky porn, your tattooed girls, and so on, and everyone can see on your profile which models you've "favourited".

Yeah... it's a place where you can be really open about what you do in your spare time, alone... you know, the things you edit out on all your other blogs and online journals.

And the people you're writing it about are still there, able to read it and know everything you have to say on the matter of their breasts or other womanly parts... their womanly parts!


I'm all for complimenting women on their looks but it just gets really awkward if the reason why you're saying it is they posed nude for the internet... perhaps it gets less awkward if you get used to it? Who knows?

...not that I speak from experience, this is of course all speculation based on my discovery of a site. It's amazing how much someone can say about porn without being a stereotypical male consumer of it...

...yep... totally innocent here...