Here's everyone's chance to put in their comments about Dr. Chang's film. Think about this from all angles -- from your major, this class, any outside experiences, and more. Even the smallest comment can bring light to something new for Dr. Chang so please add any thoughts. This is a real opportunity for us as documentary experts! Remember: How was the structure, flow, and pacing of the film? Did it weave all of the elements together without compromising flow? And consider the point-of-view of Ricki; how was the narration, did that flow or was it awkward?
I sincerely appreciated the opportunity to see a rough cut; it really highlighted all the little decisions and processes that go into making the final product. I don't have much to offer aside from these two observations:
There were more than a few times when I was watching Ricki and one or more of her relatives interact and they spoke to each other, but there was no translation on the screen. I understand that scenes were more about the relationship, which we see in the action and their body language, than what was actually being said, but the lack of translation was distracting for me. As a viewer, I'd rather have the small talk translated and make my own judgement on what to value in the scene. I imagine that I would come to the same conclusion that the filmmaker did -- that the scene highlights the connection between the people in it over what is actually said. I wrote this off to the incomplete nature of the rough-cut (perhaps the filmmaker simply hadn't gotten so far as to translate every little conversation on screen).
At the end of the movie we are suddenly brought back to the relationship between Mama and her boyfriend and Ricki tells us her positive impression of him. This felt jarringly out of place to me; I felt it should have been included much closer to the point where we are first introduced to the Boyfriend. I understand Dr. Chang's explanation for deciding to put the scene where he did, but that doesn't change how the placement of that scene affected the narrative flow for me. As I said, it was jarring, like hitting a hidden pothole on what was an otherwise smooth road.
Thanks again to Dr. Chang for letting us take a look 'behind the scenes'.
There are so many aspects of this film that were amazing. Being a part of this process is such a wonderful opportunity and a great way to conclude our course. These are some suggestions that I thought about last night. These are very rough because these are just off the cuff with only one viewing. I am a total amateur when it comes to critiquing films so here goes... :)
In the beginning I did not catch that Ricki waited two more years before going back to China. I did not catch the part of Ricki essentially breaking her promise. I was confused about the timeline with her high school graduation and her obtaining her associates degree. Maybe with a second viewing I could have put it together or the material was there and I just spaced out. If it was missing I think this could be remedied with a text track that included the year when Ricki made her promise and the year she actually went back to China. Or include the Ricki’s age in the text track- her age making the promise and her age now.
The transition between going from Washington to China was a little quick. Maybe just some stock footage of airplanes taking off and/or landing might bridge the gap.
I noticed at times the pacing of the voice-over was slightly off. Ricki was either talking about something we haven’t seen on screen yet, or we see it on screen and the voice-over’s narration hasn’t caught up yet. I think I noticed it in the section when Ricki goes back to her hometown and she’s discussing the Confucius mural/wall carvings.
I think the relationship with Ricki and her father is really developed and almost all the scenes of them are beautifully put together. The sequence of scenes with the live fish, to the cooked fish, to the table is beautifully done. The close-up of the table full of food then the slow zoom out, followed by the fade out was done really well. I really enjoyed watching that scene. I also think the sequence regarding the grandmother, the American parents’ interview about Ricki's fear, with the voice-over of meeting the grandma was also well crafted.
Personally, I would like to see more scenes of Ricki’s brother and their interaction with each other but I understand that there is a time constraint. If you were to add more scenes, I think the part where Ricki talks about her brother being “stunted” would be a good place to stick in some footage of either him being “stunted,” shy, or reserved or Ricki and him interacting. I really liked the boyfriend retelling the story of Chow running away and I’m wondering if you could incorporate some of the early morning footage from Ricki going to work with her Dad in the runaway scene. The footage where we’re looking out of the van’s front window looking out onto the dark street would make it seem like we were out there looking for him until 2am. Juxtaposed with Ricki’s mom sitting somewhere in her apartment not looking for her son.
Again, I really enjoyed watching the film and I really appreciate just being offered the opportunity to voice my opinion about my viewing experience. Please discard any or all of my suggestions. Good luck and I look forward to seeing the final cut.
Lots of good observations, Tanya. I also loved the food scenes. The shots of the squirming fish sizzling in a pan drew me into the culture in a visceral way. Could I eat them, would I eat them? What if they weren’t quite dead yet?
Like Tanya, I was a little confused about some of the logistical aspects at the beginning of the film. For her schooling, Ricki apparently had dual enrollment and completed high school and junior college at the same time, but it was a little unclear. Plus, her mention of having academic problems at first due to ADD, and her dad mentioning her anger-oriented behavior issues when she first arrived, made me wonder how these things were resolved – counseling, medication, or just the love and stability of her new family? In general, I was wishing her life growing up in America could have been filled in a little more.
There were times when Ricki was speaking that I felt a step behind in catching what she was saying, and now after reading Tanya’s comments I believe this might have been due to the voiceover being slightly out of sync.
I also wondered how fluent Ricki is in her native language. It appeared that most of the communication with her Chinese family was done through interpreters, and I thought this was done smoothly without interrupting the flow of the dialogue. If we sensed a certain awkwardness when Ricki arrived, I would say that the language gap accounted for part of that. (When I was 16 I spent the summer with my Italian grandparents in Florence. They did not speak English, and I knew only a smattering of Italian at the beginning, and it was the language gap, as much as anything, that kept the conversation stilted.)
The repeated overhead shots of the family members seated at the dinner table were beautiful. They sat close in a circle at a round table with round bowls of food. This symbolized to me that they are family, and that although things separate them – divorce, relinquishment of a child, a forlorn brother, a mother with anger issues – for their sustenance, they come together, and they come together in a circle, because their link is never-ending.
This ties in with the unexpected turn the film took for me – that Ricki has two families and that the one does not negate the other. They are able to co-exist in her life. Among the most touching scenes for me were the scenes in which first Ricki and her adoptive mother, and then Ricki and her birth mother, are seat-belted into the back seat of a car and leaning into each other. The scene with the adoptive mother surprised me, because up until now we have seen her as a solid and steadfast presence in her daughter’s life but not someone who is given to outward displays of affection. She seemed either inhibited in front of the camera, or just not one to gush. But when they held each other in the back of the car and she said, “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to” (or words to that effect), there was such tenderness in the exchange, that I cried. And then to follow that with a parallel scene in a car in China with her birth mother was really powerful.
Previewing this film was a great way to end our class. I was very moved by the film, wish Dr. Chang the best, and can’t wait to see the final version!
Seeing the rough cut of a documentary was very eye-opening for me and put into perspective how much time and effort goes into creating a film. I found the story of Ricki touching as we got to watch her character develop throughout the story. I understand that this is an unfinished product, so I only have a few comments.
I was confused at first as to why Ricki was going to China. I also was originally under the impression that this was her first time visiting her birth parents. I think that a further explanation of the chain of events that led up to her going to China would be helpful.
The narration by Ricki sounded a little off to me. Her voice sounded much different in the film than through the narrations and it felt like two different people talking.
Like Wes mentioned, I too would have like to see more translations of the conversations between Ricki and her family. Since there were times when the translation was present, I found myself looking for them at all times.
I would have liked to see more interaction with Ricki and her adoptive parents in the beginning, because in the very small amount of time that we see them, they appear lifeless and not very close with their daughter. Maybe having an interview with Ricki and her parents would fix this.
Aside from those small little details, I found the film extremely enjoyable. By the end of the film I felt truly connected to Ricki and her story and I wanted to know more. I look forward to see ing the final version of this documentary and hopefully a sequel!
Here's everyone's chance to put in their comments about Dr. Chang's film. Think about this from all angles -- from your major, this class, any outside experiences, and more. Even the smallest comment can bring light to something new for Dr. Chang so please add any thoughts. This is a real opportunity for us as documentary experts!
ReplyDeleteRemember: How was the structure, flow, and pacing of the film? Did it weave all of the elements together without compromising flow? And consider the point-of-view of Ricki; how was the narration, did that flow or was it awkward?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI sincerely appreciated the opportunity to see a rough cut; it really highlighted all the little decisions and processes that go into making the final product. I don't have much to offer aside from these two observations:
DeleteThere were more than a few times when I was watching Ricki and one or more of her relatives interact and they spoke to each other, but there was no translation on the screen. I understand that scenes were more about the relationship, which we see in the action and their body language, than what was actually being said, but the lack of translation was distracting for me. As a viewer, I'd rather have the small talk translated and make my own judgement on what to value in the scene. I imagine that I would come to the same conclusion that the filmmaker did -- that the scene highlights the connection between the people in it over what is actually said. I wrote this off to the incomplete nature of the rough-cut (perhaps the filmmaker simply hadn't gotten so far as to translate every little conversation on screen).
At the end of the movie we are suddenly brought back to the relationship between Mama and her boyfriend and Ricki tells us her positive impression of him. This felt jarringly out of place to me; I felt it should have been included much closer to the point where we are first introduced to the Boyfriend. I understand Dr. Chang's explanation for deciding to put the scene where he did, but that doesn't change how the placement of that scene affected the narrative flow for me. As I said, it was jarring, like hitting a hidden pothole on what was an otherwise smooth road.
Thanks again to Dr. Chang for letting us take a look 'behind the scenes'.
There are so many aspects of this film that were amazing. Being a part of this process is such a wonderful opportunity and a great way to conclude our course. These are some suggestions that I thought about last night. These are very rough because these are just off the cuff with only one viewing. I am a total amateur when it comes to critiquing films so here goes... :)
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning I did not catch that Ricki waited two more years before going back to China. I did not catch the part of Ricki essentially breaking her promise. I was confused about the timeline with her high school graduation and her obtaining her associates degree. Maybe with a second viewing I could have put it together or the material was there and I just spaced out. If it was missing I think this could be remedied with a text track that included the year when Ricki made her promise and the year she actually went back to China. Or include the Ricki’s age in the text track- her age making the promise and her age now.
The transition between going from Washington to China was a little quick. Maybe just some stock footage of airplanes taking off and/or landing might bridge the gap.
I noticed at times the pacing of the voice-over was slightly off. Ricki was either talking about something we haven’t seen on screen yet, or we see it on screen and the voice-over’s narration hasn’t caught up yet. I think I noticed it in the section when Ricki goes back to her hometown and she’s discussing the Confucius mural/wall carvings.
I think the relationship with Ricki and her father is really developed and almost all the scenes of them are beautifully put together. The sequence of scenes with the live fish, to the cooked fish, to the table is beautifully done. The close-up of the table full of food then the slow zoom out, followed by the fade out was done really well. I really enjoyed watching that scene. I also think the sequence regarding the grandmother, the American parents’ interview about Ricki's fear, with the voice-over of meeting the grandma was also well crafted.
Personally, I would like to see more scenes of Ricki’s brother and their interaction with each other but I understand that there is a time constraint. If you were to add more scenes, I think the part where Ricki talks about her brother being “stunted” would be a good place to stick in some footage of either him being “stunted,” shy, or reserved or Ricki and him interacting. I really liked the boyfriend retelling the story of Chow running away and I’m wondering if you could incorporate some of the early morning footage from Ricki going to work with her Dad in the runaway scene. The footage where we’re looking out of the van’s front window looking out onto the dark street would make it seem like we were out there looking for him until 2am. Juxtaposed with Ricki’s mom sitting somewhere in her apartment not looking for her son.
Again, I really enjoyed watching the film and I really appreciate just being offered the opportunity to voice my opinion about my viewing experience. Please discard any or all of my suggestions. Good luck and I look forward to seeing the final cut.
Lots of good observations, Tanya. I also loved the food scenes. The shots of the squirming fish sizzling in a pan drew me into the culture in a visceral way. Could I eat them, would I eat them? What if they weren’t quite dead yet?
ReplyDeleteLike Tanya, I was a little confused about some of the logistical aspects at the beginning of the film. For her schooling, Ricki apparently had dual enrollment and completed high school and junior college at the same time, but it was a little unclear. Plus, her mention of having academic problems at first due to ADD, and her dad mentioning her anger-oriented behavior issues when she first arrived, made me wonder how these things were resolved – counseling, medication, or just the love and stability of her new family? In general, I was wishing her life growing up in America could have been filled in a little more.
There were times when Ricki was speaking that I felt a step behind in catching what she was saying, and now after reading Tanya’s comments I believe this might have been due to the voiceover being slightly out of sync.
I also wondered how fluent Ricki is in her native language. It appeared that most of the communication with her Chinese family was done through interpreters, and I thought this was done smoothly without interrupting the flow of the dialogue. If we sensed a certain awkwardness when Ricki arrived, I would say that the language gap accounted for part of that. (When I was 16 I spent the summer with my Italian grandparents in Florence. They did not speak English, and I knew only a smattering of Italian at the beginning, and it was the language gap, as much as anything, that kept the conversation stilted.)
The repeated overhead shots of the family members seated at the dinner table were beautiful. They sat close in a circle at a round table with round bowls of food. This symbolized to me that they are family, and that although things separate them – divorce, relinquishment of a child, a forlorn brother, a mother with anger issues – for their sustenance, they come together, and they come together in a circle, because their link is never-ending.
This ties in with the unexpected turn the film took for me – that Ricki has two families and that the one does not negate the other. They are able to co-exist in her life. Among the most touching scenes for me were the scenes in which first Ricki and her adoptive mother, and then Ricki and her birth mother, are seat-belted into the back seat of a car and leaning into each other. The scene with the adoptive mother surprised me, because up until now we have seen her as a solid and steadfast presence in her daughter’s life but not someone who is given to outward displays of affection. She seemed either inhibited in front of the camera, or just not one to gush. But when they held each other in the back of the car and she said, “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to” (or words to that effect), there was such tenderness in the exchange, that I cried. And then to follow that with a parallel scene in a car in China with her birth mother was really powerful.
Previewing this film was a great way to end our class. I was very moved by the film, wish Dr. Chang the best, and can’t wait to see the final version!
Seeing the rough cut of a documentary was very eye-opening for me and put into perspective how much time and effort goes into creating a film. I found the story of Ricki touching as we got to watch her character develop throughout the story. I understand that this is an unfinished product, so I only have a few comments.
ReplyDeleteI was confused at first as to why Ricki was going to China. I also was originally under the impression that this was her first time visiting her birth parents. I think that a further explanation of the chain of events that led up to her going to China would be helpful.
The narration by Ricki sounded a little off to me. Her voice sounded much different in the film than through the narrations and it felt like two different people talking.
Like Wes mentioned, I too would have like to see more translations of the conversations between Ricki and her family. Since there were times when the translation was present, I found myself looking for them at all times.
I would have liked to see more interaction with Ricki and her adoptive parents in the beginning, because in the very small amount of time that we see them, they appear lifeless and not very close with their daughter. Maybe having an interview with Ricki and her parents would fix this.
Aside from those small little details, I found the film extremely enjoyable. By the end of the film I felt truly connected to Ricki and her story and I wanted to know more. I look forward to see ing the final version of this documentary and hopefully a sequel!