© ATOM 2014 A STUDY GUIDE BY FIONA HALL

http://www.metromagazine.com.au

ISBN: 978-1-74295-447-9 http://www.theeducationshop.com.au 1: AND DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY ON SET

Overview We jump to rehearsals at the fictional “Women’s “If you want to cover up, to Camp” in , where Jane and her ac- be safe, then you don’t allow tors improvise to discover the characters and their relationships. “Inspiration is always a visitor to a the audience in.” relaxed space inside you, it comes when you’re - Jane Campion not trying.” We see Jane at work with her leading ladies, and . Across ‘From the Bottom of the Lake’ is an intimate the diverse landscapes of New Zealand we see the portrait of Jane Campion and her collaborators at intensities and challenges of the shooting of the work: a personal and insightful exploration of how show: an army of crew members, actors throwing the creative spirit can sing. The film shows how each other on tables, stunt men jumping off ropes artists can create an original vision and bring it into from trees. “I’m protecting the story, I’m protecting the world. the actors’ work...”

The film begins in 2010, watching Jane at work Finally, in 2013 we ride in the car with Jane and during the development and writing of the crime- Gerard to the premier of “” at mystery mini-series “Top of the Lake”. Sharing Sundance Film Festival. “People become directors this process is her long-time collaborator, sparring because they find strength and courage in the idea, partner, and co-writer Gerard Lee. “You create a to bring it into the world...” SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2014 space where ideas just arrive”. Together Jane and Gerard nap, argue, get depressed and celebrate. This documentary, filmed by Jane’s assistant We see the struggle between plot and inspiration, and mentee Clare Young, has privileged access authenticity and cliché, deadlines and perfection. to one of the world’s most admired and critically “You’re always working to that bottom line, what acclaimed filmmakers. What unfolds is a surpris- can be fixed, what can be improved, what can be ing, inspiring, and often humorous insight into the moved.” creative process. 2 Curriculum Links ‘From the Bottom of the Lake’ could be studied in relation to the following subject areas: • Drama • Media Arts

Drama:

CLARE The documentary is recommended for use at Years YOUNG 9 – 10 and Senior Levels of Drama. ON SET In Years 9 and 10, students develop knowledge, understanding and skills about drama as an art form through improvisation, scripted drama, rehearsal Director’s Statement: and performance. They make and respond to drama “The creative process has been described as In a world of works independently, with their peers, teachers and elusive and mystifying. Inspiration reveals community. They manipulate the elements of drama itself in surprising ways, as glimpses on show-biz so and narrative structures to shape tension, dramatic the surface of our imagination. As a young full of fake action and convey text and subtext. filmmaker, my ambition was to understand how creativity worked, to take notes, to study, and formula, They perform drama works, developing relation- to really KNOW the process – how someone watching ships, status, physical and psychological aspects could create exceptional original drama, of roles/characters and refining expressive skills which had the capacity to deeply move its Jane and her in voice and movement for different forms, styles audience, told by characters we would fall in collaborators and audiences. They critically evaluate experiences love with. of drama making, performing and responding and at work, analyse how meaning is created through dramatic Writer/director Jane Campion asked me to action in different forms and styles. They criti- be her assistant on “Top of the Lake”, a six- stumbling cally respond to drama through the viewpoints of hour crime mystery story for television. In a and sailing meanings and interpretations, forms and elements, world of show-biz so full of fake and formula, societies and cultures and evaluations. watching Jane and her collaborators at work, along, in stumbling and sailing along, in their poetic their poetic ‘From the Bottom of the Lake’ would provide stu- unusual way, was inspiring and exciting. unusual way, dents with an excellent insight into the creative pro- Jane generously and at times reluctantly cess of writing, directing and acting with reference agreed that I could document the process: was inspiring to the above core concepts they cover in Drama. from the development and writing, through and exciting. pre-production and the shoot, and finally, Media Arts: back to where the process began. ‘From the Bottom of the Lake’ is a story for Clare Young The documentary is recommended for use at Years filmmakers and film-watchers to illuminate 9 – 10 and Senior Levels of Media Arts. the process of creation. It is a story for future generations of storytellers and artists who In Years 9 and 10, students make and respond to battle down that road to create meaningful media arts works independently, with their peers, and honest work that touches your heart. teachers and community. They analyse their own and other’s media artworks and consider how Creativity is unpredictable, bold, fragile, representations are created and challenged tough, and at times heart-achingly beautiful. HOLLY HUNTER (GJ) by media conventions, audiences and ‘From the Bottom of the Lake’ is an honest AND JACQUELINE JOE contexts. portrayal of an artistic process, its pains and (TUI MITCHAM) ON SET of course its delights. It is a triumphant ‘From the Bottom of the Lake’ tale of our capacity as humans to look provides students with an ex- SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2014 to the bottom of the lake, deep into cellent insight into the creative our imaginations, to tell stories which process of writing, directing enchant us and haunt us – stories and acting with reference to which celebrate the ceremony of the above core concepts they innocence, our endless search for truth cover in Media Arts. and meaning in our lives.” - Clare Young. 3 1 3

- Major themes explored Pre-viewing - Critical reception/awards Activities Films to allocate to students:

1. Brainstorm what students know about writer • Short films - Peel (1982) and Passionless and director Jane Campion. In pairs, have stu- Moments (1984) dents complete a timeline of her major works. • Sweetie (1989) Valuable sites for research include: • (1990) • (1993) -- http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/83988/ 1: HOLLY ON SET • Portrait of a Lady (1996) Jane-Campion/biography DAY • Holy Smoke (1999) -- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001005/ 2: JANE’S • In the Cut (2003) WRITING IN bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm NOTEBOOK 3: JANE AND Have students present their posters to the class 2. Divide students into pairs/small groups. Allocate HOLLY ON SET and following the presentations, discuss any re- them one of Campion’s feature films and have 4: JANE ON THE curring themes, actors, writers and other continui- them complete a poster summary of the film, SHORELINE ties present in Campion’s work. including the following information: 3. As a class, read the following article about ‘Top - Plot synopsis of the Lake’: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/ - Actors tvandradio/10105994/Jane-Campion-interview- - Writer(s) for-Top-of-the-Lake-The-world-is-focused-on- sexiness.html

Have students answer the following questions: SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2014

• What was it that drew Campion to writing and directing for television? • What are the main plot premises underlying ‘Top of the Lake’? • Explain the Latin phrase: ‘Et in Arcadia Ego’. Why does this concept so interest Campion? 4 4 1 2

1: JANE 1. Clare asks Jane how she manages the ‘pull and WATCHING tug between perfection and deadlines?’ Explain Viewing MONITOR Jane’s response. 2: JANE AND Activities GERARD LATE 2. Jane will be directing three of the six episodes; NIGHT WRITING Students to take notes on the following questions 3: CLARE describe the process Jane uses when storyboard- while viewing the documentary: INTERVIEWING ing. Why does she feel ‘insecure’ as a director? JANE & GERARD SECTION 1 – THE CREATIVE PROCESS 4: GERARD AND We move to January 2012, to the JANE IN NOSS of New Zealand where rehearsals are about to MAYO The documentary begins in May 2010, with Jane commence. Campion and her actors improvise to Campion and her co-writer/collaborator Gerard Lee discover the characters and relationships. in Devon, England, where they are writing the pilot for a six hour crime mystery. 3. Explain how Campion views the rehearsal pro- cess and space. Refer to her definition of creativity 1. It is stated that Jane Campion ‘reluctantly’ agreed as ‘time, space and trust’. to let Clare Young document the creative process. Why do you think Campion is so reluctant? 4. We see the actors immersing themselves in their characters in several intense scenes. How do these 2. Lee and Campion have worked together on sev- scenes make you feel? Are you surprised by the eral productions spanning more than 20 years. What intensity? is your impression of their writing relationship? 5. Gerard Lee returns towards the end of the 3. How does Campion describe her style of writ- shoot. How does he explain his feelings of pride in ing in terms of time taken to allow the ‘ideas’ to relation to Campion’s career and personality? emerge? Are you surprised by this? SECTION 3 – SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 4. Explain Lee’s method of employing a ‘separate pad to write down critical thoughts’ that he had? The final part of the documentary takes us to January 2013 at the Sundance Film Festival. SECTION 2 – REHEARSALS AND FILMING 1. What is significant about ‘Top of the Lake’ being We now cut to Sydney in June 2011, where we screened at the Festival? learn that ‘Top of the Lake’ is fully financed and Jane Campion has asked Clare Young to be her assistant on the series. SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2014

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1: SHOOT DAY 8, Post-viewing SOUTH ISLAND, Activities NEW ZEALAND Flaherty believed it was acceptable to add fiction Given the intimacy of ‘From the Bottom of the to documentaries, as long as the effect on the Lake’, it is suggested that students take a look audience was real.2 at the nature of documentaries and the different modes they can take. Another debate was raised in the 1930s with Leni Riefestahl’s Triumph of the Will (1934), a record of ACTIVITY: WHAT IS A ‘DOCUMENTARY’? a Nazi Party Congress, and Olympia (1938), which documented the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Both were The term “documentary” was originally used in considered cinematographic masterpieces, but a 1926 review of Robert Flaherty’s Moana, a film many also believed that they were more propa- about residents of Samoa. Prior to that, terms like ganda than documentary.3 “actualities” had been used for non-fiction films. Because editing capabilities were limited, the films As the use of film spread, the types of documen- tended to be short and without any elements of taries diversified. Since the 1930s, documentaries narrative storytelling or creative cinematography have included: (e.g., straightforward footage of a train leaving a station).1 o Educational films (made primarily for class- room use) Flaherty is credited with changing the documen- o Newsreel depictions of events tary landscape in 1922 with his film Nanook of o Nature films SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2014 the North, which looked at Arctic-dwelling Inuit o Biographies Eskimos. The film instigated some of the most o Autobiographies important debates about the practice of documen- o Films designed to raise awareness about tary filmmaking. Flaherty was accused of staging social issues and inspire people to action some of his scenes, and in response, said, “One often has to distort a thing to catch its true spirit.”

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One of the distinguishing characteristics of many 1: MAKEUP 4. How do ‘documentaries’ differ from non-fiction documentary films is that they are not only infor- TESTS 2: JANE ‘reality’ TV shows? mational but also artistic. Film Historian Tim Dirks NAPPING 3: JANE ON SET describes them as “factual works of art.” 5. With reference to the above, write a paragraph 4: JANE WITH PAD AND PEN explaining the documentary style and elements of For the purposes of awarding the Oscars, the documentary present in ‘From the Bottom of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Lake’. Explain which parts of the documentary you defines a documentary film as a: found most compelling and why.

‘nonfiction motion picture dealing creatively with 6. Consider Flaherty’s statement regarding adding cultural, artistic, historical, social, scientific, eco- fictional scenes to documentary: “One often has to nomic, or other subjects. It may be photographed distort a thing to catch its true spirit.” Do you agree in actual occurrence, or may employ partial reen- with this? Explain your response. actment, stock footage, stills, animation, stop-mo- tion, or other techniques, as long as the emphasis 7. Discuss a plan for making your own documen- is on fact and not on fiction.’ tary – what subject you might choose, how you would get your subject across, and how you might ACTIVITY go about making it.

Students are to complete the following questions Modes of Documentary: individually and discuss their answers: This task introduces students to the different 1. List at least 5 documentaries you have seen (not modes of documentary. Break students into five SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2014 including ‘From the Bottom of the Lake’). groups and assign one of the following documen- tary modes to each group: 2. What is the best documentary you have seen? Explain why. · Cinéma vérité, · Expository mode 3. What types of documentaries are least interest- · Observational ing to you? Explain. · Mockumentary · Diary 7 - Documentary filmmakers should not try to edit their films to make them more dramatic and entertaining.

- Documentaries should show both sides of a story

- Documentaries should aim for objectivity

Reality & Documentary

Can a documentary capture reality? Is there a single objective reality out there? These are the questions that have intrigued film-makers from the earliest days of documentary filmmaking. Some 1 contemporary philosophers argue that there is no one single objective reality, because we all see things differently. In addition, camera opera- tors choose what they will film, and what they will Instruct groups to research the elements and style leave out; and films are then edited on top of this. 1: SHOOT of their assigned mode. Students may use Table 1 DAY ONE Therefore, even if a film appears to be showing a on the following page to compile their research (each PARADISE ‘reality’, it has actually been edited and manipu- group adds to their specific mode only). lated by the people making it.

Once they have investigated this documentary Other questions we may ask include: whose reality mode, groups should present their information is being captured and does the act of filming an while their peers take notes. As part of the sharing event actually change that event? Some argue that time for this activity, the class can contribute addi- the very act of filming changes everything; that tional examples for each type of film. Students are when people see a camera they behave differently encouraged to show a short clip of a documentary than they would if there were no camera present. illustrative of their style. Have students discuss and complete the following Sites to assist students with starting their research questions: into their assigned mode: · In your opinion, could the presence of the http://medb.byu.edu/files/lesson/docmodes1.pdf camera alter the behaviour of any of the partici- http://www.tickingmind.com.au/uploads/40084/ pants in ‘From the Bottom of the Lake’. Think ufiles/Lesson%20Ideas%20PDFs/ about this with particular reference to Jane Mockumentary.pdf and Gerard’s writing process and the rehearsal period in New Zealand.

FOUR CORNERS ACTIVITY · Do you think the camera’s presence changes things? Would your behaviour change if you · Post signs in four corners of the room: knew your class was being filmed? AGREE, DISAGREE, STRONGLY AGREE, and STRONGLY DISAGREE. · Think about the role of the audience; would the behaviour of your class alter if you knew the · Read aloud statements about the nature of film would be shown to the principal or par- documentary film and inform students that they ents? Would it alter if the film was going to be must go to the corner that best matches how shown to other students? they feel. Once students have chosen corners, they orally defend their choice. Some state- · Do you think a camera can ever truly capture ments that can be used are: reality? SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2014

- Documentaries should be realistic. · Do you think the film maker should ever involve themselves in the subject of their documen- - Documentaries should persuade the audi- tary? Does Clare Young involve herself in the ence or make some political point. documentary in any way? Would her role as Jane Campion’s assistant on ‘Top of the Lake’ - Documentary is the best film genre to push have had any influence on her filming the docu- for social change. mentary during rehearsals and shooting of the series? 8 TABLE 1

Documentary Purpose of Potential problems and History of Examples of Mode this mode opportunities with this mode this mode this mode

CINEMA VERITE

EXPOSITORY

OBSERVATIONAL

MOCKUMENTARY

DIARY SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2014

9 References:

1 Acara Revised Draft Australian Curriculum: The Arts Foundation to Year 10 http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Draft_Arts_ ‘From the Bottom of the Curriculum_22_February_2013.pdf Lake’ is available from 2 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10105994/Jane- Ronin Films Campion-interview-for-Top-of-the-Lake-The-world-is-focused-on- sexiness.html MAIL 3 http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/83988/Jane-Campion/ P.O. Box 680, biography Mitchell, ACT 2911 4 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001005/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm 5 http://www.pbs.org/pov/behindthelens/lessonplan1.php WEBSITE 6 http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma01/Huffman/Frontier/define.html www.roninfilms.com.au 7 http://www.pbs.org/pov/behindthelens/lessonplan1.php 8 http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/rules/86/rule01.html PH 9 http://medb.byu.edu/files/lesson/docmodes1.pdf 02 6248 0851 or 10 http://www.tickingmind.com.au/uploads/40084/ufiles/Lesson%20 Ideas%20PDFs/Mockumentary.pdf EMAIL [email protected] Footnotes:

Ronin Films also 1 http://www.pbs.org/pov/behindthelens/lessonplan1.php distributes Jane 2 http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma01/Huffman/Frontier/define.html Campion’s short films 3 http://www.pbs.org/pov/behindthelens/lessonplan1.php including Peel and 4 Ibid . 5 http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/rules/86/rule01.html

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