collecting current content for local studies - inspired by iview

I am watching Afghanistan : inside Australia's war and it makes me think about collecting current material for local studies.

I have been talking about collecting current content a lot, but have not written much about it, and will need to write more than this short piece, but this is a start.

Watching this series has highlighted some styles which could be considered for local studies. I really like the extreme close up filming for the SAS soldiers, as it captures their emotion as their eyes are the focus.  It is amazing how impressive this filming style is.  This gives an option for access when whole face shots may not be possible. There is a rawness to this recent recording, which is very powerful.  This is impressive and very moving television which I continue to watch because of the stories which are told.

For other material on this subject to consider see...

Uncommon Soldier: Brave, Compassionate and Tough, the Making of Australia's Modern Diggers by Chris Masters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a powerful read. I am a fan of the investigative work of Chris Masters, and this book, looking at Australian soldiers in Afghanistan shows the importance of long term research. This builds on several documentaries by Masters, and brings together a very interesting account. It is balanced as the the bad and the good are discussed. There are also interesting comments about the roles of journalists in war.

While I enjoy the work of Christ Masters, I do not read many books about military history, this was an important one to read.

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