THE NARRATIVE AND IDEOLOGY
Within my ‘Memory’ there are 6 camera tricks or effects with something I have never done before:
1) 2-in-1: Placing two people in the same shot, like a clone or twin. I did it with me as I am 100% the only one of me! I don’t have a twin!
2) Mirror Trick: I wanted to have the reflection in a mirror stay there after the person had left.
3) P.O.V Video Game Style: I have never made a film seem like a video game so this was an effect I wished to try.
4) Chroma Keying: A simple effect that I hadn’t done before so wanted to do it.
5) Creepy Effect: In this clip I wipe my eye off. This was difficult to do but after it was complete I feel I achieved something strange and even creepy.
6) The last video in the sequence was simple C.G.I special effects. I had never put C.G.I into a film before so I wanted to place try it.
The story of my memory piece is something that is an exaggerated from the truth. I was indeed over weight and wanted to change when I was younger, this is one of the strongest memories I have so I felt this would make a good story so I linked it to the videos I had produced to make it into a sort of Lord-Privy-Seal style video. But after the video was complete I feel I made a decent enough video and achieved what I set out to produce.
If I could change anything, I feel I would have perhaps developed the script beforehand then filmed to it, as the final script on the piece was not as good as it could have been and I feel it let down the imagery representing it. Also I perhaps would have gone for voice over narration instead, as the subtitles didn’t work as well as I had hoped. However I am still glad I did text subtitles as my main aim was to have different styles for each video. Spectacle had no info (text or narration), Power had voice over narration and memory had text. This gave each piece a different style and I feel I achieved this as each video is totally different from the last.
Hello Ben.
Pros:
Loved the variety of effects that you explored, particularly the split screen effect; I didn’t know you were both of them until I read your blog.
It was very brave in importing video game effects with real life footage. Although I don’t think it worked well, it was a good start to try and I acknowledge the fact that it would have taken a lengthy amount of time to render and/or animate.
The idea around the weight problem is a personal/collective memory that many can relate to in some form. Even though I didn’t go through the problems as a child, it made me examine the other considered harsh treatments that we go through as a child; I was always made fun of for being tall as well as being a victim of racism. It certainly adheres to the repressive memory, something you don’t want to go back to and that is what I see in this video.
Cons:
The sub headings (2 in 1 or mirror trick) are too obvious and in my opinion, you could do without them and still get the same result. In addition to that, I was put off by the use of text; perhaps you could have chosen a more stylistic or simple font? Using a voiceover would have been the best option and brings in more of a personal feel towards it.
Good experimental video.
Az.
By: azizurahman on December 7, 2009
at 7:38 PM
I thought this was a solid attempt at nailing the brief. The obstruction was to do something you had never done before and, in fact, you managed six new things and this is exactly the right mentality at this stage in your degree – push your personal boundaries.
As a narrative I thought it panned out quite well although a little more thought to the ‘pat’ ending would have elevated it – the subtitles at the end for example could have been dispensed with in favour of something more representational. On the whole I like the subtitles but pay particular attention to the ‘script’ in this respect. Less is more with text-driven narrative – an accessible voice-over could have given it even more impact and might have worked in a sleuth/B-movie/tongue-in-cheek style accentuating the ‘exaggerated’ nature of your memory piece.
Do make sure all your research for the effects and theoretical underpinnings of the narrative are in place. Good work.
By: Mez Packer on December 12, 2009
at 5:42 PM
You certainly have tried new things with this video Ben and it work very well considering it is new to you. I think you should definately keep at it in order to develop these skills.
However as Az has stated, I think the sub-titles/headings were too obvious and prehaps you could have experimented with something different and new?
By: cattlec on December 15, 2009
at 11:59 AM