I’ve never worked with media before. I wanted to be able to capture what I’d like to do if only I’d had the means and so I’ve compiled these photographs to act as still-frames from three different short films that exist only in my mind. Accompanying them are descriptions, and in some cases, voice-over dialogue that I would pair with the films. Each represent one of the different film modes we have been learning from our readings, discussions and viewings in and out of class. I’d like you to read the descriptions paired with each still so you may understand my vision a little better and then the summary at the end to wrap everything up.
Observational Mode, “Texas in February”
A walk through Texas hill country on a sunny, chilly day. No headphones, no Nikes. Just a path that many other feet have cut before and the sound of wind, hollow in your ear. Lots of focusing in and out on bits of nature; hopefully able to capture footage of birds, cottontails, and/or butterflies. I think serene sounding music would make the film seem cheesier than need be; I’d love to have some Texas swing acoustic, happy-sounding music to accompany. There’s a song called, “Always Thinking of You,” by Patrick Sweaney that would work nicely (although he’s not from Texas and I’d like to find someone local).
#keepitlocal #I’mjoking #don’ttakeawaypointsformyhashtags
Expository Mode, “Grandma Ruby’s Gone”
My great Uncle Mern asleep during this past year’s Thanksgiving. I’d love to read a short story I wrote about my Grandma Ruby as voice over to black and white footage of my family at a get-together. Grandma Ruby died from throat cancer when I was younger and maybe the film would seek to show how a family is after a major pillar is gone from them.
I’d like to have my voice heard when asking my family questions about Grandma Ruby or prompting them for stories, this will show the audience that I had a direct relation to her, especially with my voice-over narration of the short story.
Poetic Mode, “To be a Bird”
What it is to be a bird. To see things from above, to fly over the heads of people you will never know.
Lots of aerial shots, as used as example in the top left photo over Town Lake. When aerial shots are utilized, have the shadow outline of a bird flying over whatever is being filmed. This could be done by holding up a paper cut-out or digitally imposing the image.
Shots that would be interesting to find or re-create: aerial above people flying kites, with the shadows of their kites on the grass below; tops of the buildings downtown and the geometry of all the angular lines; short distance aerial shots as well, above a bug crawling. Other useful shots would be a slightly humorous one of the camera (which is acting as a bird) almost being run over by a car while attempting to snatch bread from a busy street.
Documentarian Statement
“Texas in February” is an observational piece that’s different from an example film such as “Grey Gardens” because the plants and wildlife of Texas are the social actors. This could be compared to the way that fog, darkness and light are social actors alongside real people in “Night and Fog”. The hope is that the film allows people native and non-native to Texas a short moment in their day where they can enjoy the beauty of this state’s wild landscape.
“Grandma Ruby’s Gone” is an expository piece that places the viewer in a simultaneously foreign and non-foreign environment. What I mean by this is that the setting of a family all together and eating and talking is something most are familiar with, however, not all are familiar with in particular my family. The film seeks to illustrate to its viewer the originality of the Allisons and the strange mystique Grandma Ruby seemed to have over everyone, during and after her life. I act as moderator, pulling the story along through the landscape of a family meal. My role within the film is to perpetuate a sense of Grandma Ruby as a legend and to illustrate that I, too, am affected by her passing as if every face in the film.
“To be a Bird” is a poetic piece that seeks to play with the use of a camera and its ability to place viewers anywhere it pleases. Vertov was interested in this “limitlessness” of the camera and the God-like Cinema eye which we saw in “Man with a Movie Camera”. The film will cut to and fro from different images and sequences and play with rhythm and pattern from aerial perspectives (i.e., the contrast of tops of trees, to tops of buildings). This aspect was inspire by Ivens’ “Rain”.
2 Responses to “Mode Activity #1”
I really enjoyed reading about your ideas for films. My favorite idea of yours was the last one-“To Be A Bird”. As I was reading your description, I could see the shots in my head and thought about it as a film idea to give a type of personification to a bird. What if birds chose who they pooped on? What if birds seemed like they were watching their reflection but were actually looking at you? I’d like to see a film about a bird’s life and loss they might feel. It’s weird to think about but sometimes their eggs fall from their nest and they just have to live through that.
I think this was a truly unique way in visualizing and conceptualizing the first mode, Candy. I appreciate how you are quick to remind us about your lack of working with a media or medium in order to communicate messages and I find your result from this thought to be perfect. The images all work perfectly with your descriptions and its almost eerie seeing descriptions of films or scenes depicted so well in the silence of still images. I am mainly thinking about the image of your great uncle sleeping while thinking about this. I just really enjoy your solution for being creative while also being mindful of the fact that it can be truly hard to actually go forth and even make something like a short film or mode happen in a short period of time. You did a great job with visualization and it’s almost like a collection of very refined daydreams.