Evaluation After Exhibition

From seeing my short film up in the exhibition I was happy with myself and the feedback I got from visitors. In all honesty I think the film would have been better as a projection on to a blank wall, played on a loop. As the footage is quite short I would say it is more of a performance piece rather than a short film, however projected onto a wall I think this would make it more of an instillation piece and the message would have been a lot more hard hitting. I think the message I wanted to create was communicated quite well, however, there are a few things I think could have been improved. If I was to produce a piece similar again, then next time I would definetely make it longer and also get the actors to move around a little more. I think the space could have been used better and I would have used close up footage aswell as distant footage to break down the depth of field. One of my initial ideas was to use more than 2 actors, however I think the idea was portrayed how I wanted it to be with just the two. 

Bibliography

Christopher Nolan- Doodlebug. (1997) Short film

Claude Chaun- 'I Extend My Arms' (1931) Photograph. Liverpool Tate Museum

Dan Heys- 'Harmony In Green' (1997) Painting. Walker Art Gallery Liverpool

John Hoyland- Broken Bride 13.6.82. (1982) Painting. Walker Art Gallery Liverpool

Lindsay Anderson- If. (1968) Film

Lucy Gunning- Climbing Around My Room. (1993) Short film. Harris Art Gallery, Preston

Sophie Clements- There, After. 2011 (Instillation and film) Harris Art Gallery, Preston

Film Stills

For my end of year show I am going to use these film stills and sell them in the shop. I may put them in frames or just sell them as prints.

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Setting And Costume

Setting




'Harmony In Green', 1997, Oil On Canvas, Dan Hays



Of the piece the artist has said,  'Monet chose 'Harmony in Green' as a sub-title for a water-lily painting. I was reminded of impressionism as I was filling in the spaces between the bars of the cage. Green is the colour of nature. I wanted to show the cage as a desirable place to occupy. The painted cage is confined within the rectangle of the canvas. I find the notion of harmony interesting. In a classical sense there is discord in the painting. Harmony is to be found in the play between surface and the illusion of depth. There is a feeling of hope that these opposing domains may be united.'

From seeing this piece exhibited in the Walker Art Gallery I found myself thinking about spatial awareness within art works, especially for my final piece. I've realised that with the work I've produced so far this year I have focused alot on the way it is presented and the space around it. I am interested in confined spaces and the sense of control that comes with creating them, no matter how sparse the subject. This gave me the idea for my final piece to film deliberately keeping the backdrop in the frame, creating a specific location and control. Thus exaggerating the idea that the models/actors are placed there with no sense of freedom or self decision. An unescapable cycle and idea. 

I want the setting to be in black and white colours only, juxtaposing the characters from their background and helping them stand out.

Costume

For my short film I have decided I want my actors/models to be wearing all black, tight clothing for a professional finish; tight clothes to define the actors shapes and movements, and black to prevent distractions for the viewer. I want the actors to represent universally, and not just to a single stereotype of person. The colour black will work as a blank canvas in front of the white backdrop from the studio. As I am trying to represent the animalistic chracteristics of both genders I want my actors to be wearing some form of mask to hide their indentities, so we see them for simply just their genders and not who they are as individual people. The idea of wearing a mask also hides the actors emotions and facial expressions. Something that I think is relevant for my work and the idea I want to communicate. It takes the humanity away from the characters and portrays them as a 'species'.

At first I covered the actors masks in newspaper cuttings of the media. Focusing on the idea of them being covered/hidden/represented by the world/locations surrounding them. After a while of thought I realised this wouldn't be the best way of communicating my piece as it takes away the primitave nature of my work and modernises the idea of human communication a bit too much. 

I decided after experimenting with costume that my fmp piece would be more successful if the actors/models, just simply wore animal masks. Relevent to my idea and subtle enough to hide their identities. 

Primary Research- Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

'Broken Bride 13.6.82', 1982, John Hoyland

Hoyland's radiant painting describes an emotional state which the viewer is invited to re-create or share. The harmonious and authoritative mix of shapes, textures and colours upon a flat area of canvas without the support of recognisable imagery is a profound artistic challenge, requiring spontaneity and instinct, but also discipline. Hoyland's use of dates in his titles suggests that a chief aim of his works is to sum up a moment or a period of life; a searching for order and meaning in existence. I like how Hoyland's work leaves the viewer open for interpretation, and I want my work to have a simlar feel. This is a reason why I don't want to title my piece and also I want to edit the film in short quick flashes rather than have the images flowing together. I think this will create a sense of frustration and radical impulse within my short film and will also exaggerate the actors being 'trapped' in a cycle.

Primary Research- TATE, Liverpool

'I Extend My Arms' 1931, Claude Cahun

I Extend My Arms is a black and white photograph showing a dramatically gesturing pair of arms apparently emerging from inside a stone monolith. A tanned female left arm, ornamented with three beaded wooden bangles on its wrist, extends from out of a large hole in the lichen-covered stone. Its partner – wearing a ring on its little finger – emerges from the other side of the monolith, which is of similar dimensions to a human body. The owner of the arms is standing behind the monolith so that her body is completely concealed; this creates the illusion that she is inside the stone or has somehow become fused with it. The simple upright block-like form, softened by many years of weathering, is tightly cropped into the picture frame. Brightly lit by full sun, it stands out starkly against a sepia-coloured blue sky. As the work’s title indicates, the arms extend outwards with spread fingers as though they are reaching out for something – possibly attempting. 

'Doodlebug' By Christopher Nolan

The story consists of a somewhat ratty man, in a much rattier flat. There, he seems intent—and possibly even driven to insanity - with catching the 'doodlebug' of the film's title. However, after over two minutes of cat and mouse chasing, it is revealed that the bug resembles a miniature version of himself. He squashes the bug with his shoe. The audience comes to realise that every move that the doodlebug makes the man reciprocates a second later. Into this Kafkaesque situation enters a large face, that of the man; thereby making the man the doodlebug, and he proceeds to get squashed by this newer being.

This film is what has initially inspired me for my short film, its ideas, and possibly even the way it has been shot. I'm interested in the never ending feeling the short film portrays, a cycle, that can never be stopped. A film within a film, mimicking an inescapable perspective.