I believe overall my experimental video has been a great success. From the beginning stages right up to post production and even into the exhibition of the piece, everything seems to have run smoothly, with my feedback being extremely positive.
I almost instantly came up with the idea behind my video as soon as we were told an experimental video was going to be the term long task for the class. Whilst watching the six experimental examples; Koyaanisquatsi, Telling Lies and The Girl Chewing Gum, to name the most prominent, I was already conjuring up ideas of how I was going to make my video stand out from the rest of the class, and deliver that unique edge or twist to it that would give the video it's own individual status.
I believe I was able to achieve this goal in the final presentation. Creating the storyboards and constructing a narrative leading up to the inevitable lose of sight really gave light to what I had planned. Before that, my concept was merely an idea spinning around in my head with an endless number of outcomes or possible twists, ranging from witnessing pictures of the devil, randomised colours, irritating noises which would hopefully creates a sense of annoyance or frustration and uneasiness that would be an effective way of conveying how those first few minutes of losing your sight must feel. Only after I had sat down and seen first hand what was actually possible in the filming time allocated and what was simple fantasy, could I then begin the paperwork.
Luckily I had managed to stick close to my original ideas for the video. I knew the subjective view point wasn't a bandwagon people were all going to jump into instantly, so being able to pull the view off as well as I think I have been able to really has created some leverage for the piece, personifying the camera. Something difficult to do when there is no identity, yet the feedback indicates that this was picked up on whilst watching; 'You feel for the person and get an understanding of what its like to be blind'
The various mixture of noises, which on their own aren't particularly note worthy or special, came together fantastically and formed a noise suitable for the over exaggeration of everyday sound I was looking for; a point picked up on by those viewing my video as they expressed the crucial frustration that was pinnacle to the viewers thoughts and feelings towards the video. 'He's missing out on what everyone else is looking at/doing, so feels outcast and isolated'
Yet I can't simply put those feeling down to the noises themselves. The sudden, unexpected change to the black screen with unclear grey swirls floating around created an almost mesmerising pattern. Something I hadn't intentionally sought until I had read my feedback, which credited the sponteneity of the moment. Without the sense of uneasiness and isolation or the hypnotic effect it seemed to have, the video would have been nothing more than sounds on a black screen with no emotional attachment or greater meaning.
Before I allowed my audience to watch the piece, I allowed them to experience blindness first hand, if only for a minute or so. I blindfolded the viewers one at a time and lead them into the dark room. As they entered, a soundtrack of an ordinary everyday street was playing in the background; ideally representing their walk to the station as I sat them down and starting the video. As the piece begins with a fade in transition, beginning the video immediately after removing the blindfold really puts the viewer in the characters shoes as they are readjusting their eyes to the darkness at the same time as the on screen character. As noted by one of my audience members. I am sure that without this experience, the audiences' ideology of the loose of vision would have been contaminated.
This is the reason why I asked in my questionnaire what their views on blindness were and how they may have changed after viewing the video. Most people seemed to agree that a blind man 'saw' nothing whilst another raised an interesting and certainly credible point that it may change depending how severe the blindness is or what caused the circumstances; be it through illness or accident.
Although the feedback wasn't all positive; one criticism I received was that the black screen went on for longer than was necessary to convey the message. I am open to all forms of critic and I understand his point. At the time of editing I thought it suitable for the needs to the project to use as much of the time as possible. Pushing the boundary to allow the viewer to gradually warm to the idea that they were now permanently blind, that this is now how their life is and they have to act and feel as normal as possible with the disability they have reluctantly received. So in fact this also has a positive effect on how the audience preceived my video. It is definitely a point to bare in mind when I move onto my next project. Just because there is a maximum video length, doesn't mean that the video has to fulfil that exact time.
Creating an experimental video has shown me how complex something apparently so simple can be. It still takes a certain amount of time, dedication and thought into producing a piece that seems to random once put together correctly. It has certainly proven in itself to be a great learning experience with not only positives to maintain throughout my work, but also negatives that will help me improve as a film maker and student.
I almost instantly came up with the idea behind my video as soon as we were told an experimental video was going to be the term long task for the class. Whilst watching the six experimental examples; Koyaanisquatsi, Telling Lies and The Girl Chewing Gum, to name the most prominent, I was already conjuring up ideas of how I was going to make my video stand out from the rest of the class, and deliver that unique edge or twist to it that would give the video it's own individual status.
I believe I was able to achieve this goal in the final presentation. Creating the storyboards and constructing a narrative leading up to the inevitable lose of sight really gave light to what I had planned. Before that, my concept was merely an idea spinning around in my head with an endless number of outcomes or possible twists, ranging from witnessing pictures of the devil, randomised colours, irritating noises which would hopefully creates a sense of annoyance or frustration and uneasiness that would be an effective way of conveying how those first few minutes of losing your sight must feel. Only after I had sat down and seen first hand what was actually possible in the filming time allocated and what was simple fantasy, could I then begin the paperwork.
Luckily I had managed to stick close to my original ideas for the video. I knew the subjective view point wasn't a bandwagon people were all going to jump into instantly, so being able to pull the view off as well as I think I have been able to really has created some leverage for the piece, personifying the camera. Something difficult to do when there is no identity, yet the feedback indicates that this was picked up on whilst watching; 'You feel for the person and get an understanding of what its like to be blind'
The various mixture of noises, which on their own aren't particularly note worthy or special, came together fantastically and formed a noise suitable for the over exaggeration of everyday sound I was looking for; a point picked up on by those viewing my video as they expressed the crucial frustration that was pinnacle to the viewers thoughts and feelings towards the video. 'He's missing out on what everyone else is looking at/doing, so feels outcast and isolated'
Yet I can't simply put those feeling down to the noises themselves. The sudden, unexpected change to the black screen with unclear grey swirls floating around created an almost mesmerising pattern. Something I hadn't intentionally sought until I had read my feedback, which credited the sponteneity of the moment. Without the sense of uneasiness and isolation or the hypnotic effect it seemed to have, the video would have been nothing more than sounds on a black screen with no emotional attachment or greater meaning.
Before I allowed my audience to watch the piece, I allowed them to experience blindness first hand, if only for a minute or so. I blindfolded the viewers one at a time and lead them into the dark room. As they entered, a soundtrack of an ordinary everyday street was playing in the background; ideally representing their walk to the station as I sat them down and starting the video. As the piece begins with a fade in transition, beginning the video immediately after removing the blindfold really puts the viewer in the characters shoes as they are readjusting their eyes to the darkness at the same time as the on screen character. As noted by one of my audience members. I am sure that without this experience, the audiences' ideology of the loose of vision would have been contaminated.
This is the reason why I asked in my questionnaire what their views on blindness were and how they may have changed after viewing the video. Most people seemed to agree that a blind man 'saw' nothing whilst another raised an interesting and certainly credible point that it may change depending how severe the blindness is or what caused the circumstances; be it through illness or accident.
Although the feedback wasn't all positive; one criticism I received was that the black screen went on for longer than was necessary to convey the message. I am open to all forms of critic and I understand his point. At the time of editing I thought it suitable for the needs to the project to use as much of the time as possible. Pushing the boundary to allow the viewer to gradually warm to the idea that they were now permanently blind, that this is now how their life is and they have to act and feel as normal as possible with the disability they have reluctantly received. So in fact this also has a positive effect on how the audience preceived my video. It is definitely a point to bare in mind when I move onto my next project. Just because there is a maximum video length, doesn't mean that the video has to fulfil that exact time.
Creating an experimental video has shown me how complex something apparently so simple can be. It still takes a certain amount of time, dedication and thought into producing a piece that seems to random once put together correctly. It has certainly proven in itself to be a great learning experience with not only positives to maintain throughout my work, but also negatives that will help me improve as a film maker and student.
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