EVALUATION QUESTION 1

If you click here, you can hear a director's commentary - http://vocaroo.com/i/s0J0wNF8SiOf

Transcript:

The experimental film genre is a genre I have been interested in for a while. I took this opportunity to research further into this category of film and thus gaining knowledge of the particular field. YouTube is a major platform for amateur experimental film artists; my knowledge of the codes and conventions came primarily from YouTube videos and my own knowledge. A technique such as blurring the camera slightly and having elements of the production out of focus is a common feature in this style of film. I used this in my own film continuously, as I like the creative flair it adds to the film. Furthermore, I have been drawn to experimental films due to their artistry and creativity. Moments where I have used the out of focus technique are during my close up of the fireplace, during my establishing shot of Bowness Lake and noticeably during the fireworks scene. I thought it worked well during the fireworks scene as it turns the light to big, blurred circles, which I think appears creative. Colour also played a large role in my video. I used symbolism and connotations throughout the two seasons to create atmosphere through colour. For example, during my footage of winter, there is white snow, orange candlelight and black elements such as the night sky. However, in my footage of summer, there are blue skies, green trees and much brighter colours than during the winter clips. My animations also follow this colour theme – the winter animation is made with a dark blue and a Christmas red, and my summer animation uses pink/red writing and a green flower with a yellow sun. I chose to make animations for my intervals as I would associate them with being creative and artistic. I thought it looked much more appealing than just written text – also, it was experimental for me to produce. Throughout audience feedback sheets, I had asked my audience whether they thought they looked unprofessional and/or childish, and most people said they liked it as a personal touch and thought it made the film more experimental, more appealing and more emotional – they stated it provoked sentimentality due to the personal element the animations create. Animations are also seen in other experimental films, a further reason why I decided to make them. I made a conscious decision to challenge myself throughout this idea of colour and symbolism. Throughout the film, one of my main aims was to have the film going from not only winter to summer, but dark to light, as the seasons change. Both of my ancillary tasks use images from my film. When on location, I took a photograph of the setting and this is how I displayed continuity through all of my final outcomes. The poster and review link to my film due to the images and they use codes and conventions such as in the review, page numbers, pull quotes and a masthead, and in the poster, phrases like “a film by” and “coming summer 2015” appear.