glitterfairy said:
I think it's worth posting
I'd find it hard to believe that there was TRULY no way to cut it down further
If you don't feel comfortable posting it up on the forums you're welcome to pm me and I'll have a look at it via email
(on a bit of an RS-critiquing roll at the moment... lol)
No problem. Anyone is welcome to have a look at it. You can suggest any changes you feel neccesary. It seems already that it is in a condensed form but that could simply be because I wrote the original.
Anyway here it is:
REFLECTION STATEMENT
The Certain Deconstruction
The Certain Deconstruction, addresses critical philosophical questions through a schizophrenic mind. The problems surrounding identity, truth, reality, existence and time are relevant to our postmodern society. Through video, I have explored the intriguing journey of Eli, a young man, whose vision of a double leaves him with more questions than answers.
Primarily, my work was an opportunity to explore the medium of film in a deeper way thereby increasing my knowledge and expertise. Secondly, it provided a platform to share my thoughts, concepts and questions with a wider audience and lastly, forced me to formulate my own answers to the issues I was raising.
“Deconstruction” refers to a philosophical movement of literary criticism that questions traditional assumptions about certainty, identity, and truth in regard to how texts are formed. Ironically, the precise meaning of this word cannot be ascertained.
“I have no simple and for¬¬¬malizable response to this question. All my essays are attempts to have it out with this formidable question".
-Jacques Derrida
The Certain Deconstruction, is an oxymoron referring to the fact that we cannot be certain in what we regard as both certain and/or uncertain.
The philosophical focus was a result of the texts studied and discussions undertaken throughout the year. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley was met with negative criticism when first published in 1934. However, I found much similarity between its issues and those pressing upon my own mind: the issue of absolute truth/morality,
“One believes things because one has been condition to believe them”.
- Excerpt from Huxley’s, Brave New World
Whilst not necessarily representative of his belief, this statement provides a substantial argument in the context of moral debates today.
While the issue of absolute truth was a major focus of my text, identity and existence, was another. While “Cogito Ergo Sum” may suggest the existence of a singular being (that thinking), it does not give irrefutable evidence to show how it is possible for a differentiation in beings to exist, since we cannot prove that beings apart from ourselves are in fact thinking. This problem underpins the core issues raised in regard to existence in my video.
A topic which I have found intriguing is time. It is the final issue raised and whilst I do not regard it as of equal importance to other issues, it is one that fascinated me nevertheless. The clock, present in many shots, gives insight by inconsistent changes in time.
The way we as humans carry out our daily lives perplexes me. Everything we do seems to be an attempt to ignore the questions we have no answers to. General business filling our minds allows no room for uncertainty since we know not what we are uncertain of. The entertainment industry, especially film and television, are reflective of this lifestyle and provided reason for the utilization of the film/video medium in my approach. Those who use TV as an escape from reality will instead be presented with a confronting message that questions whether it is even possible for them to have a reality from which to escape.
This medium allows much scope in age and accordingly I have included an M15+ classification. The video and audio are potentially unsuitable for younger audiences, while the themes and questions presented are suited to a higher level of maturity. This video was created for those who choose to ignore questions which require great amounts of thought and I felt that the film/video medium was the most effective in confronting this audience.
This medium was very effective in communicating my concepts. In particular I refer to the way structure can greatly affect meaning. I have demonstrated the relativity of time by effectively winding back to a particular point from which the plot continues to develop. Demonstrating this in a short story or other medium would seem far more difficult resulting in reduced depth of meaning.
The look of video also plays a part in interpretation. Colors are slightly desaturated, whites have been blown out and blacks crushed in order to give a more filmic look and demonstrate the slightly out of world experience Eli, the protagonist, finds himself in. Different sections of the video have slightly different color filters placed on them which enable a subtle creation of atmosphere. Multiple flashes appear throughout to unsettle and confuse in order to further question what can be regarded as real.
Lighting was an important consideration in the creation of atmosphere. Combined with the MiniDV format and its minimal recording of color information I was forced to carefully consider how I would effectively reduce visual noise. This was particularly tricky since I had many dark sections. The key was lighting areas as brightly as possible without looking out of place while also completely opening the lens aperture. Post-production processes also enhanced footage.
The nature of flowing water is used as a representation of time in its factor of relativity but constant continuity. It appears to be both a tool that changes time and implements torture simultaneously.
Viewers see through the eyes of both the protagonist and antagonist at times allowing entrance to the characters’ mindset. It gave an effective way, when combined with color changes, to show a difference between both characters when their appearance is practically identical. Many shots were taken from an overhead perspective to suggest an external force acting upon or creating the situation (eg God). Dollying in on points of interest was used to build dramatic tension as was the close-ups of faces. It was important for me to keep the camera moving throughout (via dollying, panning etc) not only for its aesthetic appeal, but in order to draw attention to a rapidly changing and developing nature.
Sound played an important role in the creation of my work and through independent research I learnt not to underestimate its value in creating atmosphere and communicating with an audience. I steered away from using music containing lyrics and instead relied upon the use of ambient sound effects and themes. This worked particularly well. I also performed ADR (Audio Dialogue Replacement) to achieve higher quality vocals eliminating background noise found in original recordings. In post-production I encoded the whole film in 5.1 channel surround sound using the Dolby Digital format.
It occurred to me during the creation of this work that the meaning and experience gathered from a film does not solely come from the film itself. The process starts when looking at the DVD cover and then subsequently the DVD menus. I have paid particular attention to these two aspects as I want an atmosphere to be built before the film begins. I chose to include a music soundtrack with the work that reflects issues I have raised. It provides a way for an audience to gain additional insight into some of the inspiration and meaning behind the video.
An extensive amount of research was carried out to produce my final product. As well as viewing entries to film festivals such as Sony’s Tropfest, the internet, other HSC entries and professional films were particularly helpful. Forum DVXuser.com was inspirational in realizing the possibilities of the camera I would be using, and gaining knowledge on the how-to’s of many related areas.
I have studied over 20 large budget films this year which have directly affected the outcome of my final work. Noteworthy films include A Beautiful Mind, The Village, The Matrix Trilogy and The Secret Window. A similarity in genre and style can be noted in these texts. All films, have contributed in cinematographic style, ideas and concepts, audio or merely a particular shot.
My work underwent a major change as pre-production continued. Whilst starting as a way to give insight to schizophrenia it changed to philosophical questioning using schizophrenia as a platform. As a result I have deliberately chosen not to inform the audience of the protagonist’s condition. I felt it would detract from the questions presented having real credibility. A progression can also be seen in the original storyboards where shots were not included whilst others added. Location, equipment and editing complications were the cause of this.
I expected finding a suitable location to be a difficult process since I had preconceived ideas of how it should look. Fortunately, it was not, and I was able to film continually over a week. I was fortunate to have a very capable actor who able to play the lead role, Eli, very effectively.
The “Truth” and “In The Wild” Topics from the English Advanced course have continued to be thought provoking as well as the area of “Journeys” which can be seen through my work. Morality was raised in Crime Fiction and Gothic topics in English Extension 1. Films such as The Big Sleep present a society that is regarded as corrupt and in need of justice suggesting a belief in the existence of morality.
I have learnt a much through technical and philosophical aspects. I have learnt how to use equipment and effectively. I created my own dolly, steady-cam and blue-screen and learnt new software packages for editing. Philosophically I have discovered questions about absolute morality, truth and existence are difficult to answer conclusively since we have neither way of validating the credibility of independent thought nor any way to effectively measure these factors.
I have enjoyed the process of creating this work immensely. From preconception through the use of storyboards, to the editing and creation of special effects, I feel this work is the beginning of a new journey in the film arena.
