“The Enigmatic Purge” Extension from Three Piece Poster Collection - Visual / Audio Time-based Piece (2016)
Assessment 2 - Final Concept
Being a response to Assessment 1’s ‘Lost in Translation’ (2016), the moral behind ‘The Enigmatic Purge’ is that in order to be yourself is by let anyone or anything make you feel, sense or be something you’re not. Instead express your dignified words
In my extension, in the form of a time-based piece, the glitch, this time, is depicted through both internal as well as external (visual that the audiences experience on screen). The internal struggle is the unfortunate reality of how people cannot show their true emotions in society because of social norms, rules and etiquette. The irregularity is that you can’t be you without someone stopping you. Questioning one’s self worth, self-esteem and potential to act, express or behave differently. In the film, my character questions her own self worth. Instead of expressing words, which she cannot do due to the pressure, she expresses her emotions through dance, such elegant bodily movements.
In this piece, the original quotes are left to the audience's interpretation. Such imagery depicted on screen delves into the inner turmoil of who an individual can or cannot be. Whether it’s pretending to be someone else or to change unwillingly.
Originally, In my research stage of this assignment, I came across various glitch artworks by Heitor Magno that masks out subjects eyes through digital manipulation. I wanted to further this inspiration into my second act of the original series of portraits. This time by utilising the masking tool through chunks of black shapes that hide her identity from the light. Having the spotlight shone upon you. The feeling of vulnerability is a vital conveying message from this piece. Executed in a fashion that leaves the audiences questioning the status she has as well as her own personal status amongst herself. In essence, some individuals prefer to be themselves in the darkness, but once put on the spot, open to strange eyes, your inner confidence hides itself away until you are safe again.
Magno’s artworks inspired me to go down the pathway of long exposure in my original series to examine the loss of identity. Also including Adele's new music video ‘Send my love’ in which the director of the 3 minute short approaches this conceptual long exposure in a moving image. Having shot several takes of the singers performance, he applies them together to capture this range of dancing females together in one frame.
That’s something we built into the idea, that there’s a lot of different versions of this video to see but they’re all there at the same time.” - Patrick Daughters (Director)
Long exposure, being an extraordinary photography technique can be translated to film through the power of layering and composition. I intended on exploring various states of one’s inner emotions through a collective and almost unrecognisable facial expressions. Capturing various takes that’ll explore various states of her human psyche. My girlfriend Teagan (being the subject) has shared with me her deepest approach to relieving certain emotions. Through dance. She undertakes Physical culture, which is a different type of dance to many others. It's a more regimented and synchronised dance in a collaborative effort. I took this in and questioned if my message could be through releasing emotions through passion and desire.
Using After Effects, I manipulated colour contrast, saturation, grain and sharpness tools to advance on the sensitive topic of freedom in one’s mind. Through the mechanised sounds and the irritating imagery of the pixelations, colour shifts and sharpness of the image, I intended to exhibit, the states of trance an individual goes through at once that can’t be seen with the human eye.
The pivotal turning point for me during this project was stumbling upon Cesar Pelli’s iconic quote that refers to ambitious achievement through the deepest findings of within ourselves.
“The desire to reach for the sky runs deep in our human psyche.” - Cesar Pelli
After I this this quote, I felt an adrenaline rush and came to an ultimate discovering. My final concept revolves around the struggles of an individual fitting into society and it can be summed up in three words…The Human Psyche.
Bibliography:
Nuh, E. (2010, January 28). The desire to reach for the sky runs deep in our human psyche. ~Cesar Pelli. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from http://jellyjellybeans.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/desire-to-reach-for-sky-runs-deep-in_28.html
Bacle, A. (2015). Behind the scenes of Adele’s dance-centric music video for ’send my love (to your new lover)’. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from http://www.ew.com/article/2016/05/22/adele-send-my-love-music-video-patrick-daughters
Magno, H. (2015, July 13). Heitor Magno - glitch art. Retrieved September 19, 2016, from Photography, https://www.artpeoplegallery.com/heitor-magno-glitch-art/