Friday 23 May 2008

Station 4 poignancy in Leaving

1 comment:

Wild Swimming Heart said...

I have done quite a lot of work on this sketch since I first posted it. Changes include, applying 'Pleasantville' in Final Cut, an effect which allows you to isolate a chosen person or object through colouring the selected subject/object and desaturating everything else around it. The technique is based on the film of that name where this occurred. I applied this only in part to reduce the warmth of the surrounding while retaining some of the warmth of our dancing clothing/personna. I then added a 'brightness/contrast' filter to bring in a little more darkness. I have also cut out the end sequence where Sylvie says goodbye on the train. This struck me as a little too happy and carefree (although pathos can be present because of, rather than without this). I slowed down our hands parting and slowed down Sylvie waving through the train windows - moments which although rather stereotypical, furnish me with the chance to have a good look at how these sequences work. Also, I am working in the territory of the stereotypical - it is what I do with it which, I think, will count. I have added some audio to the very end of the piece too. I will be adding this to my next, 'Workshopping' post. Station 4 gives me more narrative to work with. It combines the intimate hand-held camera-sight with distance cut-aways, Sylvie speaking, wiping her nose and creates a story which is, although traditional in its linear handling, is nevertheless, believable.

I will be exploring some non-linear narrative soon, but the material so far, to some extent, is giving me a departure point from which to extend my thinking into more 'flicker-thought' peripheries - image capture of fleeting moments out of the corner of the eye, which sticks on the retina for a while. The moments are no less meaningful for being disassociated from linear story-telling.