Emotions: Stress...

This assignment I really wanted to explore my creative side and primarily learn how to use Adobe Premier.  The most challenging part of this assignment was learning how to finalize your video and upload it to Vimeo to be honest.  In my video description on Vimeo I offer further explanation to the creative process that I used, in part with my emotion.  The link below will take you straight to my Vimeo video for the assignment.  Enjoy!!!

https://vimeo.com/106995723

Emotional Photos: Filth

Wow I had a great time with this assignment.  I could have easily done a conventional emotion that anyone could list off the top of their head, however I wanted to take an alternative approach to this assignment!  I wanted to convey an emotion that I felt as I was taking the photo, and see how well that emotion transfers from viewer to viewer.  The particular feeling that chose for the assignment was filth.  Filth is an emotion, it's synonymous with that of grotesque, gross, disgust, and sickness.  It is an emotion that we live with everyday.  I took images of everyday encounters and plain sights that I come across everyday as well does everyone else.  Now I am making my disclaimer now, I did not use any photos of any sort of bodily fluids, that is disgusting, and undermines the integrity of this assignment!  Tolerance of the filth we live with in the world around us can give us insight into how everyday uses, practices, and objects we come into contact with are simply negated by our mind at first glance.  We simply don't "bat an eye".  Yet when forced to view the filthy things in life we are overcome with this feeling of disgust, and a natural instinct to look away.  Try not looking away at these images, and maybe after the hair isn't raising on your arm anymore, you wont succumb to your instincts.

 This was a sink that has been backed up for a couple of weeks now.  The debris at the bottom is believed to be soap scum.  There was no odor however which was surprising.
 (Top View)

This is another dirty drain having calcium and lyme buildup problems.  The dull lighting still gave it a warm tone which sort of adds to the depressing look of the drain in my opinion.

This is a dirty oil rag that was in my fathers work shop.  It took a minute for me to position my camera into the appropriate angle for the shot (there isn't much going on in the photo so it had to be made more interesting).

  This was the toilet from the abandoned house that I've been going on about.  I chose to put a black and white filter over it to make it more interesting and so the viewer won't immediately look away from it.  There is only debris in that drain, don't get any ideas.

 This is why your mom taught you manners!  These two things are my biggest pet-peeves!  Whenever I see someone either eating with their mouth open or picking their nose I want to throw up.  These photos need little explanation as to why they pertain to the topic of filth.  I know people who still have these bad traits, and it shocks me.  I've never been more embarrassed to go out to eat with someone who chews with their mouth open.  It's just wrong.

 The above shot took more shots than you would have thought to take.  I am of course giving the illusion that my tongue was touching the flyswatter, yet I must admit I did make the mistake of barely touching it and immediately I washed my mouth out. The moth below is just incredibly detailed and strange to view.  This photo shows off the anatomy of the moth and makes you wonder how different you are compared to the moth.

 Don't throw up.  This is a bucket of food waste that is fed to farm animals such as pigs and chickens.  This is the stuff of gold to those poor animals, if they could only know better.  In the bottom left hand corner is a cricket, he was hanging out in there probably enjoying his time.

 This was an awesome image I was able to take at night of multiple deer racks hanging off of my dads workshop.  I learned about Chiaroscuro lighting, I do believe I spelled that correctly.  I figured this would be an alright example of such and the decay of the fur to bone and the light reflecting off the bone gives a great contrast to the photo

 And of course...it's what we all see every day of the week.  This was a possum photographed at noon.  There are no shadows.  It's in our view all the time and yet we drive right by.  In essence, when I see a helpless creature on the road dying in agony, I feel as if I have taken apart in a murder, as was the case when I smashed a squirrel the other day.  Yet I regain strength and collect my resolve and remember that the poor thing wouldn't have died if it wasn't so stupid...........

Music Video Analysis

I love this music video! This is amazing and if I ever had the opportunity to do something like this video I wouldn't let it go to waste.  The costume design and color scheme is great, and I'd like for in my own video to show off a lot of darker tones and have a dreary setting such as the sets in the video.  Of course making something of this production value is close to nearly impossible however this is just a little insight on my particular tastes.

This video by Godsmack is awesome!  I love the eerie feeling that it can give you by the sounds and visuals when they combine.  This is what I want the viewer to feel like as they watch it.  I am sure that is what the director of this music video had in mind.  I'd love to film in a church as the opening scene of this video does, however the possibilities of making something of my interests such as this and having it around in a church around here... I'd have to say is slim to none.  I do have plenty of creepy cornfields to film in though!                              

This I would have to say is still my best and brightest example of what I'd like to do for the music video.  I'd like to shoot high/low/corner angle shots with limited lighting and frightening close-ups of an actor.  I have plenty of props to destroy and have a great location.  I'm going to use a generator to have power during shooting.   

Narrative

As a narrative piece I was perhaps willing to work on the concept of a psychotic, self-obsessive teenager, dealing with alternate versions of himself trying to cope with reality of his situation.  The most interesting way to film this I would say would be a non-linear situation, that could be cleverly written to delude the audience and persuade them into agreeing beliefs that are contradictory to their own and perhaps understand my own perspective of issues.  I really don't have any visual imagery to support this one except an idea of where to film, perhaps my home which has plenty of space and is relatively old and stylish.  As a working title I would like something like "Duality" and a tagline could be "Find your own reality"

Documentary ideas

After spending more time thinking about a documentary film, I'd like to perhaps make a documentary into the life of American poverty within our area.  Have it consist of interviews of friends, and family and neighbors who struggle to get by in today's society, their views of particular matters (however right or wrong they may sound), such as social media, widespread county corruption, local business, and the simple way of life.  I'd like to cover a person from every age demographic excluding children of course.  This image below is of that house for the music video, it's presence in the area and the surrounding houses gives insight into how bad the poverty is in the area.  A working title could simply be "American Poverty" with the tag line "The story you won't believe till you see"

Brainstorm Ideas

I had a few brainstorming ideas for the music video, narrative, and documentary film projects.  Of course I mentioned in a post before about having an idea of where to shoot a music video, in this old abandoned house I found out on Nutmeg road here in Marshall County. Imagine the house as this place in this music video, and we're allowed to destroy stuff in this house (I can bring props to destroy).  I got permission to film there too, I was cleaning out the house before the summer.  I want to film sort of a grungy, dirty, video and have a band to film and are willing to offer a showing at the Evil Czech Brewery in Mishawaka. It's my sister's boyfriend's band goes by "Moveable Types" they're a jassygrazz band that rock pretty hard and they want me to film the concert there, if anyone wants to join you're welcome.  My idea for a documentary would probably involve either my father's process of canning vegetables (it's interesting, I know what some of you are thinking) and all the steps involved in the process.  As a narrative film I have been thinking of a noire 
film involving the depression, and delusions of a psychotic teenager.  Of course these are simple brainstorming ideas, nothing is ever 100%. I hope that some of you have the sort of same visions I have and we'll all be able to collaborate easier.