Concept
I am my dreams, ideas thoughts and imagination, this rather than my physical form or actions is what I wanted to portray. There is no one specific idea that I feel encompasses me but rather the pool of ideas and possibilities. If the eyes are the window to the soul then here is the window from which I look out onto the world.
Technical.
Lighting was specifically chosen to assist the blue screen process, and then to have a well light subject that would fit in with a pure white background (minimal shadows).It also had to tie in with the window frame photographed on a very sunny day (outside at the tip shop)
Filming went smoothly, I followed a shot list to ensure I had all the angles I was after.
More attention should have been made to the qulity of the footage rather that just the action and camera work. The footage turned out slightly grainy and I didn’t have any blue screen behind my feet and lower legs. (these two issues caused a lot more time in post to extract the blue-screen, more work could still be done on this but time better spent on the edit and audio).
The graininess didn’t affect the overall quality as I ended up adding more noise to achieve the effect I was after.
Editing.
There were many quite different edits before the final simplified option was decided upon. The original one matching the story board was paced incorrectly. to get cuts in within the ten seconds was too frantic, and the hard edges of the window frame ruined the soft ethereal feel. Subsequent cuts improved the pacing but were still trying to put too much in in the time available.
The final edit with just the slow zoom in builds some tension before the figure steps forward ending the sequence.
Effects.
Adding noise and static worked well. Originally there to add to the idea that this thought of what it was to be me was just a though not quite resolved fading in and out. Not only does this match my persona, it helps hide many blue-screen sins but more importantly it helped to unpolish the production (I was concerned it might look too technical.
Overall The final product ties in well with my initial vision.
On a personal level it worked very well as I identify with the window headed figure and it contains symbols important to me.
To others it a 10 second glimpse of me stumbling around in a dream slightly, lost, burdened by my own thoughts and ideas, with the underlying music giving overtones of childlike vulnerability. A glimpse they have sneaked before I notice and shut it down.
Some people like the ending some don’t , it works on some levels, but it would have to be the weakest part In retrospect this should have an end that opens up not closes down.
Next time I visit this topic I think I will spend more time on what goes on in the window.