Through thoughtful research and flexible planning I was able to complete my AICE Media Project and my short film entitled Absence, which tackles themes of grief and how to express it.
When I first began this project I already had a basic plan of what I wanted to do, but I first needed to research and look back at other films to help me shell out my idea. I wanted to do a film where I express the loss of my mother, and I also had the intention of expanding the project further and raise awareness on the process of grief. After discussions with my teacher and classmates I decided to create an arthouse/drama film.
I used arthouse techniques within my short since the primary goal of arthouse films is to make a piece that prioritizes the creator’s expression rather than considering the audience’s understanding. In my film I used fragmented storytelling and symbolic imagery such as the stuffed bunny, the photo, or items within my bedroom to express my emotions (which are both integral components within arthouse movies).
There are a lot of creative liberties that one can take with arthouse films, and I worried that my film would not have a connection with viewers and start conversations about grief if it was too experimental, so I decided to play a safer route by incorporating elements from the drama genre within my piece. I used a basic story-line structure so it would be accessible to people who do not understand or enjoy arthouse films, and I also included text (which serve as dialogue) to help clarify any misunderstandings a viewer may have.
Films in the drama category focus on telling the human condition and exposing truths of our world in a grounded manner, which is why I felt including drama conventions would assist my piece and keep it authentic to my experience with grief.
My research also looked into technical elements and stylistic choices I decided to include in my short. After seeing a stop motion video from my friend Ellie Koo, it inspired me to use stop motion as a device to represent my inner-self and mind. Looking at silent arthouse films such as D.W. Griffith’s movie Intolerance, I chose to not speak in my piece because I felt the inclusion of my voice would be distracting and prevent the audience from taking in the music I chose to accompany my film.
After reflecting on my research I wish I took the time to further explore the creative process of arthouse producers/directors to see how they approach their work. By doing this I think I could have saved myself a lot of stress during the production phase of my project and perhaps I could have come up with more interesting methods in arranging my final film.
Researching and deciding how I was going to create my film was heavily dependent on my target audience. My goal was to reach two distinct audiences: a niche group of individuals who enjoy artistic films and a general audience of young adults from ages 14-25. I also hope to specifically target young-adults who are going through the grieving process and could find consolation in my work. Creating a project that would educate and inspire viewers was my utmost priority in making Absence, and so I included a few additions to my project in order to do so.
Instead of uploading my video to Viemo or Youtube, I chose to create my own website where I could feature additional information about grief and offer sources for individuals who are grieving or who know someone who is grieving. Creating a website gave me the chance to develop and fine-tune my branding with imagery and a layout that otherwise could not be created on a video website.
I also decided to create a Twitter account for my social media platform because my target audience generally consume Twitter more than any other social media site. Having my personal website and social media platform where I have the flexibility to post more personable content allowed me to create an intimate connection in between my target audience and I and create a down-to-earth branding style.
On the subject of branding, I decided to stick with simple elements in order to build a cohesive image. I used pastel ‘liquid’ background/filters which represent my mind, and I chose to use a bold yet rounded font in my poster and website which I believe is both attention-grabbing yet easy on the eyes. All of the symbols and design choices that went into my branding work to create a palliative look that would be desirable for my target audience, and represent who I am. Because this project is a deep reflection of myself it was essential to me that I created a brand that embodied my personality.
Absence primarily represents myself and the idea of grief, but it also represents ideas of evolving from conflict and the process of growing out of a traumatic experience. Instead of it representing a group of people, my film represents an experience that is universal to everyone. My products help to represent these ideas through the branding elements (which I talked about within the last paragraph) and through the platforms I used to advertise and distribute my project (showcasing an independent short about my personal conflict).
The most major critique I have would be how I handled this process and how I managed my time. I’m sure that it’s no shock that I was off-schedule and I therefore suffered a lot towards the end when I was completing this project. Because I’m doing it alone and in the midst of a pandemic, I am not beating myself up for how I handled this project, but I have definitely learned my lesson and next time I’ll work harder to manage my time.
Despite that, I’m pleased with what I came up with and I’m very proud of my final products.
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