Memory Artifact

for my memory atrifact, I wanted it to look like an actual memory. I thought about if someone was to ask me what Coventry was like in a few years fom now, what would the memory look like in my head? I used fast cuts and quick shots to try and show this. I also used shots that were out of focus and blurred to try and get the authentisity of an old memory because memories are not clear and they are not always the same as when you first saw the thing, place or object. I also decided to exclude sound or music from the articact because I didnt want to just add music or sound just for the sake of it, I wanted the viewr to add there own audio in there heads to add to the visual of being a memory becaues each person has a diffrent take on the same thing so I wanted to add that to the piece. Im very happy with piece because it was the first time in a long time that I had to edit any film. It took me a whil to ge ththe hang of it again but once I started, it all came back to me again, I hope to continue with this idea in the second term.

memento

I watched a film called Momento which helped mould my idea, its about a man who cant make new memories as a result of a head injury. One part of the film stuck with me when he takes a picture to help him with the investigation of his wifes murder, he said he takes pictures because your memory can fail you, memory can change the colour of a car, the size and shape of something, so its not a good source. I uesd this idea to make memory aftifact which is what I think a memory of Coventry would look like if I tried to.

I also had an idea to make a moving image (which I still might do just for the hell of it) in one take, no cuts, no jumps just one take on my mobile phone, sort of like the five obstructions. My obsticle would be to only use a mobile phone and it has to be no more than two minutes long and and cannot be edited. I wanted to use memory in a similar way to the tv show, curb your enthusiasm in which somethng happends in the strat of the show that comes back to him. I looked at films like Old Boy and Children of Men for such themes where something happends in the beggining and reacurrs later with secnes with no cuts.

initial artifact

for my first attempt at my artifact, I made a series of images that gave the moods and feelings of my first idea about memory, I wanted the person to think of the images not as something that used to be, but also as something that was yet to come, I took picutres around the city centre that I felt gave this impression

Stephen Gill

Stephan Gill was another photographer that i looked at for my artifact. He has a range of photos that to me are very thought provoking and make you question the image that your looking at. Some of them may not mean anythnig to anyone, some re of things you find when your not looking for them and some once you know what hes trying to show, are quite funny. I decided to go along with my experimental moving image piece and incorporate ideas from both photographers

Nan Goldin

When working on my memory artifact I looked at alot of Nan Goldins work. It seemed like a good place to start looking in terms of the theme that we where asked to do. I looked at some of her most famous work, ‘The Ballad of Sexual dependency’, it struck me because of the types of images that she shot spanning from 1979 – 1986. The content of the pictures ranged from drug use to homosexuality to voilence, I wanted my images or moving image to have the same sort of affect when you look at it but not nessesarily the same content. I want to envoke a reaction when you look at it and make you think about the point im trying to get across

further developed ideas

whilst developing my memory idea, I was stuck on what format to make my artifact in, im very interested in photography and I enjoy taking pictures but I wanted to explore methods and so started looking into moving image and animation. Prior to my degree, I was interested in film and video and storyboarding but my biggest obsticle was getting people to help me with my projects who saw what I was trying to do and was intested in my idea other than just to get a good grade which is why I struggled with which medium to take. I could to a photography piece just to get a good mark but I want to experiment and challenge myself to create something. In terms of photography, I looked at two particular photographers for my memory piece Nan Golding and Stephen Gill.

Possible ideas for an artifact

One theme in the mist of the topics that is reoccurant to me is superheroes. Most of the superheroes we have come to know and love use one of or at least one of the topics we have been given. I wanted to incorporate this into something that I produce by way of virilante, superhero or everyday hero. Uniform will play a very important part in what I choose to do. Even a security guard can be seen as a hero, the shopping center is his dwelling place and must be protected at all cost, the people depend on it. Sounds kinda exciting when you put it like that innit? I found a fan made video with helped me shape my ideas and steer them in the direction im lookin for

Idea for artfact due 24th october

We have the task of produccing a artifact to be shown on the 24th of october based on the topic we have been assigned, I thought it would be difficult to show memory in an original way without using all the typical ideas assosiated with memory like babies, old buildings, memorials and things of that nature because I feel it would be predictable and boring. Instead of looking at memory as the past, I have decided to look at it as the potencial to be a memory, looking at things, people and places that may be recorded in history that are undiscovered or if they are able to stand the test of time. Memories are easy to be made so im lookin at the notion of the future of a memory, am I losing you? Looking at a baby may remind a person of there childhood, or even there own children who are grown up but I want to challenge the veiwer to look at it as ” what will that child be in the futuere? what mark will, they leave in the history books? will they be immortilised thorugh their achievements or be forgotten as time passed? this is what I want to do with my experimental film. My main inspiration for the type of artifact is from the documentary “The Last England” by Derek Jarman. It will be a composition of stills and moving image along with some audio and possible a monologue or poem being spoken throughout the piece. I didnt particulaly like The Last England but I liked the use or shots and editing used and the feelings and emotins they raise. I will try and get my thoughts and impressions across with my piece

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq3F39h-xd8