Medium Specificity

You'd think that as a filmmaker, the concept of moving images would have some deeper meaning to me. The idea that a picture is worth a thousand words certainly begs the question of motion pictures. And yet, I find that as a storyteller, I constantly take the medium for granted. Because of this, I decided to revisit the most basic elements of film--multiple moving frames and sound--to explore both the advantages and limitations of this art form.

I chose sound and image specifically because they most make up the narratives that I so strongly connect with. My piece, however, is not much of a narrative. It is, rather, a set of shots that depict students experiencing a typical day on BYU campus. Within these five shots, several technical elements are immediately noticeable. Unlike McCloud's "Setting the Record Straight", my piece takes an approach to the medium that calls attention by being noticeably different. Firstly, the film is a 360 degree video. That means the viewer has the ability to interact and look around the shot. And although the sounds of what is being depicted are clear and normal, the piece is presented in one frame-per-second.

In this way, my piece explores limitations, ask questions, and ultimately celebrates the technical possibilities of motion pictures. By using 360 degrees, the project presents present limitations and potential possibilities. For example, when watching a film, the viewer typically only sees the frame she is given and is expected to accept that one rectangle as the canvas. Even in observational cinema, the shot makes a statement. I wanted to explore that aspect as a limitation; what if you could look outside the shot? What would you see? Regarding subject and intent, however, there are so many new questions to consider in a 360 degree video, that perhaps it transcends the entire point and purpose of filmmaking as we understand it and is closer to VR, such as the new media experience found at The Void. Maybe film is supposed to be more straightforward. For example, a set frame tells us something specific. It hands us the subject, and forces us to make something of it. It inspires creativity rather than curiosity.

I also wanted to explore frame rate, as that is all video is--moving pictures. While most narrative films have a frame-rate of 24 frames per second, this one has a frame rate of 1 frame per second. This frame rate calls attention to the rather narrow bridge between photography and cinematography. The frame rate is juxtaposed against the sound, which is heard in real time, calling attention to the importance of sound to provide context and work hand in hand with image. We normally don't notice sound, but sound often informs everything we are seeing. It's half of the process. 

Altogether, I hope my piece reminds us of why we want to be filmmakers for one reason or another, and shows that we have only just begun to think of the potential of our medium.