RING RING

So what the hell is my idea.

Late at night, a woman does her washing at a coin laundry. White washing spins, a single patch of red infects it. Candles burn. A coin is ready to drop. Red liquid ripples through milky white water. The woman waits for her laundry. A coin lingers at an opening; it drops into a pay phone. The woman picks up the phone.

Above is how the viewer will experience the abstract narrative. Below is the story.

• A woman.
• Ex-con.
• She’s done time but not accepted responsibility for the crime.
• Stuck in limbo, a weekly routine.
• She does her washing at the Laundromat.
• Conflicted.
• She seeks redemption, but doesn’t know how.
• It’s time to pay her dues. She is ready to confess.

MOODBOARD

 

PETRI DISH

Trialled first test of petri dish reactions (above), not quite what I was hoping for but practise makes perfect. I didn’t have a macro or zoom lens so found the 50mm limiting and consequently couldn’t capture fine details.

Ingredients included:

• Milk
• Acrylic paints
• Food dye
• Sunflower oil
• Dishwashing liquid

The acrylic paints seemed too heavy for the oil and also sank through the milk so will look into denser oils like rapeseed, avocado, flax and see if that makes a difference. Will incorporate honey next time too.

I wasn’t focused on creating aesthetically pleasing colour combinations however will give this more attention for the next test. Have booked the Building 8 studio for 17/9 in the afternoon including a macro lens but until then will have another go.

Also looking back at my reference it looks to be 50/50 milk and oil and less quantity of both than I was using. So, back to the drawing board.

 Detergent reaction.

 Paints sinking in oil.

 Pre-mixed milk and acrylics worked better.

 

CASE STUDY NO. 1

∇ ST GEORGES ROAD COIN LAUNDRY, NORTHCOTE

All photos my own.

It feels like something creative is bubbling away as I visit each Laundromat. Who’d have thought these everyday spaces would be so intriguing?

This case study will be referred to as Valma. The characteristics of this space were modest, compact and resilient and uniquely defined by it’s shapes, colour, tone, reflections and notes. Valma felt deserted and cold.

 

CASE STUDY NO. 2

∇ COIN OP LAUNDRY, 710 HIGH ST, THORNBURY

All images my own.

Felix was a junkie, trying to hide his habits from his friends and family.

This space was disorderly and neglected and felt like someone might be squatting here. The light was soft but contained neat highlights and the colours (yellow, red, green) we expect to be poppy and vibrant seemed muddy and muted.  Poor Felix.

 

CASE STUDY NO. 3

∇ POWDER LAUNDRY, 50 ALBERT ST, BRUNSWICK EAST

  All images my own.

Welcome to the future. This was a no coin laundry, instead featuring “tap and go” options. It was kind of hideous and beautiful at the same time. The strangest trait was it lacked a single chair. We watched the poor people paying $7+ for their washing, waiting in toasty cars trying to kill time on their phones. The space demanded your attention and I almost felt obliged to just “tap” my fantastic plastic, even though I had no washing.

This laundromat is crowned Carrie.

 

REFLECTIONS

Whilst the original plan did not necessarily include such an intimate study of Laundromats, I am enjoying the process way too much and confident it is still complimentary to the ‘connect the dots’ question.

These photo collections ask you to look for the similarities and differences of each space, their individual characteristics, their stories and their clues. We can’t help but project some narrative or interest onto these pictures, even when it’s just a plain ol’ coin laundry.

For Carrie: Case Study No. 3, I set out to take quality over quantity (and shoot like it was analogue) in hopes to start training myself to be more deliberate and controlled before releasing the shutter. It definitely sharpened my eye, refined my creative decisions and cut post time in half, so I will attempt to keep applying this!

Also, the process of capturing the personalities of these locations has unlocked something else for me. All of sudden I am noticing objects, moments, architecture, light, etc. in the everyday that would make cool compositions for video/photography. Seriously, my eyes keep darting around and spotting potential in such ordinary stuff. It’s sobering to feel inspired like this and not always need flashy gear, exotic locations, attractive models, etc. to produce a great shot.

 

THE DIEM PROJECT

HOW DO WE LOOK AT FILM, TELEVISION, ON-LINE VIDEO OR REAL-LIFE EVENTS?

HOW DOES LOOKING INFLUENCE WHAT WE SEE, REMEMBER AND FEEL?

These are the questions the DIEM project (Dynamic Images and Eye Movements) seek to answer as they investigate what drives human visual perception and how our eyes scan and sample images.

Understanding what a viewer notices and where their eyes fixate helps breakdown how we experience a film. As filmmakers this information provides valuable insight on the kind of visual data audiences observe. Research from the DIEM project reveals our gaze lingers on faces, hands, objects, movement and light and especially the sudden appearance of these things. A particular study on continuity helped further investigate how viewers missed discontinuity when their gaze is fixated on more important things. This was achieved through props changing colour/location, costume changes, staging irregularities etc.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

“Using state-of-the-art eye tracking facilities, the eye-tracking data records the X and Y coordinates for each eye per millisecond in combination with a range of eye-movement measures. For each person, this produces over 1000 lines of data (in eight columns), per second. To analyze this output, DIEM has developed a tool called Computational Algorithms for Representation and Processing of Eye-movements (CARPE). CARPE can create dynamic heat-maps that visually represent a cluster analysis of where people are looking. The software also quantifies this behaviour, allowing us to determine the various visual features and events that lead to a stronger consensus on where to look (a tighter cluster) among viewers.”

The eye mapping video of There Will Be Blood is a prime example of how tightly focused our gaze is whilst watching a film and how viewers look in a similar place most of the time. The study included 11 viewers, separately watching the film.

 

STUDIO PETRI DISH

First up, don’t book a studio and an interstate flight on the same afternoon – oh boy was I a scatter brain. Thankfully, I was lucky to have the support of Eve and Judrina for the ‘petri dish’ shoot.

Everything was captured on a 5DMiii with a Macro 100mm lens, shot in a controlled studio space. The lighting set up was a modified 3-point rig with the camera/tripod at a 180˚ horizontal plane. The ‘petri dish’ was a clear plastic plate suspended on a C-stand to allow light to illuminate from underneath.

The light stands and petri dish had limited height, so the camera set up was above eye level. This made for a tight set and obstructed the camera’s viewfinder/diopter, which hindered the ability to focus. I synced my laptop to the Mark iii so we could mirror the viewfinder and with Eve’s eye on the compressed laptop image and mine on the limited view of the camera, together we did our best to gain focus. Unfortunately using a macro lens, the focus only had to be a millimetre out and it would make all the difference! Catching focus was also tricky as the opening frames were flat surfaces with no definition e.g

If there is ever a next time for this kind of shoot, I would float a piece of paper on the surface as a focus marker. Something like this:

Another valuable learning curve was responding to what was in front of me. The first few petri dish reactions were my attempts at replicating my references but no matter the combination (or type) of dye, paint, oil or milk it just wouldn’t produce the same effect. In the end we stopped forcing it and focused on the unique reactions that were happening in front of us, which in the end created my favourite results. The amazing chocolate explosion reaction was Eve’s creation and we should have had her doing the mixing from the get go!

Half the footage was shot at 1920 x 1080 25p and the other at 1280 x 720 50p. I was nervous to commit 100% to the 50 frames incase it failed. Although I had to sacrifice a higher resolution quality, the captivating effect of the 50p slowed down in post was worth it!

Finally, the results of this shoot help reflect my project’s objective

…explore the audience’s ability to connect the dots and create meaning. Or in short, test how we interpret what we see on screen.

And in the studio this was already happening! Judrina pointed out the shape of a flamingo, Eve noticed blood clots/internal organs and I spotted galaxies/planets.

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

  

SPINNING

Shooting additional footage wasn’t looking promising as I struggled to coordinate a girlfriend’s/my availability with equipment hire. I had pretty much pulled the plug and settled with only shooting the spinning washing machine until my husband suggested he act assuming I was OK with the role changing to a man. Initially I resisted this idea but so stoked we went for it as without this footage, I don’t believe I would have truly satisfied my objective.

I had grand intentions to organise a full production i.e. ‘hire’ a Laundromat after hours, full lighting set ups, etc. but due to the perfect combination of procrastination and spontaneity my shoot was low-key (Also still tried to embrace the ‘don’t need to plan everything’ tip from earlier in the semester). After the pleasing results of the slow motion I jumped in the deep end and shot everything at 50fps.

Since there wouldn’t be any lighting set ups save for a reflector, I referenced my Case Studies for a potential location. Although it wasn’t part of the original vision, the pink neon light from ‘Carrie’ offered depth and interest. From there it was guerrilla style… that was, until the owner decided to come and clean (but she didn’t mind).

Upon reflection, I wish there were a key light pointed into the washing machine to highlight the white and red colours of the load. However, this may have created another set of problems as the curved glass plate caught over 180˚ of reflections. Maybe I could have thrown in a waterproof LED into the machine with the load of laundry?

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the outcome of shooting on the fly. On the one hand more control over the light and cinematic images would have been more professional but the guerrilla situation made me think resourcefully about the existing light sources while utilising a public space.

FINALE

THE BEGINNING

It is curious to reflect on my initial objective… I think the idea was there all along, it just took time and refinement for the crap to settle and the good stuff to rise.

To find new approaches in my current methods of filmmaking by utilizing some of the practices and critical thinking behind abstract filmmaking.

Upon reflection it wasn’t so much the intention that changed, it was the how/process that evolved. The early stages of the idea was in attempts to appease myself as a narrative filmmaker while trying to explore an abstract medium.

Over time my interest but conflicted respect for the fine art approach to the film medium has developed. The final product often first appears as wanky, egotistic or undeveloped but after closer reflection (and less judgment) it is more often an artists’ critical investigation of a particular idea.

A rocky start but eventually I was able to pin point my intention into ‘appreciating how an audience interprets what they see on screen’. This was and still is an exciting concept for me and feel there will be constant learning on this subject. Finally, I was able to concrete this broad intention into an achievable reasearch question

“How far can we push the audience until they stop connecting the dots?”

THE MIDDLE

For sometime I’ve had the imagery of a washing machine spinning white laundry, tainted by a piece of red fabric. Where it came from, who knows, but I knew one day it would serve a purpose. After ruminating on the possible symbolism of this imagery I eventually developed a character and story. Next was to consider how this person and their world could be conveyed through symbolism/imagery and thus the petri dish concept was born.

So how did I attempt to answer my research question? With both a practical and a research approach. Through research I looked at similar work from other filmmakers both independent and Hollywood and also took inspiration from abstract bodies of work. This helped me appreciate the various and diverse forms other creative people have used to communicate an idea. Additionally, I broadened my research into how audiences observe films, closely researching the DIEM project and their results.

The key practical approach was photographing a series of Laundromats around Melbourne. This resulted in a close study of each space’s unique poetics and gain an appreciation for these everyday locations. What I never expected was

…the process of capturing the personalities of Laundromats unlocking something else for me. All of sudden I have been noticing objects, moments, architecture, light, etc. in the everyday that would make cool compositions for video/photography. 

Another practical method included trial experiments of various mediums and ingredients in order to create beautiful reactions in my ‘petri dish’. This may have been a costly experience i.e. paints and avocado oil (that sh*t ain’t cheap) but it was worth it! Each trial produced different results and helped with producing the final results.

THE COLLAB

This project was a truly personal experience and the greatest challenge was primarily working alone. Being only responsible for myself / not letting anyone else down but myself / trying to remain focused / only myself to blame. I can be (and occasionally was) my own worst enemy but pulled it off in the end hey. Another set of hurdles that comes with working independently, is to remain objective and constructive, to know when you’re being indulgent and it’s time to make some tough cuts.

During the studio petri dish shoot, I was grateful to have Eve and Judrina come along for the ride. The girls provided moral support, smart ideas, extra hands and to be honest, helped keep my head screwed on.

I love collaboration and would normally relish in the opportunity to expand ideas with other people. And although that opportunity came in other forms e.g. chats with fellow students, pitches, consults with Paul, etc. it was a rewarding experience to conceive, shoot (mostly) and complete post production alone.

THE END

And here we are, the end of the semester, the end of True to Form. Have I stayed true to form? I think so. But it truly has taken all 13 weeks to answer.

The Studio’s Brief proposes how our conception, development and production of short film projects can be limited by its commitment to a particular form and we should consider that the form and content of our work be determined by our creative vision. 

I set out to broaden myself as a storyteller but not lose sight of who I am as filmmaker. I felt the creative concept remained the fuel for my fire and really tried to not be restrained by traditional filmmaking conventions or practices. I challenged myself by pursuing an abstract narrative, shooting intuitively, and filming macro reactions of milk and dye!

The final film asks you to search for answers. Instead of conforming to a three act structure or conventional character development it attempts to communicate meaning and story through abstract cinema. I could give you my answers but that’s not the point. It’s up to you to connect the dots.