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Project Update 1

 

For this final assignment I’m hoping to create a documentary film. An idea that has been on my mind since the beginning of the year has been that of modern witches. There was a witch shop down the street from me that just recently moved, so there is evident interest in the field. I am interested in looking into the practice of witchcraft in the modern day and how it has evolved over time, and perhaps changed with evolving technologies. The project will furthermore be looking at representation, and how media both shapes and documents the popular representation of particular societal groups over time. In doing this, I could potentially incorporate archival and found footage, or compare it to popular fictitious depictions from the highly stylised films of the 1920s and 1970s, and documentary interpretations seen in films such as Häxan (1922, mockumentary), and The Power of the Witch (1971), by incorporating similar shooting styles and compositions, subtly referencing the depiction of witches throughout history whilst creating this new representation, documenting witches as they are today.

 

In this project, I would also like to incorporate the use of an old DV camera, which would be intercut throughout the film, to highlight particular elements; tools of the trade etc. Using this would both create visually interesting punctuation throughout the film, but furthermore could evoke imagery of modern fictitious representations of witches on film and the horror genre with which it is commonly associated, as found footage is a popular trope of the modern horror genre, as evidenced in the popular Blair Witch Project franchise.

 

In finding witches for the project, I had a few specifications. I wanted to create a film with multiple perspectives; one that wasn’t just a portrait of a person, but rather offered insight into a broader topic and offered a wider representation by interviewing multiple people for the project. I was hoping for three people, preferably three who had practised together, as it would be great to film them performing a ritual in a group. I furthermore wished to ground the film in a specific area. I would then be able to get beautiful shots of the town and these would provide a good way of pacing the film. Use of scenic shots in this way can be seen in the 2015 horror film The Witch.

 

In my research on the topic, I discovered that many witches were drawn to the Dandenong Ranges and the surrounding area. As such, this is where I began looking for witches to contact, as it would be a good area in which to ground my film, and I could furthermore capture some cinematic shots of the woods, which directly relate to the craft and could provide the magical / witchy feel that I was hoping to create throughout this film.

 

I contacted a few people to gauge interest in being in the documentary. I accidentally contacted a group of spiritualists, who do not in fact practice witchcraft, but just talk to the dead instead, and also managed to, more successfully, get in contact with a seventh generation witch who lives near the Dandenong Ranges and owns a successful witch shop in the area. Intrigued by the idea of passing down such a craft through generations, I decided she would be the best subject for this film, and as it turns out she is happy to be in it. Coincidentally, she also has two daughters which may also feature in the film and provide the alternate perspectives I am hoping for.