I wasn’t in this week’s lecture so Sam is the only person I know that updates on the lecture notes regularly. That’s why I really like visiting his blog!
“This weeks lecture concentrated on the design of multilinear work. How to guide the viewer through it and elicit certain meanings. What should be guided, what should be randomized?
I always approach Korsakow projects like a video game. Let the viewer have some freedom to stay on certain subjects and dictate the pace and the emphasis but at the same time there must be certain boundaries. Boundaries aren’t always a bad thing, they can define what you want to say all the more sharply. Think of it in terms of a video game character in a sandbox world. Running around and exploring is fun, but you can’t walk through walls or fly (In this example). Far from limiting the games experience, these modest limitations place a certain challenge to the player. Imagine a jigsaw with which every single piece fitted together.. It would be boring as hell. Instead the player is able to piece it together in their own way but there is actually an end goal. Not just pure, boring chaos.”
Boundaries aren’t all bad, I’d say, really. Imagining if you were to write an essay with a very general topic. The idea will overflow and eventually nothing comes out. Or, if asked to make a sketch video without a theme. It can be hard sometimes to figure what we want to do. I remember when I was younger, I had to take an art test and there was no topic on what to draw. Well of course there were a lot going in my head but at that time I was worried on certain things I couldn’t draw and disbanding the idea. It was a three hour test and it took me an hour to figure out what to draw. Hence, only two hours for me to finish my work. Like what Sam said, limitation like in games for instance jigsaw with every single piece fits together will be boring as hell. Instead the player is able to piece it together in their own way but there is actually an end goal.
I’m not sure how much this relates to the post, but when it comes to guiding the viewers to the meaning of the film, the first thing that pops into my head will be Inception. Look at how Nolan guides his viewers on his story. Through the colours and contrast of the film. Especially the RING on Leonardo’s finger. That is to tell the viewers if DiCaprio’s character is in his dream or in the reality world
Here is an article on deeper meanings of the movie Inception
http://www.libertariannews.org/2013/09/18/the-deeper-meaning-of-the-movie-inception/
http://screenrant.com/inception-spoilers-discussion-kofi-68330/