What I was trying to achieve and explore in my video was how the mundane can be edited to the extent that it looks and sounds so interesting and exciting.
I took everyday activities including making a cup of tea, playing guitar, and listening to the train go by outside my back fence and put them together in a slow paced, montage inspired structured sequence to create an authentic interpretation of my life. I decided to title the piece ‘the joys of life’ because I do believe that although every day activities can become tedious, boring, repetitive and extremely mundane, if you really take time to think about how important these things are to you and how much they define you as an individual, they become so much more than just every day activities and hobbies. These editing techniques were chosen so viewers can take time in realising that although quite basic and at times tedious activities, they all make me who I am and bring joy to my life. Hopefully then viewers are able to reflect back on their own lives and realise that it’s the small things in life that count and make us who we are as an individual, ultimately making them want to live their lives to the fullest and appreciate everything they have and live for.
The most successful part of my self-portrait was the recording of the train going past my back door. This was because it was so authentic and exactly how I hear it every day. Living right on a train station took a bit of getting use to, at the beginning not being sure if there was an earthquake or a thunder storm coming, however I now find it quite settling and almost therapeutic. It definitely plays a part in who I am as it re-assures me I am not alone even though at times I may physically be alone at home or just feel alone, that the public is right there behind me.
The least successful part was the title as it skimmed the screen so quickly and it set up a rushed feel for the rest of the video. This could easily be fixed for next though with a more basic effect rather than ‘crawl’ which is what I used. ‘Still’ would have been the better option.