This project has helped me significantly in wrapping my head around the ideas of ‘place’, ‘non-place’, and ‘space’, and the distinctions between them. Prior to engaging with Marc Auge’s 1995 text ‘From Places to Non-Places’ and embarking upon this assignment, I was struggling to envision many of the ideas I was exploring within the course as anything but abstract.

Even when capturing the footage with my partner Dusty, I was unsure as to whether our chosen warehouse was a place or a non-place in its state of abandonment. In editing the footage and considering the historical context of it, however, it became apparent to me that my site was still indeed a place – one that is activated by those who find uses for it. Life and animation is present throughout the space, providing it with a relational and historical context as well as linking it with forms of identity. An abundance of artwork, a makeshift bed, or the trove of empty alcohol cans all point to “the presence of the past in a present that supersedes it but still lays claim to it” (Auge, 1995, p.75). These traces of past movement and life were interspersed with notions of decay and lifelessness, however. It became apparent to me that the site was perhaps negotiating within a limbo between place and non-place – an animated space on occasion, yet one that falls into total decline once uninhabited.

In considering my project, I focused on this idea of ‘activation of space’ – animating a place (or non-place) through physical movement, manipulation of objects and in exploring the energy of light and sound. Dusty and I animated objects through physical interaction, explored the traces of past human beings who once occupied the warehouse, and attempted to capture segments of non-human life and movement as it occurred – pigeons settling in a nook, sunlight leaking and moving through the space, or the glimmering reflections of the space in a puddle. I used various sounds captured at the site to create an piece that would convey a sense of the site’s historical industrial context – one of creation and production, as well as the site’s present situation – one of decay and destruction.

In attempting to achieve this through my short film and sound collaboration, I was unable to produce what I originally envisioned due a shortage of quality software and technological skill. A general lack of experience with sound and video editing software hindered my ability to create a piece that reflected my ideas effectively. I feel that this was not a prominent obstacle, however, as I felt that the overall tone and theme was conveyed to a satisfactory extent. It also gave me an excellent idea of the level I am at in relation to media production – this class is a constant wake-up call to my lack of technical experience in the field. This has not been an issue for me, however, as it is a point I can work on and improve through this course, and I am looking forward to seeing how my progress affects the overall quality of my work.