Memory is defined as the storage and retention of information that has been processed. Some memories are more vivid than others to a person. For example, you probably can’t remember exactly what you lunch 2 weeks ago as easily as the time you met a celebrity two weeks ago. Memories have inspired many words of non-fiction, from autobiographies to scripts for movies.

During class, we were asked to write about a strong memory we held that occurred in or related to your chosen place from Assignment 2. I wrote:

It was a Christmas picnic in December last year. This is the park we used to go and ‘hang out’ on weekends during our high school lives, forming lots of strong memories and bonds with these people. We sat on the grass closer to the road, as a different group had taken the gazebo we usually sit around. Our group had established and discussed a kris-kringle program, and we exchanged our gifts between our mysterious pairs. I received a handmade t-shirt of an in-joke between a few of us, which was a great surprise. One of our friends was moving back to France soon, so it was a reasonably emotional time, thinking this could be our last Christmas with her. We sat around, drinking beers and eating snacks until the sun went down and it got too cold and we migrated back to our respective homes.

The thought of this memory got me thinking about how peaceful that day was, and how peaceful parks can be, especially when contrasted with the frantic nature of a train station in the city. Then we began to think about the pace of each place, and how our shots reflected that both in what was within the frame, such as the masses of people in the station shots compared to the emptiness of the park, as well as the shaky footage at the station and the stiller, smoother shots at the park. These themes that we will incorporate into the production piece were influenced by memories, showing how a memory of a place and influence work.