Idea Creation

“I always find that if two (or more) of us throw ideas backwards and forwards I get to more interesting and original places than I could have ever have gotten to on my own”

One afternoon in class we were tasked with the creation of a narrative through a series of photographs. These out-of-the-blue projects always stir up a small but noticeable amount of trepidation. Within the bounds of an hour and our small city campus it was expected that we formulate, capture and sequence a narrative to completion.

Saving grace came in the form of a specific parameter of the task; it was to be done in groups. As we exited the classroom on  our quest to find or formulate narrative, my mind was working overtime.  Indeed, as we began walking through the hallways, it seemed we were all fruitlessly trying to imagine something within our individual minds.

Thus it became clear that things only started getting done when we began opening our  mouths a  number  of minutes later. I think  this was  the case for a number  of reasons. Chiefest of  these  would be the fact that we each  see  the world from a different perspective, even if this is literally geographical. Often it is more  than  the geographic direction of our gazes, but even this is helpful when  scouting around the campus for engaging locations.

But as it happens, as we came near the halfway mark  of the time allotted, our group literally had no idea  what  to do. This was until one intrepid team  member noticed door to the old morgue near the gaol and said exclaimed in a tone unique to the nihilism of today’s youth that  the story should incorporate death! This was the beginning of a  chain reaction, a chain reaction that could not have taken place without this first interjection. From this we had a foundation. How would they die? Was the next question that we decided to tackle it became clear to me then that a car would be both logical and unexpected. So after voicing this idea (without knowing myself how it could be advanced further) another group member added that that idea would work wonderfully through the incorporation of a sign nearby into the mise  en scene. This sight read “Beware (of) Vehicles” and it worked wonderfully for the narrative that was developing.

After this, decisions in respect to casting had to be made, and yet again, the different levels of confidence and  tenacity displayed in the group made this task an easy one from the point of view of volunteering.

Finally, perhaps the most collaborative effort, was that of the editing or sequencing of the images. This was done at a round table where everyone could input their opinion. Originally, I thought that more pictures were needed to carry the story, but after discussing this with the group  we came to a more succinct end product with fewer frames. This gave the story a distilled and focused feel, which is the chief aim in all video editing.

So it can be seen then, that the wealth of diversity that manifests itself in a group of creatives facilitates an environment where ideas can develop. It is a development that  could not be replicated within  the fixtures of any single mind.

 

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