I aimed to focus on the attributes possessed by my late grandfather, William Marchiori, to create a portrait in his honour. He was known for his kind and caring nature, passion for motor sports and his large hands. I chose to open with a segment focussed solely on his hands; as they were not only the first thing people noticed about him, but are metaphorically representative of his kind and giving nature. He was not only passionate about helping others, but he deeply loved all things motor related; both the mechanics and the driving. I was lucky enough to gather photos from his motor accident, which I scanned and made into a GIF, which created a link between the photographic and filmic elements of my film. I decided to finish with a focus on his family, especially myself and my brother who were his only grandkids. He was so influential in our lives and I felt that it was appropriate to show his love for his family.
The sound of a heartbeat builds throughout the course of the film. The volume is representative of the ups and downs he encountered due to his failing heart. At the end of the portrait, I accompany the heartbeat fading with the sound of the car engine turning off to express that it was due to the engine of his body (the heart) stopping that he passed away.
I struggled with the fact that I was unable to film new material as my subject has passed on, but my family were helpful and sent through photos and videos that I could incorporate into the portrait. I was pleased with how well the archival footage worked with the pre-existing material. Using archival footage is not something I am familiar with and I was afraid it would create a sense of static, but I believe it created depth.
Collaborating with my peers also assisted the overall quality and outcome, as I was able to get feedback that in the end, enhanced and developed my ideas to allow for them to be presented as well as they possibly could be.
William- A Portrait from India Weaver on Vimeo.
