In week 13, as a studio, we held a screening/ exhibition of the experiments created throughout the semester. Each group screened a selection of their work to peers and a few other media students in the RMIT Theatre. In our screening, we screened portions of both of our experiments. Showing our first experiment which focused on the dynamics of creating a silhouette. Then screening our second experiment that carried on from the first, focusing on silhouette in a neo noir style scene.
When asked which ways our screened work engaged the audience and communicated a key concern of the studio. I respond with, that I hope our screened work kept the audience engaged enough to focus on what we were trying to achieve. The goals of both of our experiments were clear cut and simple. Yet without us introducing the idea behind the experiments, it could have been confusing for audience members as to what we were trying to achieve. Our introduction of dark music to accompany the footage in our second experiment seemed to go a long way in generating a vibe to accompany our footage. Helping bring to life the action in our shots. I felt as though the audience did comprehend our experiment goals when viewing them at the exhibition. After gaining feedback from studio members, all understood our intentions and believed we effectively communicated our ideas without the need of a verbal introduction.
If I were to keep working on our second experiment, I would turn it into a short film instead of a single take. Keeping the neo noir style we created, I would utilize our shots as a stylistically vision and create a stylized neo noir crime/thriller. Essentially using our Experiment shots as tests for the visual style of our film. After conducting the experiments on Silhouette, I would utilize the skills learnt to create suspense and mystery within our film. Developing scenes that incorporate a silhouetted figure. I would also utilize the research we did on Colour Palette’s in our second experiment. Using neon lights to visually distinguish bad from good. Associating blue with good and red with evil proved to be a great way to utilize a creative element to add to the films narrative.
When looking at the other groups screened work two pieces really jumped out at me. Eleanor, Jagger and Noah’s exhibition was, in my opinion, the most entertaining. Their second experiment translated really well onto the bigger screen. They created a short scene set in a getaway car. The scene was cut together nicely and lit in a realistic nature. Subjects in the scene were filled nicely and the scene visually came across really professional. Their exhibition as a whole was a great example of utilizing the techniques learned in the studio and transferring them to a narrative scene which was a key concept discussed in class. The group that produced the Make-up scene also did a good job. They created an interesting scene that was lit with both soft and hard light. The use of lights with different colour temperatures was also interesting and gave the scene an unusual feel. This was a key concept discussed in class so, without knowing their true intentions, this was an interesting choice.
It was an interesting experience viewing our work on the cinema screen in front of an audience. Underwhelming is the first word that comes to mind. Your so used to seeing professional work on a screen of that size. So when our work was screened it came across quite amateur. I saw our work in a whole new light when watching it in front of an audience. For some odd reason I quickly became extremely analytical of our experiments and noticed things I hadn’t before. The entire viewing experience proved to be very beneficial and allowed to me to further reflect on our works.