Film Link: https://youtu.be/Ynb5WIaQgPE
Research & Ideation
I've always been attracted by the idea of exploring unconventional concepts and pushing the boundaries of what a film can achieve. When I was brainstorming ideas for my final project, I wanted to make something more than just a film, I wanted it to be an experience. I can not gauge if i have been able to achieve something of this sort but it's safe to say that it has been worth the efforts and tries.
I started my research my watching quite lots of experimental films so that these films could provide inspiration and insights into new ways of storytelling and visual expression that would be of a great help for my film. As this was my first time working on experimental film, by studying the work of other experimental filmmakers, i was able to gain a better understanding of how they used visual elements, sound, and storytelling to convey their ideas and emotions, and how I can apply those techniques in my own work.
After watching a few films i came up with the initial idea for my film that i named 'The Blank Page' exploring the themes of imposter syndrome and self-discovery. The film was meant to urge viewers to embrace their own distinctive voice and creative vision, as well as to discover inspiration and affirmation within themselves, through the protagonist's journey. The idea was about the journey of a struggling artist looking for inspiration and validation. The film was supposed to follow the protagonist as he attempts to discover his own voice while navigating the complexities of his own fears.
Afterwards I had to drop this idea as i realized that it certainly revolves around just a character and not a concept.
After a few days of research i came across "One Third" a series by Klaus Pichler that photographs decaying and rotting fruits and vegetables in a stark, minimalistic style. Klaus Pichler's "One Third" series is a photography project that tries to raise awareness about food waste by depicting abandoned food in a bizarre and unpleasant manner. Images of rotting food, moldy fruits and veggies, and decomposing leftovers are presented in surprising and spooky ways in the project. The pictures have a dreamy look to them, as well as a sense of dread that inspired me to work on the idea of my film 'Uncanny'. The project's unique food presentation and examination of the idea of decay and imperfection inspired the film's premise of finding beauty in imperfection and breaking limits.
'One Third' - Klaus Pichler
Another art series that I looked up to for inspiration was 'Disparity Series' by Christopher Boffoli. Christopher Boffoli's "Disparity Series" is a creative and whimsical food photography series that features the mixing of miniature figures with ordinary food products such as doughnuts, cookies, and fruits. Little people interact with the food in unexpected ways, producing a feeling of whimsy and humor in Boffoli's series, challenging the viewer's notion of scale and proportion.
This series influenced my film "Uncanny" as it examines the concept of odd and unexpected culinary representations. This art series invites the viewer look at familiar objects in a new light and to find beauty in the imperfect and unconventional, and this was one thing that i wanted to inculcate in my idea too.
Another inspiration for this concept was 'The Secret Lives of Fruits and Vegetables' by Maciek Jasik. The artist says: 'The modern world has separated us from the origins and uses of fruits and vegetables; we know them only for the flavors and textures they provide. Until only very recently, each held its own mystique, mythology, symbolism and connection to the culture and afterlife.'
Idea:
The idea of exploring the uncanny through fruits came to me when I realized how easily we take familiar things for granted. Fruits are something we see and consume every day, yet we don't often take the time to really look at them. I wanted to challenge our perception of the familiar and show how even something as simple as a strawberry can be made to feel unsettling when seen in a distorted and surreal form. The use of fruits as a symbol of the uncanny allows us to question our own perceptions of the world and consider how easily they can be altered. By showcasing these uncanny fruits in an experimental short film, I hope to create a sense of discomfort and unease, encouraging us to think more deeply about the things we see every day.
Theme:
As the theme for this project was 'optimism' I aimed to create a sense of optimism through the uncanny fruits and vegetables showcased in the film. While the distorted and surreal forms of these familiar fruits may initially create a sense of unease, the use of dreamy and vibrant colors, as well as the thought-provoking text, encourages the audience to view these objects from a different perspective. By questioning the conventional views of these seemingly familiar things, the film challenges the audience to consider the possibility of new and exciting possibilities. Through this exploration, the film promotes the idea that there is always a new way to look at the world, and that even the most familiar objects can hold new and exciting meanings. Overall, the film seeks to generate a sense of optimism by encouraging us to view the world through a different, more open-minded lens.
Inspiration:
The idea for my experimental film, was inspired by the works of several contemporary artists, including Klaus Pichler, Christopher Boffoli, and Maciek Jasik. Each of these artists explores the concept of everyday objects in an unusual and surreal manner, creating a sense of disorientation and unease in the viewer. I was particularly drawn to their work as it challenges the conventional views of the objects we see in our daily lives, prompting the audience to question the reality around them.
These inspirations were linked to my idea for the film as they all explore the potential of familiar objects to be re-contextualized in a way that creates a sense of disorientation and uncertainty. Through my film, I aimed to create a similar sense of unease in the viewer by depicting fruits and vegetables in a distorted and surreal manner. However, unlike the other artists, I also aimed to create a sense of optimism in the viewer by presenting these familiar objects in a new light, encouraging the audience to reconsider the world around them in a more positive and hopeful way.
Production Pack
Logline:
What if the fruits we know so well were suddenly not what they seem? Uncanny is an experimental short film that depicts unusual and twisted fruits and vegetables to explore the concept of uncanny The film seeks to generate a sensation of uneasiness and discomfort in the audience to explore this concept.
Synopsis:
Uncanny is an experimental short film that explores the concept of the uncanny by depicting various fruits and vegetables in surreal and distorted forms. The film showcases multiple shots of these uncanny fruits, with dreamy and surreal color grading and distorting effects that creates a sense of unease in the audience.
Throughout the film, the fruits and vegetables are presented in series, each featuring a different fruit or vegetable in a surreal and distorted form. Sequences of each fruit are loosely connected and presented in a non-linear format. Distortion effects, fisheye lenses, unconventional backgrounds, and dreamy music adds to the overall surreal and unsettling atmosphere of the film. Each sequence showcases the fruits and vegetables in a different way, highlighting their uncanny and unsettling nature. Each sequence is accompanied by thought-provoking text that questions the conventional views of these seemingly unfamiliar things. The texts emphasize the surreal and twisted character of the fruits and vegetables seen in the film, inducing thoughts that how the uncanny and odd might influence our vision of the world around us.
Film Treatment:
Uncanny is an experimental short film that explores the concept of the uncanny through a series of sequences featuring various fruits and vegetables. The film presents a series of uncanny and surreal shots of familiar fruits, challenging the perceptions of the familiar.
Each sequence features a different fruit or vegetable in a surreal and distorted form, exploring how our perception of the world around us can be altered by the uncanny and strange. The use of fisheye lenses, unconventional backgrounds, and dreamy music adds to the overall surreal and unsettling atmosphere of the film.
The first sequence features three blue strawberries rotating on a cloudy background, followed by red grapes on an underwater background with a ripple effect. A distorted pink chili pepper is then showcased rotating on an underwater background with a fisheye filter, followed by a pink garlic bulb also rotating on an underwater background. A distorted brinjal then appears rotating in a surreal manner, followed by a pink banana with eyes rotating on a sky background.
Thought-provoking text is displayed on each sequence of fruits, challenging the perceptions of these seemingly familiar objects.
Execution:
Color scheme: The color scheme in Uncanny features a range of hues and tones, with a particular emphasis on the colors red and blue. These colors are used to create a dreamy and surreal effect, with a distorted and manipulated appearance that adds to the overall uncanny atmosphere of the film. The use of these colors is especially pronounced in the shots of the blue strawberries and the red grapes, which are set against cloudy and underwater backgrounds, respectively. The color schemes in the film are an essential part of the film's artistic vision, playing a key role in creating a unique and unsettling atmosphere.
Camerawork:
The filming and camera work is kept unique and experimental, with each shot taken as an overhead shot on a plain background. This gave me a lot of liberty in the editing process, allowing me to manipulate and distort the footage in unusual and creative ways. The use of overhead shots also gave a unique perspective on the fruits and vegetables featured in the film, emphasizing their shape, color, and texture.
Post-production:
During the post-production and editing of Uncanny, I tried to experiment with a range of techniques to create the film's surreal and unsettling atmosphere. The use of fisheye lenses, for example, allowed me to distort the shapes of the fruits and vegetables in unusual and intriguing ways, emphasizing their uncanny and surreal qualities. I also played around with color grading, manipulating the hues and tones to create a dreamy and otherworldly effect that was integral to the film's overall aesthetic. Additionally, I used a variety of distorted effects to add further interest to the footage, including ripple effects and fisheye filters, which created a sense of disorientation and unease. Each edit was carefully considered and implemented with a specific purpose in mind, to create a film that was both visually striking and emotionally resonant. Rotoscoping and masking techniques were used to separate the fruits from their original backgrounds. They were then placed on plain backgrounds This allowed for more creative liberties with distorted effects and color grading. The post-production and editing process was a crucial part of the creative journey for Uncanny, allowing me to bring our artistic vision to life and create a unique and memorable film experience.
Sound design:
I chose Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky" because of its dreamy and ethereal quality. The music complements the surreal and distorted visuals in the film, creating an immersive experience for the audience. The haunting vocals and atmospheric instrumental arrangement help to capture the uncanny and otherworldly atmosphere of the film. I wanted the music to transport the audience to a dreamlike state, where the familiar becomes strange and unsettling. Overall, Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky" was the perfect choice to enhance the surreal and uncanny experience of the film.
Narration:
As the director of my film, I pose the questions that make us wonder what if the fruits we know so well were not what they seem. The distorted and surreal imagery of the fruits on the screen is accompanied by these thought-provoking questions that challenge the perception of reality. It explores the possibilities of how the taste, color, and even shape of fruits could be different if things were not as they seem. The narration adds to the dreamy and uncanny atmosphere of the film.
Equipment:
I wanted to keep things simple and focus on the creativity of the shots rather than relying on high-end equipment. I used a Canon 400D with the kit lens, which allowed me to capture the shots I wanted. For the post-production, I used After Effects for the editing and Premiere Pro for compiling and adding the music. These software programs allowed me to have full control over the color grading, distortion effects, and other edits I wanted to incorporate to create the dreamy, surreal effect I was going for.
Difficulties faced:
As I was new to the editing software and had to learn it from scratch. This made the process of editing time-consuming and I had to put in extra effort to make sure that the final product was up to the mark. Secondly, I faced some difficulties with ideation as I had to revisit my topic a few times before finalizing it. This left me with less time to work on the actual film. Despite these challenges, I was able to overcome them and create a final product that I am quite satisfied with. As it was my first time making an experimental film it was crucial to maintain the surreal and dreamy effect of the film while still telling a clear story. Despite these difficulties, I enjoyed the process of making this film and was able to bring my vision to life.
Self evaluation:
I am satistfied of the final product and the artistic expression that it represents. Throughout the process of conceptualizing and producing the film, I was constantly challenged to push boundaries and think outside of the box. I was able to draw inspiration from my research into experimental films and food photography, which allowed me to approach the subject matter of fruits and vegetables in a unique and unconventional way. The use of Adobe After Effects in post-production also added an additional layer of creativity and allowed me to fully realize my vision for the film. While there were certainly areas for improvement, overall I am pleased with the final result.
Understanding the idea:
I had a limited understanding of the concept of the uncanny before starting this project, but as I delved deeper into the topic, I gained a greater appreciation for its complexity and nuance. Through the process of creating this film, I was able to explore the uncanny in a unique and creative way, utilizing fruits and vegetables. However, research have helped a lot in gaining more clarity of the idea, I was able to gather a better understanding of the concept of the uncanny and explore how it can be visually represented. Inspirations from artworks helped me in exploring new and innovative ways to approach my project. The research and inspirations helped me to identify the strengths and weaknesses of my project and refine my vision for the final product. It also helped me to conceptualize and execute the visual style and effects used in the film. The research and inspirations assisted me in understanding how to use the text displayed in the film to provoke thoughts about the subject matter. I believe that my understanding of the idea that i executed was not deep enough initially but moving forward with research and inspirations, i was able to be more clear on what i want to execute.
Learning and implementation:
This film was a significant learning experience for me. I was able to experiment with new ideas and techniques and explore the concept of the uncanny in an innovative way. Although there were challenges along the way, such as learning new editing software and having less time to work on the final product, I am satisfied of the final outcome.
In terms of strengths, I believe that the film was successful in creating a sense of unease and discomfort through the use of surreal and distorted imagery, unconventional backgrounds, and dreamy music. The non-linear format and thought-provoking text added depth and complexity to the film.
However, there are areas for improvement as well. For instance, I feel that some of the sequences could have been better connected to each other to create a more cohesive narrative. Additionally, I could have explored more diverse fruit and vegetable subjects to expand the range of uncanny possibilities.
Exploring my artistic voice:
I have always been fascinated by the concept of the uncanny and the idea of challenging conventional perspectives. This project has allowed me to explore these concepts and pushed me to experiment with unconventional forms of storytelling.
The process of creating this film has been a valuable journey in discovering and exploring my artistic voice. Through experimentation and taking risks, I have been able to broaden my perspective on what is possible within the realm of filmmaking. It has encouraged me to approach my work with a more open mind, allowing me to take creative risks and push boundaries.
Overall, the experience of creating this film has taught me the importance of experimenting and taking risks in order to grow and evolve as an artist.
