Time Instillation Ideas

So I’m very excited about this time instillation. As I’ve been brainstorming more and more there are several ways that we can go ahead with this project. My main hope is to really delve into the concept of time and how we are all ‘living in the moment’ without really absorbing it. I also like the idea of the past- so each moment that happens now will soon become just a time in our past. I don’t know how much I will go into the future aspect but I really want to focus on the current present time.

There are several images that we can project on the screen- maybe images of clocks entwined with different colors –the idea of how time can affect you with the different sight of color. Also there could be images of people growing old before our eyes but that might get tricky since I don’t think we have much experience technically to represent that well. We could also project images of the audience in present time with clocks spinning in the background to show visually that time is passing them all by in this very moment.

I really want to focus on the interactive element of this instillation and have the audience experience this with us. I thought a neat idea would be to display an image of a couple clocks and ask them to determine what is wrong with the image. This would just be a “waste of time” for the audience but would hopefully open their eyes a bit to how important each minute is.

Also I really like how the past can be different than we remember since our memory isn’t always the best resource. So it might be neat to ask the audience to remember certain moments in the past- although I mostly want to focus on time and not so much memory so we shall see.

One of the films from Cucalorus talked about living lie to the fullest. I really want the audience leaving with the idea that everything they do matters and each moment is important. I also want to close the instillation with celebrating cinema and photography because it is the only way that you can really “capture” time. I’m definitely struggling with how the best way to interact the audience but hopefully when we narrow our ideas it will become more concrete. 

CUCALORUS

Cucalorus is such a great film festival! I was so happy that I was able to attend the screenings and can’t wait to see everyone else’s thoughts about it. I attended the Flesh Jelly Shorts. I really enjoyed it even though it kept me squirming in my seat and confused my brain the whole time!  The first initial thought was that the cinematography in each was spectacular. The quality and scenery of the shots made it so enjoyable to watch. This was my first festival I have attended so for me it was so fun to enjoy really great cinematography in every production. 

My favorite short from this block was by far was the closing one: Blackstory. Although the bloody shots were a little hard to watch, I thought it was genius. This was a film that I would watch over and over again. The use of multiple screens showing at once MADE this film. I don’t think it could have had such a strong impact without this unique addition. The multiple screens combined with reading foreign dialogue made it so difficult to follow along with each individual shot- yet that is what made it so great! It was so suspenseful and yet rewarding throughout the film. You already know the fait of these characters from the beginning, so seeing them get closer and closer to their death was pretty exhilarating to watch. I liked the idea of knowing that these characters will die from the start. There is still a lot of mystery since it is hard to tell how each character was killed- so some of the fun is putting all the pieces together. It was also funny because the whole time I was anticipated their death yet not really wanting them to die. This is crazy to me since none of them had characteristics that would make you wish them well- but you are on this journey with them so you can’t help but watch. Our music video idea was generated from the design of using multiple screens so seeing this film really showed how it can be carried out well. This film really played with my head and I loved it!

I also loved the idea of the Chance film. Some people did not like this one as much, and I do agree that it lagged a bit; but I thought it came full circle in the end. From the start, you know that this killer is not messing around-, which provided the suspense from the beginning. I especially liked the moment that he was speaking with Catherine (I think was her name- the one that ends up living) and talked about how she will grow old and look back on her life and how she never accomplished anything. Dying is a scary thought and what he said is so true- we all need to live to the fullest cause you never know what will happen. I really liked the spin that it took at the end too. Hearing the other characters say her name, you assume that this means she will die- but in the end she gets to live. It was crazy to me too because you almost feel more sorry for her than the others that are about to die- knowing she has to live with that fear of him returning and the sadness of the others that she watched die for the rest of her life. I really enjoyed the film and I thought it was a great discussion opener.

Also loved Journey to Planet X. This was not part of the shorts but I wanted to mention it. I love documentary and I thought this one especially is the reason I love them so much. I was laughing the whole film and it was such a joy to watch. It was also great speaking with the directors after! Loved the festival and can’t wait to go again next year when I’m 21:)