March 13, 2009
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT part II
Overall concept:
To change people’s mindset “From Empathy to Beauty” through simplicity, purity from a child’s mind
We view the handicapped and disabled as a beautiful thing instead of empathising them.
MORE IDEAS
Through a child’s Mind, diverting from their weaknesses, and focusing on their strengths.
1. Distortion of feature, full body portraits [humans are actually imperfect]
2. Nature? Using many assorted items to make a new, beautiful creation
3. Video projection into a water tank, different types, shapes of containers: glasses, bottles, cups to hold the water [water represents purity, just as the children are innocent and pure]
4. Magic mirrors to portray the beauty of distortion and imperfection
5. A dark room with ample amount of light spots and audio, with no visuals to recreate the sense of being partially blind [imagination comes to play]
e.g; scene of a seaside (sand, sound of gushing wind, narration describing the place)
These ideas will be further discussed and improved on…
Inspirations:
1.
Tan Pin Pin, a Singapore-based film director, whose short film Moving House won Best Documentary at the Student Academy Awards in 2002.
There was a scene whereby she shut the screen off, leaving the audio still playing for about 2 mins and it was a narration about a scene in the garden.
At the end of the movie, many asked why she did it that way, if it was a error in the film making process.
(paraphrased) Her answer was:
By showing you my perfect garden, that is my perfect garden and not yours. But by giving you a blank screen. I gave you an opportunity to imagine your perfect garden and it belongs to you only.
From this we could actually incorporate the lack of a certain sense, such as sight to strengthen imagination in other senses.
2.
Film Movie: Awake
Capital-investment firm chief Clay Beresford suffers from a heart condition that requires a heart transplant to be carried out by Dr. Jack Harper. In the operating room the original anesthesiologist is unexpectedly replaced by an apparently inept doctor, Larry, claiming to be from another hospital. This disturbs some of the team members and momentarily concerns Clay. During surgery, Clay encounters “anesthetic awareness” and finds himself fully conscious but paralyzed. To escape the pain, Clay has an out-of-body experience.
From this, we learnt that the person who seemed to be limp and unconscious on the outside was actually wide awake inside.
To relate to this disabled kids: although they seem weird on the physical side, they are actually in a better state than us in the inner being.
To strengthen this idea:
We look and empathize them but actually within they are really happy children [as seen by the innocence portrayed in the children outwardly]
Thoughts Part II
We continue to develop ideas on our concept ‘To change people’s mind ‘from sympathy to beauty’ through simplicity & purity from a child’s mind.
It was much more easier than previous as we know what direction to head on. But I find it hard to link the ideas to the simplicity & purity of a child’s mind.
We watched another silent movie today. And this time without the subtitles. As through that, we can experience better how the deaf feel in the outside world.
My thoughts when watching an eng movie (taken):
-It was much more harder to know what is going on without the subtitles.
-But I still can understand what is going on in some parts.
-The cuts is slower than the first movie that we have watched, so it is easier to catch.
-The talking part where I don’t really know what is going on only until the back part is shown then I can some sort relate it back.
-Have to observe their expression even more this time.
-Able to add my own imagination and their expression together.
With the audio on:
-I can understand what is going on as it is an eng movie.
-The music and sound effects help building emotions and create excitement.
-Didn’t really look at the expression that much as compared to without the audio on.
-Don’t have to be so focus and still be able to catch what is going on.
Conclusion:
-It is even harder this time without the subtitles.
-I tried looking at their lips trying to read what is going on but i can only catch some simple words.
-Better than the jap movie as this film is much more exciting, I don’t feel bored at all.
After thoughts on SILENT movie Part II
Some after-thoughts regarding the viewing of the silent movie part II:
We watched another silent movie, this time without subtitles, and it’s an english movie. There was no much difference with the thoughts on the previous one (a japanese drama) as I still could not really understand what the storyline was. However this time I could really see more details in the movie that I probably would not have captured before because I was not distracted trying to read the subtitles. Also the movie direction was very professional, from creating the overall mood through play of consistent colors of yellow and blue and the strong portray of emotions from the actor/actresses. I could really follow through even though it was at times a little confusing.
What I’ve learnt from this:
I learnt that even though the dialogue from the story was missing, yet the emotions played through the movie have been enhanced and I can feel more for the movie. It was something interesting to do. Glad that I was given a chance to try to be in a deaf person’s shoes… it was a new appreciation for my senses.
MO-TION 