I have been working on shooting some projects that finally have been edited and released in the world (yayy! see films tab). The first is my new music video, Reflections. This piece is really interesting because by default it has been years in the making. Last spring, I was in a course called “Handmade Film”. In this class, we took analog film strips and painted/scratched them to create interesting patterns and mixes of color.
created using colored india ink and my fingerprint
I animated this clip of found footage by hand!
This past semester, I used that same handmade film to create an installation piece. I hung translucent curtains parallel to each other in order to make a hallway like structure. Then, I projected film onto the curtains. My hope was for the installation to resemble an immersive kaleidoscope. I wanted visitors to be surrounded with abstract colors and light. During critique, my classmates interacted with it and took pictures throughout the installation. That experience was so touching it inspired me to make this music video.
The handmade film installed
A classmate interacting with the installation
In Reflections, I wanted to capture the color and light of handmade film. I also wanted to show the beauty of movement in both dancing and playing an instrument. The piece had a subtle conceptual component but I really wanted to blur the lines between a narrative and experimental filmmaking approach.
My dancer and guitarist were a pleasure to work with. I found myself incorporating their ideas which added even more depth to the original concept. The musician and I created an original song for the video. It was incredible to have input on the score as it was being composed. We all shared a vision which made the process very collaborative and fun!
A silhouetted still of the dancer
A shadowy still of the guitarist
It’s exciting how layered the video turned out. It felt like a celebration of so many art forms: music, film, dance, installation, and video. In my work, I love to push the boundaries and experiment with different techniques. It was a pleasure to create and I hope you enjoy!