Research – K I M .

Hokkaido Cheese Tart: IV

Overcome by ennui, a human person searches for meaning in her existence by systematically fulfilling the needs that drive human motivation. With each step, she gets ever so closer to the last stage of self-actualisation.

Interspersed sequence of cheese tarts.:

There is great significance here, where the progressive eating of the cheese tart represents a cyclical process of doing the same thing over and over and over again. So many times that you get sick of it, and it becomes jelat in the end. The film ends with the last scene, with the spoon sitting in the tart, most of the tart uneaten.

Sleep, a physiological need – the first in the sequence of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

She is in the correct setting for sleep, yet she is awake, and stares, blankly, then attempts to entire into a restless sleep. She turns, and all that is left is a peak of the shoulder, a glimpse of an eye. It is semi-voyeuristic.

Another physiological need – Food.

This is perhaps the only thing with proper colour in this film. The sprinkles (as food) are meant to mess with you – the viewer. It is not proper food. It is not meant to be eaten (like this). It represents a ludicrous kind of gluttony. The pouring is slow, and the eating is reluctant. She chose to eat it, but she does not want it. It does not make sense to the viewer.

Lock. Check. Lock lock. Check again. Lock.

The second tier – Safety needs. A manic desire to be safe, to feel safe, but not feeling safe, and needing to check again and again and again. Frantically.

Second tier again – Safety and shelter.

This part of the film (plus the previous door locking) is its climax. The mood makes you feel uneasy and tense and makes your belly churn. The rain and thunder makes you feel that. We are but insignificant in the face of the universe.

Third tier – Love

This scene is subtle. There is a tension between bodies. Then it cuts to the abstract representation of simmering fuzzy warm feelings. Then it cuts back, and the feelings are fulfilled – motivation and yearning for human touch is fulfilled.

Fourth tier – Esteem

It was a bit of a struggle to visually depict this, but eventually self-esteem was the easiest and fastest way to portray it. She checks herself out, then she makes herself pretty.

The last tier – Self-actualisation

After having systematically gone through the four deficiency needs, she attempts to breach the last tier of human motivation – self-actualisation. I think, in some form, there is a nuance of ‘enlightenment’ in this concept. And what better way to depict enlightenment than to literally switch on the light (lemao).

She turns on the light. The heart beats. She is scared. She turns off the light. The cheese tart is uneaten. Self-actualisation is unfulfilled.

(Because there is more to life than going through the motions.)

Hokkaido Cheese Tart: III

Love, rain, and company.

More test shots before the actual shoot –

Love

I had a difficult time trying to visually depict the idea of love. Which is more efficient – literal physical contact and intimacy? Using symbolic objects of a sexual nature? I was worried that because “sex sells”, that this portion would then become the central part of the film and the whole meaning will be misinterpreted if it wasn’t done correctly. But I will try, here goes.

Combining both literal physical intimacy (hands interacting intimately with one another) with an abstract representation of the fuzzy dizziness of

Test shots –

The first two were way too explicit I feel – too outwardly erogenous. I decided to change the background colour to white to tone it down (plus to fit in with the aesthetics of the whole film). Plus also made it more out of focus to push it into the more abstract realm.

Rain (safety and shelter)

Since not all of the rain shots made it into the final cut, I will put them here because I feel like they are worth watching.

Company (Love/belonging)

This, I shot but did not end up putting into the film because aesthetics did not work with me. Also, I felt that it was too abstract to make any real sense to the viewer.

It is supposed to be about belonging and relationships. I wanted her to interact with the rocks as if they were friends and confidants, and surround herself with the rocks as if they were a support system. Maybe I would have put it in the film if I didn’t film it on the grass. Only maybe.

Hokkaido Cheese Tart: II

I went to do further (proper) research on Maslow’s pyramid to properly structure the scenes and to figure out what I really needed to shoot. Also I needed to figure out how to visually depict a concept that is, thus far, mostly abstract and psychological.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

The pyramid does not actually follow the hierarchical pyramidal structure, and the size of each section does not represent the importance/quantity of it’s relevance in the human being. But rather, based on what I have read, Maslow’s pyramid should really be sequence instead:

The sequence is more important than the importance of each, and the hierarchy really only exists between the top layer vs the bottom 4 layer –

Deficiency needs

Denotes the first 4 layers of the pyramid
If the deficiency needs are not met, the human will feel anxious and tense
The most basic level of needs must be met before the human desire the secondary level of needs

Physiological needs

Physical requirements for human survival e.g. air, water, food, clothing, shelter
• Food
• Sleep

Safety needs

Physical safety – the absence of which due to war, natural disaster, family violence, childhood abuse, people might experience post traumatic stress disorder/transgenerational trauma Financial safety – preference for job security, savings accounts, insurance policies etc. Health and well-being
Safety net against accidents/illness
• Rain
• Checking that the door is locked

Love and belonging

Sense of belonging and acceptance among social groups e.g. clubs, co-workers, religious groups, family members, intimate partners, mentors, colleagues, confidants.
People may be susceptible to loneliness, social anxiety and clinical depression
• Intimate relationship
• Pluck the grass and put in circle around her

Esteem

Self-esteem, self-respect. Human desire to be accepted and valued by others. People often engage in a profession or hobby to gain recognition.
“Lower” esteem: need for respect from others e.g. status, recognition, fame, prestige, attention “Higher” esteem: self-respect e.g. strength, competence, mastery, self-confidence, independence, freedom
• Lipstick

Self-Actualisation
• Turn the light on and off

And then, to plan the shoot itself. I feel like this is not too important but I am really proud of this table so I put just put it here on OSS for the world to see.

And in case you haven’t had enough of it, here is the link to the PDF of the whole thing. Bam.

Hokkaido Cheese Tart: I

What is it about human existence that keeps us going every day? As proposed by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, human motivation can be pared down to 5 categories of human needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualisation. But what is unique about each and everyone’s existence and motivation for life can’t really be pigeonholed into basic categories. There is a sparkle that is unique to the way we as individuals chose to carry out our lives.

In my film, I wish to explore the idea of a shared human existence; a common denominator amongst the way we all go through the motions of daily living and the effects of living only through this basic common denominator.

I imagine, life would be very jelat if we did that.

Test shots for cheese tart –

I wanted to use the element of a jelat food as a second running narrative throughout the film to control the pace. In total, the eating of 5 cheese tarts will be narrated, with the first tart being eaten quickly, slopily to show haste, and the last eaten with small bites, left unfinished to evoke the idea of the subject being full – jelat.