Assignment 3 – To myself 10 years ago

Artist Statement

Chinese new year just past few weeks before, every time when we enter a new year we always want to ask ourselves, what did we do in the past year, and what are we looking for in the new year. So that’s where my inspiration comes from. I’m doing this video to see what message I will leave to myself in the past.

60s Version

PW: digasg3

30s Version

PW: digasg3

 

Technical Decision

First of all I divided my narrative to 4 parts: introduction, preparing tests, spare activities, separation. Then based on this logic line I went to find all the clips I need and lined them up. Between each part I will use some establishing shots or object close-up shot for transition, like showing the playground, leaves, clock, etc. Those shots also indicate the time pass, for example the close-up of clock, the sunset in forest, and the light pass in classroom. And they work in creating the atmosphere and emotion in the video.

Through the whole video most of time I’m using straight cut, at the first 3 parts the tempo is quite fast so I used a lot short cut to create the rhythm, but in last part I switch to longer shots to change the mood towards to sadness because of separation.

I have used blending scene or put gradient wipe effect because I realised that if I use straight cut all the way throughout, it would be too dull and inflexible. What’s more, the audience won’t realise that I have move to next part. I tried using fade in and fade out, but some parts the content is too different between each other,  it’s a bit strange when it faded to next scene directly. So I choose some establishing shots and applied effects to transit the video smoothly. These effects also help to emphasis the flow feeling, either the flow of video or the time flying.

For the countdown of days scene I have used mask to cover the original subtitle at bottom.

Before & After

All the sources are taken from 3 dramas and when I select the clips I try to stick with same color theme and lighting, so the draft looked quite consistent and I didn’t spend too much time on color correction. Since this is a video about high school life, I wanted to make it look fresh, so I brightened it and added in a bit green, and I found that the magenta in people’s face is reduced.

Artisits’ Reference

Rocky

I choose the training montage part in film Rocky as reference. When I searching for reference I’m more looking for montage editing because my narrative is not a story, it’s an emotional monolog. There are not so much story information inside but it’s a classic clip for a lot people because of the encouraging feeling that it brings to audience. Definitely the theme music Gonna Fly Now plays a important role inside, but the way they editing this part also contribute to the emotion.

This part include few activities like running, swimming, flicking the ball, how to move step, etc, then cut between those activities back and forth. The quick cut of different activities shows how hardworking Rocky is and also give an inspiring tempo. This point I have applied into my video where shows the students study hard to prepare for the final exams.

And as the training goes on, Rocky became more and more professional at boxing, the music rise up and the beat of shots become faster, more close-up shots add inside to make audience’s mind focusing on Rocky, all of these rise up the atmosphere. In the end, director changes to a slow-motion running scene, to show the peak when Rocky finally catch up and overtake his coach. The huge contrast with previous fast and exciting shots create a dramatic effect on the power and joy of Rocky.

Confession

There are many montage sequences and weird straight cutting in this movie that set a thrill and depress feeling in the movie. Most of time the movie is in dark desaturate color, almost black and white. This doesn’t match the style of my video, but what I learn from this movie is the symbolism in montage editing. Let’s take the scene when Student A’s mother left him as example. At the end of this scene is a bubble burst beside the ear of Student A. This also represent his hope is shattered and the love inside his heart disappear. In the end of movie the audience can know that the bubble burst also hints the explosion in his mother’s lab. The director using many symbolism shot to show the things that cannot be present by image, like emotion, or refer something indirectly, for example, the baseball at the beginning refers to teenager violence.

In my clip I need to show the pass of time, so I choose the scene of working gears, moving cars, clock and sunset. Then for separation I also put some indirect scene in my video, like the gradient wipe of the class group photo, student wipes out the notes on blackboard.

luomierkefu

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av17778412/

I get inspiration of the way how this editor layout the subtitle. The subtitle is no longer a extra part of the image, it’s part of the image and involves in the composition. But this method takes longer time to read because the word keep moving, so for the 30s version I still use the normal subtitle due to the time limitation.

Transcript of Voice Over

Hi! I’m you, from 10 years later.
I know what you wanna ask, don’t worry, you will get into your dream school.
Keep your hobbies, school life is not only about books and homework.
Don’t feel sad for graduation, you are still keep in touch with your friends.
There are more separations in the future, and you will get used to it.

Text Premise

Gears are driving, birds are flying through the sky, cars are crossing the road and students are walking out of school. Sunlight leaks in the green leaves. A fresh plant out side of window sways as the wind blows. Inside the classroom a bright light flash through.

The days on the blackboard is counting down, students are studying hard to prepare their final exams. Some are worshipping to get a good result.

On the school playground there are students playing badminton. One hand rises up a glass bottle that contained a ship model inside. Someone is sketching on the paper, someone is flipping the handmade comic book. However, a girl is staying at home and doing her homework until 5:30 AM.

In the school, one student is cleaning up the blackboard. A hand touches the class desks softly as the person walking by. Many desks are already organised nicely in the corridor. The whole class takes the last picture in classroom.

Clock is walking. A girl in mature suit opens one case and flips her album of high school memories. The group photo, the teacher’s notes on blackboard, the light of sunset, all of them are fading and disappearing. The holding hands separate and someone is sitting alone in a field full of withered grass.

Credit Lists

Drama With You (2016)

Drama My Huckleberry Friends (2017)

Drama Love, Timeless (2017)