The Self Video was more enjoyable than originally anticipated. The theme for it was abstract, and the video was not to rely on filters to make it abstract. Instead the video used interesting camera angles partnered with surreal shots. In one particular shot, the camera represents the conscious of the main character. While it floats around the main character grabs ahold of it and returns it to his vision. Another way abstraction was used without filters was the skull head. The skull head was placed on an actress' head and proceeded to send the actor into a vision quest of sorts. As he is falling down the camera cuts from inside a house right to a remote place in nature.
Filters and audio were used on certain cues in the clips for abstraction. For example, when the needle dropped on the record the music in the video started as well as placing a black and white filter on the shot. Also, the music has audio that says "one..two..three.." and on the three the shot cuts to a different scene. At the beginning of the video it starts with no filter but when the hand pets the dog the filter changes. As well as at the end of the video a filter is still added to the shot and the camera goes to the main character with his eyes open. Then, when he closes his eyes the filters goes away and returns to normal view.
While shooting, struggles included finding a balance between abstraction and reality. The video needed to include elements of abstraction but not so much so that the message of the video would be lost. Also, finding dry spots outside was a challenge as well because of the rain that had hit the day before. Some shots included the main character sitting on the ground outside, so avoiding a muddy butt was a struggle while shooting. Another was that there was too much video shot overall. Though that also goes into an editing problem, in other words it was too easy to shoot over a minute of video, resulting in too much content.
Using a video as a communication tool rather than writing/photos is to exactly portray the movements you want to express. With words you can describe movements and photos can capture still movements, but only a video can include the exact movements you wish to include in your communication. Also, writing and pictures can't include audio by themselves. Video almost always is pared with a sort of audio. Rather if it is the exact audio from the video or audio that was put in there during the editing phase.
The nature of the video ended up working well with the matter chosen to discuss. The abstract way in showing the individual cared about his dogs, music, and nature made for an easy process.
The experience was very smooth overall. Content ideas for shooting took about half a day of thought and shooting itself only took an hour. Filming only took two people, the main character and the skull head character. These two both filmed as well. Filming was shoot all on the main characters property. First starting off in his basement then going to the woods in his backyard. There was also improv shooting, where while filming the team tried out different portrayals and shots to see what worked best. In fact, the end scene with the water wasn't apart of the original plan for shooting. Instead, it was something the two working on the video came up with on the spot.
The idea was to give a little background of the main character, who he is in a sense. Then to follow him in his journey inside his mind. It starts off with him petting his dogs, just to show he loves his dogs. Then it goes to his recored player and him putting an Alt-J album on the turntable, because the song playing during the video is an Alt-J song. Then the character is in a meditative position, while the skull headed character touches the main character and sends him asleep, then to him waking up in a forest. Then his floating conscious is lost but the main character grabs it out of the air and returns it to himself. Following that is him wandering through to woods then to find a body of water. Where then the character finds peace there and gives the video a sense of closure. As if the character had found the peace he was looking for.
