"Oh, you are sick":

YEAR: 2010

MATERIALS: Digital video.
DURATION: 5 mins. 14 secs.

​

I like David Lynch’s films (hell, I even liked Dune). He manages to generate a sometimes uncomfortable ambience which can be detected using range of senses. Images are dark but it’s the way he combines sound, which amplifies otherwise uncomplicated moments, into something much more interesting. And there's also of course his impeccable.....um...........timing.

​

Here is my example, or should I say attempt where sound plays a character and movement a supporting cast. The camera is locked-off on a tripod for each shot, yet every frame is bombarded with near constant movement. There are also subtle shadow movements projected through the crack under doors, and light shafting through from adjacent rooms which imply movement off screen. This is driven by the premise: when an object has eyes, whether painted or drawn, its status changes from object to witness. (I had another look at this kind of stuff a couple of years later with What the statue heard).

​

I recently found this film (right). I’d forgotten all about it and when seeing it for the first time in ages thought it wasn’t bad (always a good review line: “It’s not bad”). It’s overly long and there are many changes I would make, but I’m not sure they would be “improvements”. I still have all the rough footage and maybe one day I’ll do a director’s “post-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time” cut. Then again, maybe it’s best to just leave best alone and move on. Yeah, George, I’m talk’n to you.

​

And just before you wonder out loud about the number which appears at the bottom of the screen at the beginning. No, it's not the Illuminati's phone number. It's my student ID. I made this film as part of a Diploma of Visual Art I studied in 2009/10. Now 2009/10....that's the Illuminati's phone number. Call and get a free garlic bread with any family-sized pizza when you mention my name (not available Saturdays after 4pm).

​