Remember – Experimental Short Film

Remember Film Festivals

Remember

Honourable Mention at the New Generation Film Fextival
NGFF Film Festival 2020
‘Remember’ official selection for the Aphrodite Film Awards 2020
New Generation Film Festival ‘Remember’ poster
NGFF Certificate
New Generation Film Festival 2020 Honourable Mention for the experimental shot film ‘Remember’

A short experimental film using the poem “Remember” by Christina Rossetti as creative influence and represented in a dance sequence, the visuals influenced by the work of Etienne-Jules Marey. Music with the permission of the Atlanta Master Chorale.

This is my first student film project after coming out of lockdown. Such a joy to be filming again in the University Studios. Aimee is a professional dancer and has also been in lockdown for nearly 6 months.
Remember is one of my experimental film projects for my PhD Film practice and my research into memory representation and dance movement in film.
I used a rim lighting setup to enhance the edges of the performer creating an almost silhouette effect but still revealing details of the performance by Aimee.
The inspiration for the film came from the poem by Christina Rossetti (born London, 1830). The visuals are complimented by a chorale performance of the poem by the Atlanta Master Chorale, Atlanta, Georgia (USA) Artistic Director and Conductor: Dr. Eric Nelson Composed by Bob Chilcott, Oxford University Press. Many thanks to James Verrecchia the Executive Director who kindly gave me permission to use their performance.

Official short trailer for the film project ‘Remember’

Clone Trails created in Premiere Proc CC using masking.

Using the poem “Remember” as creative influence I decided to film a short dance sequence for the visuals with a voice over. The concept is to represent the loss of memory and integrate this into the much larger practice on the conceptualisation of memory in cinema.

This is the instrumental only version still using the poem “Remember” by Christina Rossetti as creative influence, represented in a dance sequence, and the visuals could be described as having been influenced by the work of Etienne-Jules Marey.

Remember (1849)

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

By Christina Rossetti

Studio session (Monday 17th August 2020)

Two camera setup Canon C300 and Canon 5D MK3.

Concept One. The studio is dark, very dimly lit. Using the 2 light panels. The aim is for the dancer to move in and out of the light and the lens. Visually a silhouette, backlighted dancing in front of a static camera. Rim Lighting setup.

Concept Two. The studio is brightly lighted using the house lights. The dancer interacts with the moving camera. No lighting rig available so used 4 led lightpanels, setup to cover the performance area. Canon C300 used handheld.

Additional Visuals: Capture close and extreme close movements for both concepts. Hand and foot movements. Face and head movement.

Music

For the performance (performer to supply) Post production: anything with a regular beat to use as a background to cut to.

Abjection and Film Festivals

Oniros Filma Awards Winner Best B-Movie 2017

The Directors Cut completed 2017

In the early part of 2017 we decided to put the newly completed Directors edit of Abjection forward to the European Film Festivals.

Film Festivals

CIM Sueca Film Festival

Film Festivals Official Selection CIM Sueca Official

Film Festivals the award winning film Abjection

It’s a few months later 18/08/2017 and we have just had our first official selection for the CIM sueca film festival, which can be found here http://www.cimsueca.com/en/cim/

To quote the film festivals organisers “We hope to stimulate countercultural audiovisual initiatives to spotlight independent productions which focus on creativity, medium love and sheer fun over technical requirements leading to a ban from commercial mainstream. We aim to establish the CIM as a meeting venue for the unassimilated, the rebellious and the free minds of the audiovisual underworld!”

The Directors cut is shorter than the original and includes all the VFX that was added later. Of course the film retains all of its charm and sacrifices none of its core narrative.

We hope the success at festivals will continue and we have our fingers crossed for more good news soon.

Film Festivals – Awards

Oniros Film Awards

Film Festivals Oniros Film Awards Official SelectionFilm Festivals Oniros Film Awards Winner Best B-Movie 2017

Well that didn’t take long. Abjection Official Selection for the Oniros Film Awards in Italy announced today 23/08/2017, check it out here https://onirosfilmawards.com 

To quote the Festival “Discovering quality and ambitious films is our mission, by promoting filmmakers’ works and by helping them realize their dreams. Oniros Film Awards is all about Dreams……”

Well time for an update Abjections wins the Best Picture category for a B-Movie. That’s great news for eveyone in the cast and crew, congratulations everyone.

So once again let’s hope more success for this film in 2017/2018

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