Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Video Concept and Treatment



The above was a letter my Grandma, Isabel, received from Sister Joanna in Metamora Illinois, who received it from another Sister in Joliet, accepting Isabel to a convent for school, with a scholarship.  This is something Isabel saved for 80 years until her death.  It prompts the question, what would have happened if she had gone.  She could have gone, and returned, missing the opportunity to meet my Grandfather, married someone else entirely.  She could have gone and stayed, either way, my grandfather would have either been lonely or found someone else.
I want to focus on what was great about her life, her family, and her home, and what it might have been like had she become a nun. 
To do that, I have decided on a few places I would like to film.  I am going to be using a small room in one of the houses on the quad in order to depict a small dimly lit room that might exist in a convent, and possibly the Bjorklunden Chapel, or another church in order to film a possible “life altering moment scene”. 
Then I want to get images from my family, possibly film if there is any available/arrives in time and use that as an avenue for a walk down memory lane scene.  This would include traveling to a farm.
I want to keep it slightly surreal, as it would be a memory/what if moment, and I’ll need to focus on effects that would best depict that, especially depending on if I don’t get any video and have to preform with just pictures.  With this information my collaborators have already chosen some types of sound they would like to use.  Their ideas include "ambient sound, dream-like, slow/laid back feel, a varying frequency focusing on the mid-range, sound to complement the video and not stand out from it, and emotional"  These of course are mostly ideas and will better emerge when they are able to do more of it.
The working title is: The Letter that Could Have Changed Everything

5 comments:

  1. This seems like a really neat concept, and it's something quite unique to have in your family history. The elegance of the writing in the letter itself and the unusual aesthetic created by the postal stamp marking is intriguing, and perhaps something you could even incorporate into your finished video piece. That historical look might be something which could place your reinterpretation of possible events into a context even more representative of the time period.

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  2. This sounds like such a cool concept and literature! I'm so excited to see what you come up with!

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  3. I am really excited to see your video! It is so crazy to think about all the things that could have happened if just one decision in a person's life would have been different. Your existence right now is part of that decision, and it is just so insane to think about it in that sense. I think your idea is so strong, and it will be really powerful portrayed in video.

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  4. Jessica -
    Your video treatment (description) is one of the best I have read. You have covered all aspects of the video - from the imagery, sound, location, genre, emotional, and narrative.
    Your idea about "what could have been?" has endless possibilities.

    Visually- The letter itself is beautiful and full of energy - the stamps, postmarks and handwriting.
    The only question I have is - will there be a voice over ?? Someone reading the letter ?? Or how will be get information about the content of the letter?? Do we need that information? You mentioned you wanted to keep the piece surreal - does that mean on a content level or visual level ?
    A very interesting and challenging subject!!! Looking forward to the work-in-progress screening.
    Cathy

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  5. Your list of possible locations is promising, already. Take advantage of being there by making shot lists so you don't miss opportunities while on location! Do a range of shots: close ups, long shots, exteriors and interiors. These can be edited together to create illusions. The challenge is to not make it look like a "pro-family" PSA. Wait, is that still a political movement or has that gone away?

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