Treatment

My spring quarter project will be 3 short films that are meant to exemplify different aspects of faith. I will be filming and developing a soundtrack for two of them and adding a soundtrack to a video I made fall quarter as my third. The two I will be filming this quarter will all be shot on 3 chip cameras. The shorts will be metaphorical representations of my feelings. It will contain many elements of experimental film including non narrative structure and lack of language or dialogue. I want to emphasis more abstract means of interpreting issues of faith to illustrate the lack of clarity and the problems I have with explaining aspects of faith. I consider the belief in God to be complex and perplexing. I am easily angered at peoples over simplification of faith and religion. I want to use non narrative structures and experimental techniques to show the struggle of explaining and making sense of something so personal and intimate.

The first video, which has already been filmed, will be an explanation of sin and how it permeates our lives. It was filmed on 16mm black and white film. The film consists of several shots; different angles of someone eating an apple, a large tank of clear water being slowly filled with a dark liquid, shots of a face covered in dirt, hands holding dirt, and an apple core. The soundtrack will consists of uncomfortable mechanical noises that intend to solicit feelings of intrusion and fear. Its working title is “Core.”

The second video will be commentary on how the church puts too much emphasis on rituals and sacraments and not enough on faith and having a relationship with God. This short will have a more narrative structure than the others, but more complex visuals and metaphors. The reason it will have a more narrative structure is that it is commenting on structure and the negative side to be attached to meaningless tradition. The video will consist of close ups displaying someone taking the sacraments of the last supper (bread and wine) and injecting and snorting them like drugs. It will be inter spliced with images of church imagery that is worshiped more than God. The shots will use lighting to create intensity. I hope to achieve a dirty bitter feeling. Its working title is “fix.”

The third video is less planned out. It will consist of long shots. I want to display a journey. It will take place outside and in very organic environments. The shots will all be wide to display a feeling of “the bigger picture” As the previous two videos will be shot using primarily close ups, this video will polarize this by wanting to make the viewer feel more omniscient. The video will attempt to present salvation through Jesus, being freed from sin and destruction through faith. Sin and religion are just (unfortunate) aspects of faith. Salvation is the larger picture. The images of journey and discovery will be inter spliced with a random assortment of people wearing different wounds that Jesus received during the crucifixion. Although death is bloody and dark, this video will attempt to make beautiful the wounds Jesus endured. Its working title is “bigger picture.”