Mamtura’s Weblog
Just another WordPress.com weblogProj3//Bombay Girl
The concept of Bombay Girl came from a personal attachment to the city of Bombay. I wanted to depict a sense of intimacy and relativity to a place, by connecting certain activities and associated places to feelings. I wanted to put together a piece that showed nostalgic traces and sense of comfort in things of the past. The script is spoken in a way that is not planned deliberately to be poetic or enlightening. It is spoken in a colloquial language with pauses, questioning and contemplation. As I speak, I too am figuring out what makes me feel the way I do. Therefore, my fragility becomes the strength of this video, as the audience watches and listens with care.
The video begins with portrait of myself, in the background to the foreground. “People say that my eyes light up when I talk about Bombay”. I felt it was important to give the audience someone to identify with, as opposed to a silhoutte or a shadow. I really wanted to reveal my true self, without any deception or cover. The simplicity of the images and their unposed emotions make the audience feel as though they are sitting beside me and listening to me speak. With the opening of my eye, the audience is metaphorically being given an opportunity to discover the way I see Bombay. They begin to see this place I want to show them. I found the travel footages to be the best choice because they are highlight the navigation of place. I also make use of the still images to evoke a sense of stillness, perservation or careful appreciation and comfort. The closing of eyes metaphorically seals and preserves these rare images once again, wrapping them up safely within my eyes.
Hawaiian Childhood
What attracted me to this simple video was the quality of the film. It is this less than perfect, slightly dulled and pixellated copy of film that is most communicative. I like the way the film dances on the screen, flickering and stuttering. This compilation of the various footages gives one a feeling of having a rare viewing of personal collection. The reoccuring film of the little girl dancing through out the video ties all the loose footages into a narrative related to the girl. The video has a very ‘fun’ and ‘pastime’ feel to it, as we get to see glimpses of laughter, hugging and playfulness. At the same time, we see a balance between place and people, helping to form a relation between the feelings and the surroundings.
Video: http://www.vimeo.com/392714
Measures of Distance
I was recommended Measures of Distance by Franci Duran in the process of creating project 3, originally based on long distance letterwriting. The short film is a monolgue like narration of one’s feelings about distanced friends and relatives, among other issues dealing with gender, country, etc. A voice over narrates these feelings in English, while the video depicts softer images that zoom out over the time of the film to reveal the subject.
This film really changed the way I understood my own project. Becoming inspired, I realized what I needed to incorporate into my project, and this realization came from hearing the way the woman described her feelings. I admire the way she speaks intimately, and the fact that she refers to specific things, instead of grand narratives. I really came to have sympathy and connection with the subject matter and the people involved. It inspired me to focus my project on a script that is driven by feeling, reflection or contemplation.
As well, I especially feel that the video utilizes photography very well, as it is subtle in movement and contrast, the story being narrated becomes very important. It is at times, a little bit slow in progression, but in some ways this pacing and passing of time brings a higher level of connection with the narrator and the story.
Safe Trip Home
I came across this video by Dido for her album “Safe Trip Home”. I was very much inspired by its portrayal of life in a city, especially when I was working on my project 3, Bombay Girl.
Portrayal
It begins with a woman cab driver out on the beach of Bombay, sipping her street vendor chai (tea). I love the way the video begins, it represents the reflective component of the video. She is a simply dressed in khakhi uniform and sporting a traditional kajal to darken her eyes. I love this portrayal of her, it is pure and without any ornament. As well, I feel as though it is a depiction of the raw life in the city of Bombay. As well, the song written and sung by Dido is called “Let’s do the things we normally do” which also extends to the idea of the “everyday” or the “usual”.
Emotion
She begins her day with only herself, but as she picks up passengers and drops them to their destination, she comes in and out of company. Her emotions are transformed with each new passenger. It is as though she is living her life’s potential through her passengers commutes. There are times when she is afraid, uncomfortable, humoured due to the passengers.
The City
One of the best aspects of this video in my opinion is the way the city is documented. It accurately depicts the cosmopolitan diversity of the city and the types of dwellers that live within it. Life is always moving, and this is felt through the continuous movement of cars and buses, and the motion of stopping and going. We see its unique architecture, automobiles, local eatery, shops, sidewalks, and beaches.
Her Morning Elegance
I stumbled upon this video that was beautifully conceptualized and executed just as nicely. The video begins with a woman sleeping on her plain white bed, where she is seen tossing about calmly in her sleep. She is soon shown living out her routine for the rest of the day, or perhaps a dream that she may be experiencing. Suddenly, her pillows, blankets and other such objects become living environments in which she is seen walking through, swimming into, or riding on. I really admire the concept of the film, as well as the sleepy mood of the audio.
From the looks of it, I think that the film is captured with stop motion photography. I think that the technique works quite nicely, especially because small changes in movement become prominent, instead of fluid motion. This change of movement is seen in many places, one of the biggest ones is seen on the bedsheet which forms folds or smooths out according to the movement taking place. As well the use of stop motion photography allows for surprising elements to pop up and act on screen and suddenly dissapear. This is a neat aspect that relates to dreams, where we experience odd objects in odd ways.
Karsh Kale
I found this incredible music video for the music artist, Karsh Kale’s “New Born Star” song from his album “Broken English”. I became mesmerized by the creative concept and infinitely intricate patterns. The video is a composed of videos of a Indian classical dancer, performing the dance called “bharatnatyam”.
I am drawn to the beauty it displays, of both the dancers skill as well as the general nature of the dance. Its various arm movements, the sit up and down motions and delicate feet and hand gestures are pivotal to contributing to the unique patterning displayed in the video. I especially find the mirrored technique to be beautiful and very appropriate, especially when paired with music, as this is a traditional aspect of performance – where the dancer often mirrors a sequence of beats played by live tabla instrument players.
The juxtaposition of techno/fusion style of music and classical indian dance is another aspect that makes this video interesting. For this reason, it speaks to me as a young woman with both an interest for modern and traditional aspects of Indian culture.
Proj2// Design Statement
Ten Second Countdown
This project called for the rejuvenation of the lost art of the countdown leader, a tradition in film that consists of a sequence that counts down to the starting of the main motion picture. The goal was to produce an interesting and creative showcase of each number in a countdown; starting with the number ten down to number two, in timed sequence of ten seconds. As a standalone piece, it was not intended to have any relation to the motion picture following it, which gave me creative freedom to experiment. I immediately thought of experimenting with motion that could add energy, beauty and unpredictability into the predictable countdown leader.
The quick paced marble countdown was inspired by my interest in capturing the sporadic behavior and magical beauty of marbles. In my childhood, I was fascinated with the autonomous nature of marbles that seemed t0 have a mind of their own, often following their own path when simply left still for a second. Even yet, I admired their intricate and beautiful interior and exterior and this led me to form a collection of the rare kinds of marbles I could find. I was perplexed with the uncontrollable motion of marbles and this lured me to capture their random, jittery motion on the ideal medium of film.
The classic black and white aesthetic of this countdown is a tribute to the history of the countdown leader. As well, the white marbles on a black background add high contrast and energy to the piece. The main design feature of this leader is the erratic dispersion of marbles from their strict positions. As I carefully assembled each marble into the shape of numbers, they would often jitter and cause havoc. I soon came to find the irony of controlling a marble that is circular thus not as stable as an angled object and came to also appreciate its motion friendly nature. These observations led me to embed the spirit of marbles into the countdown. What emerges is a sequence of random movements, as arranged marbles roll off in different directions and positions, each onto their own and according to their independent will. With the blurring of multiple movements, the unpredictable motions of marbles become the most striking feature of this countdown. The main conceptual strategy of this countdown, therefore, was to engross the interest from the viewer with the irregularities of the countdown motion. The marbles countdown is engaging and leaves the viewer mystified, as no movement is ever a replica of another. This solution meets the goal of renewing the countdown that is traditionally fairly predictable.
Proj2//Marbles Countdown
The final version of Marbles Countdown is complete for submission.
10 Meaningful Objects of Bombay
1. Illustrated Mug
A souvenir from Bombay (the city of my birth), this illustrated mug depicts the Dancing Girl of Bombay. I have a fond relationship with this piece because of several reasons: The illustration is, from my judgement, of a Maharashtrian woman, a native to Bombay. The beauty of her pose, the look in eyes and the delicate draping of her clothes all make this a very special illustration. Secondly, the writing on the mug is in English, instead of the native tongue, Marathi or even Hindi, reminding me of the eclectic and postcolonial nature of the city that is Bombay.
2. Goddess of Dance
The Nataraja is the Goddess of Dance. I have a spiritual connection with the idol of Nataraja because she represents the dance of life. My first recollection of the Nataraja was at my dance teacher’s home. Having this idol in my room now brings continuity of my childhood into my adulthood. As well, usually in Hinduism, each person is a devotee of a single deity that is special to him or her, prompting the special care of that deity above all others. For me, the Nataraja is a special deity that I can relate with.
3. Tinkerbell
I do not have a strong visual recollection of the reason why I feel attached to this object. But according to the records, my first schooling in Bombay was at a nursery called “Tinkerbell”. While this may not display any tangible account of affection, I do however have a faint memory of happiness attached to the location of my schooling, which this object helps to bring about.
4. Design
This is a printed copy of an interior decorated space. My close friend, Nirali in India printed this out in 1998 and posted it by mail because it reminded her of me. Thus, it represents my first conscious awareness of the design profession and the possibilities of pursuing it.
5. My First Job
I saved these two objects, one is a cutout of my work uniform, and the other is my name tag. They are souvernirs from my very first employment at Shoppers Drug Mart. I began to work par-time at the age of 14 in efforts to ease the financial circumstances affecting my family at that time. It represents for me a time of turbulence, hardship, determination, sacrifice and early maturity. The achievements made during that time are some of my most pride-filled memories.
6. Letterbox
The letterbox is my most favorite object. After moving to Canada at the age of 10, I found myself jisjointed from my father and brother, and distanced from all the other great things in my life in Bombay. For some time, I relied greatly on my childhood friends and their letters, greeting cards and photographs to bring stability back to my life. I continued this exchange of letters with some friends that I still keep in touch with today, amounting to over 10 years of pen-pal-ship. The letterbox represents friendship of the strongest kind, one that travels overseas to bring comfort and prospect of reunion one day. The letterbox also represents the bittersweet wait after mailing each letter and before tearing open the envelope to reveal a new letter. These letters have a tangible essence to them, the kind that are felt by my hands, unlike those that logging into email accounts or checking email do not retain.
7. Photos of Home
These photographs were taken in 1998, coinciding with my departure from Bombay. They have a still quality to them, freezing all the perfection I remember of a past life in them. With the preservation of these photographs, I am transported back in time. I feel very drawn to the photos of my house specifically rather than other pictures because while the people are still in my life today, I still feel removed from the intimate surroundings of Bombay which my family once had the luxury of experiencing life within.
8. Crystal Globe
This crystal globe is a special object for a couple of reasons. It is aesthetically a beautiful object for starters. It is also a very compact design, fitting easily in the palm of my hand. I find great strength in this object because it empowers me to follow my dreams of traveling beyond the shores and finding true contentment. I can very well imagine placing this globe in the palm of my hand as a metaphor of having control over my destiny.
9. Dancing Bells (Gungaru)
The dancing bells represent a passing down of talent and passion. The dancing lineage begins from my mother, whom I have seen dancing since I was a little girl. She cultivated the love for dance in my life, and these bells remind me of that passion and dedication to the arts.
10. Back to Bombay Boarding Passes
In 2006, after 9 long years, I fulfilled my aspirations of reuniting with my friends in Bombay. The boarding passes symbolize the start of that journey and the means through which the journey was finally in motion. It documents ephemeral information of my journey such as the time and the date.
Proj2// Storyboard
Here is a snapshot of the storyboard I drew up for my project two concept. I thought marbles would be an interesting choice to arrange into numerical forms, and then let them disintegrate from those strict forms into their own random position due to their circular shapes.
top to bottom is one sequence (formation of number 5 for instance)
In this storyboard, I have drawn out 3 instances of moments in the countdown. Here I have shown the formation of the numbers, 5, 8 & 10. With each number, there are many more random positions that the marbles roll into, making a visually interesting peice.
