A 2-star assignment: Create your own Kuleshev effect demonstration by putting together 4 clips a la what AH describes here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNVf1N34-io&feature=youtu.be 4 clips should be: 1) a medium or close-up shot of a person looking at the camera with no or subtle emotion x2 2) object of emotional response 1 (woman and baby in AH clip) 3) object of emotional response 2 (woman in bikini in AH clip)

I don’t know why I wanted to do this assignment in the first place, maybe because of my growing fascination with Alfred Hitchcock?  The original Kuleshov effect would be used over and over and over and over and over again.  I think that would be a huge challenge and a really neat idea for future videos.  Maybe that could be a unique movie about the recycled facial expressions of two characters.

I recorded this video a week ago when my friend was visiting from Wales.  She was here for maybe two days before she left to go home-home, and I knew that there would be no re-takes.  I should have thought to take multiples just in case, but alas, no multiples.  This video was a pretty straightforward jumping point, but maybe I should have worked backwards instead of collecting random videos with my camera and then playing around with the video of my friend – I would have had more options and I maybe could have had a story that made more of an impact.

The story that I settled on was that of increasing ridiculousness.  I hoped to use the similar reaction to a similar story prompt.  The same reaction is given to the same words and figure but when locations are changed they slightly alter the mood.  The lighting is intentionally brighter than the place she is sitting because, “Here I Am,” is a bold statement full of warmth and light.  The darkness is kind of more mysterious.  The contrast of these locations also set up the irony that maybe the light didn’t need to be found or the words should have been in the darkness instead of fully exhibited in the light.