OREY XIA

The historical and artistic reference for this project was Expressionism, which emphasizes the artist’s ideas, subjective perspectives and interpretations of the world, and their emotional effects rather than representing the world objectively. Moreover, the visual and stylistic reference was from the Experimental Films. In designing my autobiographical film, I was inspired by the post-Cubist Dadaist art film Le Ballet Mecanique 1924, characterized by its boldness and radical editing choices. Described by Donald Faulkner as an “exploration of cubist form, black and white tonalities, and various vectors” through constant, rapidly slicing movements and compositions, Le Ballet Mecanique 1924 is a non-narrative exploration of Cubist form. 

My conception for “A Sense of Self” is that it consisted of the deconstruction of the parts of my previous life that made me, and I intended to reconstruct my memories, dreams, and the deep unconscious in a non-narrative form by presenting a series of emotional journeys. I stepped out of my comfort zone and took risks with experimentation with various aspects of filmmaking: editing visuals, filming techniques, music elements, and how this project is presented. Overall, I enjoyed experimenting with the editing techniques that mimicked the avant-garde style of Le Ballet Mecanique.

  Visually, I decided to apply black and white tonalities to demonstrate the blurry distinction between the past and present. Throughout the development of my project, I used a variety of visual effects and dramatic filters to represent the way I interpreted Expressionism as a distortion of reality filtered by my emotions and subjective experiences. By explicitly using the Kaleidoscope filter, I incorporated the elements of cubism. The Kaleidoscope effect successfully rendered abstraction, producing a sense of randomness, and the illusions were mesmerizing. 

Musically, I chose a piece called “It” by Franck Bedrossian, whose music is considered distinctly contemporary. Throughout the audio selection process, pickiness dominated. I specifically chose this piece because it invokes a forceful and

refined dramatic intensity accompanied by instantaneous physical impact. Its strong beats created a suspenseful atmosphere, and the chromatic scales and terraced dynamics contributed to a theatrical quality that permeated the entire film. The sudden halt, unexpected acceleration of rhythm, and a strong hit of beats augment the suspense, bringing uncertainty to the scenes awaiting to unfold, making the film emotionally compelling. 

Interweavingly, the visual elements are tightly connected to the audio. As the music changes rhythm, dynamic, and melody, the geometric shapes, human figures, movements, and scenes change accordingly. This experimental attempt was innovative in its concept and style, and executions. In his remarks, Dr. Joonhee Park commented that my “A Sense of Self” project was a highly creative act that is revolutionary, emotionally compelling, and conceptually profound. 

2022