The Park
(2025)
 
The Park is my first Straight 8 attempt. Straight 8 is the competition that challenges you to make a short film on one roll of super 8 film, in camera editing only and soundtrack made blind to the footage.
What a high! The first pull of the trigger and you're off you can't go back. I learnt masses from making this film. I wanted the jazz trumpet to behave like dialogue. I think some of this comes through, we recorded lots of off the cuff improvised music that was very raw in quality and then I edited something out of that, just hoping that it might half sync up.

I shot at 50fps so that playback at 18fps would set it in slow motion, I love this quality, but in hindsight would have gone bigger! Played up the performances, I would have made the couple argue relentlessly. Many fast cuts, a sluggish living memory of high tempers and abrasive, animated reactions.
This abstract form was inspired by Chris Marker's 1966 short film La Jetée a film made up of still photographs. I liked the idea of repetitive footage, slowed down, but captured in dynamic angles, not dissimilar to street photography. Something as expressive in form as the people in it.

You know what I might give this another go with all I've learnt from this first attempt. writing about my intentions is re-inspiring me.
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