Memento - Traces of Identity
Memento is an object that serves to remind one person, place, event etc. They remind or share a memory with us. Mementos can vary from happy or sad and can be nostalgic or sentimental. Memento can be an interaction between a person and an object.
Trace is a surviving mark, sign, evidence of former existence. They can influence or can be an action. A trace may also be a barely discernible indication. A trace can be a physical or digital trace. An example of a physical trace is a foot print. Traces create a digital identity as they form as a collection of traces. They are left in the past to go back to.
Film Club
Memento
2000 Thriller/Mystery
1h 54m
Leonard Shelby, an insurance investigator suffers from anterograde amnesia and uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife, which is the last thing he remembers.
Camera Angles
-Close ups and headshots
-Wide shots
-Transitions between photo, Fading and forgetting.
-Film put in reverse
-Pan shots, long and slow
-Tracking when walking
-Over the shoulder
Memento/Trace
I decided to pick out types of memento and traces I found in the film. First the most important ones I found were photos, notes and tattoos. However, there were other traces that were subtle and helped him remember certain things.
-Keys - they had the number of where he stayed and helped him to find his room.
-ID - very important to proof to trust others that they are telling him the truth.
-Flashbacks - certain movements remind him of his past and allowed him to access the memories he still has.
My Favourite Choices of Added Details
Solemn music throughout the film really caught my attention, especially the opening credits. You understood the emotion Leonard was feeling whilst the picture changed and faded, without it the picture could mean anything as we haven't been introduced to the storyline yet. Foley sound may have been used to enhance the sound of the shaking photography, most people know that sound and by using foley to increase the noise allows the audience to relate. However, they could have used a close mic to capture all the sound, as this sound needed to be clear and loud to work with the music.
Black and white memories were dotted through the movie. They had key information to help understand his condition and tell the story of Samuel who suffered from a similar issue. The swaps between time made it feel confusing making us feel like he would. When scenarios played out they would show us the outcome before we found out the lead up, therefore, we had to remember exactly what happened so we could look for key information to help use explain why that was the outcome.
Unreliable narrator is a very popular choice for story lines as it allows the audience to choose who they believe. Leonard is an unreliable narrator because of his condition causes him to lose his memory and he is easily manipulated by other characters. We are explained by Teddy, who is supposedly a police officer, that he set the whole storyline up for Leonard and there isn't really a killer he is looking for as he is already dead. He also says that Samual isn't real and he himself is Samuel because his girlfriend has diabetes, Leonard remembers this differently as she was healthy and happy. Leonard begins by telling us that memory is unreliable, things get changed and morphed as time goes on, this makes any memory Leonard has before his accident unreliable.
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Overall the film made me anxious and uncomfortable. I felt I couldn't trust anyone through the whole film and I was confused about most of the situations. Due to feeling quite anxious and on edge about what was true or not I don't feel I would watch it again, however, I enjoyed watching it for the first time and I am very glad I did as it help me expand my knowledge of the importance of Memento and traces.
Blade Runner
1982 Science Fiction
1h 57m
A dystopian future Los Angeles of 2019, where synthetic humans known as replicants that are bio- engineered by Tyrell Corporation are to work at the space colonies. A fugitive group of advanced replicants led by Roy Batty escape back to Earth. Cop Rick Deckard reluctantly agrees to hunt them down.
Camera Angles
- Zoom in and out - Pan up and down
- Over the shoulder dialogue
- Spiral - Through glass and muffled
- Close ups - Medium shots for dialogue
Memento/Trace
When watching the film I noticed some key signs of Memento and Trace. The first was a newspaper, this to me is a trace of news and a a way to look back and ponder on the memories of things that happened before. Also a large role in the film were series codes, this is a trace or a mark of the creator, it traces back to the origin and date of when that object was made. Polaroid photos were used to show memories that were placed into the replicants head. these photos stayed as polaroids through the film making us think of police evidence, Polaroids are more trustworthy than digital photos as they are difficult to edit and manipulate.
My Favourite Choices of Added Details
The first thing I noticed when the film started was the dramatic music, I felt it really created a tense and miserable ambience. There were sudden changes of in music and the level of sound, this kept me interested and engaged wondering what was about to happen. I really liked the use of text at the beginning to introduce the scene, it fit with the film and wasn't overly long so you could read it and be introduced to the film.
All the way through the film it was raining and dark, there were small moments of sun but it was overshadowed with dark and miserable weather. It seemed that the only light we truly saw came from the large billboards that blasted adverts out in bright colour. The bright colours also enhance the futuristic feel to the film.
Overall I really enjoyed the idea of the film being set in the future and the way certain films were created like the cars. However, for me personally the length of the film was a little too long for me to stay fully engaged through every moment. The costuming and the over the top characteristics inspired me to not hold back when I create my work as being over the top can benefit my work and help me embrace my theme.
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Mood Board
Artist Research
Pagan Warrior
A Pagan Path is that there is an opportunity for individual spiritual gnosis. Some Pagans believe that there is a warrior soul, a code of honour. Although peace is a main idea of Paganism and it is not always reality.
Early Pagan cultures like the Romans and the Celtics are strongly represented in modern paganism. As an ancient culture they had deities that represented war and battle and were called upon when needed.
Richard Long
A trace could be a footprint or path left behind. Long creates these by walking in the landscapes. He is a British Land artist. The effect of the path being left behind without a figure visibly creating is haunting and has a very emotional effect on the audience.
Eyes As Big As Plates
Nature creates its own trace in history. Fossils and old river beds show the old way the world worked and how it looked. This trace is important to mankind for us to learn and adapt to nature as our home.
Artist Response
My Response to Richard Long
I chose to wait and use the snow in my garden. The process was long and cold to make such a small indentation and shape.
On a larger scale in a field this may look really impressive from a birds eye view.
Introducing My Theme
When researching Memento, I felt I could enjoy and explore Pagan Costuming in ways others may not see it. I love traditions and witchcraft as well as costuming and scenery so being able to include all of these themes in Pagan Costuming as Memento, Traces of Identity will be interesting. To begin researching Pagan Costuming, I will initially start with researching and creating design ideas for my own style of costuming inspired by Pagan Warriors. Also I will research and create my own warrior makeup to add tradition to my piece. Paganism involves a lot of witchcraft and to add this touch in my costume I will research symbols to add as body paint. My final piece will be my costume and makeup being modelled in a scene that I will plan and create. For this project I will be behind the camera to allow me to experiment and adjust as I go through one shoot instead of 2.
Mood Board
Design Ideas
Brown fur shoulder collar.
Dress is bright green
sheer fabric that flows with body movement.
Simple green crop to.
Multiple shades of green skirt
Light and delicate fabric.
Leaf belt, dark green
Left - Black shoulder and knee pads.
Brown lycra jumpsuit.
Thin material belt.
Right - Faux Horns. Black leather top.
Baggy light brown cutoffs, worn out material. brown leather cuffs and belt.
Makeup Ideas
Bat for lashes makeup looks really impressive, I chose this image as I felt it looked the most pagan with the winged eyeliner and colour under the eyes. Also the headpiece works really well with the makeup style.
Black tree like pattern with a black drip from eye. Nude lipstick and heavy contour. Lip streaks follow mouth shape. Three chin lines that get longer. Winged eyeliner and dark dusty eyeshadow.
Black lines and eyeliner. Dots under middle cheek lines. Dark and dusty eyeshadow. Dark lips and full coverage face. Minimal blush but contour. Line down the centre length of nose.
Brown streaks under eyes following cheek bone. Beige around the eyes and no mascara. Natural eye with just the beige cream. Black dots around the mouth with three black lines on top. Bright lip and minimal coverage.
Brown shades feathered out from centre of the eye brows. Brown shades streaking down from a dark brown line on the cheek bone. Bright lip with a beige or brown strip down the middle of the bottom lip and top of chin.
Scene Research
Liselotte Fleur's blog showcases her photography work and shares her stories and BTS. I love looking at her work for inspiration in scene and set up. Her BTS show how the camera and lighting is also set up, looking at this helps me plan my lighting and take ideas for camera angles.
From looking at her work I know I definitely want to experiment with lighting and shadow on the face and body, as well as using natural lighting to benefit the figure.
Her scenery compliments her theme and colours of both the garment and makeup, for my scene I will take into account the surrounding colours and complimenting the scenery.
FStoppers is a community based photography news website.
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When planning my scenery I will definitely use this website to help me when I am stuck with creative ideas or need to take my photos to another level.
There is plenty of inspiration and posts to help me create a scenery plan and make sure I have all factors written down that I need to remember, like lighting, positioning and lens.
Tim Walker
Tim walker goes above and beyond, not only with his costumes but his scenery. They complement each other, enhancing the piece. This is how I want my scene to feel, I want the scenery to help tell the narrative.
Shona Heath
She is a set designer who works for multiple people including Tim Wlker. I watched the videos she creates about being a set designer and they show her amazing work and the creation and thought behind it. The sets have meaning and are created to compliment the models and clothing. All the colours go well together and the positions of the model are thought about with a clear vision.
Creating My Costume
As I made my garments I realised I had to change a few things based of access to resources and the way the materials worked. Like the top had to change based on the leather and I couldn't get access of the plastic bones to I used feathers and shark teeth that I already had.
Also when making my piece I had to think about the thread colour, if I use a similar or darker thread it will blend with the piece. If I use a bright thread it will stand out, maybe creating a more rugged look. I decided they won't have lots of dye for thread so I stuck to black and brown. For the bobbin thread I used a bright colour to help see where I have sewn and where I need to sew next.
When I created my design for my top I pictured it only being a two panel top with short shoulders. to try and create this top I made two panels using body measurements and trying to add a hem to the shoulders. However, when I created it the leather didn't lay very nicely on the body and it had folds and pleats forming where the leather pulled on the shape. Therefore, I had to rethink my design and create something that still fit in with my them but had more functionality. A corset was my best option with the fabric I had, it has a tight fit and still fit in with the theme. I had created a corset in the past and thought I could use the corset as a pattern piece. So I traced the corset patterns and made my pattern pieces out of tracing paper. Once I made them all I went about making the corset.
When sewing all the panels together I had to be careful of my needle as the leather was very thick so I had to take it very slowly. I used a dark top thread and a bright bobbin to help me see where had been sewn on the back and to help if I needed to unpick.
I added cups to the corset bra to help with shape and make the corset body lay flat against the body.
My model will be wearing a strapless bra, however, I still needed to add some support to the top. I made thick black leather straps by sewing a long strip inside out and turning it back the right way. Again like I experienced before, the leather was very tricky to lay flat so I did two holding stitches on each side of the straps. I sew them on at a cross in the front and straight at the back.
I needed to add some details to the main body of the corset, however with the thickness of the leather I struggled to be able to sew through the cups.
I found some chain and draped two stings down the front across the body. I loved how it looked warrior like, like a protection. it also helped create a lighter shade to the piece.
I also had to add a way to tie up the back of the corset, I added 8 eyelets and twine to create a lace up corset.
Using old round bra cups I made shoulder pads. First I thought I would use leather but when I researched I started to pick up on the feathers they use. The only feathers I had were blue so I used this as an opportunity to add colour to my piece. I soaked the feathers in black paint water and let them dry. This tinted them them and made them look expensive, like a warrior would wear with pride.
To create the skirt I began with a large belt, I created this like I did with the straps, I added 4 large eyelets to tie at the side.
Next I made a large pattern piece of black fabric doubled to make it thicker. Laying this flat I added scraps of black and brown fabric. I had to pin them to the inside of the belt and sew them all together, which was really tacky as the layers were very thick.
To add detail to the skirt I used a traditional beading, wooden beads and some with a similar blue to the shoulder pads. I sew them in a group and I really loved the look and how it helped the skirt to look traditional.
To finish the whole look I added 3 teeth on the black strap, these really emphasised the warrior theme.
I love the final outcome of the costume and it fits really well on the model.
To take my piece further I will need to add a weapon of some sort and create a headpiece.
I researched pagan jewellery and a lot of the jewellery was subtle and wooden. There were also metal items that were light and had meaning, like a sword or feather.
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I created this wooden bracelet that had small wooden beads and marble beads. The colours toned in really well with my costume. I used memory wire to create the bracelet to make it easier and one size fits all.
I made a second wooden bracelet with the same beads as the first, however, this time I added some metal flow beads that give a great metal feature and another size of bead on the bracelet.
To make my Pagan earrings I started with a dream catcher centre to allow me to hang multiple drops. The pattern of the dream catchers centre reminded me of the Pagan Symbols so when I saw them I picked them out. The outer drops are silver tear drops that have a striped detail, they give a symmetrical feel to the earrings. The centre drop is a gold hoop with different gemstones hanging off, there are a variation of colours and add a mystical feel to the jewellery.
For the necklace I started the same way as the earrings by choosing a dream catcher centre. This centre was larger and has a dotted pattern around the border. The outer drops are larger feathers almost like the feathers on an arrow. The next drops in are smaller dagger like feathers that symbolise the weapons of a warrior Pagan. The centre drop is a silver hoop with the same colour gemstones as the earrings, the matching jewellery helps to make it look like an intentional set.
For the weapon I chose a bow and arrow as when researching the Pagan warrior I found a lot of warriors use bow and arrow. Also a lot of the scenes I researched used a bow and arrow for poses.
To create the bow, I used a long arched stick and some twine to create the string.
I added more twine to create a handle grip like they would use to keep a good grip during battle.
Creating the arrow was difficult. I used bamboo stinks and added blue feathers on the end, tying them with twine to make sure they are secure.
For the arrow head I used sea glass and slotted them into the end with some glue.
I also needed a quiver for the warrior to keep their spare arrows, to make this I used leather scraps and sewing them together with brown embroidery thread. I also added paper in the centre to create the shape. Adding a lid to cover the open top. To carry the quiver I used twine tied to the top and bottom.
To create the boots I took a pair of black leather boots and added twine as the laces to match the corset and skirt.
Photoshoot
I completed my photoshoot in a local woods. The weather wasn't too bad, a little cold as it was winter. We had to do it in the morning to catch the sunlight. The weather on the day before was raining so we had to put it off until the next day. Luckily we completed it then as there was snow forecasted later in the week. I would love to do a snow shoot but with the style of costuming it would be too cold for the model and put her at risk.
For my scene we visited a local woods where there was a long mud path and trees on either side.
The sun pierced the trees and lit the back drop of my photoshoot.
I used a Canon 5D and a 300 zoom lens to allow me to change between close ups and full body shots.
The body paint added another element to my photos, turning the model into a character and combining with the theme and costume.
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This shot turned to really nice with the bright sun behind the face, showing the glow. To position my model I had them nearly face on with the camera, turning their face to their right and looking towards the top of the trees.
For this shot I include two of my props, the bow and arrow.
The green of the trees really frames the model and enhances the costume.
To use the bow and arrow in my shot the model held them together to the side of the body, this made the static shot look as if they are in the middle of searching for something or someone.
The branch in the front allowed the shot to look like the camera is hidden and not planned.
To catch the branch in the shot I crouched down and shot upwards rather than straight onto the model.
This shot for me looked very impressive with the suns glow and the bow and arrow.
However, it does feel posed and staged with the body positioned.
Maybe if the bow and arrow was higher and more poised it would look like they are ready for battle.
This is what I wanted to be able to avoid, the posed look as I want it to look natural, realistic and not a costume but a real life warrior.
The glare over this photo is caused by the sun beaming straight down onto my camera. I squatted lower to catch the suns glare and create this faze over the lens.
It almost framed the figure and made it feel dream like or a haze of the past.
However, this haze made it difficult to edit, therefore, I will have to use this photo for more extreme edits than creating natural shots.
To create this shot I crouched lower and got the model to look down into the camera. Making the audience feel over powered by the warrior. The arrow in the bow already to use is threatening and make the warrior feel more dangerous more in control of the whole situation.
Again I used the sun as my lighting framing the figure and creating a sun haze ring around the whole photograph.
The sun created a really amazing ring around the photo, almost creating a lens feeling.
I am as low as I can get to the floor crouched and shoot up with the model looking down towards the camera. The slight tilt of the body allows us to see the body paint symbols and the teeth details on the straps.
I really like the tension this photo creates and how it feels like the warrior is a champion.
I wanted to take a photo with the stunning forest surrounding the mud path, emphasising the narrative of the warrior travelling in the woods, armed and ready.
The trodden mud path like many warriors go up and down the path daily, protecting their homes and families.
There was less of a tension in this photo but more of a story, I liked the contrast between this image and the other shots.
Edits
The beginning image before I edited had a really bright sun beam behind it. I didn't think I could do anything with it however, I was able to reduce the brightness and change the colours.
The change of colours helped to see the face through the sun and create an illusion of a dream.
The dark colours create a more sorrowful emotion to the piece, like the harsh reality of coming back out of battle.
For this photo I wanted to change the hair colour to a darker shade to reduce the yellow glow created by the sun behind the head.
I used the burn tool on photoshop to create this and it worked really well and reduced the yellow glow by a lot.
Also the darker hair framed the face making the makeup more prominent.
I wanted to see how turning a photo black and white would work out.
It made the image feel more like a memo, older and more of a folklore told by relatives.
The light made the trees feel eerie as it glows through the dark trees.
I didn't change the levels of black and white instead I left it as it is but I want to use a different full body shot to experiment with changing the levels.
The illusion effect I created was from layering two of the same images on top of each other and moving one slightly off centre. The top layer photograph had to have a lower opacity to be able to the photograph underneath.
It made it feel distorted, a dream and a haze that feels like a memento, a memory coming back into your head, refocusing.
This is the same image as above however the layer underneath is distorted. I used the smudge pull tool on photoshop to stretch out parts of the body.
Some I stretched out further to make more dimensions and width to the distortion.
This photo is the one I chose to practice changing levels on the black and white filter.
I added more texture and clarity to make the ground more prominent and the hair look harsher.
The beads on the skirt look really great adding a texture to the skirt.
I really love the professional look of this piece.
Editing this photo I added a green hue. The blue of the feathers and the blue of the eyes went green. The grass and tress with the red tint almost feel unrealistic again creating that old memento feeling.
I love how it feels like a pagan story and a shot from a film.
I added the same green hue as the photo above but changed a few other levels to make it more realistic.
I turned the texture and clarity down and turned down the red levels.
The green eyes feel piercing in this photo, rich and full of life. The green eyes are rare and make the image feel important.
Fish-Eye Lens
I have adaptions for my phone camera that vary from a macro lens to a fish eye. I chose to use a fish eye lens and a larger wide lens.
This was just an experiment as I hadn't used it before.
The outcomes weren't too bad, they weren't as professional as the camera shoot but they definitely added a new element with not only the sun spots but making the forest a tunnel behind the model.
It made the images feel as if you were looking in binoculars or the sight of a rifle. This added to the warrior theme. Maybe we are an actual character in this story and we are on lookout with our archers on the back lines of the battle.
I liked how it added to my narrative and I felt I could experiment more with different lenses in the future.
Fish-Eye Lens Edits
I decided to edit the fish eye lens shots to see if I can create images that can be adapted into magazine covers or even possibly a final image. The decision to develop them will help me see the positives in the lens and maybe help me understand the lens a little bit more.
For all 3. edits I enhanced the colours and brightness, the light frames the dark ring of the lens.
The dark ring adds a frame to the photo creating border between the photo and the audience. It feels as if you have to enter the image through the hole, making it not only interesting but making it feel distant. Like looking through a key hole.
Snow Shoot at Twilight
After the bad weather rolled in I looked at the snow in the trees and thought about how Pagans live in all seasons and the snow would look really great. However, when taking the photos I realised the lack of sun made the photos dark and off balance. I did different hair and less makeup to see if I could change the narrative a little bit. The back drop was difficult to get as it was too icy to go out so we use my back garden but we have fences either side so instead I decided on just headshots by the trees.
After looking through the photos I thought about the dark shoot I had the idea for in the beginning using torchlight, the torch would reflect the snow so to develop my snow idea I will try that.
Snow Shoot at Twilight Edits
To edit the twilight photos I focused on colour and grain. Enhancing the grain in some to make it feel as if it is an old movie still. In others picking bold colours and enhancing them to contrast the dull lighting and white snow.
Snow Shoot at Night
I used a phone torch and flash to light the figure and the background. Again it was hard with the backdrop and because of the weather and lighting I had to use my phone camera so the quality was a lot lower.
Snow Shoot at Night Edits
For editing these photos I focused on editing the colours and texture.
I added more clarity and texture as well as a filter for the centre image. This again made the photos feel like film stills and movie poses.
The green tint of the trees were really important to bring through as I want the nature to really come through.
Final Images
To create my final piece I chose a full body shot that had the trees and the path in the background.
On photoshop I edited it with raw camera filters, enhancing the texture, colours and clarity.
I wanted it to look high quality and hyper realistic. Like it isn't a photograph but an actual memory.
This turned out just as I hoped, I knew from this photo that my shots could become amazing magazine covers, maybe for information brochures or film covers.
To make this shot I chose an image I already had created. I chose this one to look like a magazine as I felt it had a look of designer or magazine quality.
I used photoshop to add white title. I chose tribe as pagan warriors work together, hunt together. They are a group, a tribe with beliefs and traditions.
I wanted to create a film cover, like you would see if you bought a dvd or went to see a film in the cinema.
To do this I used a shot with high quality and tension. It needed a dramatic title and colour to emphasise the warrior feel and add drama.
I added a dark hue around the edges to make it a poster and add emphasises on the figure in the centre, making her the main character.