Isabelle Sherman Memory Project
Short Film Link:
What did you set out to create? What challenges did you face? How does your final memory object differ from the memory object you had in your mind when you began constructing your recreation?
My memory project depicts an event in my childhood through a stop motion animation. I choose this form of media because many stop motion animations bring about a feeling of nostalgia. Many childhood classics of mine were filmed through stop motion animation- such as Coraline, Wallace and Grimace, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. In the stop motion, a fond memory of mine is played. The place is Block Island,Rhode Island- decorated on a miniature set with small pebbles, foliage, wooden fences, and a painted landscape. The painted rock sits in the middle of the frame. The painted rock was a symbol that originated from my childhood because it sat outside of my grandparents home. It was the hub of an island wide known ritual. Residents and Visitors would often visit the painted rock to make their mark on the island. Families, friends, children, even newly-weds- just about everyone wanted their own layer cemented on the heart of the island. However, due to rising ocean levels, the island is slowly breaking down and chipping off. Perhaps the rock symbolizes a spot for other memories to live on as well. My film challenges a memory of mine to an event, a ritual, but also a vision of an effect of our own era to the community. So far, a major challenge had been time. To create and design a set, shoot a tedious film in one sitting, and edit with music and corrections was a lot to handle. At first, I had found that designing the set was difficult because I wanted to make it look realistic but did not find the right materials for the background. However, while shooting and editing, a major influence was time. In this week, creating a short film had been difficult because there are many different factors that all had to be pieced together. My final memory object had differed from the memory object I had in my mind because the story needed to change along the way. While shooting, there was that major time influence that I had to change my story around. However, I still needed to find a way to keep my memory lively. It was a challenge shooting a stop motion, however editing was also a major factor. Music is a key component to a film, and my music choice had to be a moving instrumental. In some ways, I feel that a different song would change the film completely, and could change the story as well.
Preface your packet with a one-paragraph Statement of Intent: what did you set out to accomplish in Bridge Project #1? What steps did you take as you approached your goal? How did your initial vision(s) for the project change throughout your process?
In Bridge project number one, I wanted to create something more abstract than straightforward. The erasure, fake id, and memory projects all are factors that contribute to this abstract identity of myself. I found that many ideas present come from unspoken ideas. Memories, thoughts, and even the idea of an inner vs. outer self depict things that are not always presently forecast-ed. A lot of thoughts were taken into account when creating these assignments. Unspoken, or even a fake ideas, were not always connected. At first, many of these projects reminded me of the Freudian slip idea. The idea that one may accidentally say something that they internally mean, but did not want to release the thought. My initial visions for the project changed throughout my process many times. In many ways, I wanted a rustic look internally, or the inner ID, because I felt that it gave it a humbled human texture. Even in my erasure project, I had been cautious to create any marks before brainstorming many small ideas. I feel that, especially in the memory project, I was more cautious when creating a final product because I needed to envision my idea 100% before painting anything over. It was important to take many notes in these assignments because there are many factors of art and media that could influence the final project.
