Loop : an analysis of visual principles across media in the production of a post-modern narrative

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the following principal areas of inquiry: 1. To what extent do the inherent properties of a medium impact the experience of a narrative when employed as a vessel for its delivery? 2. How are principles prevalent to other areas of design and visual arts employed in the moving image to serve narrative ends? 3. How does film represent and subvert the perception of time within cinema? The project was composed of the creation of a short film - from conception, to writing, scripting, storyboarding, and filming - in order to contrast and examine how different media are uniquely suited to tell the same story in different ways, thus conferring a different experience of the same narrative. Furthermore, the subject matter of the story revolved around existentialist themes and exploring the notion of time, repetition, and monotony in cinema. Finally, a focus was set on the telling of a story primarily through visuals in order to explore the principles of framing, colour, and editing, and how these are interrelated with similar principles within the other visual arts. Primary contextual research was followed by critical review of the three principal stages of the production - script, storyboard, and film - during a test exhibition prior to their finalisation. A questionnaire was provided to industry experts in attendance in order to facilitate feedback. The data provided insight into the experience generated by each medium and how the decisions of the director, coupled with the bias and experience of the viewer, produced a unique telling of the story for each audience member. The study serves as a foundation for further research into multi-modal story telling and how emerging technology impacts the individual experience of a narrative.