“Object Story”… “Objects are picked up, exhibited and displayed, given, exchanged, sold, networked, watched, worn, glimpsed, read, ridden on, played with, collected, inserted, thrown away. They are also found, loved, desired, worshipped, remembered, hated, feared, lost, scrutinised, studied, revered and much more.” Candlin & Guins (2009, p1) This programme accompanies a screening of one minute film shorts; individual responses to questions around how different forms of object language and experiences of living in the material culture of everyday life can be conveyed to a cinema audience. Ideas and different approaches taken include; Daniel Partons Docile Objects where the lens reconsiders the domestic functionality of everyday life, Lorraine Bennetts film Lathe Story reveals in her grandfather’s workshop a confident language of direction inherent in the transfer of his object skills; whilst in Raymond Chan’s Portland Vase Project the camera is window on a 400 year heritage of glassmaking; Alice Whyley’s Recollection uses a champagne cork as trigger for narrative on tragedy and loss, Rebecca Hards employs audio and animated typography in Sentimental Value to convey how the photograph connects us with family history. In pointing to the disappearing role of ‘the Milk Man’ Samantha Munro uses the visual language of over seventy doorsteps as backdrops for the placement of a single milk bottle; Explosive Creativity+Design Objects=Good Design by Daniel Dean is referencing the influence of 50’s & 60’s Swiss Design in his animated Design Precept
Docile Objects Daniel Parton An object is defined as a material thing that can be seen and touched. I feel that my life is carried out by how these objects cater for me. An object starts my day by ringing in my ears; objects allow me to wash, to work, to see and to eat. I feel the essence of these objects often goes unnoticed. Within this short film I have tried to highlight some of these objects in their usability and how they help me go about my day as I travel through their allocated locations. Objects control my narrative.
Portland Vase Project Raymond Chan Stourbridge was once the thriving centre of Britain’s Glassmaking industry. With changes in society and globalisation, it led to the decline of the industry and the loss of craftsmen. However a small community of glass makers still live and work in the area keeping traditions alive. The Stourbridge 2012 Portland Vase Project is an effort to celebrate the area’s heritage and 400 years of glassmaking in Stourbridge by faithfully recreating the vase – its’ fascinating story from Roman origins to Stourbridge and beyond. The movie captures a fleeting insight into process and the dreams of the people driving the project.
The Fruit of Temptation Jordan Jones Ever since childhood, I have remembered eating an apple in a particular way. Often I have thought this habit was unique to me and it’s inexplicable to think how this strange where this OCD ever originated. This video examines the way in which I eat an apple and also the other unique ways in which objects affect people.
What does money mean to you? Giovanni Ciccotti My Object Story piece is centred around money. It is, as most would agree, a powerful aspect of our world today. To portray this object in the best possible way, I have drawn upon the opinions of those around me but also considered other people’s views from around the world as well as examining historical data back to ancient Greek times.
Broken Frame Anthony Seaton This short film is about pain, suffering and hope. Set in the poverty-ridden city of Detroit in America. The film follows John, who when he lost his job, he also lost his family, it highlights the pain and sorrow he faces everyday. Within his pain John still finds hope that one day he will be reunited with his family in Detroit, both who have turned their back on him at present.
The Journey of a Dhol Rajeev Shinh The importance of this film is to highlight the Journey of the Dhol. An original function of this instrument was its use as a war drum, also used to give notice to people of an important event its role is also to draw attention to other cultures. Raj Dholi is, quite simply, the single most successful Dhol collective/entertainer to promote this once under estimated instrument. His live performance in this Short film portrays a true example of kinetic energy, unbridled emotion and the highest level of showmanship. Unquestionably, the absolute Powerhouse of Presentation, Performance & Style.
Sink or Swim Peter Thomas This film is in stop motion. ‘Stop’ and ‘Motion’ well describe the gestation and birth of the work, because it was physically produced very quickly on my dining room table after a long period of deliberation, indecision and false starts. My original idea had been about the nostalgia of old vinyl records, but trial footage was black and boring. I have often found it amusing that certain domestic items, such as kitchen scissors and clothes pegs, resembled fish and other sea creatures. This seemed an opportunity to tell an ‘object story’ by bringing inanimate objects to life, with colour and humour.
Story Book Brad Ankers This one-minute short is a reflection on many issues in life such as abuse, ignorance and love. The film tells a story of how a book struggles to be noticed for full potential and how it is constantly being overlooked and abused. One day the book is discovered for its true purpose, somebody takes the time to read the book and gives it a chance. The book is rediscovered, cherished and loved, living gaining it’s full potential.
Man’s Best Friend Luke Powell A pair of shoes follows you everywhere! Without them we’d be lost! This short film explores the idea of how we take an everyday object like a pair of shoes for granted, focusing on the journey in which they follow us on, emphasising the textures of the environments that they interact with to make our lives more comfortable, yet sometimes we forget how something so simple can make our lives so complete ...
Sentimental Value Rebecca Hards Our photographs are personal to each one of us; some we display in frames, others we want to keep closer. Carrying a photo with you shows a strong bond between you and the person in question, this video explores the desire to keep the images of loved ones close. It follows the story behind the photographs that one woman chooses to keep with her; who she has in her purse and how they came to be there.
A Candle Like a Life Maria Tittoni What I have tried to do is to show the stages of life through the use of the candle. When a candle lights it means that a new life begins; the melting process represents stages of our life, the ups and downs that everyone goes through, bad and sad ones. When a candle blows out it means that a life comes to an end. The candle is presented in the video in a simple arrangement with the combination of image and sound giving the viewer an emotional sense.
‘Make me up’ Charlotte Burgess This object story is based on cosmetics, makeup and the reason for this is that I have always been interested in fashion, style and trends since a very early age. This was influenced by growing up in a female environment admiring the way that makeup, styles and fashion trends are utilised by women. The film fully expresses my love for my makeup, my unique styles and habits. Makeup is a series of objects that I use everyday and take full advantage of. The film demonstrates, through processes of applying makeup, changing styles and close up shots define the final results.
‘The Oak House’ Sangita Kumari This film is located in the interior of the Oak House West Bromwich a half timbered yeoman’s house built between 1590 and 1630. A series of interior recordings of objects suggest the domestic lifestyle of the 1590’s. The objects tell a narrative of togetherness, a wealth of family values and community. The Grandfather clock is featured several times, to indicate the passing of time, demonstrating a contrast of past and present. The repeated audio of the clock echoes further this idea inviting the viewer to further reflect.
Type of Object Hannah Foy This story about our objects is not told through us, but through our objects themselves, told through the typography that adorns them. This typography tells us of the object’s nature, be it serious or playful, whether it is feminine or male. This is the hidden secret of why we bought the object in the first place because without its typography to tell us what it is, it would remain faceless.
The Not So Lucky Penny Matthew Allard The idea for this was based on the theory that when you find a penny you get good luck, however in this story the penny isn’t the lucky one. It loses in a school gambling game where the coins are flicked at a wall and where the one closest wins the game. This penny then finds itself on a journey that doesn’t really lead anywhere.
‘And they thought Snake II was entertainment...’ Jason Bernard The approach that I’ve taken for the theme ‘Object Story’ concerns the mobile phones that I have owned. Being as mobile’s are an everyday object to most people, I figured that the short film would be something many people could relate to. The film is about the first and the most recent mobile phones that I have had, which are the Nokia 3310 and the HTC Wildfire. I focused on the extras that both mobile phones have and tried to show how over the past 10 years, how phones have changed and improved, they are more than just a phone.
Switch Off Soteris Theophanous My interpretation of ‘Object Story’ is ‘SwitchOff’. Energy waste is a major problem in these days of sometimes extreme weather conditions.This is why I have chosen to produce a film short delivering the message that we need to save energy. After doing research on energy waste, I realised that households are responsible for a large percentage of carbon emissions and chose to draw attention to the fact that standby power waste accounts for nearly 11% of domestic energy consumption. As a result, household electrical devices are the main focus of the film, along with the idea “It’s all in one click” giving the message that you can save energy if you just “Switch Off”.
The Great Escape Caroline Gibson Have you ever wondered where all those missing socks go? Using stop-motion animation I explore the adventure of a runaway sock, finally solving the mystery. So, please spare a thought for that missing sock of yours as you never quite know what it’s up to! A light hearted object story, experimenting with object animation, image and perspective.
Lathe Story Lorraine Bennett My Grandad has worked with wood all his life. What began as a regular job became a pastime. Working alone in his workshop, classical music playing in the background, wearing his flat cap and blue overalls. He enjoys the feel of the wood, he is able to bend it to any shape he wishes using tools and his lathe. His workshop is his own space. What I first noticed when filming this piece was the change that came over my Grandad as he worked. He spoke to me like I was a student in his old teaching class. He spoke clearly explaining each stage of the production process. I’ve always known my grandad to repeat himself or forget certain things, however at work in his workshop his mind was well organised I was able to glimpse what it would have been like to see him working in his younger days.
Pencils before Breaktime Dan Muir Pencils. We all use them; we all lose them just as easily. How many times do we go to our bags, pencil case, or desk tidy and not find our pencil. The many uses of pencils are endless and we use them more than we realise in our everyday lives. This short film is a focus on how we use them and how from an office block to a building site, the pencil is a universal tool of all trades. The pencil is the jack-of-all-trades, and master of them all too.
Cooking Time Achilleas Livadhiotis My concept utilises a sequence of how to cook Pasta Bolognese inspired by a time when my flatmate asked me how to cook this dish, it has a humorous side. The story takes place in an ordinary kitchen and all the materials that I use are made out of plasticine to add amusement for the viewer, my fingers demonstrate the process. The film sound is the ambient sound from the kitchen whilst cooking takes place.
Tape Ben Pritchard Sellotape is an object with a story ranging from 200 to 1000 centimeters. Through this short film I wanted to show the qualities that tape possesses and how it interacts with other objects. This short explores Selloptape’s capacities as protector, enhancer and repairer and although it’s life may be short it can carry out those roles linking itself to other objects for days or months. Through those months it can add character or stay invisible, allowing it to live on much longer than it’s intended, limited lifespan would have you believe.
My Car My Everything Phillipe Genus I approached my video by thinking about all of the different things that a car can be used for and the feeling you get in a car. I noticed that it could be used to do everything that you do in a house, like eating drinking and sleeping. The Car is also a place which gives people a feeling of safety, being behind closed doors and in a world of their own where they relax and collect their thoughts. The car is a place people depend on so much in their everyday life so without it they would be lost.
Love is Sarah Turner This follows the theme of a lady who having found her love, wonders if he will ever notice her. Her heart will carry on loving him, even if he never comes into her life. Using a combination of Post it notes, poetry and stop motion animation this film is intended to keep the viewer engaged whilst allowing them to use their own imagination.
Panic & Paranoia Hamza Darby The light switch is an everyday object which (in most circumstances) becomes useful in the dark. However, in the darkness bearings can be lost making the light switch difficult to find. My film will be recorded in the dark with only the occasional flicker of light. My intention is the capturing of slight panic and loss of knowledge by not providing the viewer with much visual information, relying mainly on sound. Torchlight in the final stages of the sequence provides a really interesting effect as well as relieving a lot of the tension, until the flicked switch ends the film in white.
Possession Joshim Ali In response to the project theme I have identified my car as a personal object that is used, desired, admired, and loved. It is an object that I use very much as part of the everyday, and yet I am also aware of how much more it has to offer. The message I wanted to communicate through this video was how, despite reflecting on its advantages and faults; seen through my eyes my car is unique and perfect.
‘Recollection’ Alice Whyley We don’t carry all our memories in a crystal clear form but sometimes they are stored in our unconscious minds. All that is needed is a trigger to bring them to the surface. Objects can provoke memories. My focus was around the idea of objects being collected, remembered and treasured. The object I chose was a champagne cork; champagne is typically used in times of celebration however I wanted to evoke a strong emotion from the viewer by developing a story with an unexpected turn. Integration of images and sound were key elements in connecting emotionally with the viewer.
paper view Natalie Lowings In this project I chose to produce a short film looking at paper as an object as there are so many different uses for it. Paper can be 2-D or made into a 3-D form. I wanted to reveal paper as something decorative, where it is used to form art by being manipulated as a creative object. It has also been my intention to show its practicality by structuring it to perform a specific function. Paper is also commonly known for its ability to inform and this sequence captures all these aspects which makes paper such an interesting object with which to produce narrative.
rip tear open Amie Cater Every day we receive letters and parcels, and open them with no thought at all. The concept behind my video is about viewing the parcel with a new iphone 4 inside being looked at, opened and unwrapped, on delivery from the post followed by the stages of object construction. The film sound is taken from the ripping and tearing of paper and plastic, the reverberations from the surrounding environment can be heard throughout as a comment on the everyday.
‘The Milk Man‘ Samantha Munro Everyday objects that we have come to rely on have lost their appreciation in society today due to the quantity of times that we use them. Referencing the doorstep destinations that form part of the recycling process of the milk bottle, this film brings to light the disappearing trade of the milk man, who was once a part of every households daily routine.
Explosive Creativity + Design Objects = Good Design Daniel Dean Simplicity! Is just what everyday life in the Twenty first century craves. The one-minute animation short was heavily inspired by a clinical and minimalistic approach, which was often utilised by Swiss graphic designers during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Each object is therefore represented visually in a simple illustrative form, thus producing design consistency. The short aims to convey how it is possible to achieve good design with the application of a simple formula: Explosive Creativity + Design Objects = Good Design. The shear simplicity of the equation is reflected in the simplistic visual approach adopted during the production of the film short.
Heart Gate Yuqi Feng Loss, pain and struggle will continue to bother a person for a period of time. If it does not even have a beginning, it will be difficult to see an end. Our eyes gaze too much at others with no thought for ourselves. When people do not have the heart to see the outside world, they become lost themselves and may never be found again. It is not difficult to find your own world, but in this world it can be hard to settle down. As long as you stop and look at the sky, the land and all surrounding things, you will find that there is always a door which opens for you!
Cocktail Sticks Katie Howell I chose to create a video using cocktail sticks as I wanted to turn an everyday object into a visual treat. Cocktail sticks are mainly seen as something ordinary or even something we hardly notice, used to hold food together or picking your teeth in some cases. Cocktail umbrellas, cotton pads, cheese and pineapple have also been used in the video to help create more imagery and tell a clearer story. However cocktail sticks are the most heavily featured and are the main focus. The overall story is “cocktail sticks coming to life when no one is there�.
Light Andrew O’Rourke The light is a symbol that we pass by and leave unnoticed every day, it does so much for us and yet we do not appreciate the beauty and sight that it gives us. The intention of this film is to show that within complete darkness a simple light can guide us creating images within our eyes and mind. It is because of the light that we become inspired.
Etch a Sketch Craig Smith I wanted to use an object that you can interact with and demonstrate that relationship toward a purpose. I am also keen to include a narrative that enhances interest for the viewer. As I wanted to focus on the interaction of the object, I found that the, etch a sketch, is an ideal object to use. The motions of creating an image on the object and then erasing it were the key aspect to show. I am intrigued how the object encourages the interactor’s imagination to draw anything and allows this possibility, there is no end to the amount of pictures you can draw. Colour is used within the piece to highlight aspects of the narrative.
Garageband Christian Leoci The main concept behind this project is the re-use of everyday objects. I have been involved in music since my childhood, I decided to have a look around the house and my garage to try to discover any objects that could be utilised or re-used as a musical instruments. I ended up using my barbeque and some plant pots for the drum; a drain pipe for another type of percussion instrument; a baby plastic container for my maracas which I filled up with rice. The video is a sort of journey, from the realization of those instruments to my actual performance playing them. All of this demonstrates that you do not need to spend an exaggerated amount of money to have some fun: just push your creativity.
Pen Jasmine Williams A pen is used in lots of different ways, so I thought it would be good to feature a range of these in my film because people can relate in different ways because they use pens in different ways. By using illustration (done in biro) this itself was a use for the pen. I wanted to give the pen itself a personality and make it move and by using stop motion, it allowed me to do this. Using a sketch book symbolised the ‘life of the pen’ as when the book is full of images the pen runs out and that is when a pens life ends.
Inspiration Pencil Sandip Mistry My earliest memory of drawing or scribbling was with a pencil. I have always reminded myself that without this pencil you would not even have the ability to illustrate letters or sentences with out it. This one object has inspired me from a young age, it gave me the ability to illustrate and correct any mistakes with freedom. No object is so versatile with the different shades and tones that it provides, and is still proven to be a valuable tool to me. The only down side to this object is it has a very short life span.
Money over Matter Jason Nettleford Money is all around us. My project is aimed to give people the impression that there is a lot of things you can do with money, it’s not just there to spend. We do a lot of things with money and may not even notice. My approach demonstrates different ways money can be presented to us and the perspective we put on this. My Object story recreates the way we look at money and the symbolism of how money is represented.
A Smokers Tale Harout Adourian My idea was to show the repetition created in one’s life through cigarette addiction. I have put together a sequence consisting of video and timelapse stop motion. Throughout the movie I have used different aspects to show repetition, I will use visual aids but also sound to show the repetition. Another aspect I will be emphasising is time, that will be shown metaphorically by the fast moving clouds. The story takes place in the United Kingdom where the law states that smoking is not allowed indoors, it will show the character coming outside at four different times of the day to feed his addiction by having another cigarette and this shows the repetitive loop created in his life especially as he has to go outside to smoke. The last scene is a cigarette burning till the end, this will symbolise death. I have synchronized the video with the music in such a way that every time a loop changes the scene will too. The music plays a very important role in guiding the movie and also setting the nice dark mood together with the black and white images.
Step to the Right Mood Melissa Balkac The story sets out to look at how shoes are used in daily life and how people feel when wearing them. The first part of the sequence shows the energetic and rejoicing mood of the person. The second part tells the story through the use of dialogue between different shoes like a conversation with texts.
Portrait Nilmini Gedara Drawing with coloured pencils is very different from drawing with watercolour or paint. Layering and shading using repeated patterns of pencil strokes, is a way to blend the colours together. Working in this way requires us to keep a very sharp pencil tip most of the time. So I have created these portraits from different coloured pencil shavings. Pencil art is one of the oldest and established forms of art but while we have seen many artworks made by pencil, we have not thought enough about the wastage of pencil shavings which can also be used creatively.
Our Expectations of Objects Alex Steer We all have expectations of objects, and therefore we expect these objects to fulfil these expectations. Some objects are always active, whilst others react, some simply do nothing but we will still expect them to do that. Our expectations are based on memories, and we remember objects in case we might encounter them, or want to use, manipulate, abuse or even avoid them. How do you feel when your memorised expectation of an object lets you down, are you bemused, upset, angry or just simply surprised?
Memories Inside the Backpack Michael Brasuela A backpack is an object having two functions, to hold all the important belongings that we place in it and to protect these items from damage, exposure to the elements and from becoming lost or stolen. My bag is about a year old and still standing strong, every day I use it to carry the objects I need as I travel to different places. Imagine if you could take out all the objects that have been placed inside, all those days, all those journey’s, . . . . It would be like pulling memories out of the backpack one by one.
Switch Carl Turner Finding wonder in the mundane is an enriching experience. With this in mind I set out to provide a fresh perspective on an object we are all familiar with. I decided to set a series of objects to music. Their actions or movement would create the choreography while the music would support them and give accent to the visual element. Following research and discussions, I put down initial concepts, developing refining and disregarding a number of these until five core thoughts remained. Two approaches were planned and following a series of test shots my final route was chosen.
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