Experimental Film Concept

In the Approaching Research module, my group created a presentation based upon an article by Maya Deren. In this article, Deren outlines the arguments surrounding the 'truth' of photographic images, and expresses her view that they create their own separate reality based upon their resemblance of mental concepts relating to the subjects they portray.
Playing with these ideas and having viewed two of Deren's films: At Land and Meshes of the Afternoon, I have developed a concept that takes these arguments somewhat literally, and explores the relationship between reality and the photographic image. In future posts I will talk in further details about the films that have inspired this narrative.
For now, though, you can find below the first draft treatment for the concept:

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Likeness

Synopsis:

A photographer become lost in the separate reality of her own photographs. Through a series of surreal explorations of time and space we question the level of truth inherent in photographic images.

Treatment:

A photographer has her image captured in a photo booth. Emerging, dazed by the flash, she absent-mindedly removes the strip of photographs printed by the machine, and finds that she is the object of a filmmaker’s interest; a strange man watches her with a Super 8mm cine camera. In extreme close-up, the lens of the camera and the photographer’s eye are compared. Upon pursuit the man seems to vanish into thin air. As the photographer contemplates this mystery, she takes notice of the photo strip for the first time. To her great confusion, the images are blank.

Returning to the booth, she inserts the strip into the printer slot, reversing the process. But rather than fulfilling her vague hope of the photographs re-printing, the booth has another surprise in store. Stepping out of the machine is her precise and flawless duplicate, as dazed as she herself was when emerging earlier. The duplicate does not notice her, and leaves; the photographer takes up pursuit, turning a corner on which is hung an image of an empty corridor. Turning the bend, she finds herself transported to this very corridor. What’s more, her duplicate has vanished, replaced by a life-sized image of the copy seen from the back, as if continuing to walk away. She inspects the image before stepping through, tearing the paper it is printed on. 

She emerges, once again, in a different location; a long stairwell leading downwards. The descent seems almost infinite, and soon instant photographs begin to appear on the walls and lying in piles on the floor. The numbers continuously increase until she reaches the end of the stairs, and wades through a sea of photographs in the following corridor. Projected on the wall behind her are the events taking place earlier at the photo booth, seen from the perspective of the unknown cinematographer. One photograph in particular catches her attention, and upon picking it up she sees behind her the man with the cine camera, uncomfortably close, unmoving and intimidating. She is frozen to the spot, we see close-up the lens zoom in towards her, and she lifts the instant photograph up in front of her. It is revealed to be an image of herself in front of the photo booth, and cutting to a reaction shot and then a wide, we see that she has been transported back to the booth and to safety. She enters, and the flash goes off once again; we return to the beginning of the action.

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The implementation of these ideas will be challenging, but if done effectively should pay off well. Having researched the practicalities of printing for all of the required purposes, I feel there is enough preparation time for this to be carried out. The hope for the film is to shoot on DSLR, due to the cinematic quality it produces and its capacity for manipulations of depth of field, as well as the array of lens choices it provides.

The remaining challenges are casting appropriately, scouting locations and obtaining permissions (in particular for the photo booth), and obtaining a projector for one of the scenes. I will continue to update the blog with news of any developments regarding this, along with further work on the concept and any planning materials that are implemented.