Client: Poetry vs Colonialism | City of London
Agency: Neon Chameleon | Prodigious London
Role: Directing | Cinematography | Editing
Agency: Neon Chameleon | Prodigious London
Role: Directing | Cinematography | Editing
_the Challenge
To shoot 8 distincively different poetry films in 4 days. To create poetry films which explore colonial history and can be viewed both artistically and for educational purposes. Three prestigious funders, (yet) extreme budget and logistics limitations, 8 poets, smallest creative team, the tiniest of crew, and zero willingness to sacrifice production value nor quality.
_the Solution
Hosted by Keats House London, we chose a 19th century kitchen as our location. We wanted to create a mood of a dreamy afternoon tea, serving as a symbolic metaphors-filled backdrop for this impactful piece exploring colonial history.
A prominent and technical challenge to get right was managing the light temperatures mix present in the scene, we had daylight coming from the right and a "fireplace" on the left. This overarching idea not only provides visual interest in an otherwise relatively dull space; but also contributes to the mood of hyperrealism where "something isn't fully realistic".
Lovingly curated props add a playfulness to balance an otherwise heavy theme. Or are they a metaphor of social frivolousness on the subject of tea and empire? You decide.
A prominent and technical challenge to get right was managing the light temperatures mix present in the scene, we had daylight coming from the right and a "fireplace" on the left. This overarching idea not only provides visual interest in an otherwise relatively dull space; but also contributes to the mood of hyperrealism where "something isn't fully realistic".
Lovingly curated props add a playfulness to balance an otherwise heavy theme. Or are they a metaphor of social frivolousness on the subject of tea and empire? You decide.
