The Proposal: Use the characters that compose your alphabet to construct a narrative on clear 16 mm film. Edit the film in Final Cut Pro.

The Process: I wasn't sure how I would construct my narrative so I decided to begin by listening to a song that inspires me. I decided that I would base my illustrations on different pieces of the song. I allowed the song to steer me through the creation of tempo,etc. For example, I made charts and marked where drumbeats occurred ans which symbols I though represented the drumbeats, the guitar notes, and the bass line.

After tediously working with this method for an evening I found that I was not happy with the results. I then decided to experiment with my mediums: India Ink and Sharpee markers. I had never worked on a film that relied on these mediums so I decided to explore the textures that were formed by setting plastic in a pile of paint or the effects of laying one piece of film across another strip and pouring paint over the top strip. I really enjoyed this process and its results. I found myself making decisions as I applied the ink to the film instead of having a preconceived notion of what my finished product would turn out to be. I felt that the probability of disappointment in the results would be lower this way. I also attempted to animate some of the charaters as I imagined their movements.

I then assembled the random strips of film into a complete roll; I then dumped it into a Steinbeck machine, while recording it on a mini-dv tape. I then tooke the footage into Final Cut Pro and began editing. Since I didn't knowat I was trying to construct, I looked through the footage, searching for ideas. I then decided to edit the images to "Organ Donor", a DJ Shadow song. I feel that the song is highly appropriate for the situation I was in. The editing process was a very long one, but I am happy with the results.

See the final film