“Untitled” dir. Amelia Leonard

My work for Screen Project 2 is a short film that follows a young woman struggling with grief and a sense of alienation. Begrudgingly attending a family dinner, the night delves into unexpected and uncomfortable territory.

The end of year screening was a wonderful way to showcase everyone’s work throughout this last portion of semester. As we have mostly reflected upon each others work within the classroom, this allowed for a fresh perspective and to experience our work in a more formal setting. It was really refreshing, especially to be screening in front of people I didn’t know. I feel this work was a bit off the conventional path in terms of delivery and content, but not necessarily in its visuals, so I wasn’t sure how the audience would respond or engage with it. In creating this piece, I tried to be authentic to my personal vision and style which has expanded throughout the semester thanks to the vast range of works we’ve studied. I tried to play with the familiarity of a domestic exchange/family argument but by delivering it in a satirical way, I felt there was a comedic element to the film that may have taken the audience by surprise. I wasn’t sure how this piece would be received by the audience but they responded to it well. It was great to hear some laughs in these comedic moments and dead quiet in the more sombre moments. When speaking with a few class mates after the screening, some said they found it quite emotional. One even shared their own interpretation of the ending. The fact that someone had their own reading of my work proved that it engaged them and took them somewhere.
I think visually and stylistically I was able to connect with some of the key ideas and dialogue we’ve been having throughout the studio. I have loved that one of the core aims of this studio has been to explore and experiment with the process of how you work, through exposure and research into an array of experimental filmmakers and techniques. The structure of being introduced to a new topic and filmmaker(s) each week was very constructive and inspiring. In particular I loved learning about the “essay film”, the uncanny and surrealism which, although wasn’t super prevalent in my work, definitely had an influence on my approach to production and to elements such as staging/composition. Through acquiring this knowledge in the classroom and exploring my research topic of suture and voyeurism, I was able to integrate a number of elements into my work such as distance between the audience and subject which lends to the “peeping tom”/vantage points of voyeurism, as well as a sense of autonomy in the camera work. The lectures also helped in building the language I use which helped me express my ideas and communicate more clearly throughout the filmmaking process, right down to conversing at the week 13 screening.

I definitely want to continue working on this piece and aim to have it screened elsewhere. I would like to improve on a few aspects, some technical, such as the sound in the dinner scene, but I am now thinking of reshooting and expanding on that scene/the film as a whole, as well as having more purposeful production design to make it a stronger film.

Thinking about other students work, it was clear that many were inspired by the content of the studio.
Ramsay’s short was definitely influenced by elements of surrealism and the uncanny that we explored in the studio. Especially with his use of doppelgängers that is prevalent in David Lynch’s work, who was mentioned quite a few times throughout the studio. Jamie’s short which mixed real family videos with his own produced footage felt like a nod to Jonas Mekas and other ‘left bank’ filmmakers. He also included poetic narration which is a staple of the essay film and more artistic/experimental documentary style films.

Having the screening in a large cinema with an audience was really important for self reflection/critique. Having spent a number of days behind a laptop screen, editing away, there’s a sort of disconnect that begins to form in relation to your own work. You lose a bit of perspective in the repetitive process of editing, or you become overly nit picky and analytical. Seeing it on the big screen with the lights out and faint sounds of the audience around you puts you in a different headspace. It really helps you to take a mental step back and appreciate your work in a new light. I think the setting where one watches a film is an integral factor in how it is experienced.