The project that my group and I had created is fragmented experimental videos under the theme of Isolation with the purpose of creating the feeling of how it feels to be isolated within the viewers. Indeed, through my involvement in this project, I have realised that this project responds to the idea of Modularity. According to Lev Manovich (2002), modularity is the idea that media elements such as sounds, images, and other media are separated to one another and will remain independent within a screen production (p.30). This idea can be found in my group’s project, specifically in the way that the project consists of videos, pictures, and sound that we merged together into one media content. Moreover, the fact that we portray juxtaposition within the audio and the visual images shows the separation and the independence of the objects, because it shows that we are able to edit the visual image and combine it with the sound that does not sync to the video. Moreover, the modular aspect can also be seen in the way my group’s production consists of individual clip about isolation within one software, which the viewers can still receive the feeling of isolated by watching one or two clips, because my group’s production has non-linear narration.
Furthermore, my group’s project also responds to the idea of Variability, which it is an idea that objects of media have various of different versions (Manovich 2002, p.36). In fact, Lev Manovich mentioned that media objects have various of resolution, forms and content (p.37). Indeed, it can be seen in my group’s project where we had created our project with four different forms of media, which are the casual video, timelapse, stop motions, and slow motions. Also, my group’s project has different types of content, which some of them portray the human subject and some of them portray the metaphorical elements of the idea of isolation, and even the videos that portray the human subjects are different to one another.
Additionally, through my involvement in this project, I have some learning experience and a realisation in regards to online screen production that arose throughout the process of finishing the product. While in the making of this project, my group and I were concerning about the content that we should put to represent the notion of isolation.The fact that we tried to create experimental fragmented videos, where the content should be abstract, we struggle with our assumption that the viewers would not understand and aware of how it feels to be isolated, because the aim of our project is to create an awareness of the isolation feeling. However, we were told not to worry about whether or not the viewers will understand and just continue the abstractions by portraying juxtapositions.
From there, I learned that I should not be worry about my previous concern, because I realised that the nature of people consuming online screen productions is to figure out what it is about and the message behind it, though the message is sometimes perceived within the person’s subconscious mind. Online screen production is apparently part of the internet, where interactivity is the key and requirement for it to work. However, the interactivity is not only in the way the user clicks on the buttons provided on screen, but also in the way the user find out the message behind what is portrayed on screen, because quoted by Anna Wiehl (2016), “In interactive audio-visual media…the viewer must assume the role of an active user, which makes her/him much more engaged in the process of making meaning”. Thus, with the viewer’s interactivity, they will figure out the message and what the production is trying to convey.
Essentially, my assumption began after watching one of the videos within Korsakow website called Talk with Your Hand, where I did not understand the meaning. However, I am aware that I did try to understand and find out what the video was about, by listening to what the person was saying and the gestures that he was making. Indeed, this personal discovery expands my understanding of why applying juxtaposition or metaphorical elements of the context is within an online screen production is acceptable, let alone experimental videos, and it certainly will affect the way I think for my next screen production.
