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FILM ALBUM NO.1

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Film Album no.1 (2020, 30 minutes total): ‘An immersive audiovisual experience spanning 7 films, all of which explore experimental approaches to filmmaking and composition through unique processes that embrace elements of chance and improvisation. By presenting sound and video as independent equals, without using either to convey any underlying or abstract meaning, this substantial work continuously questions and challenges the viewer-listener’s conception of the sound-image relationship in film and opens the doors to a meditative viewing emanating from the awareness of experience.’ 

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In early 2020, I produced 7 short films with the intention of presenting them together as a film album experience. These non-narrative, experimental shorts were each made as individual film projects and can therefore be viewed as standalone pieces as well as together in sequence. This idea came from wanting to see how the approach I often take when producing musical albums as Don’t Think could be applied to my filmmaking.

 

My approach, for this project and in my subsequent films made during my ongoing practice-based PhD research at UCC, is based around wanting to treat the sounds and visuals as independent equals. For each short film in Film Album no.1, I made the audio and video tracks as completely separate, standalone pieces with their own unrelated materials and processes and without any influence on the other. Once these independent sound and visual pieces were completed, they were then paired at the final stage of the editing process. Any apparent moments of synchronicity between sounds and images are therefore unplanned and chance-based (I am currently referring to this concept as ‘experimental audiovisual interaction’). Because of this, each short film consists of 3 equally realised pieces: the standalone video and audio pieces, and the audiovisual combination.

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All 7 tracks are available below as individual films. A 30-minute cut of the entire piece as one continuous film has also been linked.

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Track 01: For the video, I recorded 12 shots, 15-seconds each, alternating between handheld and static camera. I then randomised the order of these recordings. For the sound, I recorded a 3-minute bass improvisation and divided it into 15 12-second segments. I then randomised the order of these segments and a chance-operation determined which segments would have reverb applied to them.

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Track 02: For the video, a chance-operation determined when to randomly cut between 3 angles of the same road recorded at different times. The process ensured that each angle would be seen an equal number of times, but they would not all be seen for an equal duration. For the sound, I recorded a 3-minute drum improvisation that would alternate between being heard and silenced, with a chance-operation determining the durations for each. I then layered this with a field recording.

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Track 03: I produced the sounds heard in this track through ‘no-input mixing’: sending the outputs of an analog mixer to its inputs, causing feedback and improvising by adjusting the eq in realtime. For the video, the order of the crossfading recordings was determined by chance.

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Track 04: The video consists of 4 camera improvisations taken from fixed perspectives, presented in the order they were recorded and with the durations unchanged. For the sound, I recorded a single-note bass track and then a separate improvisation based around the same note. I reversed the audio of the improvised recording and mixed the 2 tracks together.

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Track 05: 2 years on from making this film, I am deeply saddened to say that the vast majority of the trees seen here have since been cut down. Of the few that survived this, several subsequently fell to high winds due to absence of the other trees’ protection. I am grateful for the time I spent recording here, and I will remember this small woods as the special place it was. Though it was never my intention, I am glad that part of it will live on with this film.

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Track 06: The process behind this video-only* track on Film Album no.1 consists of 3 parts. The first 2 minutes involved a number of shots taken at dusk with editing order and duration between cuts determined by chance-operation. The following minute is an unedited camera improvisation from a fixed position, with the final minute made up of 3 night shots and their respective negative versions. In-camera settings used to capture the video quality of the recordings. *While no audio piece was recorded, my idea was that the soundtrack for this film would be whatever sounds are heard by viewers in wherever space they are watching.

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Track 07: For the final instalment I made 3 audio pieces and 5 video pieces, all with their own separate processes. I then randomised the order of these pieces. This led an increased level of unpredictability and chance in the overall process compared to the previous tracks, as the final audiovisual combination was entirely unknown to me until the film was completed.

The individual processes all involved varying degrees of chance and improvisation. To give some examples: the first audio piece heard is a live drum machine improvisation where I affected the sound, speed and feedback in real time using an EHX Canyon pedal. The abstract colour visuals were achieved by covering the lens with my hand and playing with the amount of light that could come through, with a chance-operation determining the changes in colour grading. All of the images seen in the video segment seen when the drone audio begins (the second half of which returns to conclude the film) are presented unedited, with any change in colour taking place in-camera while recording.

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Film Album no.1: All 7 tracks presented as one continuous piece (30 mins).

PLEASE NOTE: There is NO AUDIO between 16:27 to 20:28. This is as intended (this note included in case it was misconstrued as an upload error)

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