For this project, Professor Liu instructed our class to create a two to three minute video regarding The One (Small) Positive Thing about the Pandemic Experience. In other words, we were required to think of one thing that we liked or had a positive experience on through the time we had to socially distance ourselves as well as attend classes, meetings, and events on the video conference platform of Zoom.
My goal was to create a video that not only was elegant and visually pleasing but also one that was relatable to the viewer. I understand that the pandemic was a serious situation, but I see how important it is to bring a positive attitude and make others feel good and laugh, therefore I wanted to make this video slightly comedic in the end.
It is fascinating how different it feels to be a media content producer than that of a consumer due to the fact how I not only have the creative freedom to do anything but also because of how everything in the video has a purpose. This project allowed me to have a greater appreciation for media content producers and their works of art.
Without a doubt, I had the most fun on this project due to my recently found interest in the way certain media texts are filmed. From the beginning of this project, I knew I wanted to draw inspiration from a list of film directors and producers I enjoy. I recently finished watching Zach Snyder’s Justice League on HBOMax and I thought the film, in terms of how it was filmed, was a masterpiece. Additionally, I paid homage to certain iconic films such as The Sopranos and Star Wars.
I wanted to take Zack Snyder’s artistic choice to use a square frame for the video and implement that in my own project. The reason I did this is that I wanted the viewer to be focused only on the Zoom university student. Additionally, I used a noir filter in the video because the colors in my apartment are not only distracting but also unpleasant. With the combination of a black suit and tie, as well as the noir tint, I believe the film gave a sophisticated-like tone, similar to that of Zach Synder’s Justice League: Justice is Gray. The darkness due to the noir filter in the video also symbolized the hard situation of the pandemic, emitting a tone of sadness and loneliness as well.
For the ending, I wanted a sharp cut to black the moment the Zoom university student broke the fourth wall and directly addressed the viewer. This is to build a feeling of a cliffhanger, hopefully leaving the viewer with the desire to see more. The decision to cut to black is a reference to the season finale of The Sopranos. Additionally, when it came to choosing how to present the credits, I wanted to also pay homage to the great George Lucas' Star Wars and their credits.
