Cinemagraph - The Arrival

Cinemagraph - The Arrival

CLICK IMAGE TO START ANIMATION AND ALLOW 2 SECONDS FOR IT TO PLAY.

This is one of the cinemagraphs I have produced whilst working on the editorial "QATSI". If you don't see the animation I would recommend you download the file and try opening it with a different program; Quicktime is an option, but .GIF animations in general should have no problem working with most internet browsers.

(Image 1 part of the QATSI editorial) - "The Arrival"

This animation is linked with the image "The Arrival", which is the first in the "QATSI" series.
The naming of the image is supposed to induce an idea of beginning or start of narrative, as it was conceived to portray the exposition of a dramatic structure. Therefore, there is a slight link between the name of the image and the key the model is pressing in this animation, the C key, which is the beginning note of an octave (below the C key you would get the end note of a previous octave whilst above the C key you would get the second note of that octave)

QATSI

Qatsi is a collaboration between myself as a producer/photographer, Romanian fashion designer Dinu Bodiciu and make-up artist Eimear Sweeney. It was conceived for my third year of study at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design.

The concept behind the shoot is taken and adapted after carefully considering works done by the painter Edward Hopper and the ideas behind Rorschark’s tests. Much like Rorschach’s inkblot tests, art in general evokes different reactions from different people. I have found no artwork so far to present itself with the absolute truth that would make everyone like it or see it in the same way. I would therefore attempt to construct my images based on this presumption, that even if I would try to communicate something specific, some viewer’s interpretations might turn out to be different from what I would expect.

My plan was to connect the subjects with their location as much as possible and guide the viewer’s interpretations using complex lighting designs that would create a realistic, believable, environment. The images could and should be viewed as an offered glimpse to a moment that has been caught between a beginning and an end, where the viewer brings these missing parts on his own, often out of reflex, without even realising he did so.

The location for this project was provided by the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, whose support was vital for the completion of this project.

Credits:

Sapphires Model Management – London

Nevs Model Management – London

"The Arrival"

"Awakening"

"Revelation"

Interlude

    


     I apologize for not having posted anything in quite some time, I am in the process of changing houses and I have got five more days left until the room I am living in will have to be empty. The sad thing is I still haven't found a new place to live in and I'm also stuck between choosing to either remain in Birmingham over the summer or go back home to sunny Bucharest.


I guess I will find out pretty soon.

Forever Young

                The whole idea beyond my concept would be that eternity is unnatural and that what is not natural is artificial, therefore man made. The project ended up taking many twists and turns as I was ambitious enough to attempt an illustrated narrative. I would conceive a number of different story lines and seek inspiration in domains such as genetics or taxidermy. The project went through numerous changes, one of the most influential being the intentional absence of one of the models on the day of the shooting. Having conceived the story line to include at least two models meant I had to change everything whilst doing the shoot. Therefore, everything shown below this body of text is a mix between what I have researched and thought about prior to the shoot and ideas caught on the go.

The following images are in a narrative order

Model - Jemilla King
Make Up/Hair Styling - Eimear Sweeney
First Assistant - Stefan N. Craciun
Producer/Photographer/Styling/Set design - Codrut S. Negut
Runners - Denisse Moise, Vlad-Cristian Costache and Cristina.


Special Thanks to Frankie Kane for letting us use the location, 
and for James Laybourne for letting us use the props.

06052011

Model - Denisse Moise

Special thanks to Frankie Kane from Custard Factory

  A second batch of images that I have taken the time to edit from the testing done on Wednesday. I do not believe the images represent the feeling I am pushing for in the project that is going to take place in this location. I took the opportunity to experiment in creating a different atmosphere in every shot rather than maintaining the same treatment for all of the images like you're supposed to do in an editorial. I figured this would help me make a better choice when it comes to shooting the real thing. More pictures to come soon.