Kaitlyn Arroyo
Self Image I
Prof. Cacoilo
April 27th, 2022
Cast in the Shadows
Directed by: Kaitlyn Arroyo
Featuring Co-Star: Rose
Inspired Images:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GttSKnUjgoM
(File is too large to upload as a video. I put the link so that it can be copied and pasted for viewing on Wednesday.)
Subject/Content: Breaking the Norms of Society
The subject is to express who you are and to be comfortable with your body. The message is to never let the words of others influence how you act because that is how those people will perceive you as.
Follows a Phantom of the Opera Prompt - Theater Inspired Piece
Made with iMovie
The final project I am presenting to the class today is a trailer for my upcoming movie: Cast in the Shadows. This follows the story of a young girl who is struggling to accept herself into this hateful society in which individuals prosper. Just like the demo selfie piece, my inspiration for the project was inspired by the works of Marina Abramovic. Her first performance piece relates to reflection, as she is described as a mirror. Abramovic shows people as themselves in her artwork. With this idea of putting a mirror in front of another, you will be left with the same outcome. Abramovic always thought of herself as an ugly child growing up, and desperately begged her mother to get nose surgery done. The idea behind this video is a girl who is struggling with her own self-identity and creating this fake "alter-ego" or herself to tackle society. However, this mask enables her to reveal her true hidden self behind those clothes and make-up she wore. It's like a reverse effect because usually a "mask" is associated with hiding something (or keeping oneself hidden), but my recording is the opposite showing her blind truth being revealed. The clothing choice of wearing black symbolizes a shadow since they are so apparent and blend into the night. (Hence given the name: Cast in the Shadows) This quote by Joanne Finkelstein: "Art materializes the imagination" (Finkelstein 153) under wraps the concept of getting an idea and bringing it to life. I believe with the freedom and creative knowledge I have, this performance would have not been made possible.
Going into this assignment, I didn't know what to expect. I knew that I wanted to create a piece that exemplified myself as an individual and touched upon topics such as societal norms and what is expected of people. This video strikes a lot of meaning for those who could relate to the issue of bullying or feeling like an outcast from the rest of the world. The media and my inspired images influence identity and self-presentation because it rectifies the means of exploring ourselves fully even though we are not grown adults yet, it is universally experienced by the people we interact with daily. I thought of creating a photo series, but since that is the medium we've been exploring this semester I wanted to challenge myself and really delve into the project with a bigger challenge. The first obstacle was creating an idea for what the video would touch base with. Next, if that topic wasn't meaningful, it wouldn't be explained properly, so discussing something that everyone has experienced or witnessed was the goal. What started out being a ten-second TikTok clip turned into a trailer masterpiece that I really enjoyed creating. Each scene was cut into flawless transitions with the help of phone editing and costume changes drew it together.
Being able to have free range of the assignment lets us get creative and think outside of the box. Khan Academy quotes it best, "Performance art has been a medium that challenges and violates borders between disciplines and genders, between public and private, and between everyday life and art, it follows no rules" (Academy 2). Performance art is essential to everyday life. There are no limitations to what can be created, which puts a lot of freedom on the table for creativity and imagination. There are many ways of using a public space and bringing it to life with a motif. However, not too many artists from the background of body-orientated movements take into account this form. As mentioned previously, the mask symbolizes an ominous and eerie feeling of what is going to be unveiled from it. However, even without a description, it would be left up to the viewer which adds to the mysterious aspect.
I really hope you all enjoy my video and leave a like on Youtube!
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