Retrieval

conceptual storytelling / video / music production

In this project, I explored the concept of how people abandon parts of who they are–the shadow self–to assimilate into society. In the video, the cake represents the coercion of society to abandon and lock up my shadow self. There are two place settings, one for my socially accepted side and one for my shadow side. As I eat the cake, I become aware of my self-betrayal and am presented with a choice to continue betraying myself or to reject the coercion. Next, I place the words on the cake, smash it, and dump it into the trash to symbolize my rejection of societal homogenization. The video ends with a shot of the empty table–it implies that I have merged with my shadow self, which is also reflected in the project title, “Retrieval.”

All of the footage was shot on an iPhone 11 and was edited in Adobe Premiere Pro. I used a black and white filter at the beginning of the video to show the pressure to choose a clear path in the world. In the last section, I used a fluorescent magenta filter to symbolize the embrace of authenticity. I composed the music in the video, also titled “Retrieval,” with Reason 11. My goal was to create a heavy, unsettling sound, which I achieved with delay and reverb filters.

The end card was created in Adobe Photoshop. I used a photo from the Creative Commons of a hand holding a lit candle. I added stronger shadows and highlights to the image. The upside-down lit candle represents how the creative process cannot be understood in a linear fashion. Until we accept our shadow, we cannot know who we are.