Production of a Portfolio Film – Post #4 Concept Development
Just like story books, films normally have a layout consisting of a beginning (Setup), middle (Confrontation) and end (Resolution). The portfolio film “Return to Hope” will follow this format, except that it will bend the conventional formatting rules. And hopefully, it will bend the rules just enough to turn some heads and open some minds. This being the first film I’ve ever produced, and due to the fact that my admission to the college is dependent on its various qualities, intuition is telling me that I must push some boundaries in order to create something special and unique; something the admissions board will appreciate and respect. In this journal entry, I’ll be disclosing the basic format of this film and the way the concept will drive the contents of each of the three sections.
One of the first places that “Return to Hope” will break from the norm will be in the way that the beginning, middle and end relate to one another. I intend to enhance the distinctive qualities of each section until they are almost detached, in terms of visual and audio, while also maintaining a unified cohesiveness, binding the three sections together through the use of an underlying theme and the expression of a strong moral message. In most contemporary films, the middle is lengthy and filled with happenings, while the beginning and end are usually shorter, and yet more impactful, as they are the place where the writers are hoping to setup a conflict for the audience at the start, and then resolve that conflict in the end. For “Return to Hope” the three sections will be very similar in length, perhaps being exactly three minutes each. Many readers will recall that this film must be no longer than ten minutes, per order of the great and honorable Admissions Board. So, that will be nine minutes for the film, and I’ll leave the last sixty seconds available for credits and outtakes.
“Railroads Once Crossed It”First river, Hope, June 2022
The setup (introduction) for “Return to Hope” will be narrated from the viewpoint of the trees. Yes, I realize how bizarre that may sound to some of you, but I’ve been communicating with many trees as of late, and they never fail to deliver a viewpoint that is far outside of the understandings of our collective human intellect. The trees are very aware of our dysfunctional behaviors and yet they have an undying belief in our capacity to heal the damage we have inflicted on the ecosystem of their home planet. Trees are serene and enduring. Most of the stresses trees will encounter are perpetrated by mankind, and still, they continue to filter our air and water without complaint or even mild opposition to our actions. They know that the human tendency toward destructive behavior is non-sustainable and irrational, and they know that ultimately it could lead to a disastrous collapse of the biosphere we all rely on for life itself. But always, the trees wait patiently for us to see the error of our ways. These are just a few of the many important reasons that I intend to give them a voice in this film.
“Hear Me, Know Me” Anonymous tree friend
In the next journal entry, I’ll continue to focus on the first section of the film. I’ll likely dedicate one or two entries for each of the three sections. Although they will only be three minutes each, in length, they will be complex enough in terms of visual and conceptual content that I expect they will require adequate explanation on my part. It is a win-win situation for the ego and the observer though, because all of the writing I do here is intended to be an integral part of the creative process for the final product. Now I ask you, how fun is this?!!!
It was just about a year ago when I decided to take a leap of faith in my creative career by pursuing a graduate degree in film. Before taking this leap, I’d already taken a number of leaps of faith in my personal and professional life. This one felt different, not so scary. I’ve since come to realize that this leap is different than all the other leaps, in that the leaping-off point was duly situated at a more spiritually and emotionally mature elevation. In an earlier leap, in 1996, my wife (then) and I packed up all of our material possessions, loaded the little ones into their car seats and moved our family from Rhode Island to Florida. We made the move so that I could pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer animation. At that time, the computer-generated imagery (CGI) industry was changing the face of live-action film with blockbusters like Jurassic Park (1993) and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991). In the computer animated film industry, Toy Story had just been released (1995) and every computer geek and movie making wannabe was signing up at a college or tech-school with high hopes of claiming a seat in one of the major animation studios. Dreaming of jobs at Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks, they were all looking for the best route into the industry. I was, and apparently still am, a movie making wannabe, but back then I had absolutely zero experience with computers, and it had been a long time since I graduated high school in 1981. Fifteen years long, in fact. So, why did I decide to learn computer animation, having had no previous experience with computers? This is how I rationalized the decision – I would attend Ringling, learn computer animation, move the family (again) to California, get a high paying job producing CGI, and then make a lateral move into the model and props/animatronic studio where I really wanted to be. I had been creating hand built ceramic sculpture for more than a decade by 1996 and I could clearly see myself excelling in a movie-monster/sci-fi model shop. When I applied to, and was accepted by, the Ringling School of Art & Design (now Ringling College of Art and Design), I considered it destiny calling out to me personally, and so Pamela and I talked it over, and then we leaped…
Christopher and Victoria, during one of our many visits to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando (1998?). Both of my children were involved with the production of “Return to Hope”. Chris created the original soundtrack and Tori utilized her superior enunciating skills as one of the tree vocalists. Remember, they are adults now, so it’s not like I’m using this photo to exploit the obvious “cuteness factor” they both possess!
It has been more than 22 years since I graduated from RCAD, and I’m now preparing to land on both feet in the graduate program at SCAD.
Without further ado, I present to you, my loyal blog readers and any other wonderful human beings who’ve found themselves reading here, this is my first short film “Return to Hope”! Please subscribe to the YouTube channel and also here on the “Grand Providentia United” blog, to receive updates on the latest happenings on the event horizon. And, one other request, please leave a comment on this post (either positive or negative) once you’ve watched the film. It’s only nine minutes long, so there’s really no excuse not to watch it at least ten times! JK!!!
Fresh Perspectives Harvested ~ Part 3 – In Conclusion
I rely on my intuition to guide me in matters of introspection and personal reflection. When my body, mind and spirit are in agreement concerning any new learning experience I’ve gone through, my intuition informs me that it is time to reflect holistically on that particular experience. Subsequently, I’ll often journal those reflections while remaining focused on any changes of perspective, and any new behaviors or actions I’ve initiated as a result of those changes in perspective. Some experiences take more time than others to process internally. The experience of working my body to the point of heat exhaustion for minimal reward, has been one of those experiences. My intuition will often need to remind me that it takes as long as it takes to work my way through an issue or experience. Through personal growth, I’ve learned not to rush the internal processes, nor try to force my body, mind or spirit to give up the proverbial goods before all three have achieved a harmonious balance. The common misstep of rushing to conclusions usually leaves me dissatisfied and displeased with my own performance in moving beyond the experience, and eventually, I imagine it could deprive me of food for the soul to the point of spiritual starvation. When any one of us sends out our intentions and then follows through with the actions required to bring them to fruition, we are not only influencing the direction of our own life trajectory, but we are also bringing change to the lives of those within our sphere of conscious influence. Intuition has informed me that it is currently time to finalize the internal processes and bring to an end the self-discussion of my experience with heat exhaustion in the here and now.
Work Before Play (1984)
In the first journal entry on this subject, I implied that the reasoning behind the acceptance of this menial labor job was complicated, and in fact, maybe it did appear to be complicated then. Now that I’ve processed the experience, I know that my reasoning was quite simple and easy to describe, but I was merely evading the self-worth issues involved, by attempting to dismiss them as complications. The problem with that strategy is that it affords very little potential for positive growth. With my intentions now set on laying this whole thing to rest, I’ll start with the simple reasons that I applied for this job.
I physically moved from Allentown to Savannah less than two months ago, but I had been searching for, and applying to, a number of jobs in this area since early June. For whatever reasons, the companies I’ve applied to were not responding to my applications. My ego kept trying to sell me on the idea that I was too old to be of use as an employee and that these companies were passing me by in search of younger bodies. While it is true that age discrimination exists, I prefer to live happily in the self-delusion that it does not apply to me. I like to imagine that I know my physical capabilities well enough that employers will be compelled to perceive my strengths simply by reading the confidence expressed in the cover letter I’ve attached to the resume. I know, laugh out loud, right? The other, more likely scenario, and this one has actually been brought up during recent interviews, is that I am overqualified for the positions I’m applying to. I’m inclined to believe that this is the issue that I’ve been up against, and if it has been, I had not previously been able to achieve clarity on what strategy to take in order to circumvent it. During the past fifteen years I’ve worked in an extremely specialized industry, namely the fine art sculpture casting industry. I’ve reached a high level of expertise in sculpting, molding, casting and finishing fine art sculpture. During the planning stages of making the move from PA to GA, I conducted a number of searches for sculpture production facilities in or near Savannah. Those searches were unsuccessful. So, while many of the skillsets involved in sculpture production are directly transferable to a wide range of design and manufacturing positions, they are so specific to the industry, that they are also a mystery to the majority of employers who are considering my employment. One way that I’ve attempted to resolve this issue is to pursue job positions that I perceive to be related to the skillsets and level of expertise that I’ve acquired, while also requiring that I upgrade my skills to include the specific range of expertise for the new position. To many, this may seem like a reasonable solution to my dilemma, but it falls short when I include the purpose of my moving to Savannah in the first place. I came here with the specific intention to attend a graduate program at the Savannah College of Art and Design starting in the fall of next year. It would be entirely deceitful for me to approach an employer under the premise that I am interested in learning the specific skills of their trade, with intentions to become a valuable employee, when I know from the start that I would not be there long enough for their training investment to pay off. There was a time in my life when I was willfully dishonest, but thankfully those days are far behind me. My moral compass is now set on a course toward progressive growth and healthy choices. I will continue to experience setbacks, I’m sure, but each time I recover from a setback I’ll expect to attain a clearer vision of the pathway ahead.
Myrtle Beach 2011
When I made the decision to apply to this warehouse job through a staffing agency, I did so with a few simple principles in mind. First, I concluded that a temp agency was the way to go because I was only committing short term. That, after all, is the nature of a temporary work assignment. Second, I wanted a position that was primarily dependent on my physical body with very little thought involved. I reasoned that I could use the bulk of my intellectual energies towards journaling every day, continuing my creative pursuits in growing the Alt Unity, and in making manifest the Grand Providentia Projection. And the last consideration, one that was primarily subconscious, but also of equal importance, was that I wanted to remain completely available and able to cut ties quickly in the event that one of the preferred employers that I had applied to earlier were to call on me to commit. Here is where synchronicity stepped in to validate my reasoning. Last Thursday, during my second week at the warehouse, I was contacted by the Savannah College of Art and Design, regarding an application I had submitted back in June. Following an initial phone interview with a staff recruiter from the college, I am feeling quite confident that this position would be ideal for forward movement on all fronts. I’ve not heard back from the college yet, but I know through experience that if it is meant to be, it will be. When I hung up the phone at the end of the interview, I immediately began to prepare for the possibility that SCAD would offer me the position. My first thoughts were concerned with my current residential location with regards to its proximity to the college. The SCAD campus is spread throughout the beautiful Historic District of Savannah, housed in a number of significant historic buildings in that area. It was my first choice to find a room to rent in the district, but I was unable to find a suitable room that was affordable within my budget. Right now, I’m located about twenty minutes away from the Savannah Historic District, so I am hopeful that an offer from the college might open the door to opportunity, making it possible for me to live in that vicinity. Between the time I finished the interview on Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning, I was putting out intentions based on my desire to live in the Historic District. And on Saturday morning the Universe cooperated again! My current roommate approached me with the offer to move out and follow her to another apartment complex that was about ten miles further away from the site of the college. She told me that she was dissatisfied with the apartment we were living in, and she wanted to move back to the complex where she had previously resided. Two aspects of her offer were problematic for me, and I knew by the time she finished her pitch that I would not be able to accept. Being aware and present in the moment that she was asking me, was key to my seeing the two issues so clearly. I could not imagine relocating further away from the place that I had intended to move toward, and I also couldn’t go along with her intentions to go back to a place where she had previously been. So now, I’ve begun the search for a new home closer to my heart’s desire!
For those of you who took the time, and had the patience, to read through this trilogy of entries based on my experiences during the past two weeks, I am sincerely grateful for your presence! Hopefully, now that I’m recovered from the self-inflicted illness, I’ll be able to get back to a steadier routine of writing on this site. Thank you for reading here!
“Grand Providentia Projections” update – Originally published in September 2022
This is not a question that I’ve posed with any personal angst attached to it. As in, ‘OMG, what have I done?’. No, this is basically a self-inquiring question that I need to externalize the answers to through the act of writing them down. It is a question that I’ll begin to answer today and finish answering, well, maybe never. It may help some readers of this blog to understand what I’ve done mentally, physically and spiritually in the recent past to keep things moving forward. I’ll describe some of the actions I’ve taken, decisions I’ve made, and dreams I’ve conjured to continue moving toward the realization of the grand dream that I’ve been working to manifest for the past fifteen years. To catch some of you up, the grand dream is to bring conscious awareness of, and attract membership to, the Alt Unity. As the Alt Unity grows, through its creative collaborations and collective conscious intentions, the Grand Providentia Projection will be made manifest. And while the Alt Unity is in the process of manifesting the GPP, we will concurrently produce a rolling factual documentary that is focused on our efforts. Simultaneously, we will also be creating a fictional account (past, present and future) that will tell an imaginative, surrealistic story based on our real-world efforts. As each of the storylines unfold, the factual and the fictional will be brought together and united as one, thus creating the ultimate production of “A True Story, as Yet Unfolding…” So, in answer to the question – What have I done? I will tell you what I’ve done, and what I’ve been doing, during the recent months of practicing presence in the moment of now.
Jim Thorpe, PA – Tybee Island, GA
I decided back in January of 2022, to pursue a graduate degree (MFA), majoring in film and television, at the Savannah College of Art & Design in Savannah, GA. Having received my undergraduate degree (BFA), majoring in computer animation, from the Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, FL, I thought that this would be a fitting way to culminate my career in the field of visual arts. After all, much of what I’d learned at Ringling College is directly applicable to the design and production of film projects. Early in the process of applying to SCAD, I realized that I was missing one critical tool that I would need to buy, if I could even hope to be accepted into the program. You see, one of the requirements for the application is a portfolio film reel (maximum ten minutes long). So, I knew I needed to get my hands on a high-quality camera to shoot the portfolio reel. I have to confess that I almost allowed fear to defeat me before I ever got started. I had a very minimal understanding of film cameras at the time, so I was intimidated by them, but then I thought back to when I entered the computer animation program at Ringling, and I remembered having absolutely no experience with computers. Whether it’s a camera, a computer, a calculator or a clock, you can’t expect to understand how to use it until you get some experience by using it. It took me a couple of months to gather the money to get it, but get it, I did. For any camera enthusiasts out there, it’s the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema 4K.
The model is considered a good option for beginner filmmakers and students of film, but it is not a professional level camera. Of course, buying the camera was just the beginning. I needed to purchase all sorts of other accessories, like lenses, tripods, lavalier microphones, camera bags and digital storage devices. During the six months following my decision to return to school, I was intently focused on making the logistical arrangements to move from Allentown, PA to Savannah GA, but I was also starting production on the portfolio film that I needed for SCAD. Before moving south, I made a trip north to Hope, Rhode Island, to shoot my very first film clips for the portfolio film which I titled “Return to Hope” when it is was completed. The film features the Hope Mill in its current deteriorated state, but the overall theme of the film is decidedly positive. I’ll give a more detailed description of “Return to Hope” in one of my future blog entries. I’ll end this entry with a logistical announcement: On August 1st, I arrived in Savannah, and on the second attempt I found a roommate situation in a shared apartment that works for both me and my roomie. I’m quite comfortable here in Georgia and I especially love the historic district of Savannah (that’s where the college is located). Below is a link to the finished portfolio film “Return to Hope”.
One other announcement: I started a podcast as a companion site to this blog. I’ve only posted two short episodes so far, but I’ve really enjoyed the process of producing them. There will be many more episodes to come. Including video podcasts, as well.https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-joseph-moore/episodes
I am sincerely grateful for your presence in this moment! I’m even more grateful that you’ve chosen to spend a moment of our time reading this blog. Thank you!
Now is our time. It is our only time, so I’ll make this as brief and painless as possible. Please attempt to put aside the worries of the world in this moment. I know it’s difficult, because it’s something that I need to practice from one moment to the next, and the next, and the next. To be IN this moment, I believe it’s necessary to consciously decide to be OUT of other moments. Moments that have already past and moments that are yet to arise are irrelevant in this moment. Please choose to let go of the past and future for just a moment. It may mean that you’ll need to quiet the voice in your head, momentarily. That voice (your ego) will immediately try to distract you with regrets about the past or fond memories from the past that you might hope to relive. Ego will warn you that fearful things might happen to you in future moments, if you get distracted by the moment we are in right now. The ego feels threatened when you are present and aware, because ego insists on absolute control. When you are present in this moment, past and future moments are inconsequential, until you return your conscious focus on them, and in effect, you become unconscious and unaware once more. And when you choose to return to unconsciousness, aware only of your past and future, the ego regains control of your thoughts and reinforces the idea that the present moment is insignificant, while all the past and future moments are the only ones you should be concerned with. Your ego deceives you into thinking that past moments you’ve experienced sum up your life story until now. And furthermore, your ego wants you to believe that your future is dictated by those past moments, which, by the way, were undeniably present moments when you experienced them! So, if you can call out the ego and expose its mind games for what they are, you’ll be well on your way to experiencing the unlimited potential of this current moment. Welcome to our now!
"Grand Providentia United" 