walmart.

Assignment for ALTERNATIVE VIEW
BGSU 2023
I spent a while contemplating what I wanted to do for the assignment. I had actually had a wedding the day before and was so so upset that I had missed an opportunity to make a video watching the swarm of sweat bees that were landing on folks and on our food. I had just watched sweat bees sit on an aldi bag and pick at the moisture for multiple minutes and i really wish i also had that on video, but in retrospect I don't think a wedding is very mundane so I'm glad that wasn't my end product. In my kicking myself I tried thinking of another instance in the mundane i could capture and realized I was already getting an oil change, so setting up my camera somewhere in my car to view something interesting while the ambient noises of a car shop was something I was also looking forward to, but that plan was also ruined since I had switched who I was going to and they don't have you sit in your car while they do it. After I dropped off my car I basically had 30 minutes to roam around walmart and that's when I was trying to figure out something fun to record but still captures the mundanity of life. I looked around for a little on my way inside and then i roamed the store, and eventually made it to the $5 movie bargin bin, something I make a point to visit every time I go into walmart. I usually rummage for 5-10 minutes to try and find something interesting, and I was doing that when I found this little cave of movies. Usually there's something like it when I rummage and I like those little holes because it makes it easier to see further in and find some good movies and I almost just plunged my hand in to move around the movies when I realized it was already in such a cool composition. I made a solid place to put my phone and slightly moved the dvd cases to make the cool spiral but the shot was pretty much how the dvd's were laying. I had one take that was ruined at the end because my phone slipped, but this take I knew it was my final one. I thought the kid yelling in the background would ruin it but honestly I think he added to the piece, especially with the paw patrol dvd that's watching the audience the entire time. I think it's a good mix of scan beeps, employees moving big carts, shoping carts, and people talking. One audio element does't overtake the other and I hope that balance of sound comes through. I was really excited while I was recording it. I was also careful with making sure the shot aligned with the rule of thirds (I had to use my fingers though because i couldn't figure out how to turn on the grid) and when I was watching over it in post I realized that I had my focus on the edge of a dvd perfectly aligned with the bottom right cross section. Also, for my slight amusement, the John Wick dvd being in the shot is very funny because I have a fondness for Keanu Reeves. Also I'm really really happy that the shot has naturally good value differences and consistency that draws your attention in the right way.Honestly, I really love that of all places, it's a walmart $5 movie bargin bin. I feel like that's one of the last places you'd expect someone's careful attention to be on and especially not something you would think to make art out of.
I'm genuinely really happy with how it turned out.
I'm sorry my written response is so long but honestly the lore behind my thought process with this one was long and I feel like knowing the full context kinda adds to the piece.