Audio

Audio Script

PRODUCTION TITLE Intro to myblog

LOCATION Elephant & Castle

DURATION 1min 10secs (70secs)       

INTRODUCTION

Fade into Patti Smith interview in Brussels 1976 while slow rock song intro plays in the background (Dazed and Confused – Led Zeppelin). We can hear her say:

“…it’s all feeling. Rock & roll really allows me to be so free yet very constructive, you know? Art is very important to me, art is what… Artists are like the guardians of history, they’re the guardians of the spirit”

MAIN POINTS

Once the last word is said,  Dazed and Confused’s gets louder, and the guitar riff starts playing

Instrumental version of Dazed and Confused plays in the background

“My name is Beatriz but you can call Bia for short and this is myblog. I’m a Media Communications student at UAL LCC. My main interests are music especially rock and jazz, movies, photography, dance and art history. I practice photography, especially film, I also like drawing and painting when I find the time to. I like exploring topics related to my main interests but also more general themes like social issues I’m interested in and nostalgia.”

CONCLUSION/OUTRO

“So if any of that interests you, feel free to stick along for the ride” Dazed and Confused gets louder once again, going into the main riff. 

Web Content Creation

My mood board is inspired mainly by French cinema in mid to late 20th century, especially the new wave movement of the 1960s. I choose this overall theme because vintage references & films are a big part of my visual inspirations, from my work all the way to how I dress in my day to day life. I used here for example shots from Agnes Varda’s Du Côté de la Côte, Jacques Demy’s Les Demoiselles de Rochefort and Jean-Luc Godard’s La Chinoise & Pierrot le Fou, all being Nouvelle Vague movies but you can also see stills from non new wave movies like Le Genou de Claire & Conte d’été both by Eric Rohmer and Plein Soleil by René Clément. Iconic fashion and musical figures of France like Françoise Hardy, Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot can also be spotted.

Additionally, the element of summer is added to the aesthetic with elements like the vintage sunglasses advert seen on the left side and the different depictions of beaches. Being Portuguese, the ocean is a big part of my national and artistic identity hence why I chose mostly movies who’s story take place in the summer and/or by the sea.

I used a colourful palette including yellow, orange, pink and blue to reflect the freshness and fun of summer and the somewhat romanticised idea of “simpler times” we often associate with previous generations.

Creative Writing

“Ok, let’s do that again”

The music stopped abruptly. My eyes were fixed on the mirror as a drop of sweat came running down my left temple, my muscles aching. It was only mid-May but the temperature of the studio was already unbearable and I had been practicing this piece for 4 whole hours, incapable of satisfying the choreographer. A hand on his hip, the other stroking his chin, he stared at the floor for a few seconds, thinking. Before he started his usual critique, I collapsed to the floor to catch my breath, using the excuse of retying my pointe shoes. This task turned out to be more complicated, my vision being blurred by fatigue and the stifling heat. “Well…” Finally lifting his eyes, he left his sentence hanging in the air. His hard, unyielding gaze sent shivers down my spine. I knew what was coming after this kind of sentence opener : harsh remarques, comments on my posture, my arms, my legs or anything he could find to nitpick. He continued, exasperated “your phrasing is completely wrong, you end up no longer being in rhythm. From the beginning” I let my chin fall on my chest, overwhelmed. My jaw clenched in frustration.

Finally finding the strength to get up, I walked towards the back of the room to get back into position, while everyone scrutinized my actions. As the hours passed, the studio had emptied, only the major roles remaining, their replacements, a few teachers and, of course, the choreographer. It is strange how this small audience terrifies me more than that of the big theaters. Maybe it is their expertise, maybe it is their physical proximity. Regardless, their presence only made this situation more humiliating. 

I positioned myself, took a deep breath, and the music started again. I tried to apply all the corrections he had thrown at me throughout the last half-hour and also anticipate all those he still hadn’t pointed out. Having done this variation again and again, I didn’t even have to think about the movement sequence anymore and could solely focus on the details. I was reaching the end of the solo,  when “Stop”. I completely froze. Everyone else in the room held their breath. “Again” he said sharply. The sweat on my skin felt like a second layer of clothing, heavy and suffocating. I swallowed hard, nodded timidley and went back to the beginning position. The music began once more. After a few seconds “Stop,” he said once again. I didn’t know how much more of this I could take. Yet, I went back into position and the music started again.

additional comment : This short story is not a direct retelling of a particular event in my life but it is inspired by a general feeling I felt during my later years of doing ballet. Although I loved that art form and enjoyed the 15 years of doing it (to the point of even considering picking it back up), it was a challenging experience both physically and mentally. This story echos the shared experience dancers have of repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, and how this affects ones self esteem.