Context

I see my final sequence the "Conversation of Letters" to be showcased in a gallery/ exhibition. I feel this because it is quite a personal narrative, especially with the inclusion of family photographs. The mystery aspect creates an engagement with the audience which I see as being a protagonist to discuss the narrative with other viewers.

I envisage my work being a wall based exhibition, viewed as a long horizontal line along a wall. I think this would be good as it would encourage the audience to take on the narrative shot by shot one next to the other, connecting the story as they go through the narrative. The photographs would be all the same size as there are no shots that have more significance over others. Below is a mock up of this idea.

Final Sequence

Below is my final edited sequence I have titled "Conversation of Letters". I have edited the photographs so that they are all the same size and are cohesive.

I am rather pleased with my final narrative because it takes on the narrative codes I have researched a few posts down. The narrative is a mystery, the audience don't know who is sending the letters, they don't know what the letters are saying and they don't know the significance of the family photographs passed on.

My re shot image has worked well to emulate the given image according to my location and lighting etc. The repetition of this shot was needed during the narrative to determine which letters were being put where.

The lighting in all my photographs work well in suggesting a dark hallway and the brightness of the flats.

Photographing of the Final Sequence

In this post I will discuss the photographs I took for each shot in the narrative. I will then decide on the photographs to be used in the final sequence and put them in a separate post and discuss why I chose these particular images. Below is a contact sheet of all the photographs taken throughout my final shoot. I have then undergone an edit to achieve a final picking of images.

  

Shot 2

In shot 2 the first letter will be given to the closed door, flat E5E. I started by photographing the letter under the door on its own and realized the hand in the compositions worked successfully so continued with this. In the feedback session it was advised that I choose paper for the letters that are very different so the different letters by the different flat owners can be distinguished. I used my own hand for the letters being put under Flat E5E having a bracelet and nail varnish on so the two peoples hands can be again distinguished. The shadows seen on the door from the person delivering the letter are purely cast from the light from the open door. The letter used shows writing but can not be read, the writing is suggestive not detailed so the audience can make up their own opinion about the conversation between the flat owners. By using a tripod I can use the same angle and positioning when taking the photographs showing a letter being put under the door.

Shot 3

In shot 3 I wanted a shot that showed the inside of door where a letter is received, the letter will be under the door. These shots used throughout the narrative will suggest the owner has just realized the letter is there. It also reinforces a letter has been delivered. I have done a similar shot to this in my very first photo test shots, in the feedback on that similar test shot the hinge to the top of the door was distracting, unfortunately I couldn't really get rid of this as I had no other location to shoot these photographs and it would be hard to edit out of the photo. The angle I chose for this shot is quite flat as I wanted the whole door in the composition. I will need to use Photoshop to lighten the image slightly as the letter cannot be seen against the dark carpet and also it will re literate the light inside the flats I have used. I again played around with shadows on the door, which may suggest someone is about to pick up the letter left. I have edited the top photograph to be black and white to see how the shot would look it the style of my narrative and it has turned out to be very successful. 

Shot 4

 

I have already decided on the final shot for shot 4. Shot 4 is the flip of Shot 1 but I have edited the flat number E5C onto the door to show the first letter will be soon replied to. A letter will be now delivered to E5C. The scenario has now been switched, someone will be coming out of E5E so this is now open and E5E is closed. My decision to flip the photograph instead of re take from the opposite side was due to the time frame to get the person living here to be in for me to take the images and also the difficulty to get consistent light from flat to flat. 

Shot 5

This shows the first returning letter, therefore I have used someone else as the arm putting the letter under the door. I like the aspect of the shadow on the door as it gives the audience more clues as to who is putting a letter under. Whilst shooting these images in the narrative I have still kept the opposite door open to get the lighting and some shadows to suggest the other door.

Shot 6

Same composition used as similar shot 3, just with a different letter. Slight shadow on door from object in room but this adds mysterious element. 

Shot 7

Repetition of shot 1 to suggest another series of letters are about to be sent. 

Shot 8

I did try different angles during the shoot but the hand wasn't in the composition enough. I couldn't simply move the arm more in as part of persons body would be included. 

Shot 9

Consistency between similar shots is good, lighting and composition consistent. 

Shot 10

Shot 11

Brightness needs toning down so that audience can see the features of writing but not what it actually says. 

Shot 12

Shot 13

Shot 14

In this shot I have introduced the family photograph element. I wanted to keep it in as it has figured in my storyboards from the start of the module. In the photographs seen here I was playing around with the positioning of the family photograph in relation to the letter, I tried inside the paper and on top of the letter. I think on top works well because the audience can see the photograph better and therefore can read into the message of it being put under the door better. We can also see the photograph is teared. Again the photograph encourages an own interpretation by the audience. 

 

Shot 15

When shooting the inside of the doors I needed to consider the positioning of the letters under the door as it would need to relate to the position put under the door by the other flat owner. 

Shot 16

Shot 17

Again in this shot I chose to put the photo on top of the letter to draw the audience to it. 

Shot 18

 

Shot 19

My last shot is shot 1 again to end the circular narrative. Coming back to this image suggests that the conversation may continue or there may be a meeting of the two flat owners. Again it adds to the mystery, it acts as a cliffhanger if you like.

Having talked through most of the images taken I will now go through the photographs and choose my final photo for each shot. Some will also need changes to brightness and contrast to create a cohesion between the images in my final narrative.