FMP Work: Gallery Presentation (18/04)

As my short film has started to really come together, I’ve been thinking of ways to present the final product in the gallery space at the end of the year. I discussed with my tutor ways to present a video and in the end we came up with two ideas: A projector or a TV set up.

The set up with the TV (or monitor) would stand on a plinth with the show statement pinned underneath it on the plinth itself. It would stand alone and the short film would play on the screen. The projector would be up on a wall by itself with the show statement to the side, it would play from the projector onto the wall.

Of course, with both of these choices there are problems that need solving. For the projector:

1. People standing in front of the projector’s light will cause their shadows to appear on the wall, blocking the film itself.
2. The projection will need to be in a dark room to be seen, and a projector itself takes up a lot of space, so either an entire room would need to be dedicated to this one piece, or the entire gallery room would need to be dark for it.
3. The projection won’t be fully opaque so the video itself will lose a lot of vibrancy and colour, which in turn will take out some detail

The issues with the TV/Monitor set up are:

1. The screen will be far smaller, meaning groups of people won’t be able to view the film without difficulty.
2. The issue of sound, if the audio plays out loud it could be distracting and annoying to hear on repeat. It also might be drowned out by the general noise of the room for those trying to listen.
3. The fix for problem number 2 would be headphones. This provides a far more personal, intimate experience, but only one person would be able to listen at a time.

There is also the issue of the book. I have created a supplementary book to showcase all the behind-the-scenes images and a summary of the short film’s story. The book itself should be on a plinth, which would conflict with the TV/Monitor set up idea as both being on a plinth would hold the book at the same level as the short film when it is only meant to be supplementary. The fix to this could be hanging the TV/Monitor to the wall with the plinth beneath it. The show statement could hang from either the plinth or the wall.

Final Presentation Plan

In the end I opted for the TV/Monitor set up as I believe it is the most convenient and friendly option. The audio will play from headphones that people can listen to individually while watching the screen. The book will be set up on a plinth underneath the screen, with the show statement on the wall where it is at eye level for ease of reading. This way everything is compact and together while also being considerate of other people’s pieces.