An archive dive—from days when we could still “leave on a jet plane”. London Gatwick Airport, early(ish) morning, interesting light and interesting sandals. I’d eventually fly home.

Camera: FUJIFILM X100F
Lens: Exposure: 1/1800
F-Number: 2.8
ISO: 200

STRETCHING

I landed a gig. Which means I’m on a deadline, which means pressure, which means...life, kinda. I’m shooting the project from home so it’s not breaking the isolation—but it’s damn nice to actually do something tangible for a change. This does mean I’m a bit pressed for time however, so apologies for the shorter issue than usual.

Obviously the project has to do with photography, but the bulk of the work is filming and editing. Which I will admit, considerably adds to the challenge. Now, I come from this world, initially: I worked in TV for years, did compositing/design, a bit of camera work and I was even a freelance editor for awhile (music videos, when that was more of a thing). But this was...decades ago. And technology has a way to...like...change? So I’m learning Final Cut Pro X on the fly, finally coming to grips with the video portion of my X-T3 and stretching the muscles I’ve been flexing bit by bit with my experimental work. I’m also writing and recording the soundtrack because...sure. But you know what? I’m loving it. Nervous as hell but loving it.

The truth is that pre-pandemic, I wouldn't have chosen to do this on my own. Remove choice and what we’re left with are just two options: sink or swim. 

Hopefully I’ll make it to the other side.

KANE & REVELATIONS

Two years of film studies and I had never seen Citizen Kane. Excerpts, sure—they’re unavoidable. And Rosebud...I knew about Rosebud. But I had never sat down and watched the movie from beginning to end. So one morning, about a month ago (I think…hard to tell at this point), I fired up Netflix, dropped my butt on the couch and hit play on what is generally considered The Greatest Film of All Time. 

This is the perfect setup for a letdown. No matter how objective you try to be, the weight of that praise presses on your subconscious and your brain goes into that “ok, show me what you’ve got bucko” mode. Amaze me, why don’t you…

My thoughts for the first 5-10 minutes of the movie went along the lines of: “oh...crap”. Disillusionment was setting in. This would be a classic movie for which I’d recognize the qualities but ultimately it would just come off as simplistic and behind the times. I mean, it’s 2020 for God’s sake. And wasn’t Orson Welles an old and obese magician I once saw on Love Boat when I was a kid (1)?

But then, the fake news reel sequence ended. And the film cut to a newsroom. And the actors there appeared as mere silhouettes, set against a perfectly framed composition that had all the hallmarks of an expressionist painting. Or chiaroscuro.

Whoa.

From this point on I remained mesmerized. I scribbled notes; I paused the movie to grab screenshots. I sent film stills to my inspiration journal. I won’t pretend the dialog doesn’t feel dated by today’s standards but the cinematography is downright breathtaking. And it’s not just a visual feast either: Welles plays with the narrative in ways that reveal the movie Dunkirk as an obvious hommage. There is nothing here that isn’t thoroughly modern. Entire scenes are revisited as flashbacks from entirely separate POVs, revealing new layers to the story. And the concept of layers is in fact paramount throughout: Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland use deep focus to create intricate compositions that weave several meanings in a single frame.

When Citizen Kane ended, I felt out of breath. My brain was buzzing and it took a good 30 minutes to settle down. I guess I can tick this one off the bucket list. But man...it’s nice to see that sometimes, things do live up to their reputation. 

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

1. Turns out he never appeared on that show. I was sure I’d seen him on it. But strangely enough, in researching this I found out he almost did.

LESS JOY :-(

Below you’ll find a review (from the blog) of that Magic Keyboard I mentioned in the last issue. It’s effusive and I stand by everything I wrote but: as I write theses words I’m waiting on UPS. The keyboard is packed and on it’s way back for a refund. Why? Yesterday, eight days after it was delivered, I noticed a wobbling as I typed on my desk. Turns out, the base is warped. Just enough for one side to stick up and prevent the kit from being stable. This is only noticeable on a flat surface but come on.

Normally I would’ve visited the Apple Store but they’re still closed, so off it goes. I now intend to wait and see if others develop this problem because as much as I like it, there’s no way I’m paying $449+taxes for a wobbly keyboard. If it’s a design flaw it’s a biggie—hopefully I just got a bad 1.0 model. 

So I’m back to my Logitech monster and I now have a terrible case of trackpad deprivation syndrome. But at least I can type.

Another (quick) one down. I promise more content next time. If you happen to know anyone who’d enjoy THESE TRACES, feel perfectly free to forward this email. If you’re on the receiving end and would like to sign up for more, just click here.

Until next time,
Patrick

AND NOW, FROM THE BLOG