This workshop involved Darren and me and started, as before, with a review of the work done and recorded in the previous workshop to decide on the ideas we would pursue over the two days. I have been reminded during our work of aspects of Jacques Tati films and we diverted enjoyably and with considerable relevance to watching clips from Traffic, Mon Oncle and Playtime.
The original poster for Playtime.
Not only does Tati bring to his work his experience as a mime artist, he has a fantastic sense of design and visual impact, with great attention to detail. In Playtime a modernist dream becomes a controlling environment where behaviour is determined by the structures and divisions of their home and working environments. Patterns of architecture form patterns of movement and interaction.
Similarly, in Mon Oncle the extreme design of the garden (with wonderful use of colour and texture) makes the owners of the house and visitors move from the gate to the building along predetermined routes. The aggressively modern furniture forces people to sit in particular ways that are not comfortable for the body.
During the workshop we filmed Tea Break (II) with the ladder in morning light with changes to Darren’s clothing, the lighting and framing, less sliding of the ladder, reframing in portrait. We also decided on finishing the sequence with me bringing in two cups of tea.
We filmed Tea Break (I) with the table and chairs with adjustments to the lighting, leaving out the hat and coat but bringing in a picture. I had bought new china and napkins and we decided on a cake rather than biscuits – all important stuff!
