Selfie
Digital Video
3m 47s
2021

Throughout the evolution of motion image technology, the use of repetition offered a reliable technique for constructing the illusion of movement. Devices, such as the phenakistiscope and the zoetrope, used rotating disks in order to maintain a constant stream of motion. Eventually, these devices would give way to the motion picture camera; however, the same principles were embedded within this mechanized technology. By capturing images at a rate of 18 and 24 frames per second, early innovations ensured that repetition would act as a lasting technical standard. In short, it is plausible to suggest that cinema would not exist without the loop.

During the 1960’s and 70’s, the loop reemerged within experimental film cirlces. Structural film emphasized the repetitive sequence of the moving image. Filmmakers, such as Paul Sharits, Peter Kubelka and Michael Snow, presented a visceral experience of strobing patterns and cyclical imagery. Through the use of loops, tempo and flicker, an algorithm of visual aesthetics began to emerge. In doing so, the structural film movement would redefine the boundaries of accepted cinematic discourse.

Selfie pays tribute to the use of repetition and structure within motion image technology. Using the 1956 MGM production Lust for Life as source material, the project employs the use of loop-based operations. In addition to structural elements, Selfie seeks to offer a renewed method for observing traditional formulas of storytelling. The film presents a revised and abbreviated sampling of the three-act structure. Rather than eliminate the existence of the setup, conflict and resolution, the project provides an abstraction of the original storytelling structure. In doing so, Selfie draws a connection between experimental and industry-based approaches towards cinematic storytelling.