design narrative; formative

Spectre - a ghost, something that is widely feared or a dangerous occurrence

Espy - to see it or glimpse it

Inspired by The kinetoscope operated on a reel system in pre-cinematic devices, I created a version of my own cinematic device in which a reel of a man waving can be seen. Light and the surrounding sights can pass through one of the frames, rather than limiting the viewer to tune out of their surrounding view as done in the original kinetoscope.

Through this exercise, I found myself asking like what is overlooked? What would someone usually overlook here and how can I make that look cool?

Playing with my device helped me to spot spaces that could be occupied by light, a person, though when found it was often absent/empty. Through layering of photographs, I have created a sequence flowing between things that perhaps stay out of sight, though we are never out of its watch.

I found myself experimenting with segmenting material and then the assemblage of a new piece. Also exploring the flexibility of different materials and the combinations of different textures together to create a new surface. So I had reflective material as well as quite dark material. I decided to explore this in my designs

Espy A Spectre

Drawn from the coping mechanism of Escapism, cinema and theatre was often used as a way to escape from one’s reality.

With rising crime in Auckland City, it becomes more and more unnerving to visit. These realities of the once safe, though now changing city are becoming aggressively obvious. Unfortunately, it was made obvious in my own reality too, during an encounter with 2 hooded figures holding knives to my partner along Fort Street. With my own recollection of the city, I want to reflect on my new reality while also diluting it for others. I want to create a safe space for the public to escape too, in which they feel sheltered and undetected, all the while bringing this concept of safety in numbers to the site.

Public who wander along Fort Lane can see the ghost like figures, leading them to Imperial Lane.

Here, they are invited to take headphones from one of the ghosts, then being lead into the mirror theatre.

Once inside, they may choose to roam or sit comfortably within the interior of this two-way mirror glass structure, either paying attention to the ongoings of the Lane outside the theatre or immerse in the movie playing on screen within the theatre.

To hear the movie play, individuals can listen at their own desire through the aforementioned headphones (which are connected to the movie).

Here inside the theatre, they are unseen by the public eye and can enjoy a versatile experience dependent on what kind of getaway each individual needs for that day.

(An additional feature to the proposed design is that) Parody is a phase in the genre film theory. It stems from making fun of, or making light of the many stale reiterations of a type of film in a certain genre, and is done so by making parodic films. Keeping in mind the cliche that is “safety in numbers”, much like the people gathered in this little theatre, the ghosts can be seen parodying this act of gathering and dwelling in the light wells above the igloo. Similarly to escapism, humour or parody is another coping mechanism, a process of grievance as to what one’s reality actually is, if you will.