iMovie Project

iMOVIE PROJECT:

"THE BEAUTY OF GRAND RAPIDS AT NIGHT"

Christopher Barnwood

Nicole Chiaravalli

Melissa Arbanas

Here is a link to our iMovie. Enjoy!
"The Beauty of Grand Rapids at Night"

The Blue Bridge & City Lights

The Lonely Highway Lights Under the Bridge   STORYBOARD

MINDMAP

ARTISTS' STATEMENT “The Beauty of Grand Rapids at Night”      Oftentimes, cases are reported of crime and violence in urban areas. This school year, particularly, has had a significant rise in emails that are sent out to students at Grand Valley University in regard to muggings, apartment break-ins, and rape. While these are serious issues that must be addressed, our group has decided to create a film that showcases the beauty that is still surrounding us in downtown Grand Rapids and that the city can still be enjoyed safely at night.      In order to do this, the first question that we asked was, how can one be exposed to a cityscape at night and not experience a sense of anxiety? Likewise, how can we incorporate human interaction in a nonintrusive way? Is it still possible to document a city at night, particularly less commonly visited areas, that breaks away from the harsh label that has become commonly placed on cities during a time where the community is receiving emails of dangerous police reports.      In response to these questions, our group decided to call attention to the subtle details that make nighttime city life a unique experience. The key detail that we call attention to is the artificial lighting that creates a blend of color throughout the city. We capture this by filming a series of shots of elongated light reflections on the pavement as well as the sides of buildings and windows. We also include the lights coming from passing cars and the Christmas lights that have been installed in Rosa Parks Circle and on side streets.      Choosing to include footage with a small number of pedestrians creates a sense of community without making the viewer feel overwhelmed. Including the clip of a couple dancing on an ice rink also offers an innocent moment of romance that gives the film a ‘feel-good’ quality.      Beyond This Moment by Patrick O’Hearn is the song that we chose to play with our video. This piano, string, and guitar piece is fitting because of its ‘moving’ pace and overall clear rhythm. Likewise, it does not have lyrics, which would have been distracting, and works well as background noise. Along with the song, we chose to include select sound effects, such as the sound of passing cars. In doing so, the viewer gains a sense of placement and experiences the environment.     PLANNING WORKSHEET  Title of movie: “The Beauty of Grand Rapids at Night” Filming production group: Arbanas, Bain, Chiaravalli Describe your concept/idea: The concept or idea behind this movie was derived from a desire to display the allure and wonder of Grand Rapids in lieu of ugliness and violence. Primarily, we wanted to portray a night­time view of the city in a beautiful and unthreatening light. We posed the question: How can one be exposed to an evening cityscape, specifically downtown Grand Rapids, and not experience a sense of anxiety? We set out to answer the question by filming a series of clips highlighting the lights, skyline, peace and grace of the city at night. Rationale for making this movie: The rationale behind this movie originated due to numerous reports of crime and violence in Grand Rapids. Many such reports were communicated to Grand Valley State University students via emails from The Public Safety Committee at GVSU. While crime and violence are serious issues that should not be taken lightly, our group wanted to remove some of the focus from the negative aspects of downtown Grand Rapids at night and place emphasis on the positive aspects of the city. Type of motion picture: Documentary film Technical and conceptual strategies: Techniques used throughout the video include wide angle shots, close ups, and panning. Each shot was made with a tripod in order to reduce camera­shake and allow a clearer image. The order of the shots are stitched together to create a narration of arriving, exploring, and leaving Grand Rapids. Because everything was filmed at night, artificial lighting was utilized and created an array of color to the footage. Likewise, the color and lighting set the tone for the film, which is inspirational and energizing.