As I decided at the end of my last project that I was going to be conducting my research based off the research method I studied by Brenda Laurel, This week I’m going to start with Stephan, which is defining the goal of my project and clarifying specifics.
I’ll begin by clarifying the specific goals for the project:
Since my film is based on a place that’s important to me, I want the design to evoke nostalgia, familiarity, and comfort. I want people to watch it and feel a sense of childhood, homeliness, and warmth. The core message of my film is about the feeling of home.
To communicate this, I plan to use warm colour grading, experiment with audio and music, and film my shots in a way that feels childlike and playful.
I imagine my audience as a theatre full of people, all waiting for their movie to begin. My film would play among the advertisements beforehand, almost like a quiet, reflective moment before the main event. That’s how I’ve been picturing it—something small yet intentional, slipping in between the noise of commercials and trailers.
I’ve been considering how I might shape it into a kind of advertisement, though not in a traditional sense. I don’t want it to sell anything; I want it to feel like a standalone piece, something that lingers in people’s minds. Maybe it’s more of a visual poem, a moment of nostalgia and familiarity that catches the audience off guard, making them feel something before the feature film begins.
I like the idea that, just for a minute or two, my film could transport people somewhere else—to a place that feels both personal and universal, like a memory they’ve never quite had but still recognize. The challenge is balancing that with the structured, attention-grabbing nature of an advertisement while still keeping the quiet, independent spirit of the piece intact.
Since I want my film to evoke nostalgia, I think a slightly vintage aesthetic would suit it best—something that looks like it was filmed on the same kind of camera that captured childhood photos and home videos. I actually still have a camera like this, so I’m considering using it instead of my Canon to see if it enhances the nostalgic feel.
Beyond the camera itself, I can also achieve this look through colour grading. I might explore different fonts and even add timestamps or dates in the corner, similar to old home videos, to reinforce the feeling of a past memory.