A FORTRESS

_*A FORTRESS*_ Produced for JCCC course FMS-200 taught by Tonia Hughes September 25, 2024 *Artist Statement* Some days ago, when my mother and father were at work and my sister asleep, I took a walk throughout my house, taking the opportunity to observe and indulge in every detail in my surroundings. Seeing empty tables, closed doors, and lights illuminating dormant rooms, I felt a sense of longing. I sought to replicate and present my, and perhaps your experience of wandering through the quiet halls of a home lived in for longer than a decade. I specifically wanted to use Adobe Premiere Pro plugin Dehancer to emulate film grain and use of older cameras, much like a “home video” that families would record. I shot in 4k pixel quality at 24 frames per second, to add to the effect of reflection of the past in context of the present. Saturation is decreased, temperature is used intentionally in several locations, and there are intentional messages in certain sequences, colors, and sounds. With A Fortress, I ask, urge, and encourage the audience to take their own messages away along with the initial message. This short film is not an exploration into my story exclusively, but it offers a window into the audience’s own homes, and their own fortresses. What are their walls made of? How are they defended? How do those inside your fortresses live? Finally, what did it use to be?