I hadn't really noticed fall had come until mid October, right before it had turned late. My aunt, my cousins, and I were driving through Rock Creek Park. I've been to Rock Creek Park a million times, but it's a forest, and forests are not like Vegas. What stays in a forest doesn't stay there. It changes. My aunt put the soundtrack of Cars 2 in the CD player of her car, and my cousins sang the instrumental, and I spaced. Sometimes, when you space out, you get very paranoid and you're not sure who you are. Other times you're not sure what anything else is. I looked through the window, and there were trees. It was glorious, what was in front of me. Trees, and trees, and trees, and some were orange and others red and others green and some purple. Some were bare and some had coats, but they were all beautiful. And so as we cruised through the park, I knew it was fall, and I knew that fall wasn't a reminder winter was coming, it was fall.
Rock Creek Park reminds me of Central, especially in the Fall, and so I associate red leaves with the city. Big Band Music likewise reminds me of such, and so I wanted to show what my fall was through Big Band music and a park. I haven't gotten the opportunity to go back to Rock Creek, so instead I filmed Sligo. I wanted to encompass that same awe I had when I first realized it was fall, and how colorful it was, so all of my videos are taken through means of transit. Most are taken through the window of my bus home; however the beginning and the end feature the windows of my mother and my Gramma's car.
iPhones are perhaps most useful because they have excellent cameras that are not cameras. I began with the shot of 16th street at night, the row in which many churches in Washington DC are located. Much of that which is featured are the lights, and this symbolizes the darkness of winter, but the light fall brings before it. I then transition into my bus ride. I wanted to focus on how the houses blend in with the earth. Everything becomes neutral, but everything pops. My favorite part of my bus ride is my ride through Sligo Creek, because, regardless of its stench and its issues, it's pretty. This is why I like to imagine myself in New York, anyway. I found when I was filming, my phone captured the leaves as a blur and created a sort of natural collage. I found this made fall even more exciting, because it's art in itself.
I recently watched Lost in Translation by Sofia Coppola, who is an idol of mine. Many of the film's shots are taken through the windows of the car, and I liked the hopefulness of them. I also liked the indirect technique. It seemed like the viewer could make what he or she wanted of the film. So I tried to imitate a bit of that, as my favorite shot (this might be sort of creepy) is of the people passing by out of the bus window. The beginning shot is also the same as the end, as they're the only car window views, and I cheekily made the last bit one of a stop sign.
I included the Big Band music for a more city like effect. Big Band also makes me feel happy, but pensive, which I think is what Fall's about. I also edited it on YouTube video editor to make it look like a really cheesy cartoon due to Peanuts influences. Fall is the last time to be joyful before winter misery. Fall is the last time to be warm before the year ends. It's a time to reflect upon the year and see what you'd still like to do.
I hope this Capture the Fall is what it is to me, what it might be to you. I hope the title makes sense. And in the Sofia Coppola tradition, I hope you might make something out of views from windows.
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