Prologue Critical Eye: Situation and Framing 

 

Reframing the Everyday- A study in representing the normal as extraordinary.

 

We take two potentially dire location in Plymouth and turn them into poetic visions exposing a hidden beauty using similar or parallel framing techniques to those used by Mike Leigh. 

 

Intentions: We are trying to capture some of the key themes regarding the framing of scenes and situations. Mike Leigh takes some very banal locations and turns them into extraordinary vistas. 

 

The first tracking shot takes a literal cross section through six cafes on the first floor of the Plymouth Pannier market. Here we see directly behind the scenes at the workings behind the counters as well as the spaces occupied by their customers. This juxtaposition occurs six times in succession over one continuous track providing brief insights into what could be six parallel universes.

 

We are now linked into another long track through Bretonside Bus Station. A space that occupies a terrotory that is neither indoors or outdoors, while managing to be both at once. Another 'slice of life' is captured here in all its glory, from the pigeons to the skating students and the queues for the buses to the shoppers returning home. 

 

The music is by Ned Rifle, and is taken from the original score for the Amateur by Hal Hartley.