dementia video

this is my first video for my project is about dementia but it is light hearted and informative which i like. the flow of the video works as the dissolve transitions work because they are not too harsh and take the effect away from the video but they create a nice flow between each still image. the only thing i think that needs improving is the audio there is background noise and it does sound shaky. also i need a confident speech as sometimes i hesitate taking the overall effect away from the end product. the nickel back song at the end i feel works but i am worried it isn't age appropriate 

Questions for next video 

•  Do i need an older song ? 

• Do i need a need an older voice?

• Do i need new images? 

My Narrative Revised

Jonathan Stead 

   





n 2008 Jonathan Stead's Grandmother was diagnosed with dementia and having lost her husband and increasingly unable to care for herself this project explores the last few months of her life. These unique singular glass plates serve as a physical lasting reminder of the last few months of her life. The flaws on each of the plates reflect the'errors' and flaws present in her mind as the disease took over. the effect of the glass plates also to me looks like old photos that his grandmother would have that what i saw when I first saw these image before i knew about the glass plate technique.

from the feedback session the idea of dementia narrative presents dark side to my piece of work which could be a problem as an awareness campaign it should have a happier note to the piece but i don't want the piece to be a joke i still want it to be informative and have a serious element lesson.

                 

       

         

The images above in the film are very yellow and warm lighting which does wash out other colours in the shot. the positioning of the camera as well doesn't show that the food is getting easier it eat as the disease progresses so the idea of the narrative is not clear enough for the audience to see and realise what the sequence is about.The only give away is the voice over and interview otherwise it isn't clear.

my initial idea of showing the stages of dementia through eating food doesn't work as without an explanation or interview the audience would not know what is going on. 

I want to do a awareness campaign informing carer givers of dementia suffers to stop and help with the symptoms of the disease. It will start of with a charade style one word, 3 syllables and 8 letters. Then each letter of the word dementia will be shown representing a symptom. After each letter is relieved the voice over will reveal statistics about dementia and explain to carers that making memories now will help in the future to save more of the person they once knew.

My Narrative

Dementia Narrative

People with dementia often experience various problems with eating and drinking. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is important. It can help maintain physical and mental well-being. 

Looking at previous campaigns there is nothing on dementia suffers and their diet as I known from having relatives with this condition there eating habits change dramatically as the disease takes over. the appetite is suppressed or they over eat. but it is still important for them to get a balanced diet there are tips and ideas that carers can do to deal with this here are some examples 

Advice from the Alzheimers Society 

• Regular snacks or small meals are better than set mealtimes.
• Make food look and smell appealing. Use different tastes, colours and smells. The aroma of cooking can stimulate someone’s appetite.
• Provide food the person likes. Try not to overload the plate with too much food; small and regular portions often work best.
• Positive encouragement and gentle reminders to eat, and of what the food is, may help.
• A relaxed, friendly atmosphere with some soft music may help.

On big problem with dementia suffers may have difficulties with chewing food. They may forget to chew or they may hold food in their mouth. Certain foods, such as sweetcorn or dry biscuits, may be more difficult for the person to chew or swallow. These should be avoided. If the person is experiencing pain in their mouth it will make chewing uncomfortable and difficult. As dementia progresses swallowing difficulties  become more common, although they can vary from person to person. If a person is having difficulty with swallowing, a referral to a speech and language therapist can help. Difficulties can include holding food in the mouth, continuous chewing, and leaving harder-to-chew foods (eg hard vegetables) on the plate. Weight loss, malnutrition and dehydration can also be consequences of swallowing difficulties.

This is the bases of my narrative the progression of dementia through food. As there is no other campaign like it there is a need for it to be highlighted. I want to show this through the carers perspective as they are watching someone they love  revert back to a child by their mannerisms and the way they can't remember simple task for example eating with a knife and fork. Seeing relatives change from the happy go lucky self to a child again more less is saddening to see for both sufferer and carer more so for the carer as the see the progression more so hence I want to show this point of view. The other main idea I had for my narrative is not to show the face of the sufferer or less of face as possible as if a person face is shown I believe the campaign would be too focused around their individual story and not the message of the campaign which is about dementia sufferers and their relationship with food.

Constructing a Narrative

Constructed Narrative 

• Framing 
• Constructing a scene 
• Mise en scene 
• Symbolism 
• Time and place 

Framing 

especially in the photographic arts, is primarily concerned with the position and perspective of the viewer. The position of the observer has tremendous impact on their perception of the main subject, both in terms of aesthetics and in their interpretation of the meaning 

• what are you framing ?
• what you not framing ?
• why you not framing ? 

Constructing a scene 

• What is the frame?
• Where is the scene taking place?
• Why is this in the shot ?
• why is this not in the scene?

Set Design

is the creation of scenery for television, film and stage this is not the same constructing a scene they are different!

Mise en Scene

 placing on the stage is the literal translation of mise en scene from French but the French term is used to mean director of a film which still has a reference to placing in the scene.

Symbolism 

the use of symbolism to transmit and control a scene 

example -The Graduate 

symbolism 

• orders from the captain and orders from the airport reflects that ben the main character is constantly been ordered how to live his life. 

• the travelator symbolises  Ben's journey and where he is heading.
• the end of the titles shows Ben sat in front of a goldfish tank making it look like that he is goldfish looking out of bowl

Constructing a scene and the importance of time in relation to storytelling studio and non studio approaches.

Practitioners relating to my narrative

Jem Southam 

The subject of this body of work is oberserving the life cycle of nature and the decay of nature. this relates to my project as my idea is about how dementia changes a person. Even though decay is link to rotting it is also linked to death.Therefore dementia could be said to be a disease where the sufferers are decaying as the disease takes over more of them as person they are slowly decaying away like the wildlife in this series 

Sam Taylor-Wood

The still life body of work is a time lapse piece showing again decay and death but with fruit the images look like they are captured in motion even though they are a series of stills but there is a narrative there about decay.The same as the Jem Southam the decaying nature and fruit relates the decay of the mind in dementia sufferers. 

Narrative ideas

NARRATIVE IDEA 

When I was thinking about  ideas to create my narrative I had several ideas but they were all based around this idea of a dinning table , a couple and meal for two.

I was initially going to create a narrative on what appears to be a couple having a meal with two plate but in reality there is just one part of the couple eating and the other member of couple is no where to be seen. The narrative was looking at loneliness but after thinking abut this idea I thought I could take it further. I thought the loneliness narrative wasn't as strong but I like the setting of the dining table and the couple eating.Hence I wanted to change the narrative to dementia as i have family members who suffer from dementia I know about how they change especially doing simple tasks like eating. 

Dementia research 

• By 2015 there will be 850,000 people with dementia in the UK.
• There are 40,000 younger people with dementia in the UK.
• There are 25,000 people with dementia from black and minority ethnic groups in the UK.
• There will be 1 million people with dementia in the UK by 2025.
• Two thirds of people with dementia are women.
• One in six people aged 80 and over have dementia.
• 60,000 deaths a year are directly attributable to dementia.

Alzheimer's Society Dementia Brain Video

Claire Marshall

claire marshall is makeup aritst turned blogger, her tumblr blog Left-side  features this post about claire and her relationship with her dementia suffering mother 

I WISH I COULD SPEAK TO MY MOM TODAY…

I know I don’t speak about this topic often, maybe I should. Maybe if I spoke about it more, those of us who are going through the same thing could share our experiences and I would feel less alone in these feelings. Honestly I don’t bring it up because it can be such a downer and if I allow myself to speak about it, or even think about it…I think that I will cry and that in itself will slow me down.

Let me first say that my Mom is alive. Maybe the title threw you off but let me explain. For those of you who may not know this about me, my Mom has always been my rock and the reason why I’ve come this far in my life. I owe her everything. She was always strong, independent, didn’t take shit from anyone and raised me to be the same way (which I’m forever thankful for). Next year I’ll be turning 30 and I’ve started to realize how much I am in fact, my mother’s daughter.

My Mom also happened to be diagnosed with dementia 2 years ago.

As her memories fade it becomes harder and harder to stay in touch. I know she encouraged me to pursue my dreams and move to Los Angeles despite the diagnosis, but I can’t help but feel a shadow of guilt every once in awhile. When I first moved I would try and fly back to Virginia every other month or so but it’s gotten harder to maintain those frequent visits. I don’t think I’ve physically seen my mom in 6 months because work has started to get in the way but she understood and said, “I don’t want to hold you back.”

Last February was the first time she didn’t remember my birthday and tomorrow (Thanksgiving) will be the first that I can’t make to be with her. I wish I could speak to her and have her understand what my current achievements are. I wish I could speak to her and tell her how she is truly my driving force. She is the reason why I don’t believe that failure is an option and I wish that I could tell her in a way that she would understand.

This is the time of year that people take the time to be thankful and surrounded by family. The harsh reality is that not everyone is able to enjoy such a luxury. My hope is that by reading this it will remind you to enjoy the time you have with your loved ones and keep those memories close to your hearts. You are so lucky to have them. 

Living with dementia: A harmonica for Ronnie by Mark Seymour 

As a child Mark Seymour always had a camera in is hands and would be constantly take photos of his mum and dad. It wasn't usual that want to be a photographer and would take pictures of his mum and dad in their daily life. When Mark's dad Ronnie was diagnosed with dementia took upon his self to document his dad life in this difficult and painful time. Even though it was a hard documentation to do he felt compelled to do, bringing meaning not just to them as a family but so he could take something positive from this situation and use it to help raise the awareness of others of what dementia does to a person and their family.

Marks pictures  of his Dad and the story there within produces a powerful connection with people touching their hearts, with so many people knowing a friend or family member with a similar story to tell. I want to raise awareness of dementia for the patient but also the impact on their families and loved ones.”

My Reflection on this work 

my initials thoughts on body of the work is that is quite emotional piece to look at as you can see how is dad has deteriorated due to this illness. The images even though not all are images of his dad they all relate and tell a story. I like the fact that the last image is of his dad in a happier time I believe Mark wanted remember his father as a happy go lucky soul not what he turned into due to this disease. the images being in black and white has more of an effect I think as there is no distracting colours to take away from the focus from the context of the image. These images do collectively tell the story of Mark's dad battle with Dementia.

Awareness campaigns

I am thinking about my narrative as an awareness campaign so i need to see what campaigns are out there at the moment looking at the style and the look of the campaigns .