November 27, 1982 (Clear, 44°)
“I was in the right place at the right time, that’s all.

It was hot, and cold. I could feel it pulling me in, but I wasn’t moving at all. It was bright, but I could see it clearly. It was glowing, everywhere. I guess, time was frozen. Nothing was moving, but everything was moving. I wasn’t afraid, but I was frozen. I wasn’t afraid to die, but I also didn’t want to.I just knew that this would be it, the story of the year. This would be the one that got me noticed, and The Times would finally publish me. Honestly, I’m just happy to still be alive.”

The Arrival is my last piece of 2020, and was an experiment of sorts. It tells the story of a young reporter trying to tell the truth, attempting to convince people that something she found is real. In a way, I wanted this piece to be somewhat of a visual descriptor of this past year. Finding a mess, reporting on that mess, and trying not to panic.

The concept came to me one evening while under quarantine. The weight of the pandemic, the political climate, as well as the mental health effects of simply remaining indoors were all things that you, nor I normally experience. Coupled with the racial climate, and the grand feeling of "I don't know what will happen next", the year 2020 has proven itself to be a total mess. The concept of the orb, destroying everything near it, was my attempt at visualizing this. The reporter was a symbol of the media, and how we basically see and know everything these days.

I immediately sketched the concept, just so I could create it later.

I want to thank Elinchrom for giving us the opportunity to use the Snaplux modifiers for this concept. They've proven to be extremely sturdy, valuable tools when it comes to quickly shaping light outdoors, and this concept was heavily designed with the light falloff of these unique modifiers in mind.

Thank you Isabel Flemming for being our model, and Spencer Humphrey for being a production assistant. You can check them out below:

https://www.instagram.com/smol.tog/

https://www.instagram.com/spencerhumphreyphotography/
 

 

 

Interested in starring in your own story like this one?

Check out The Cinema Experience, and let us tell yours.