self-portrait

This is a short video piece designed to be a self-portrait.

It was completed at Carnegie Mellon University for the class Graduate Studio 1.

A screen from the movie.

This project was a good exercise in information design. How would we capture the entirety of our lives in a single piece of design?

I decided to use the idea of my elusive past as a framing device for my movie. I hoped to present a few key aspects of my life in a humourous, yet understandable, way.

I went through a number of sketches planning the structure of my self-portrait.

The video uses three mundane facts about my present to reveal things about my past (a sort of inversion of the saying "look to your past to understand your present"). I used an infographic visual style and a fast-paced voice-over to drive the narrative.

In the end, I realised the importance of storytelling in communicating a concept.

I feel the final result is quite successful and accurately reflects my personality and style.