Memories of the Present Recollection
Memories of the present is an idea that we created in order to show respect to soldiers, both
veterans and new soldiers. By Taking inspiration from our friends and ancestors, paying our
own respect to them. All while demonstrating the similar severity’s of Hitlers actions that set
in motion the fourth Geneva convention, and Putin's recent actions in Ukraine. By following
the possible emotional gravitas of a soldier leaving to fight in the Ukraine, recalling to himself
the things that befell his ancestors during WW2.
The initial idea
My initial idea at the start of the project was a dementia piece. Focusing around photos of
my grandad, or rather his absence. I found a large photo album on facebook of Mine and my
grandad's birthday, since our birthdays were only 5 days apart. Yet the only photo of him in
the album is both of us blowing out candles. Focusing on his dementia and using the photos
as a reference to the fact that even though he was there all day. There always felt to be a
certain absence of his formerly lively character.
However from this I began to find items of his that I owned. Finding that most of them were
war based. A model of his personal lancaster bomber that he made. His RAF Special tie for
37 successful flights during WW2. Then I began to find my Grandfather’s items too. His
Diary with Telegram notes within alongside his cufflinks. This was just kindling in my mind
with no idea of plot or story, until the news began talking about Putin’s actions in the
Ukraine. From my items and the memories attached to them, while thinking about what the
soldiers. How must it have felt the morning of shipping out to help the Ukraine? The initial
idea for memories of the present began forming in my mind.
Taking inspiration from Self & Object, Image and Subject, meaning and a large emphasis on
the heart of the matter. A simple image of not necessarily a story. But what could be an
awareness performance, that could arguably feel like the opening scene to a film before the
Title Page.
Research and inspiration
Using the fact that the initial idea of this piece came from the various items of my ancestors
that in one way or another resembled or had seen war. We started thinking about objects
that could be used and used as a focus point to connect the ancestor and the modern
soldier. From Planning to execution, the one item that was present throughout was the diary.
I had received my grandads diary used during WW2 where he worked in
telecommunications on the front line. Lots of his diary was unrecognisable digits and codes
that probably only he could understand, but contained some moments of basic recollection
and dates of certain events. This directly inspired my personal performance and imagining of
my scene using the Radio. The other two items were both changed on the first day of filming.
The other two focal items were:
1. The revolver: as this was a nice way for us to set a time period, as well as costume
and other props to the time period of WW2 and the ancestor.
2. The ring: this was an on the spot improvisation of item focus by SJ, that we continued
with throughout. His ring has a beloved memory of a lost friend. Thus in the moment
of filming he found himself drawn to it.
Other than this I was looking to theatre pieces or films where items had been the inspiration
and focus. I recalled back to a production by acting students Molly Jackson, Grace Halton
and Freya Maclean called Baby shoes. Each of their characters told a different story of trials
they faced during motherhood. Where each one of them at different times had bought and
owned a specific pair of baby shoes. The shoes passed between the three of them freely.
We wanted to create a similar implication that the items in the film hold memories of the
previous owners and how the memories are still relevant to this day. Having the modern
soldier gain these items from his ancestors, gives a weight and history to the characters'
situation of going to fight in the ukraine.
I had prior knowledge that hospitals during the war were often overcrowded and made the
most of what they had to hand. Within research I struggled to find many accounts of the
state of hospitals during the war. However I found a first hand account on the BBC Website
(WW2 People’s War - BBC 2004) That brought up overcrowding. Some hospitals were being
set up in cottages and homes. Therefore being able transform the bedroom into something
that, with some imagination, could resemble a pop up hospital in a home. Keeping the
setting as plain as possible in order to facilitate the freedom for imagination to complete the
image of the setting via context.
When I discussed the idea with SJ originally, one song wouldn't leave my head. Sean
Rowe’s “Soldier’s song”. At first I wasn't sure whether this song would fit our piece, until I
started researching for soldiers' experiences of coming home from and going off to war,
when I found a book called Among the walking wounded (Conrad, J. D. 2017).
Upon reading the foreword of the book, written by the author's wife Martha Rutherford
Conrad, I instantly began thinking of the similar themes in what she was saying and Sean
Rowe’s song. Including an underlying resentment for war in general, the pains and horrors of
war. And the emotional turmoil of their loved ones back home waiting for them, and the
ongoing stresses that follow them home from warzones, the book also touches on the
worries of a returning soldier in early chapters of the book.
One interesting thing I read about in this book that helped inspire some of the moments of
comparison between the modern soldier and the ancestor was a section on page 79 that
mentions “stuck points. A stuck point comprises a bundle of thoughts that may not be 100%
accurate but are derived from an individual’s assessment of why a traumatic event
happened.” Many things can trigger these intrusive memories A few of which being; Dreams,
sounds, songs or news reports.
While sticking mostly to the personal reflection of J.D. Conrad, as we wanted a personal
point of view rather than a medical, I also read (Characteristics and content of intrusive
memories in PTSD and their changes with treatment. Hackmann, Ehlers 2004) in order to have
our own background knowledge on the matter. Combining the personal accounts, the
information given by Conrad on these “stuck points” and other sources of PTSD found in
(Characteristics and content of intrusive memories in PTSD and their changes with treatment.
Hackmann, Ehlers 2004) we attempted to show similar moments of Intrusive memories
within our film, that gave us moments where the modern soldier may stop and focus on his
ancestor rather than himself.
Our piece, while not perfectly, partially mirrors Soldier’s songs themes. Of following the pains
of a soldier and what might go on at home. Interrupting home life however with moments of
war. Showing two clear divisions of someone's life. Also providing the idea of thinking about
those loved ones left at home, as well as the soldiers and those directly effected by war.
The final source of influence that we brought to our plot was the ongoing news we were, at
the time, being introduced to about the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine. Finding that
Putin was breaking the forth Geneva convention set in motion after WWE and the actions of
Hitler towards civilians during wartime. The basics of the geneva convention being:
1. Protecting the wounded and sick on land during war.
2. Protecting the sick and shipwrecked at sea during war.
3. The safety and protection of prisoners of war, including the release without delay
after the cessation of active hostilities. (with more specific details)
4. The protection of civilians, including in occupied territory.
Once the news reached us about Putin going against the fourth Geneva convention, if not
already the others, by bombing Mariupol hospital. With our idea underway and such hard
hitting news coming at us it was difficult not to reference these events. With Hitler being a
Prime reason after the events of the second world war as to why the 4th act was brought into
place we made these two wars our focus.
It can be difficult to appeal to an audience with a short film on such a heavy topic with lots of
facts. Therefore during our monologues we took our prior research, knowing we wanted to
build something around these wars and leaders, without forcing facts and opinions at them.
Trying to create an entertaining piece that allows the audience to draw their own
conclusions. We implemented small allusions to both wars: modern Ukraine and Russia and
WW2. focusing on their leaders Putin and Hitler.
Creating the film
We filmed the visuals across two days and spent half a day with SJ’s audio equipment
Creating the monologue Voice overs.
The first day we were working off of a general story arch, laid out in order of how we were
going to film. Neither me nor SJ are very good artists so we decided to create a written
storyboard & filming ideas. This worked for our Cinematographer, Shaun Stone-Riley as this
is what he prefers to work from.
On the first day while setting up equipment we laid out certain shots we definitely wanted
and other arching story sections and worked with a few suggestions from him to build the
rest of the scene ash shots. This day of filming we decided to change two of the focal items
from a medical mask to a ring. And a lighter or matches into the revolver. These were used
as they either naturally occurred, or they just fit the theme of the film more accurately. As we
worked through the day different Close up shots of both the revolver \and ring in both
soldier's possession. Filming the hospital scene, the waking scene, kitchen shots and the
gassed scene on this first day leaving only the two diary scenes and leaving shot for day 2.
Between the two days of filming. I took a trip to go to meet SJ and write and record the
audio. After being given a quick overview of his equipment and software and how it worked.
We began fine tuning the monologues that we had begun writing in class. Adding references
to Putin, accuracies in how one would have spoken in the ww2 British army and what would
likely be in a distress transmission by looking through my grandads diary.
We recorded the first versions before listening back and re-recording sections. Physically
embodying the characters to a larger dramatised extent helped me vocally embody the
character without physical presence. Something which SJ suggested I try after my first take.
Learning on the go from SJ we bagan cutting out background noise, added vocal effects to
my radio transmission and cut out sections of audio from it as the message kept cutting out.
The final day of filming Posed the most issues. When outside the rain began to be an issue
for the electronics. Phones and speakers were going to be used in order for me to hear the
pace of what I was saying in the audio so that we could sync it up. Due to limited time we
couldn't re-record the audio at this date. However due to a lack of shelter and umbrellas i
would listen to it inside and return outside to film. This resulted in a bit of out of sync
dialogue. I was cautious this may be the case when filming, thus i held the prop receiver as
close to my mouth as possible to disguise this issue. This combined with the repeating,
quieter muffled “Come in” at the end of the speech during editing to fill a little bit of a gap.
Another tricky scene to complete that day was the tracking shot of SJ leaving the house and
the focus onto the TV. This shot had many moving parts to it. Shaun made sure that the
focuses were changing correctly, while capturing everything in frame; Me keeping out of the
way of this moving shot, whilst starting the video part way through the scene; all while SJ
performed and looked back and took one last look at his home, that he won't see for a while.
At different times each of us would run into an issue. Whether it be the door not opening for
SJ. Me not losing the video feed just as we needed it. Or Shaun losing the focus part of the
way through the scene. This was by far the trickiest scene we had to shoot.
In the editing process was where we saw our piece finally coming together. Working by
soldier scenes we cut in the ancestor moments roughly as planned however allowing us to
develop a more fragmented combination of scenes. Starting with discombobulating intense
cuts with rises in audio to build tension. Before transitioning gradually into a smoother and
slower piece.
Conclusion
Overall I am extremely proud of the work we created. Working with an outline of what we
needed to create, developing and adding more as we worked helped us be malleable as we
worked on a limited budget and resources.
There were a few things we would have fixed post submission as we have entered an
updated version for the short film festival at the showroom. We have shortened the piece,
changed around a few of the cuts and developed some of the audio.
One thing if we develop this any further with filming or audio, would be to cast a mother and
child. They would be in the background and in photo around the house as the soldier got
himself ready. As the soldier's song begins to play we see the mother and child enter into
the living room as the tv is on. Giving a final kiss and goodbye to the soldier as he leaves.
Giving a stronger connection of the song to the film.
Appendices
Original song list ideas: Soldiers song - Sean Rowe
We’ll Meet Again - Vera Lynn
Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland
Pack up your trouble in your old kit-bag - Spike Jones
You’ll Never Walk Alone - Gerry and The Pacemakers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4JIQyPnFbA - First Day shots (quick cuts)
Shot list
Set and costume design
Memories of the past brainstorm
Final scene Plan
Reading list
Conrad, J. D. (2017). Among the Walking Wounded: Soldiers, Survival, and PTSD.
Dundurn.
BBC - WW2 People’s War - Recollections of a Nurse during WW2. (2004). BBC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/33/a3396233.shtml
Hackmann, A., Ehlers, A., Speckens, A., & Clark, D. M. (2004). Characteristics and
content of intrusive memories in PTSD and their changes with treatment. Journal of
Traumatic Stress, 17(3), 231–240.
https://doi.org/10.1023/b:jots.0000029266.88369.fd
International Comitee of the Red Crosss. (2010). International Committee of the Red
Cross. ICRC. https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/war-and-law/treaties-customarylaw/geneva-conventions/overview-geneva-conventions.htm