卡薩琳雷恩

Open Mind

Kathleen Ryan
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「開朗」探討一個視覺空間，像倉儲之類的，此探討在於表現人的思想與感情。這個大約5分的影片以蘿拉為中心一位年輕的法律系學生，適應大學獨立生活的新壓力。她「外在」（在咖啡館與大學地點其行為與表情）與「內在」（空洞的倉庫，表現她的思維）間的多層剪輯，快速地顯示表現在臉上與真實想法、感覺與自我欺瞞的態度間強烈的對比。透過象徵性行為來表現這些意思，諸如：拉一條毯子覆蓋在個人的東西上，代表她逃避與人對話。「內」「外」的對比利用顏色與聲音來區隔。咖啡館內的顏色很明亮和諧，代表蘿拉故事「真實的世界」內，一個活潑生動的地方。不過倉庫內的亮度低調且呈現孤寂憂鬱的藍色調，一個常用來表示「潛意識」的顏色。外在世界的聲音在倉庫內具有「水中」的迴音效果，就如在此心靈空間內，蘿拉隱瞞自己想法與感覺的情形。
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倉庫內物件具有濃厚的意義。當她搬到大學時稚氣私人物件消失了，而極度渴望鋪張文件與書籍在空洞的空間上表現她企圖利用工作來隱藏她的寂寞。一個主要的物件，門，用來象徵誠實敞開心胸面對他人。再出現的中心主題是蘿拉實際關閉了會話的門。不過，最後倉庫拍攝的鏡頭描繪蘿拉窺視著門外，整個結束的鏡頭，蘿拉在咖啡館與老朋友談話，蓄意地並未剪輯回到「內在」，因為當她最後吐露她的思維與感情給他人時—內在便緩慢地顯露出來。
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Open Mind’ is an exploration on how a visual space, like a warehouse, can be used to represent the mind and emotionsof a person. This approximately five-minute film is of Laura, a young law student, accommodating to the new pressuresof independent university life. Multiple cuts between her ‘exterior’ (her actions and expressions at a café and university)and her ‘interior’ (an empty warehouse setting, representing her mind) soon reveal the sharp contrast between what isperformed for external appearances, and what her real thoughts, feelings, and self-deceptions are. This is done throughsymbolic actions, such as pulling a rug over personal items as in the ‘exterior’ world she avoids a conversation. Thecontrast between the ‘outside’ and ‘inside’ is accented with the use of colour and sound. The colours in the café are verybright and balanced, as it is an active, lively place and in the ‘real world’ of Laura’s story. Lighting in the warehouse,however, is very low-key, with limited tones and an overall desolate blue tinge, as blue is often used as a ‘subconscious’colour. Sounds of the outside world have a more ‘underwater’ echoing effect in the warehouse, as in this mental space,Laura has insulated her thoughts and feelings.
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Objects take on heavy significance in this warehouse. Childish, personal objects disappear as she moves to uni, and herdesperate spreading of papers and books over the empty space expresses her attempts to use work to hide her loneliness.Akey object, a door, is used to symbolise openness and honesty to other people. A reoccurring motif is Laura literallyslamming the door on conversations. However, the final warehouse shot depicts Laura peeking out the door, and theoverall closing shot, of Laura and her old friend talking at a café table, deliberately doesn’t cut back to the ‘inside’, as sheis finally revealing her mind and emotions to another person – the inside slowly coming out.