Floria Sigismondi is a photographer and film maker. This is a description of her work from her website. www.floriasigismondi.com
With motion, sound, lighting, wardrobe, and elaborate settings to ensconce her, Floria's video work is characterized by the kind of theatrical and dramatic imagery found in the great tragedies of Italian opera or Greek mythology. Floria's penchant for entropic underworlds inhabited by tortured souls and omnipotent beings arise from her self-described "scandalous" subconscious. These nebulous realms are revealed to her in dreams or in the meditative state of fatigued delirium that occurs while hovering between sleep and wakefulness. Her seemingly aberrant creations have attracted the talents of David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, The Cure, Fiona Apple, Living Things, White Stripes, Interpol, Sigur Ros, Tricky, Plant/Page, and Sheryl Crow.
(http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=48248436)
She is well known for her music videos. The video above is for Sigur Ros. What is interesting about this video is in the beginning it appears very normal, yet when the singing starts we see something very surreal. It even becomes slightly disturbing in some parts. Despite this the video is beautiful, from the colours to the composition. Floria Sigismondi is the main influence for this project and will inspire us all to attempt to merge surrealism and beauty.
This is the White Stripes video for Blue Orchid also directed by Floria Sigismondi.I like the editing in this video. Some of it has been speeded up, making the movements look strange. The speed adds a manic and chaotic feel to the video. The editing is also quite jerky and random. This along with the fact that it is in black and white reminds me of a silent movie.
I will be considering using similar editing techniques. Speeding up and slowing down could really add to the surrealism we are trying to achieve in our video.
