During my video a man whose voice is slightly eerie but very crisp and clear particularly when there are other sound effects will read the poem “About His Person” by Simon Armitage. I decided this because the poem is as if a policeman is reading a dead person’s belongings. The video will begin with a very bright image of a dead man who is lying on a concrete floor it will be as if the sun is shining into the camera lens.
Concrete can symbolise the coldness and harshness of the world that has partially led to the man’s death. Some of the images that are evoked by the words of the poem will be represented by the images shown.
But this will not be the case all the time, as I do not want the video to be overly literal. The video will always return to the image of the dead man as this is the most important image and should remain in the audience’s mind.
Some of the images will be symbolic of specific events for example the shot which shows flowers being ruthlessly trampled on represents the end of the relationship between the man and the woman. The only other character in the video is the woman with who the relationship has ended with. She is pictured crying over a suicide not left by the man.
The sound of her crying is vital and is continued for several shots after to emphasize how upset she is.
Sound is also used to interpret some of the words of the poem. When the words “a brace of keys” are said keys ate heard rattling. This sound is very distinctive and is followed by the tick tock of a clock, which stops abruptly symbolizing the end of the man’s life. The audience is shown where the man has slit his wrist. This shot is very dramatic and shocking and will remain in the audiences mind. This shot will have a red tinge which will add the image of blood and dramatic mood.
An important image of the video is that of the photo which the appears in the man’s wallet and the woman’s locket. This shows how happy they were together and how they both cherished the relationship that they shared. It must have been very important to both of them because they kept the happy image of them both together close to them. The photo shows them happy and in love which they no longer are. The last image of the ring wobbling is symbolic of the end of their relationship too as it has been dropped. It is the man’s ring and he has taken it off before slitting his wrists.
Whilst this image is on the scene the words “that was everything ” are spoken this indicated that the man’s relationship was everything and that is why when it ended he felt that is live was over and so ended it abruptly and before his time. The overall mood of the video is one of extreme sadness as the man has killed himself due to the end of his relationship with the women. The video aims to explain the poem somewhat but still leave lots of unanswered question therefore not ruining the mystery. The audience is still left with many unsolved theories and so each viewer can make up their own mind and fabricate their own story behind the poem.
About His Person. (2019, Nov 27). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/paper-on-2687-person-simon-armitage/