CCR - How does my project use conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

 To answer this question, I made a podcast. Here is the link and trancription:

Magnus: Hello, everybody and welcome to Salamandra podcast. Today I am with you, Magnus Schneider, and our guest, director and producer of movie Path Forward, Dmitry Shevyrev

Dmitry: Hi! I’m happy that I got your invitation! I never was on podcasts!

M: Really? Then let’s make debut podcast as memorable as possible! It’s not a big surprise that today we are going to talk about your last movie, Path Forward. This film is, indeed, a huge source of topics about which we can speculate. But, during viewing, I mentioned a few details that certainly have a message from you to audience. I’m talking about trains, which appear a lot in film opening.

D: I’m glad that you notice that. To be honest, I think that codes are a significant part of art. In childhood I was a member of Youth art critic’s club, in which we were studding symbolism. Is it amazing to communicate with audience trough details?

M: Absolutely!

D: Yes! Of course, there no guarantee that audience will get message that creator prepared, because each object has different symbolic meanings, but it’s not necessarily bad - codes helps director to create a movie in which viewer is going to find something interesting, even from different perspective. And trains with trams are not an exception.

M: Wow! Indeed, it’s very important. Moreover, your movie is drama, and in your opening, I assume, you are trying to discuss how people can overcome difficulties. You are aware that despair is a danger that everyone has to face soon or late, and there are a lot of topics about creator can talk about, and you can’t do this just trough characters and storytelling. Can you tell us more about how you used codes in your movie?

D: Of course! You right about overcoming – it’s a complicated topic, but I want to discover not only it. It’ll became clearer on examples. In the beginning protagonist is separated from viewer by tram. In this case, train may have a meaning of barrier that separates individuals, or, as in case of Path Forward, from audience, from res of the world. This feeling is passing to viewer through the long shot of protagonist staying in the crowd – separateness transforms into sense of self-loss. Moreover, another though appear – protagonist is very small compare to huge world around him, what is his place in it? And is this world cares about him? But why protagonist have this negative feeling? In the close shoulder shot of protagonist looking in the back of statue viewer gain more deeper connection to character, and may start to think about him, because viewer’s perception of subject and the environment has been influenced by these codes. Viewers start to think about why protagonist is staring on statue. Maybe because statue is symbol of recognition? Or because protagonist was dreaming before actions of movie about creating something significant? Or he just try to understand his mistakes, looking on legacy of past? Some viewers will remember that shot in scene with protagonist seating in the same pose as monument next to him, both are shoved in face to camera, which brings an idea that protagonist understood what he was wrong about and he find strength to go forward, became open for new feelings and actions. He finally gets a confidence in way how he walks.

M: Oh, then the next scene, in which protagonist is walking through narrow alley, is a representation of his wish to find a way out from stagnation by discovering courage and persistence on himself! And graphite – is a symbol of protest against his fears!

D: Yes! And then walks in the same direction of train passing over the bridge. Protagonist know that he is moving forward, and train gains a meaning of movement. And bridges, which train and protagonist are trying to cross this and in the last scene, can be decoded a symbol of development and overcoming a challenge. Effect is increased by appearance of post-winter nature – protagonist came back to life, to rebirth mentally. Still, we can’t see the end where is he going, because the only way to find out – is to make a step forward. This work with a lot of other codes:  Cathedral as symbol of faith and test of believes; soft focus encourage to think about all actions on the screen as representation of protagonist’s mind; scenes of close shot on how protagonist is typing on keyboard without any passion and deleting what he just wrote can tell audience more about protagonist everyday life – he may be  for example someone who didn’t reached success and know wasting time on writing short articles for small magazine publishing house; building in Modernism style can represent that wealth and success or repetitiveness or protagonist naïve stereotypes of office work; change of shade from dark to brighter are another tool to show overcoming challenge and development.

M: How curious! But if we started to talk about codes, may I ask you to tell us about conventions in Path Forward? After all, no genre can appeal to audience without applying established practises.

D: Precisely. In drama it there are a lot conventions that directors using to make a connection with audience deeper. My film main messages are about internal conflicts, which generate suspense and emotional engagement. Also, as many other drama directors, I use a lot of visual clues to characterise protagonists traits, motivation and relationship. Also, offscreen monologues with slow wordplay can more often be find in drama than in other genres.

M: Thank you very much for response, Dmitry. And thank you for choice of Salamandra Podcast. See you next time!