Video Haiku

Video Haiku – A haiku is a Japanese poetic form which adheres so a set of conventions to produce a meditative approach to writing. The video seeks to achieve a similar “moment” of realisation or awareness. The video haiku can be made as a group project or individually. The rules to the video haiku are:

• The piece should be focussed on an environment (natural or manmade)

• There should be no devised spoken or written language in the video.

• Sound should come from background noise or an appropriate instrumental sound track.

• A video Haiku will contain 17 shots which will each be no longer than 10 seconds.

• The shots will be grouped in the haiku form of 5-7-5.

• Each group will be cross faded. Between each group there will be a fade to and from black.

Reflection:

The first shot was of a spiral stair case outside an under dwelling. This first shot in the film gave me the idea of things being beneath. This also resonated with a conversation I had with a psychotherapist who described an underground river being a metaphor for “scripts” developed in early childhood. This became the thread for the film: “beneath and above.” I began thinking about the relative relationship between these two aspects and the fact there is no under without over. This of course presents a duality which needs to be resolved.

The Video Haiku technique provides an opportunity to engage in a creative and mindful act, which then provides and opportunity for reflection and further exploration.