SYN

MASKIN

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● 06/06/2016
Utopia Log 5


6.6.2016
As another part of Synsmaskinen we have been discussing the use of a green-screen. The idea is to film our so-called ‘stock-characters’ exclusively in front of green-screens. The green-screen will provide the stock-characters with an abstract, context-free backdrop. They will be situated in an abstract space, one level above any contextual reality; in hyper space – a kind of conceptual space where they are free to roam.

I am sitting in the blistering Bergen sun with Benedicte, drinking coffee and trying to focus on the logistics of our various research strings. All of a sudden it occurs: What if that green-screen is a stock-character in itself? And can the green-screen be understood as an utopian space? A space of abstract ideas? Can the green-screen be used as the aesthetic tool that establishes utopian spaces? An aesthetic/conceptual marker the renders everything in front of it utopian?

Note: One of the features of SYNSMASKINEN is a conceptual storage of stock characters , representing various aspects of contemporary socio-political reality. These symbolic figures are activated in different situations, either as roles in larger scenarios or as singular characters who is introduced in various external settings.

A stock character is a stereotypical person whom audiences readily recognize from frequent recurrences in a particular literary tradition. Stock characters are archetypal characters distinguished by their flatness; as a result, they tend to be easy targets for parody and to be criticized as clichés. The presence of a particular array of stock characters is a key component of many genres.

Utopia Log 5