This video was inspired by listening to the song used as its background track. The song is titled “Abeyance,” which can mean to be on hold or awaiting something. The song is an instrumental piano piece with a small amount of drumming, which gives it a special feeling. The lack of lyrics leave the interpretation completely up to the listener, while the piano takes the listener on a journey with peaks and troughs. The drums make an appearance at the end in a way that seems to march the listener to the end. Finally, the piano fades out, alerting the listener that their journey is over.
When I heard the song, I felt that I knew exactly what video it needed. The song sounds almost melancholy in its slow tempo, so I decided it would need a slow, dramatic video to accompany it. A pair of shots were taken with the actress walking both towards and away from the camera on different parts of the same path to show her entering and exiting the scene both physically and symbolically. A personal favorite shot comes at the beginning of the video, where the camera changes focus between a flower and the actress, directing the viewer’s attention to her. More shots were taken with the goal of portraying pensiveness and uncertainty. A final shot was taken of the path without the actress in frame to show her absence.
The shots were edited together to tell a story. The viewer first sees the actress pacing around a tree. She then approaches the camera along a path, eventually passing it. The viewer then sees her seemingly lost in thought, then gazing off into the distance. Eventually, she is shown leaving the frame, and she then disappears completely.
The obvious story present in the video is that the woman is deep in thought about something that appears to be very important, perhaps a difficult decision. However, there is a deeper layer of symbolism. Her entrance and exit from the area represent a beginning and an ending to some event, not just the beginning and end of her physical presence. Her disappearance symbolizes the passage of time and the past being inaccessible except through memories. The title can also inspire interpretations about her being stuck in a state of limbo about something unknown to the viewer. All of these symbols and more are present and valid, and ultimately the interpretation is left to the viewer.
The finished video uses the slow, melancholy song to its advantage to build an atmosphere of dramatic tension. Although the thoughts of the woman shown are never known, it is clear that she is deep in thought about something. The viewer is able to draw his or her own conclusions as to the content of her thoughts, making the video a unique experience for each individual. Although there are no words heard in the video, it speaks; its metaphors will resonate differently to each viewer. The video is meant to inspire thought in the viewer, and there are many ways to interpret it due to the subjective nature of art.