Minji Son

Crying Room : A Single-Person Cinema 

This project aims to create an immersive experience where the audience engages in a virtual date scenario with a character of their choice, taking a step beyond the traditional viewing format of cinema. 

At the forefront of the audience's experience is "Screen 1," where a short film is being screened. To the right, on "Screen 2," a character (actor) joins the audience to watch the film together, and the audience can choose this character themselves. Occasionally, the character engages the audience through gestures, adding a theatrical dimension to the movie-watching experience. With this project, I hoped to provide the audience with an opportunity to reinvigorate their understanding of contemporary communication.

Once, I heard a friend say, "I feel troubled because I don't have someone to go watch movies with." What struck me about this statement was that going to the movies alone is not a difficult task, so what was my friend's concern? Was it about the shared time watching the movie? The atmosphere of the cinema? The discussions that follow after the movie? Although I never asked my friend directly at the time, perhaps what they desired was "sharing something with others while having a conversation." 

Later on, I realized the importance of "empathy" and wanted to create a "virtual space" where my friend, and others like them, could watch movies with various characters. Even if it's in a virtual setting. It's somewhat akin to how people find solace watching "mukbang" (eating shows) while eating alone. It was this lingering feeling in my heart that motivated the conception of this project.

Work Process

Project Implementation Plan

The production of the video for "Screen 2" is underway. I have been casting actors and addressing the technical aspects required for video production through test shoots. Next, I will synchronize the two screens when installing the "2-channel video" setup. Finally, I will attempt the installation of the "2-channel video" in the physical space.

Collaboration with the Film for "Screen 1"

Kihyuk separated from his mother during middle school. His father is someone he can't rely on. Living a life marred by violence, Kihyuk's life starts falling apart. Eventually, he finds himself standing in a juvenile court, making a plea to the judge, which might be his last chance. ([16th Jeonju International Film Festival], [17th Seoul International Youth Film Festival])

This film delves into school violence and the coming-of-age story of a young boy while offering introspection into our societal structure. Especially considering the abundance of scenes related to "school violence," I felt that the audience's reception of this film could be polarized. I thought that by portraying various characters who react to this film differently, "Screen 2" could become more intriguing. The film itself is a well-executed work.

In the next step, I created a scenario by establishing different characters for the characters featured on "Screen 2." I collaborated with acting students Juyeon Kim and Jongchan Park while shooting multiple times to sync up the scenes. However, most of the acting consisted of reacting to the film and it turned out to be more challenging than expected to naturally portray reactions while watching a movie.

The role played by actress Juyeon Kim is that of a psychopathic character. She often reacts with amusement while watching provocative scenes. Her characteristic is becoming bored during serious and sad scenes. On the other hand, actor Jongchan Park plays a character who, contrary to his appearance, possesses a sensitive sensibility. It can be considered quite the opposite of Juyeon Kim's character. During violent scenes in the film, he portrays an extremely delicate role where he empathizes with the characters in the movie, even to the point of being oversensitive.

To implement the final installation stage, I adjusted the video and sound through video editing, ensuring synchronization between the "two screens." Subsequently, I attempted the installation of "2-channel video" in the physical space.

ASMR Experiment

Inspired by online dating apps, this project aims to amplify the contemporary psychological landscape where anxiety and fear coexist in communication. It does so by simulating an experience of watching a movie with a virtual companion. Through theatrical movie-watching, I wanted to maximize the experience of the anxieties and fears related to communication in today's world.

As part of the creation support program, I wanted to experiment with the use of "3D Sound" for ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). However, during the "mid-term critique," while reviewing related materials, I realized that this aspect might not be necessary for our current work. I plan to explore it in a new project in the future.

At one point, I attempted to collect everyday ASMR sounds for potential use as background effects in the movie. However, I found that the recorded sounds were not clean, and I also concluded that the sounds for "Screen 2" were unnecessary, apart from human reactions.

Epilogue

Participating in the [Center for Art Convergence 2017 Creation Support Program] allowed me to deepen the planning and development process of our project. This was made possible through the exchange of opinions with various people, which enabled me to critically assess our work, generate new ideas, and address challenges through multiple critiques during the project's progression.

Throughout this process, I was able to think objectively about my own work. Additionally, sharing my ongoing work processes with fellow participants provided mutual stimulation. It was a time to suggest directions for each other's progress through different topics and media. 

The [Mid-term Critique] stands out as a memorable moment. It was a time when numerous possibilities were open for the direction of my work. The challenge was that as I progressed, I became more eager to pursue different ideas. However, during the [Mid-term Critique and Critiques] sessions, I realized that it would be better to focus more on the work according to the original plan. Especially, I deeply appreciated the guidance from the teachers who observed and advised each student's work closely, despite the very different nature of each student's project.

Finally, during the [Final Presentation], I examined the key elements of my overall work and collectively pondered the potential for future development. Extended discussions took place during this time, and the Q&A session about the final completed work was a significant experience that allowed me to review my own projects.