GRID
"Grid Is Burning "
Before setting fire to the GRID I had to ensure the activity was risk assessed and controlled. I had to take into consideration
* we live in a smoke free zone, (advised neighbours of what we planned to do and when. Kept the burning
time to a minimum)
* vision was impaired due to the activity taking place at night,
* the proximity of a neighbours wall,
* Pets were locked up in the house
* Fire fighting equipment was at hand
* The Children were safe inside the house
* There were at least three people. One to act, one to film and one to be on hand to fight the fire if needed
* Lighting the fires was completed in a safe and controlled manner.
* To keep me safe in the final video the vertical panels nearest me were dampened down to restrict the fire
radiating towards me.
* all other flammable objects were removed from the area
* filming was kept to short periods of time
* after filming both fires were drenched in water and checked periodically throughout the following hour to
ensure the fires had not reignited.
The Method
I started the deconstruction of the GRID during the day light. Much easier to see what I was doing. I used a crow bar to prize the panels away from the main frame. I then placed the loose panels upon the fire pit.
For drama and maximum impact, I chose to film the burning of the GRID at night. The flames would show better. I used a flammable liquid and matches to start the fire and to, essentially, control the burn. The areas of the GRID which did not have the flammable liquid on took much longer to catch fire.
Deconstruction Commences
To start the deconstruction of the GRID I used some manual tools, which were readily available. A Crow bar and a mallet
Due to the destructive nature of the activity, we had to ensure we captured the essence of the film in just one take.
The Evaluation
Unfortunately some aspects of the filming did not go according to plan. I had to film the activity with my Iphone as I did not have professional camera equipment available to me. There was a distinct lack of mood lighting, which was reflected in the fact it was difficult to see me. I had to film late at night, when the children had gone to bed, so all participants were tired. Stress increased due to the fact I only had one bar, which meant I had to ensure the project was completed in one take. I could not include members of the public in filming and therefore could not complete the performance I had originally planned to do.
However, I decided not to use any dialogue in the videos to further deconstruct Gay stereotype that gays are always loud and obnoxious.
On the plus side, I am happy and satisfied with the final outcome considering all of the restrictions I had to work with.