This video by Al Jazeera, entitled My Life After 44 Years In Prison, follows the unique everyday life of Otis Johnson, a man who spent his time in prison from the age of 25 to 69. Johnson is an interesting time capsule for this piece because he was unaware of most changes in the world between the 1960s and the turn of the century. This is demonstrated through both audio and visual story telling. For instance, while Johnson is telling his story, we see him sitting alone at a table [0:32 & 0:47]. The videographer uses the time lapse technique to show the world literally moving at a faster pace than Johnson, which is a figurative theme of his narrative.
The videographer uses jump cuts almost exclusively throughout the piece, mirroring the rapid nature of time’s progression as Johnson describes the changes in the world around him. However, there are two instances in which the piece is intentionally slowed down with different transitions. At 02:28, the screen fades to black (change of time and location) preceding Johnson discussing his appreciation for the train, on which he can stop and watch the world through the window. Also, at 03:48, there is a cross-dissolve transition while Johnson is reflecting on the family he has lost touch with.
The clever combination of these techniques subtly establish pace, really enhancing the motif of Johnson’s story. The video moves quickly when the world at large is the focal point, but slows when Johnson becomes pensive or reflective. I intend to further study similar methods to become a more effective story teller in the visual medium.
This is an interesting piece to say the least. I watched a movie similar to Otis’ story called Life starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. In the movie, two black men were framed for killing a man in the south. The rest of the movie shows their life in prison, and what changed in the outside world. Such as, hairstyles, clothes, music, integration, etc. The little things we do or use are normal for us, but to a man, like Otis, who has been in prison for decades, it’s weird to have an iPhone, have videos playing in windows, or even the fact that we don’t use payphones anymore. I thought the this was a great representation of his life after being released, and it shows how far we’ve come.
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