“Understanding was not my goal. Feeling was.”

Lights Online Film School caught up with filmmaker Gioacchino Petronicce to discuss his experimental short film, “Pictures”.

It was created using 80,000 images photographed over 3 years, in places like Paris, Barcelona, Hossegor, Venezia, Toulouse, and New York.

The film sets out to explore both photographer and photography. Here it is:

Hello, Gioacchino! Thanks for discussing your work with us here at Lights.

First, I’d love to hear why you approached “Pictures” in the style you did. What inspired your decision?

First of all, thanks for having me. My English is not great so I apologize for that in advance. But let me explain.

This work was a kind of chaotic experiment for me. I was looking for an approach that would inspire me. I tried many things when I first started, but nothing caught on. But then I found this technique (stitching together photographs to create a video) which I found really inspiring. After that, I just had to maintain the emotional direction of the project.

I felt that I absolutely needed to work without linearity and create a project without a linear vision. Linearity is great for helping us explain something and it’s great for helping us understand something. But “understanding” was not my goal. Feeling was. And during this process it was important for me to remain sincere to that vision. This sincerity, I try to share with other people. I tried to put a part of myself inside this project.

My video “Pictures” has been created in this direction. I was not inspired by anything special. I looked for the inspiration deeper inside me.

Beautiful. From a technical standpoint, how did you achieve the effect throughout? It looks like a combination of cutting out frames and manipulating the speed of the footage. Perhaps also a flicker effect?

Editing this project was really hard. It was hard because there is no video in “Pictures”. Just photographs. It was a real challenge to achieve this effect and make something of my photos. But it was this challenge that gave an exciting dimension to this project. During the first working hours, I thought that it was impossible to create something good out of what I had.

My first attempts were chaotic. I created more than 2 hundreds small sequences with QuickTime Pro 7. Then, I moved the sequences in as many directions as possible at various speeds in Final Cut Pro 7. I was also learning and progressing myself at the same time the video moved forward.

Then I realized that when I created sequences in QuickTime Pro 7, the project didn’t work well. It made no sense and had no fluidity. When I would look at it I thought it was just really bad. Complete chaos.

So I experimented and I created various sequences of 12 fps, 15 fps, 25 fps. After that I increased the speed between 150% to 200% in a way that each frame on Final Cut Pro 7 could compose itself with two frames. This overlapping created a link between frames and it improved the fluidity of the project. So that was a step in the right direction.

I worked on “Pictures” instinctively, thus I can’t explain exactly how these effects worked. But I think the use of the sound influenced the sensation and illusion of movement.

Absolutely, Gioacchino! The sound lends a depth and continuity to the film that helps connect the photos.

Earlier, you’d mentioned “Pictures” was shot during various trips you took. Was the film something you planned from the beginning of your travels? Or did you find your way to it more by accident?

This film was never planned when I took all the pictures. I take many photos every day. I often take my camera with me when I travel so I have it on me while I’m walking around new city streets.

When I’m traveling somewhere and when I have nothing special planned, I like to go out and take photos. It relaxes me a lot. One day I said to myself: “I would really like to make something with all of these pictures I have”, but I didn’t know what exactly. Many months later, I woke up one morning and I just knew it was the time to do something with them. So I said to myself, “the time is now”.

I was inspired to try to develop a sense of motion within my photographs. I didn’t know if it was even possible.. At this point, I had many things on my mind. It was as a fantasy of motion, with images and sounds. But this particular morning was when “Pictures” was born.

During the editing I decided to freeze certain pictures which were the most representative of what I like. I treated them on Lightroom 4. The other pictures which compose the video were not treated on Lightroom, but on Final Cut Pro 7.

I invite you to my Flickr account if you want to see several hundred of the photographs I used for “Pictures”.

Thanks! I know you shot the film using a Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 7D. Did each have a unique, specific purpose? What did you use them for?

There are various reasons I used both cameras. At the beginning I had no choice. I only had the 7D. Thus my first photos were shot using this camera.

However, just over a year ago I bought a Canon 5D Mark III. Today I shoot more photos with my 5D Mark III than my 7D. However I sometimes use the 7D in addition. The 7D allows me to have a longer focal length with my lenses which I find interesting sometimes when I’m working in wider spaces.

Similarly, the 7D is interesting because it can shoot more frames per second than the 5D Mark III. I use it when I don’t want to miss a quick and particular event. Such as this shot, for example:

From “Pictures” | Gioacchino Petronicce

I have more luck capturing this kind of moment when I use my 7D. Otherwise I prefer my 5D because I find it better overall than my 7D. It’s a great camera to catch pictures in low light.

Nice. You also used a “Lens Baby” for this shoot. What, precisely, is a Lens Baby, and what effect does it create?

The “Lens Baby” is a particular lens that allowed to me to catch abstract pictures with lots of flare and blur. Technically it’s not the top of the line, but I could get a fun and strange effect with it that I liked. The Lens Baby is sort of like a toy for photographers. I actually used it a lot, especially during my trip to New York City.

As someone who is early on in their career, how are you planning on moving forward as a filmmaker? What types of projects are you pursuing?

I think I am the same as all young directors. I have many dreams, fantasies, desires and frustrations as well. But for the moment, I’m focusing on small projects with an artistic dimension.

I like to be free to think, I love to be free to create. I like the idea of infusing emotion into creation. I have a lot of projects in development at the moment. About fifteen!

I don’t think it’s hard to find ideas. However, I find it hard to develop them. The main problem for me is finding money for creation.

You’re not alone with that problem, Gioacchino. I know many of our students and readers are in the same boat.

As a young filmmaker, do you feel there’s a pressure on you to be very careful at this stage in your career, and really filter projects that meet a strict set of criteria? Or are you more open to working on whatever comes up, and just taking it on as a learning experience?

To be honest, I’m very selective today. I think it’s important to build myself with projects that represent who I am. Otherwise, why would anyone want to work with me? I believe it’s necessary to remain faithful to the person who I am.

Well said! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today, Gioacchino. You’re an inspiration to your fellow filmmakers.

For more from Gioacchino, head on over to his website.

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