[youtube klWoAY9tpCw 900 580]
Influenced by Tom Waits’ “What’s He Building?”

A Builder enters his workshop ‘cave’, lights the fire to take the chill off the air and begins his work…
An unseen observer peers into the cave to see what is happening…

I have based my interpretation on intimate visual perspectives & micro-recorded sounds, some of which may pique the interest of a watcher. Audio & video are presented as to create no specific objective or outcome, but provide a palette of stimuli from which none or many interpretations are possible. To be consistent with the underlying gestalt in Tom Wait’s original work, components are selected from some unknown overall process but the viewer must themselves create whatever fills the gaps between the facts.

The lighting came exclusively from two electric fires that are in the workshop, They gave a great low-key atmosphere to the film and the faint orange glow through a stained glass window would certainly be obvious to a watcher. Throughout, I would like to create curiosity in the viewer, to prompt questions – not answer the title question. To present a ‘builder’ or unveil any ‘product’ would be a great disservice to the spirit of the original work by Waits.

For this primary reason there are hands, feet and generic features shown when necessary to illustrate or advance the narrative. The watcher is represented as a ‘snooper’, the wandering imaginations of the neighbour. Whilst more metaphorical than actual, it prompts a question as to what degree a neighbour’s interest may represent an intrusion into another person’s innocuous, but curiously compelling activities.

​Both the watcher and the builder could be suburbanites in any town. Which are you?

Buildercam – Nikon D800 50mm 1.4, video-1080p@24fps
Watchercam – iPhone 5
Lit by Electric fires only! 2000k adjusted to 3500k.
Edited using Final Cut ProX – Love it!
Audio capture external stereo mic into camera :
Rhythm 120bpm @ 24fps = 12 frames per beat or 3 frames per 1/4 beat