Review: Grenfell- Our Home
Grenfell- Our Home is a 360 video by Jonathan Rudd about the people who lost their homes in the Grenfell Tower Fire on June 14th, 2017, roughly one year ago. The film showcases the stories of several families who lived in the building, switching between clips of couples who talk about what Grenfell meant to them and all of the priceless belongings lost in the fire. Grenfell- Our Home opens up with a shot of the tower itself, and zooms into an empty apartment. Most of the scenes show the apartment slowly filling with detail that varies based on the scene. For example, one scene shows all of the plants people kept in their apartments. From ferns to cacti, the room filled with greenery. After that, it shifts to an image of all of the pictures people kept in their homes of friends, family, and loved ones. It feels like an art gallery of pictures for all of the families. There is also an elevator scene, showing the viewer a futuristic elevator with a bunch of buttons that light up. This transitions into the aftermath of the fire, where the families talk about everything they had lost in the fire. These final scenes piece together the puzzle for the viewer by taking images of what these people valued in their homes, only to take it all away.
The inclusion of 360 in general is not always the best choice to convey a story, but it definitely works here. Often in this format there is a lack of activity in most of your view, but here, there is always something to look at from every angle. The only major focal point that the user really needs to be looking at is the people talking, but aside from that, it generally feels like looking at this from any given angle will provide a worthwhile experience. On top of that, the visuals are nicely done. It feels like a perfect balance between real images and drawings, immersing the user into a world that has been shifted to show the gravity of the situation while also preserving the realism to resonate with the viewer. For example, the plant segment has beautiful visuals of plants, whereas segments of the residents discussing their experiences shows real video to help the viewer see eye to eye with them and connect empathetically. It all feels very connected, streamlined, and meaningful to the viewer because of the effective use of imagery. The 360 film also stays true to its message, giving the user the feeling that these people value their homes where they kept all of their memories and valuables from loved ones, only to see it be taken all away in a tragedy. It is able to resonate with the user, which is, in essence, the goal here.
My interpretation of this piece is that it was made to make the viewer feel this remorse about this tragedy, but also that 360 video is used to add immersion to the piece. This is based on the Grenfell Tower tragedy, so contextually this interpretation makes sense. Also, the mood shifts from being very wholesome and making the viewer feel the diversity in the tower into being a very somber film about the loss of priceless valuables and homes. In earlier scenes of this 360 film, you can look around and get a tour of different aspects of the Grenfell apartments, with the imagery of people’s plants, bedrooms, and family photos, there is that sense of feeling right at home with the residents of the tower. It feels very welcoming and lays out how these people live their lives. Near the end of the film, the atmosphere transitions, mimicking the change of tone when the fire happened. The apartment that was once filled with plants, pictures, etc, becomes a blank slate, and all there is to see are the people of Grenfell tower. The scene shifts to different people, each talking about what they lost. The film shifts the viewer’s mood drastically, which shows how the lives of these people shifted so drastically after this tragedy. Grenfell- Our Home guides the user through this story of the loss of people’s homes and aims to show people how this tragedy changed the community for the worse.
Overall, Grenfell- Our Home is a very moving piece that effectively accomplishes its goal. The use of 360 video works in this case because there is often something to look at in all directions, and little details that can be seen by viewers who are observant and use the 360 degree space to their advantage. It also adds to the atmosphere of the piece because it immerses you into the world, rather than just providing a background. It feels like there is a lot to look at, but the film also does a good job of giving the viewer a main focal point. People will pop up in the front of the screen for people to look at, but there is still plenty of time for our eyes to wander. Also, the message is very clear and resonates with the user due to the format of the film and its quality. Because Grenfell- Our Home accomplishes its goal in a visually compelling way, effectively using 360 video, this work is successful.
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