Assignment #7

"The Ninth Floor" by Jessie Dimmock

1. A Point (of View)
We get to be a fly on the wall here. We get to truly experience life in this dilapidated apartment with these wiry heroin junkies.

2. A Dramatic Question
"Will these addicts ever get clean?"
That's the question on the viewers' minds as they view this project. We all hope they do, but for anyone who's experienced drug addiction amongst their own family and friends (or even firsthand) knows the nearly insurmountable challenge of overcoming their jones for the junk.

3. Emotional Content
You can hear the emotion in the voices and see it in the photos. The three people the photographer followed were all desperate to get clean, yet undeniably hooked to the powerful drug. The most devastating image: Jessie (the addict) shooting up while in her hospital bed.

4. The Gift of Your Voice
I found no bias in this project. Dimmock doesn't judge these users, but simply lets the images speak for themselves: the violence, the lack of self-respect, the desperation. Her voice is gentle, not abrasive. The images are powerful enough.

5. The Power of the Soundtrack
As a big believer in music and its power, the tunes composed for this project fit perfectly: the anxiousness, the despondency, the squalor. It's all here.

6. Economy
Not a single second is wasted or extraneous in this project. Every image, note, and line of dialogue fits where it should. As Radiohead once said, this project has "Everything in its Right Place."

7. Pacing
A multimedia story should flow well. Even in our ADD society, it's nearly impossible not to be riveted, to be glued to the computer screen for the 13-plus minutes of this project. Going back and forth but focusing on two stories (Jessie and Rachel & Dionn), the entire project feels complete, without missing any crucial details.