Madison Forsey Initial Walkthrough

Clip from movie Interstellar plays.

[0:12] Clips from Interstellar trailer play.

Interstellar is a sci-fi thriller that takes place many years in the future. The Earth is dying, people are running out of basic crops like corn and potatoes, and rain is a rare occurrence. It is in this setting that Cooper, played by Matthew McConaughey, and a team of scientists and astronauts working at NASA embark on a perilous mission through a wormhole to find a place to sustain human life. Ever since this movie came out in 2014, I have fallen in love with it. It’s an epic tale of human spirit, willpower, determination, and even love. It is because of these few key elements that the poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” by Dylan Thomas, fit so perfectly into this film, and why it has also become one of my favorite poems and the piece I chose to do my e-poetry project on.

[1:02] Clip from Interstellar of Michael Caine reciting the Thomas poem.

[1:42] Camtasia video software

So now that you’ve seen my inspiration going into the poetry project, I can talk more about why I chose to include certain clips and sounds. So obviously with the image of the candle, it goes back to the burning light that Thomas references throughout the piece.

[1:58] A small window showing a google image search for candles

I saw this as kind of a single flame. Kind of, almost, a symbol of the fire in our core that is essential to our being and what drives the things we do and drives the things we love, which is what led me to this video of a single candle burning. And so that’s how it kind of ended up filtering in and out throughout my piece, kind of symbolizing that no matter what stage in life we’re in, there’s always that candle burning within us, that light raging within us.

[2:33] An image showing the written poem.

So next I’m going to break down stanza by stanza what I envision and how that came to life in the clips that I chose. For the first stanza, I wanted to set the mood of the poem by including symbols, like the burning candle as well as the video of the Earth spinning.

[2:50] Both the candle and Earth videos appear on screen over the poem.

These symbols, I thought, brought the mood of the piece into focus. In the next verse, I thought it would be best to include a pair of older gentlemen who are still happy and taking advantage of life, despite the ticking clock.

[3:04] Zoom-in on third stanza of poem. Over it, videos of ballerinas dancing  appear.
While reading the third verse, the words that stuck out to me were crying, frail, and danced. These three words helped me to picture a very melancholy scene, one that I think paired well with this Kanye West video featuring very frail, and slightly depressing, ballerinas.

[3:20] Zoom-in on the fourth stanza of poem. Over it, a video of a young man jumping into the water from a large rocky structure.

In the fourth verse, I wanted to emphasize the carefree phase of life, showing images of strong and adventurous young men.

[3:29] Zoom-in on final two stanzas. Videos of celebrities such as Daniel Day Lewis, Michael Jackson, and Steve Jobs. Then, a young child walking with her parent.

In my opinion, the last two stanzas bring the entire poem full circle. They accentuate the main theme of an undying spirit and carrying on no matter what life puts in front of you. The last two stanzas seem to be, to me, both reflective and longing, saying goodbye to life known and ushering in a new generation, which is why I wanted to show men looking back on their life and all their accomplishments, while also tying in a younger face. This younger face looks to those who are old for help and guidance, just as they slip away, letting viewers and readers know that nothing in life is eternal, but doing those things with passion is what makes them live on forever.

[4:09] Images and clips of Hans Zimmer, various musicians, and Christopher Nolan sitting and talking about the Interstellar soundtrack.

Lastly, and probably one of the most important elements to my e-poem, is the music. The song featured is from the very place that I got the inspiration for my project: Interstellar. Hans Zimmer has come to be one of my favorite composers. He has scored a variety of movies throughout his career, movies with very iconic themes, such as Inception, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Sherlock Holmes.  I thought it was best that the music came from the original soundtrack, because it truly emulated the feel of the poem better than any other piece of music could.

[4:43] Camtasia software

All this being said, my e-poem is not perfect. There are many edits that I have already made, and many more that I plan to make throughout the rest of the semester before submitting my final version in my portfolio. I think I could stand to lengthen out the timing of some of the words and transitions, as well as adjusting the music to where certain words, and videos, appear on large builds in the soundtrack. I want to make the audience my priority in this video and help them to really understand the meaning behind this piece and how each element fits together in this e-poetry project. I know that I got so excited each time I reached a breakthrough and manipulated the timing perfectly on Camtasia. The tutorials were definitely helpful, and I am so happy to have mastered another editing tool to use in the future.

[5:39] Camtasia video software.
Overall, I really loved the e-poetry project. I have always been one to volunteer and make videos in group projects over the years, and this assignment in particular has allowed me to express my creative side in editing while exposing me to classic poetry. The thing that I think is most awesome is it allows everyone to share their own individual interpretation with the help of a visual and sound aid. Most English classes focus on reading papers and responses that center on analysis after reading poetry, but I think this process allows students to delve much deeper into the work than any paper or report could. 

[6:21] A black screen with white text showing the quote, “These poems, with all their crudities, doubts and confusions, are written for the love of man and in Praise of God, and I'd be a damn fool if they weren't.”- Dylan Thomas