Projected Self

Authors

Colin P. Watson Jr.

Files

Abstract

Projected Self is a solo audiovisual performance from the artist C. Watson of original experimental music & video. Using pre-rendered visuals and live manipulated effects, the performance explores mental health themes of anxiety, depression, self-hatred, rage, and finally acceptance. Instead of simply telling a story about a mental health journey, Projected Self uses light and sound to bring the audience on the journey along with the artist; to evoke the feelings in the audience and not just explain them. The music borrows heavily from experimental music genres such as noise and drone while also retaining more rhythmic themes present in electronica and trap. The project went through multiple iterations until an ideal technical setup for one performer was developed. For the artist, writing, editing, mixing, filming, synthesizing visuals, and prepping a performance performing all while dealing with anxiety, fear, and depression was exceedingly difficult but after sharing the multiple versions of Projected Self with peers and Berklee faculty, the response started to show that people did in fact feel the emotions portrayed. In the future, the project has the potential to evolve into multiple new mediums—film, art gallery installation, interstitial during a longer set—but all in all, the project was a successful study in shared emotional experience.

Publication Date

7-1-2018

Campus

Valencia (Spain) Campus

Project Components

Project Components: one project video (.mp4), one reflection paper (.pdf), one presentation (.pdf), one performance video (.mp4), project videos (one ZIP file containing three .mov files).

Recommended Citation

Watson, Colin P., Jr. “Projected Self.” Master's thesis, Berklee College of Music, 2018. https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-production-technology/109.