A Fab-ulous Dream... (a digital short story)

My task was simple; create a digital story (less than 3 minutes) which would communicate an evocative way of incorporating creative writing, imagery and sound. Well, I think I have done just that. My digital video is a story, more like a poem, that was created using a few different writing techniques. First, I randomly shot words I liked and thought were neat-looking during my three weeks abroad (i.e. found poetry.) Then I reviewed each photo and wrote the words out on little pieces of paper and shuffled them around and wrote a little narrative based on their complete randomness. This does not take as long as it may seems (actually it took about 3 minutes) since I have been practicing this style of creative writing/poetry ever since I discovered it while reading a biography on David Bowie’s writing process some 15 years ago. So, my digital story is a homage to the act of dreaming/traveling and to the Fab Four (aka The Beatles) using the sights I spied from London and Paris to illustrate my experience of my Study Abroad journey... So, just click the embedded player below (you can even turn up the audio if you find you need a little bit more volume.)

Here is a written transcript of the piece:


A Fab-ulous Dream...
Leaving London, and headed to the East Coast,
To my usual Leon county digs,
Deep in meditation, I had a strange dream,
Adding to my unique experience
Something deliciously different,
Seated next to me were The Beatles
Each asking me in urgent tone, who was I?
“An Oxford backpacker?” Paul’s voice asked
“A librarian?” John intuit-ed
“Almost - but thank you,” I replied.
Ringo asked with a silly grin if
I was “Florence Nightingale”
I looked over at George, the quiet one,
And he asked if I was a “bug”
I said, “I’m a flower”
(A red herring answer, really, but full of information.)
“Heather,” Paul said “fantastic!”
“I didn’t recognize you all incognito in that fancy-dress
Won’t you come to Abbey Road studio with me?
“Yes, yes yes” I said, “all you had to do is ask”
George was humming the tune to Yesterday
When John whispered to him
“Love is stronger than death”
And they both disappeared into a white blur.
And I watched them until my hazel eyes became blue…
Amazed by the mixed emotions, I woke up suddenly;
A feeling of sadness and joy, equally captivating.
Thinking to the pilot - “take me home,”
Where my recent discoveries
Created a journey more pleasant,
Than I could have imagined.
“Let it be,” I mumbled to myself.
The memories rushing like blood inside my head,
And I closed my eyes again
And returned some strange dreaming.

All original writing, photography and production by Heather Rodriguez-Raymond

[Created for FSU MLIS London Study Abroad Summer 2010]

My first hand-written draft on 3 card stock papers: