processandproductionemmamarie

[processandproductionemmamarie]

Project Statement

This work explores themes of duality, devotion, and desire through references to Biblical icons Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary. Combining personal experience with biblical imagery, the project reflects on my experiences of love, loss and transformation, using ritual and natural environments to communicate these ideas.

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Blue Diamond Heaven

Blue Diamond Heaven, Emma Marie, 2025

I settled on the name 'Blue Diamond Heaven' for my final video piece. The words are taken from Don McLean's 1970 song 'Tapestry'. The song is a meditative and mournful reflection on human existence, mortality and the interconnectedness of life. The metaphor of a tapestry is used to suggest the complexities, beauty and fragility of life. In the song, 'Blue Diamond Heaven' is reminiscent of something luxurious, heavenly and expansive. In the context of Tapestry, heaven is beautiful but untouchable.

The sea in my film exists as both a physical and symbolic space; it's vast, glittering, and unpredictable, much like the future that I contemplate in the second act of the video. The deep, luminous blue of the sea mirrors the richness suggested by 'blue diamond', while the idea of 'heaven' ties directly to the film’s biblical references.

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Final Submission Folio

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Installation

I followed my installation proposal, draping the table in red muslin, and the walls adorned with red chiffon to give the projection a glowing, transient appearance. The altar will mirror the first act of the video, where I consume bread and wine at a table.

The projector was mounted on a tripod, and instructions on how to turn the projector on are attached.

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Installation Proposal

My work comprises a video that reimagines Christian icons.

For its installation in the studio/exhibition space, I plan to project the video using a college projector to ensure it has been PAT tested. The projector will be mounted on a tripod. The projection will be directed at the wall and the lights dimmed to ensure the efficacy of the projection whilst also not compromising the safety of viewers traversing the space. Any electrical cables will be taped flush to the floor to prevent trip hazards. Projection is light-based and intangible, evoking similarities to divine visions, apparitions and epiphanies as well as the radiance of Christian figures like the Virgin Mary and angels.

Beneath the projection, a table draped in red muslin will serve as an altar-like space, adorned with religious objects such as a Bible, statuettes, rosaries, and candles. The devotional objects reinforce the themes of faith and desire, turning the installation into a site of both reverence and subversion. The altar will mirror a scene in the video where I consume bread and wine at a table covered with red cloth. 

On either side of the projected video, wooden crucifixes will be attached to the wall with picture hooks, framing the work and intensifying its religious iconography. This arrangement transforms the act of watching into something devotional, inviting the audience to engage with the work contemplatively. 

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Reflection

In the film, the two Marys are depicted: the saint and the sinner. In exploring both figures, I explore duality as a concept in the context of womanhood. One vilified for desire and one revered for purity, their respective narratives are paragons for the impossible duality imposed on women. In the work, I try to resist the binary by showing both aspects as part of a whole.

The video explores two states, a near past and a near future, the devoted and the liberated.

In the first act, with my embodiment of Mary Magdalene, I explore devotion, consumption and physicality. The setting is warm, intimate and indulgent. The walls are draped in red fabric, and the scene is candlelit. The act reflects the raw emotion, heartbreak and desire that still lingers, the latter evident in the blending of religious language with sensuality.

In contrast, the second act is my representation of the Virgin Mary. As I walk into the cold waves of the sea, I portray a surrender, a rebirth and a comfortable solitude. The soft, flowing fabrics and the vast openness of the ocean speak to my shift from emotionally tethered to unbound. The first act is candlelit, intimate and red, while the second is spacious, cool and bright.

Frida Kahlo, Las Dos Fridas, 1939

The duality explored and present in my work reminds me of Frida Kahlo's Las Dos Fridas (1939). In the painting, Frida presented two versions of herself. One is wearing a white Victorian-era dress, as she attempts to stem the bleeding from her broken heart, powerfully symbolic of a wounded and vulnerable version of Frida. The other, dressed in a traditional Tehuana dress with an intact heart, is representative of the side of Frida which is still tethered to her ex-husband. The two Fridas are tethered by blood, with a vein connecting the two. They are still bound by shared love, loss and memory.

Unintentionally, I feel my work mirrors this. By splitting myself into Magdalene and Mary, red and white, tethered and untethered, devoted and liberated, I am two halves of one whole. I don't have to choose between saint and sinner or heartbreak and healing because I embody both. In this, I lay claim to my personal language of love and my 'selfhood', which I felt unable to do during my relationship. My future is as bright and expansive as the sea.

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First Draft

In the first draft, the video consists of the following timeline:

I am seated at a table, embodying Mary Magdalene. My hair is long and deep red, referencing traditional depictions of Magdalene and my natural colour in a more theatrical tone. I wear a red chiffon dress, paired with my signature silver jewellery. My appearance roots the video in both biblical and personal iconography.

Arranged in front of me on the table are several devotional objects: lit candles, porcelain statuettes, red roses, and an open Bible. This is evocative of a Christian altar, while also referencing Dutch still life compositions and Marina Abramović’s Rhythm 0 table of objects.

I pour a glass of red wine and drink.

I cut into a loaf of bread, tearing off pieces and eating them. This becomes the central action of the first act, directly referencing the Eucharist and transforming it into something more intimate and sensual.

Through cross-dissolve cuts, the sequence condenses time, making it appear that I am in a near-constant state of consuming. This emphasises the excessive nature of the consumption, evocative of cannibalism, in the bread being representative of Christ's body and blood as a metaphor for intense desire and love.

I read aloud a poem. An erotic love letter written from the perspective of Mary Magdalene to Christ. The poem highlights the intensity of devotion and passion I experienced in my relationship.

The scene gently fades, with the candles lingering. The sound of waves links the first act to the second.

As the music begins to swell, the second act follows. I am now visible on a beach, dressed in flowing white and blue fabrics that follow traditional depictions of the Virgin Mary. My white lace veil creates a train that lifts and moves with the coastal winds.

The visual is bright and ethereal, enhanced by deliberate colour grading choices that heighten the intensity of light. This contrasts strongly with the saturated dark reds of the first act.

I used careful cropping and Ken Burns to guide the viewer toward the textures and motion of the fabrics

The second act concludes with a wide shot of me wading into the sea, moving toward the horizon. It is an image of quiet solitude, suggestive of freedom and the beginning of something new.

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Post Production

While I had access to both Premiere Pro and iMovie, I chose to edit the film in iMovie, as the pared-back interface and intuitive tools allowed me to focus on the rhythm and emotion of the footage without becoming overly preoccupied with technicalities. Given that my intention was to keep the edits minimal and sensitive, iMovie felt like the right fit for this work.

In Act I, I used a series of carefully considered cuts to condense the footage. This not only reduced the overall length but also served a conceptual purpose, with the repeated cuts making it appear as though I was continually consuming the bread and wine. This repetition underscores the theme of excessive consumption, both literal and symbolic, while drawing attention to the ritualistic nature of this act. I also slightly increased the brightness of the video.

To soften the transitions and evoke a passage of time, I applied a cross-dissolve effect between the clips. The dissolves created a dreamlike, time-lapse quality that enhanced the sense of a cyclical act of eating and drinking as that of devotion, desire, and grief.

At the close of Act I, I layered an audio recording of myself reading a poem aloud, comprising a kind of intimate, erotic letter written from the perspective of Mary Magdalene to Christ. This was recorded simply through my laptop microphone. I lowered the background music slightly during the reading to give clarity to the spoken word and allow the vulnerability of the voice to take precedence.

For Act II, I spent time reviewing all the footage before selecting key clips to import into iMovie. Initially, I had placed the crucifix footage at the beginning of the act, but through the editing process, I felt it held greater emotional weight when placed at the end as a closing image that lingered with symbolic resonance.

The transition between acts was also created using a cross-dissolve effect. This not only links the two sections visually but also allows the candles from the Magdalene sequence to linger as they blend into the sea of the Virgin Mary scene. This effect created a sense of continuity and transformation, suggesting an evolution or synergy between the two personas.

The film is scored with “Ebb Tide” by Houston & Dorsey, chosen for its sensual, melancholic tone and slow, swelling structure. The cyclical nature of the song (the ebb and flow of its melody) mirrored the emotional tides of the piece. To accommodate the length of the film, I seamlessly blended two iterations of the track together, taking care to crop the opening of the first to better suit the slow unfolding of the visuals.

I also experimented with voiceover in Act II. I initially recorded a piece of text reflecting on my recent breakup. Although I knew this wouldn't be the text used in the final cut, I was able to use it as a placeholder until I had written a passage specifically for the film. This process helped me consider whether to use the spoken word in both acts, or if I should allow the second more breathing room, reflective of solitude, introspection, and surrender.

I used Ken Burns to keep the focus on the material, and I was especially trying to avoid capturing the footprints in the sand in the shot. This helped me to use more of the clips I had recorded than I initially thought I'd be able to, as I could select the best of each clip.

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Raw Footage

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Act 2: Location and Filming

location: West Kilbride - Seamill

From early on, I knew I wanted the second act of the film to be filmed at a body of water. I toyed with the idea of lochs, rivers and beaches, but ultimately chose the latter for its vastness and openness. These are qualities that felt symbolically important in the context of the film.

I considered locations such as Irvine and Troon, which I had visited previously and could visualise fairly well. However, I began to worry about how busy these beaches might be and how that could disrupt the filming process. I didn’t want modern-day beachgoers to appear in the background, and I was also hesitant about performing such a personal piece in front of an audience.

To find a more secluded spot, I asked friends for recommendations for quieter coastal areas. A friend suggested Seamill, a stretch of the west coast she knew well. She was able to point me toward a specific area that she knew to be both quiet and visually striking, which ultimately became the chosen location for filming.

I invited two close friends to assist with the shoot, who played vital roles. Louis, who had supported me in the first act of the video, again generously offered the use of his Canon 6D Mark II with a 50mm lens. His knowledge of the camera and guidance around lighting were crucial, especially in adapting to the ever-changing coastal environment. Jasmine offered support by driving us to the location, allowing us to transport all the equipment, costume pieces, and props safely. Her car also provided a necessary space for me to warm up after filming in the cold sea. Jasmine assisted during the shoot itself, holding the layers of fabric during shots where I wanted to experiment with shadows. She also stayed nearby with towels and dry clothes to ensure I could change quickly out of the wet costume for health and safety reasons. Louis' and Jasmine's presence helped create a sense of ease on set, allowing me to focus more fully on the emotional and performative aspects of the shoot.

Working with friends who understand my intentions and the personal nature of my work allows the process to feel safe and intimate.

I didn’t go into the shoot for Act 2 with many pre-planned ideas. I knew I wanted to capture a long shot of me walking into the water in my costume, and I knew this had to be the last thing that was filmed, as my clothes would be soaked through afterwards. With this in mind, I filmed a variety of clips leading up to my submersion in the water, utilizing the flowing fabrics of my dress and veil.

The winds at the location were stronger than I had expected. This turned out to be a source of inspiration, as I experimented with ways of using the winds to my advantage. I asked Louis to film my dress and veil as they were caught by the wind. I also had Jasmine help by holding the veil to the sand so we could film the shadow cast by the lace material. Rather than being a hindrance, the wind became an unexpected collaborator in the process!

I had postponed filming for the second act for as long as I feasibly could, wanting to avoid the colder months when swimming in the sea, as this could be a health and safety concern. The timing of the shoot on a bright, sunny day meant I could focus on the performance and the shots without the distraction of discomfort or safety concerns.

The brightness of the sun, especially the way it reflected off the waves, created a heavenly, ethereal atmosphere. I felt it was essential to capture this natural light in the shots. However, this presented some challenges. Many of the shots were backlit, which resulted in me appearing as a silhouette, an effect I hadn’t intended. My clothing was an important consideration in the film, so I wanted the fabrics to be visible.

If I were to reshoot any of these clips, I would use a neutral density filter on the camera to reduce the intensity of the light. This would allow me to control the exposure more effectively, giving me greater flexibility to adjust the lighting during the editing process.

The shoot evolved as the day unfolded. I enjoyed working this way, following my intuition and the environment rather than a rigid plan. I reviewed the clips at the end of the day and felt confident that with some cropping and colour grading, the filmed sections would be perfect.

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Act 2: Costume Direction

Raphael, Madonna del Granduca, 1505 / Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Aranjuez Immaculate Conception, 1675

The Virgin Mary is almost always clothed in blue, often paired with white. Blue is associated with purity, heaven, and royalty. It was also historically the most expensive pigment, reinforcing her importance. White symbolizes chastity, purity, and innocence. Often used for her undergarments or veil.

Mary is typically dressed modestly in long, flowing robes and a veil covering her hair. The clothing is usually soft and loose, emphasising humility and grace. In Renaissance and Baroque art, her clothing has a luminous, almost glowing quality.

The costume for Act Two was developed with careful consideration of texture, symbolism, and movement, all contributing to the visual and emotional tone of the Virgin Mary sequence. I sourced all materials second-hand through platforms like Vinted.

The veil was created from a vintage lace tablecloth, chosen for its delicate pattern and devotional connotations. I cut the fabric into two sections. One extended from the crown of my head to the ground, forming a soft train behind me, and another was pinned over the bodice of the white dress. This decision created a sense of visual cohesion, unifying the layers through matching lace textures. To secure the veil, I used discreet hair grips as I anticipated strong winds at the beach location.

The long white dress, already a part of my wardrobe, was selected for its flowing silhouette and semi-sheer fabric, evocative of purity, softness, and the ethereal qualities traditionally associated with the Virgin Mary. Layered over it was a pale blue chiffon kimono, also sourced second-hand. Blue, a colour deeply tied to Marian iconography, played an essential role in visually invoking her presence. The soft fabrics were chosen not only for their symbolic value but also for how they would move with the wind, creating a dreamlike effect.

As a subtle yet deliberate detail, I wore oversized silver crucifix earrings. These served as a nod to modern religious iconography.

My makeup was intentionally kept minimal and natural, a visual contrast to the more theatrical, seductive styling of my Mary Magdalene portrayal in Act One. While that look featured dark lipstick and false eyelashes, which are striking, romantic, and sensual, the Virgin Mary styling embraced softness and lightness. This contrast helped to reinforce the dualities between the two figures.

Lastly, I chose to let my natural hair fall loosely under the veil. While Mary is often depicted with golden hair modestly covered, the choice to use my own hair added a personal resonance. It also created a contrast with the deep red wig I wore as Magdalene.

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Musical Choice

​Houston & Dorsey's rendition of Ebb Tide, featured on their 1968 album At The World's Most Famous Beach, offers a new interpretation of the instrumental piece originally composed by Robert Maxwell in 1953.

Their version of Ebb Tide is characterised by a 'watery' guitar effect. This technique gives a fluid quality to the melody, mirroring the ebb and flow of ocean tides. This approach aligns with the song's thematic essence, capturing the rhythmic movement of the sea.

I chose to use this music because of its rich, sensual and atmospheric quality. I felt its nature would heighten the intensity and immersion of the video and prompt reflection from the viewer.

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Poem

'I knew you in the biblical sense', Emma Marie, 2025

For all the blood  And all the flesh Of Christ Just Like My gums are Rosy and new And Intense and hungry Just like the Vessels That burst beneath Soil and  scarlet pigment skin is steaming and now well past the parameters Of urgent moisture For what Is more splendid Than that Lustrous shrine I call water upon Your skin My sweetest dove,  perfect and pleasing  and our most  Merciful acts of passion are not as long lost as Rome’s Inexorable moral decay brand me a sinner for God has it wrong Veneration and  this affusion is Deserving of you and saints alike

poem breakdown:

'to know someone in the biblical sense': The title implies sexual intimacy. In a euphemistic sense, 'knowing someone in the biblical sense' means having sex with them. Here I've reversed it, making the biblical erotic and the erotic sanctified. It sets the tone for my film, which blends religious language with personal sensuality.

'For all the blood... of Christ': These lines immediately spark communion imagery (the Eucharist), which I will reference literally through the consumption of bread and wine on screen. Instead of presenting it as a solemn religious act, I suggest a sexual hunger and interpret the Eucharist as carnal.

'Just like my gums are ... Intense and hungry': The emphasis on the mouth creates a bodily, feral feeling alongside the themes of consumption, and the hunger of desire, mirroring my on-screen actions of eating bread and drinking wine.

'Skin is steaming ... Urgent moisture': the hot, steaming skin and 'urgent moisture' speak to physical intimacy, further blurring the line between holy and sexual.

'Merciful acts of passion... Rome’s... moral decay': The idea of 'moral decay' as a primary cause of the decline of the Roman Empire dates back to Victorian religious doctrine. The poem's ending critiques the Church (especially in reference to the vilification of Mary Magdalene) and highlights the triumphs of passion.

'Brand me a sinner...God has it wrong': the closing of the poem refuses shame and is a reclamation of sexuality. I step into the role of Magdalene and refuse to be punished for desire.

'Veneration..deserving of...saints alike': Affusion is the term for pouring water used in baptism. Through the poem, acts of love become rituals, and the erotic becomes divine.

I will read this poem aloud over the film during the first act, where I embody Mary Magdalene. The poem builds on the confessional and sensual nature of the video.

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Act 1: Reshoot

Naively, I had planned to film the first act of the video in a single session. However, upon reviewing the footage and beginning to imagine the edit, I noticed several technical and visual issues that disrupted the atmosphere I had intended to create. This led me to make the decision to reshoot the scene.

One of the primary issues was the movement of the table. When I cut into the bread, the table wobbled, causing the candle flames to flicker. This deserved the stillness and careful lighting of the scene. To resolve this, I precut the bread at the reshoot. I carefully sliced it from the underside and the side facing me. This allowed the camera-facing side of the loaf to remain intact while enabling me to separate each slice with minimal force during the filming. Because I had to use less force to cut each slice of the bread, the table didn't shake and disturb the candles.

I also opted for a different type of bread. In the original shoot, I used a discounted loaf, which was quite dry and difficult to chew. This created challenges during filming, as the act of eating was laborious. For the reshoot, I selected a softer loaf

I introduced more pillar candles into the scene as I felt the initial footage was slightly underlit. The glow of the more candles enhanced the biblical tone and the sensual atmosphere.

I carefully arranged the clusters of candles using the camera’s viewfinder to ensure I didn't block essential elements. I positioned candles around the Jesus statuette so that the head of the figure was softly illuminated and highlighting the devotional nature of the act

In the initial shoot, I had chosen to leave some pieces of furniture in my home studio to avoid the inconvenience of clearing the room. However, for the reshoot I committed to fully clearing the space. This allowed me greater freedom of composition and gave me more control over how I might crop and frame the scene during the edit.

Another small improvement was the Bible on the table. In the first shoot, it had been left open to a random page out of my lack of planning. In the reshoot, I purposefully selected Luke 8:1–3, which references Mary Magdalene and her healing from "seven devils." This ties the performance more closely to a specific biblical narrative and the feminist re-interpretation.

(Luke 8:1-3: 'certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils')

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Video Experiment

Here, I experimented with transitions between clips to create the illusion of elements fading in and out, creating a dreamlike effect. Because of the video's static composition and the filming of the set with me, without me and with projection, I was able to create this effect.

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Video Experiment

I used a video of me holding the rosary beads and used a cutaway to layer another video atop. To create a further layered effect, I exported the video and layered on more videos, repeating this several times.

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Act 1: Mary Magdalene Shoot

I enlisted the help of my friend Louis, who is a photography student at City of Glasgow College, to operate the camera and act as a production assistant. He was especially helpful in ensuring that the framing was correct while I was seated at the table, as well as providing the Camera equipment for the project. The video was filmed on a Canon 6d Mark II with a 24-34mm lens.

Before Louis' arrival, I spent a few hours carefully dressing the set, laying it out like an altar or a still life. Later, I would use the viewfinder of the camera as a guide and shift the items around slightly to ensure each element sat harmoniously in frame.

I was considerate of health and safety, ensuring the cords of the projector were tucked away so they could not be tripped over. Because of the number of open flames, I lit the candles briefly to finalise the placement and check how they appeared on the camera and once satisfied, I blew them out. I relit them with Louis' help right before the camera began rolling. To minimise any risk further, I kept my long wig tied back until recording. A bucket of water was also kept on hand in case any of the candles were knocked over.

Going into the shoot, I had chosen not to plan a rigid shot list. The only essential images I knew I needed were of myself sitting at the table, cutting the bread and drinking wine. Beyond that, I welcomed spontaneity. I allowed myself to respond instinctively to the environment, filming any additional shots that arose naturally. Even if these clips didn't make it to the final cut of the video, I knew having a wide library of material to draw from would be valuable as the project shaped itself.

Once everything was in place, Louis pressed record and left the room, allowing me the privacy to act out the performance. This privacy was important as it made the scene feel more intimate and authentic. After completing the sequence, I carefully moved to the opposite side of the table, under the view of the camera and turned on the projector and played several videos I had prepared. I captured a few minutes of footage with myself out of frame, to once again increase the amount of material I would be able to draw on during the editing process.

My approach of preparation and intuitiveness was successful, as the shoot had intention but was also creative and spur of the moment. I began to bring the shots up in iMovie, and worked out if there were any shots I was missing and if there were any sections that needed revising/refilming. These are addressed in the reshoot of act 1.