Final Intervention

https://youtu.be/QArgwh_C22o

While coming up with an idea for this last intervention I pondered on the different ways I can distribute my intervention to a larger audience. I didn’t just want to make a social media page or posters because I feel like there is a personal element missing from those tactics. I wanted to get people to “step off the curb” and really participate in anti-war activism to bring about change. I thought a movie trailer would be perfect because it can be easily distributed, and people may be inspired to make their own films. In chapter 5 of The Art Of Activism, the authors state, “Countless activists and artists have described the purpose of their work to us as being to “raise awareness” or “start conversation” Is that really the outcome they are after?” This quote resonated with me because I am a firm believer that conversation around a topic is a good start, but the goal should be to bring about real change such as putting forth new laws. My message for the audience is that war is something that many people feel anxiety about, but they may not realize or think about it because it seems so distant. As a young man, you can wake up one day and have your life stripped from you because selfishness and greed took over the minds of the people who have military power. 

 

The way I reached my audience was through the distribution of this trailer through word of mouth and social media. Activism can sometimes be a lot of work and I didn’t want this intervention to feel like a chore because that can scare some people into participating in anti-war activism. I wanted to include as many details and facts as possible but a quote in the book made realize that may not be the smart thing to do. It states, “We shouldn’t expect to move people through the whole process at once- a few stages is a substantial accomplishment. In fact, trying to make a piece that achieves everything will leave you burned out and depressed.” With this new information, I realized that many small projects can be more effective than trying to cram all the information about a topic into one project and that is why I chose to use a short video to get my message across. 

 

This project fits in perfectly with my professional aspirations because being a fashion designer is much more than just making clothes. You have the opportunity to spread messages about things you are passionate about, and also experiment with other forms of art such as videography. I always tell people I want to shoot my own look books and promotional videos myself and this project helped me get better at editing and finishing a project in a short amount of time. I wish I had more time and a bigger budget to make an actual short film about war because it would give people a clear view of how peaceful life can be without war and how horrible it can get because of it. In the book it states, “When we act in order to bring social change it is important not only to “demonstrate” what we are against in the here and now, but also to create a vision of the world we would like to bring into being in the future.” This is something I 100% believe in and thats a big part of the reason why I chose to make a small film. Seeing is believing to most people and once they see your vision it will be hard for them to deny the facts. 

 

I was inspired by many artists for this intervention, and two of them are Yoko Ono and John Lennon. I realized that they held anti war activism very close to their hearts and listening to their song “give peace a chance” I knew I had to create something that people can resonate with. The songs' lyrics are so powerful, and they stay with you even after you finish listening. Another artist I was inspired by is Stanley Kubrick. I watched all of his films and every single one has an underlying theme that he cleverly adds into his movies. As a director, possibilities are endless, and you can create an entire world for people to get lost in. That’s why I chose to make a film even though I have no experience in film making because creating a world where people can see how good life is before war and how terrible it can get during a war is the only way people will “step off the curb” and attempt to create real change. Banksy is another artist I took inspiration from for all 3 of my interventions. I saw his piece titled “bomb love” and knew I wanted to do antiwar activism especially because war is so relevant in today's world with the invasion of Ukraine. Although Banksy isn't a fashion designer or movie director, his images inspired me to create an intervention that makes people think deeply about the subject matter and he also inspired me to put my work in public places for people to see. I had a great time completing these interventions and I'm excited about continuing my activist work in my career.