SMPTE FOREST

Directed with a focus on the interplay between digital and analog, SMPTE Forest features iPhone video and SMPTE color bars filmed on 16mm at 24fps. The film manipulates the playback speed, showing the digital overscan at just 0.24fps, which is one percent of the original speed. This choice creates a meditative pace, allowing viewers to engage with the visuals in a new way.

The film is structured in a sequence of 15-second shots, where a computer generates hundreds of frames from three selected frames. This method showcases how natural forms can emerge from standard test patterns of NTSC video, reflecting the work of The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. Collectors of experimental cinema may find this film appealing for its innovative approach to visual storytelling and technological exploration.