Blog Post 4/1/21:
Creating the photo essay below was an interesting process. Any project starts with an idea. The idea or message I was thinking of focusing on was that war is hell for those affected by it. This not only includes soldiers, but civilians too. I really liked this idea but knew getting real photos to portray this would be impossible. Some of the movies that inspired me over the past few years have been Pearl Harbor, American Sniper, Unbroken, and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. I utilized my resources and decided that I could in fact portray one aspect of war which is loss. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell the story at first and came to the conclusion I needed a rough sketch of a story following a mission of a clone squad. Originally, the plan was to have a clone trooper lose his squad members in battles and see them be replaced by new people he had no connection with; his fallen brothers could never be replaced. This fit my narrative as human life is irreplaceable as each person is unique in their own ways which makes them human and special. I liked this idea that I had created a rough storyboard for but eventually when it came to setting up these photos it was more difficult of a task than I had realized. I reevaluated the storyboard I had created and changed it so the squad would be shot down on a mission where only one survived and had to keep on throughout their mission despite the loss of his squad. Another story plot I had thought of was the soldier finishing his mission yet being held captive and tortured until his new squad rescued him. This was another long shot of an idea that never came to fruition although showing another tragedy of war. With my final plot, it was time to set up the scenes and shoot. An issue I continuously had was with lighting as some of it was too harsh and the background also had to fit the setting to a degree where it fits in. One aspect I liked more after a day or so was the idea of a photograph which are heavily used in movies and shows portraying a squad or family that the protagonist fights for or has a connection with. Overall, I'm content with the photos I took, yet wish the photos weren't staged to show the true horror of war. I highly recommend looking at war photography if you're interested in wars and the darker side opposed to the glorification we commonly see.
A clone squad is deployed on a mission to retrieve plans vital for the war. While being debriefed on the mission and importance of the plans, the transport nears the outpost location. Below the transport on the forest floor was an anti-aircraft emplacement. The transport is shot down by the proton-cannon and causes the ship to crash. Upon impact, the pilots and two of the squad members are killed. The remaining clone got up and walked over to his commander who told him to take the datapad containing the mission details and to continue the retrieval. Shortly after this, the commander too died. With nothing left but sorrow, the remaining clone buried his squadmates and left battlefield crosses marking their graves. He traveled to the nearby outpost and reviewed the details. After this, he approached the outpost wall and started rappelling up although encountering some resistance, leading to him throwing a thermal detonator. Upon ascension to the top, he retrieved the plans and contacted the Chancellor as well as requested reinforcements. Reinforcements arrived shortly after, and the plans were given to the captain. While waiting for the transport to arrive the clone reminisced on a silly old photo his squad had taken before the war. All was well despite the solemn tone until a droid recon unit shot the clone, killing him instantly. The mission was a success but at the cost of a squad men not just soldiers. The clone eternally joined his brothers once again.