Experimental Short - Om

Om (1986) is a short experimental film by John Smith that explores the ways in which sound and visuals can be used in combination in order to create certain meanings. The focus of the film is a young man who is depicted to be some sort of monk. He wears what seems to be an orange robe and is breathing in what appears to be incense. The man begins to hum "Om": a sacred sound and spiritual icon in Indian religions. The man then begins to have his hair shaved by an offscreen barber; his humming coupling with the sound of the razor to imply that this is in fact where the sounds originate. The end of the film reveals that the robe is in fact a barber's gown, the incense is in fact a lit cigarette, and the man is what appears to be a skinhead.

In this film, Smith intelligently uses a combination of sound and visuals in order to coax the viewer into developing false assumptions. Hence, the film can not only be categorised as abstract, but also as a representative of a personal view. The film aims to present how quickly people can be to jump to conclusions and stereotypes.

"This four minute film explores our response to stereotypes - aural, visual and ideological. Smith signals these stereotypes to the viewer through a chiefly associational system. which deftly manipulates the path of our expectations. The structure is stunningly simple and deceptively subtle. We are taken on a journey from one concrete stereotype to its diametric opposite, as the images transform and juxtapose to, ultimately,  invert out interpretation of what we see and hear." - Gary Davis

This film inspired our project in that it gave us the idea to experiment with the ways combinations of sounds and images are able to connote certain meanings, similarly to how the combination of these elements in Om is designed to fool the viewer into making false assumptions.