Hear/Say

For one of my communication courses: we had to film a 5 shot sequence, each shot lasting 10 seconds. The film had to tell a short story. Mine– what it’s like to be the troll under the bridge.

TROLL AVE.

When I was thinking of people to profile in our video assignment, no one specifically appealed to me: I was thinking about service/hospitality jobs (i.e. barista, waitress, bartender), because of how the shots would require a natural action that illustrated an action-centered story line (because of our 5 shot, no-edit constraint) and also because that felt like the general idea in our class.

I started thinking about unusual things I could make a story out of, instead of following that common thread of convenience. I decided on the Fremont Troll because of how artistically iconic it is for Seattle, not to mention Fremont’s own eclectic identity. I was actually surprised at the coherence of the story line created.

I didn’t realize how many people passed the troll every day, and started realizing how the Troll might be personified—patient; a rock of creative expression that has become the watchdog under the bridge, rather than a mythically menacing troll. Busses full of tourists were constantly pulling up to the troll, pausing, and driving away; cars full of families stopped by to take pictures. People were posing with the Troll in different ways—climbing him, walking around him, sticking their heads under his nose, etc. Perhaps it’s a little presumptuous stretch to say this rock sculpture displayed a magnanimously patient aura as it became a spectacle—maybe I’m giving inanimate objects too much credit. But the history of the Troll resurfaces and implicates itself in the admiration of its many visitors.

I do think this has to do with Identity; especially being an iconic Seattle piece of art (… it was in 10 things I Hate About You), it seems like Seattleites are of course aware that the Troll is there, but doesn’t receive any overt “public relations” or community appreciation. Perhaps if people realized how personable and endearing the Troll has become through its historical presence, they’d take better care of it in order to preserve him (as well as keep the area safe).

Troll Ave. N from grace yang on Vimeo.