Premium is one of a collection of 8 stylistically coherent micro-videos that use text and found footage to create oblique narratives and confabulations. They were created by playwright/poet/theatremaker Mark C. Hewitt in a creative collaboration with digital artist Matt Parsons. Each is voiced by a different actor, with Premium voiced by French actress, Melissa Sirol. These miniature works were conceived as non-illustrational visual counterparts to an enigmatic poem sequence with the overarching title, Les Coffrets, meaning the boxes, related to the shape of the poems on the page. The 'authorial voice’ in these texts is largely abandoned in favour of chance elements, such as words seen on clothing or lines of overheard conversation or phrases from adverts or social media articles, all of which occur in Premium. As such, these narratives offer no consoling message, but as British playwright Howard Barker once remarked: "who trusts the message giver anymore?".
The black & white retro visual aesthetic pays homage to classic film noir and early Surrealist photography. And why not? Be driven by what you love!
