Soothing Ring of Fire

Soothing Ring of Fire
Still frame from the film
Directed by	Zabëlle Skye
Produced by	Skye
Cinematography	Skye
Edited by	Skye
Release date	28 December 2019
Running time	634 minutes (10 hours, 34 minutes)
Country	Principality of New Eiffel
Language	No language spoken

Soothing Ring of Fire is a 2019 New Eiffelic experimental art film and art installation that was produced, directed and shot by Zabëlle Skye. The film consists of 10 hours and 34 minutes of slow motion footage of an unchanging view of an electronic heater fan, largely reducing the experience of cinema to the passing of time. Skye found the red light omitted by the fan to be therapeutic, and likened the sounds that the fan omitted to that of soothing white noise. The film was uploaded onto YouTube on 28 December 2019. Upon its release, Soothing Ring of Fire received a lukewarm response; audiences questioned the film's artistic merit and deemed it pretentious. Nevertheless, the film would later become a cultural icon in New Eiffel. It became an art installation in the Surrealist Art Gallery in New Leeds on 15 January 2020.

Synopsis

The film consists entirely of slow motion footage of a stationary view of an electronic heater fan except for the very end, when the slow motion footage ends and a person walks in and turns off the heater before unplugging it. The heater fan is black with a red ring light surrounding its cover. It is on the floor of a dark, grey room. Electrical wiring is visible at the left of the film, while the fan itself is located at the far right of the shot. The red light which the fan omits reflects on the floor below. Soothing Ring of Fire was shot at 240 frames per second and slowed down, extending the total running time from 20 minutes and 12 seconds to 2 hours and 38 minutes. The footage was then duplicated four times for a total runtime of 10 hours and 34 minutes.

Production

Soothing Ring of Fire playing at the Surrealist Art Gallery in New Leeds

Skye got the idea for a very lengthy avant-garde film after viewing Pharrell Williams' 24 Hours of Happy (2013) over the course of three days between 23–25 December and Andy Warhol's 8-hour long Empire (1965) on 27 December 2020. Skye finally chose to film an electronic heater fan after he found the red light to be therapeutic, and likened the sounds that the fan omitted to that of soothing white noise. This is why he named the film Soothing Ring of Fire. Filming commenced on 28 December in Skye's older brother's room in the Main Building, New Leeds—the largest city of New Eiffel. It was shot on an iPhone 7 Plus in 720p at 240 frames per second. After filming concluded, the footage was edited in iMovie where it was slowed down to extend the runtime.

Release and aftermath

The film was uploaded onto YouTube on 28 December 2020—the same day as its completion. It was the first feature-length film to be released in New Eiffel. By July 2021, the video on YouTube had garnered over 140 views before being deleted in late 2021. Upon its release, Soothing Ring of Fire received a lukewarm response; audiences questioned the film's artistic merit and deemed it pretentious. Nevertheless, the film would later become a cultural icon in New Eiffel. On 15 January 2020, the film was played on a loop at the pop-up Surrealist Art Gallery where it received a better response. Skye released a standalone sequel entitled Soothing Ring of Water—which consists of six hours of footage of a cooler fan omitting blue light—on 6 July 2021.

See also

• Cinema of New Eiffel