by LeeStewart
A financially struggling woman answers an online ad for a performance art project that promises continuous filming with “no interference to daily life.” At first, the cameras feel harmless — even comforting. But as the attention becomes addictive, her behavior begins to escalate in increasingly dangerous ways, while the three filmmakers documenting her argue over ethics, responsibility, and art. At first, the cameras simply record her life, then they begin shaping it. As the need to remain interesting drives her toward increasingly dangerous behavior, the three filmmakers documenting her become trapped between moral discomfort and compulsive observation. Every escalation gives them another reason to stop and another reason to continue. Then they’re told the truth. No sci-fi or fantasy here, just a short story exploring the concept of identity created through observation. I’ve encountered this contemporary style a couple times – Amy Hempel was a major influence. I wanted to play with the characters being objects in the story, more of a “concept” than human beings. The three videographers are no more than short descriptions and even the “lead” is hardly fleshed out. This isn’t a style I’m comfortable with – it takes a long time to get the rhythm and wording correct. I’d love feedback. Note: I'll post the other five chapters as they're finished. Someone suggested that I use AI to generate a cover image. I'll think about it - so far I haven't used AI for anything.
