Pre production.
The hardest thing for me during Pre Production was coming up with an idea for my experimental video. After I had a concrete idea sorted the rest all sort of just fell together like a jigsaw puzzle. Writing a treatment with an outline of the plot then putting storyboards together. I used photographs for my storyboards as this was a lot easier than trying to draw out each shot, and unfortunately my drawing skills leave sum what to be desired.
For the animatics it was just a case of transferring the images onto a Mac and then editing the clips together which once id gotten used to the new software wasn’t an issue. I didn’t have to worry about creating a script as there was no dialogue in my piece, one less job for me.
There wasn’t really a lot of paperwork involved in this project for me. I filled out a shooting schedule but in true fashion I had to go back and change them more than once due to scheduling issues. But in the end everything worked out ok and I managed to get the footage I needed in one go. I only needed one call sheet and one risk assessment as I only used the one location, so this really meant I didn’t have to spend much time at all with paperwork which made a nice change and meant that I got to devote more time to filming and editing.
Production.
During production there were a few issues, at first I couldn’t find anyone to participate in the film, very kindly my LSO agreed and did a very good job at acting and was a complete lifesaver.
Another problem I encountered was getting the spot light so that it shone directly down on top of the subject nut I managed to overcome this by attaching the light differently to the stand, this however in turn raised the issue of light reflecting off the pole so we used a black curtain to cover the stand and the base of the light and got the subject to sit on the curtain which was spread out over the floor with her back to the pole. Although it was really only due to circumstance I think it gave a really good effect.
When it came to the actual filming I switched between ideas a lot. Initially I wanted to move around the subject with a camera in full circle, but I was worried about the quality of the video. So I came up with doing a kind of stop-start approach and then planned to edit it together later. However after talking to Chris we came up with the idea of improvising a dolly using a chair but I then learned that we had a dolly and Dan agreed that I could use it for filming. It then came to be an issue that I couldn’t film all the way around my subject in full circle because of the spot light so decided to start from one side filming round to the other and then back again in a semi circle motion this worked really well although at first the footage was a bit shaky and the dilly was a littler stiff so I did quite a few takes but I managed to come out of it with some really good footage.
Post Production.
I changed my idea about how to edit the video almost daily, my original plan was to edit around the circle switching between the two characters of drugs vs. religion, starting with extreme close-ups and gradually moving further away and speeding up to end finally of just two images of head on shots of each. The ending was pretty much the only idea I stuck with. I decided to edit using the three main elements with close-ups in-between and then ending on the gradual build up of the 4 significant close-ups building to a climax.
Instead of using movie maker I used final cut pro and learned how to use more advanced software, I struggled getting used to the program and it took me a while to get to grips with it but I managed all right in the end and managed to add effects and shading to my video and make it appear darker in places, overall I was happy with the end result. I also used garage band for the first time and had fun trying to find music that would fit in the end I used a very repetitive sound track that fit well with the video. From my original idea of Euphoria as a topic my experimental video changed drastically just through the production process alone really but it still turned out well and I was happy with the end product.
Exhibition
After finally coming up with a plan for my installation which originally was to have one person stood in a dark cold room in a small boxed marked out with tape on the floor to watch the video on their own, I then changed it to having three people sat in a blacked out room with partitions in between and a small faux candle to hold. however we were unable to make the room as dark as I would have liked which then came to me using the partitions to make to small box like spaces with a black blanket over the top for people to sit in and watch. Unfortunately I was ill the day I planned to do this and therefore was unable to so in the end I just used a dark cold room with rows of chairs in front of the projector.
I gave people that watched the installation questioners to fill out asking whether they liked the video, what they thought t meant and how they interpreted it. Everyone wrote that they liked the film.
Nearly everyone said they thought it was to do with drugs. I thought this was interesting although it was a feature in the video it wasn’t the main aspect, I think it says a lot about today’s culture that that was what stood out most.
A few people picked up on the fact that it was about depression and despair and ways of dealing with that so I do think the overall idea was apparent.
Everyone that watched commented on the music being repetitive and annoying, I was happy about this as it was actually what I had aimed for. Because it helped you identify more with the video and I think while watching the video with the music it actually made you feel quite depressed in a way which again was something everyone commented on feeling.
Overall there isent really anything i would change about my video. if i could do it again i would try and stick more with the orignal idea of Euphoria but I am really happy with what i got the footage came out really well and all the filming was smooth, and there was nothing i needed to re shoot which was a first i took my time with filming and it payed off . the only thing i would change if i could would be my exhibiton space i would stick to the plan and have the room set out how i orignally planned. in future i will allow more time for exhibiting work.
Wednesday 17 December 2008
The Exhibiton
The exhibition i think overall went well, i managed to get the video shown, but i wasn't able to have the viewing space the way id planned which was disappointing.
I was pleased that the general reaction to the video was a good one, people seemed to enjoy it and a lot of people commented on the fact that it seemed to be really well filmed.
I got people to come and sit on chairs in a cold dark room and watch it on the projector, i was unable to black out the room i had planned to in the first place, we did attempt to but unfortunately it didn't work, and due to time issues it was easier and more convenient for me to get a larger group of people to watch it in the one go.
Wednesday 10 December 2008
Istallation And Exhibition Space
My installation will be on Friday the 12th of December 2008 in T46 on the fourth floor.
It Will be open to the general public, basically anyone that wants to watch it can.
My viewing space will be a dark empty room with a projector, there will be Three chairs for people to sit on but they will be portioned from one another, also the room will be cold, this is to help impose a feeling of solitude and despair on the audience to help them better understand and empathize with the video, they will also have small faux candles to hold as in the video there is only one light source again this to help them bridge the connection between themselves and the video.
I think the space is relevant because it was the space I used to film in and also it’s a big room and will help demonstrate the feeling of being alone as I have already mentioned.
This is a plan of my layout; on the far left is the seating plan, three chairs separated by petitions and then a screen on the right where the video will be shown. I have used black and whit to illustrate the space as the room will be dark with no light save the light from the faux candles and the screen.
It Will be open to the general public, basically anyone that wants to watch it can.
My viewing space will be a dark empty room with a projector, there will be Three chairs for people to sit on but they will be portioned from one another, also the room will be cold, this is to help impose a feeling of solitude and despair on the audience to help them better understand and empathize with the video, they will also have small faux candles to hold as in the video there is only one light source again this to help them bridge the connection between themselves and the video.
I think the space is relevant because it was the space I used to film in and also it’s a big room and will help demonstrate the feeling of being alone as I have already mentioned.
This is a plan of my layout; on the far left is the seating plan, three chairs separated by petitions and then a screen on the right where the video will be shown. I have used black and whit to illustrate the space as the room will be dark with no light save the light from the faux candles and the screen.
Thursday 13 November 2008
Chapters review
4.The use of exhibition space to create meaning (100 Words) How does the exhibition space change the meaning of the work.
I think the exhibition space has great effect on the video and how we perceive it. The environment in which you view a piece can really add or detract from said piece.
Video and film are displayed in many different locations such as cinema's, school's, in the home, at work, in theaters, public places, gallery's and museums. A lot of the time it depends on context as to where specific things are shown, for instance if you were to view something in a school or museum its more likely to be an educational piece, whereas if it was in a public place its most likely to be advertising but then when it comes to cinema its for recreational and entertainment value. i think each location has its own reason and importance, you wouldn't want to go to the cinema and watch something that you would usually be shown in school or college, just s you wouldn't expect to go to a public place like time square or Piccadilly circus and watch a blockbuster, this greatly relates to the theory that everything has an appropriate time and place.
we went to visit the Tate modern and look at 5 experimental pieces.
The first piece we looked at was an installation piece by Dominique Gonzalez called the Turbine Hall .TH2058, the concept behind the piece is that its 50 years in the future and its constant torrential rain outside, there are metal bed frames with books that fill the hall with large sculptures that overshadow them, the idea behind this is that the sculptures were moved inside to protect them from the rain.the experimental video in the installation didn't really make any sense to me at all, it was displayed on a massive screen at the rear of the hall, i think it did have a soundtrack to it but i couldn't be sure as i wasn't able to hear it very well, most of the images i saw in the video were of eye's or of a desert type landscape, i didn't really pick up the significance of the piece.
The next experimental video we looked at was on level 5, room 8 in the states of flux area of the gallery, Called Psi Girls by Susan Hiller, this piece was very clever, upon entering the viewing space there is a dark long room with 5 screens all set out along the wall on the right hand side with a long bench on the left for people to sit a watch, the five screens all show images/ clips from films that are about girls with the ability to use telekinesis, all the screens are different colours, Red, Pink, Green, Blue and Yellow as each clip finishes there is a moment of static and each clip will swap to a different colour and a different screen, i think its very cleverly set out and if you watched this piece in a diffident atmosphere it would not have same impact at all, i think this piece was the one that made me most appreciate the importance of a viewing space for my own experimental piece.
We then went onto look at Jonas Mekas room 6 level 5, also in the states of flux gallery, this video was like a life story perspective of him living in new york but in fast motion, the picture for this Piece was quite blurry and had to focus on as it moved very fast their was speech as well in the audio but it was hard to make out what was said, the viewing space for this piece was much smaller but again it was set out like the last one the screen was smaller though and the seat was much closer to the screen.
Moving onto the next experimental video still on the 5Th floor but in the Idea and object wing of the gallery, Pawel Kwiek experimental piece was based on the structure of a recording studio, the different aspects and how they work, the film itself is in polish with subtitles in white at the bottom of the screen for the most part,to me this wasn't really an experimental piece it looked more like an instructional video than anything, again the viewing space was the same as the previous a dark room with a bench to sit on opposite the screen with a fairly large screen in the middle of the wall.
The last experimental video my group looked at was Dan Grahams two correlated rotation, I think this overall is the piece i liked most it had a clever concept and when you entered the viewing space there was to white walls adjacent to each other with two different shots of the same piece being projected from old projects on free standing columns. with diagrams explaining how the camera angles worked, again this is one of the pieces that really out across to me the importance of the viewing space, setting up the piece if needed and using a unlike way to display it helps to keep the viewer interested which i think is important with a lot of the other pieces we watched i have to admit i lost interest fairly quickly. All though i do think if they had chosen to display this piece in a different environment it would have lost the ability to be interesting and to keep people interested.
Although i didn't necessarily understand or grasp the significance of every piece that we viewed at the Tate it did put across the importance of selecting a related and appropriate viewing space for my piece and made me really think about setting up a a distinct environment in which to show my piece.
I think the exhibition space has great effect on the video and how we perceive it. The environment in which you view a piece can really add or detract from said piece.
Video and film are displayed in many different locations such as cinema's, school's, in the home, at work, in theaters, public places, gallery's and museums. A lot of the time it depends on context as to where specific things are shown, for instance if you were to view something in a school or museum its more likely to be an educational piece, whereas if it was in a public place its most likely to be advertising but then when it comes to cinema its for recreational and entertainment value. i think each location has its own reason and importance, you wouldn't want to go to the cinema and watch something that you would usually be shown in school or college, just s you wouldn't expect to go to a public place like time square or Piccadilly circus and watch a blockbuster, this greatly relates to the theory that everything has an appropriate time and place.
we went to visit the Tate modern and look at 5 experimental pieces.
The first piece we looked at was an installation piece by Dominique Gonzalez called the Turbine Hall .TH2058, the concept behind the piece is that its 50 years in the future and its constant torrential rain outside, there are metal bed frames with books that fill the hall with large sculptures that overshadow them, the idea behind this is that the sculptures were moved inside to protect them from the rain.the experimental video in the installation didn't really make any sense to me at all, it was displayed on a massive screen at the rear of the hall, i think it did have a soundtrack to it but i couldn't be sure as i wasn't able to hear it very well, most of the images i saw in the video were of eye's or of a desert type landscape, i didn't really pick up the significance of the piece.
The next experimental video we looked at was on level 5, room 8 in the states of flux area of the gallery, Called Psi Girls by Susan Hiller, this piece was very clever, upon entering the viewing space there is a dark long room with 5 screens all set out along the wall on the right hand side with a long bench on the left for people to sit a watch, the five screens all show images/ clips from films that are about girls with the ability to use telekinesis, all the screens are different colours, Red, Pink, Green, Blue and Yellow as each clip finishes there is a moment of static and each clip will swap to a different colour and a different screen, i think its very cleverly set out and if you watched this piece in a diffident atmosphere it would not have same impact at all, i think this piece was the one that made me most appreciate the importance of a viewing space for my own experimental piece.
We then went onto look at Jonas Mekas room 6 level 5, also in the states of flux gallery, this video was like a life story perspective of him living in new york but in fast motion, the picture for this Piece was quite blurry and had to focus on as it moved very fast their was speech as well in the audio but it was hard to make out what was said, the viewing space for this piece was much smaller but again it was set out like the last one the screen was smaller though and the seat was much closer to the screen.
Moving onto the next experimental video still on the 5Th floor but in the Idea and object wing of the gallery, Pawel Kwiek experimental piece was based on the structure of a recording studio, the different aspects and how they work, the film itself is in polish with subtitles in white at the bottom of the screen for the most part,to me this wasn't really an experimental piece it looked more like an instructional video than anything, again the viewing space was the same as the previous a dark room with a bench to sit on opposite the screen with a fairly large screen in the middle of the wall.
The last experimental video my group looked at was Dan Grahams two correlated rotation, I think this overall is the piece i liked most it had a clever concept and when you entered the viewing space there was to white walls adjacent to each other with two different shots of the same piece being projected from old projects on free standing columns. with diagrams explaining how the camera angles worked, again this is one of the pieces that really out across to me the importance of the viewing space, setting up the piece if needed and using a unlike way to display it helps to keep the viewer interested which i think is important with a lot of the other pieces we watched i have to admit i lost interest fairly quickly. All though i do think if they had chosen to display this piece in a different environment it would have lost the ability to be interesting and to keep people interested.
Although i didn't necessarily understand or grasp the significance of every piece that we viewed at the Tate it did put across the importance of selecting a related and appropriate viewing space for my piece and made me really think about setting up a a distinct environment in which to show my piece.
Friday 24 October 2008
Treatment for my experimental video
Btec National Diploma In Media (Film and TV)
TREATMENT (drama)
PROGRAMME TITLE: Euphoria
DIRECTOR/
CAMERA OPERATOR: Charlotte Stanhope
DURATION:
Maximum 5 minutes
FORMAT: DV
AUDIO: ex diagetic
OUTLINE OF AUDIENCE:
It isn’t targeted at one specific audience, it’s for everyone to watch and take their own interpretations from it. And look at it in their own situations and let them bring there own ideas to it. It’s a basic concept that everyone should be able to pick up on in some way.
OUTLINE OF STORY:
To look at the conception of modern beliefs, question and look at different things people turn to when trying to cope with despair and how they handle it. The extremes people will go to when in despair. To use one person to show the different spectrums of the situation.
CHARACTERS:
One person to demonstrate both spectrums.
TREATMENT (drama)
PROGRAMME TITLE: Euphoria
DIRECTOR/
CAMERA OPERATOR: Charlotte Stanhope
DURATION:
Maximum 5 minutes
FORMAT: DV
AUDIO: ex diagetic
OUTLINE OF AUDIENCE:
It isn’t targeted at one specific audience, it’s for everyone to watch and take their own interpretations from it. And look at it in their own situations and let them bring there own ideas to it. It’s a basic concept that everyone should be able to pick up on in some way.
OUTLINE OF STORY:
To look at the conception of modern beliefs, question and look at different things people turn to when trying to cope with despair and how they handle it. The extremes people will go to when in despair. To use one person to show the different spectrums of the situation.
CHARACTERS:
One person to demonstrate both spectrums.
Thursday 16 October 2008
Doll Face Review
The film Doll Face was Created by Andrew Huang the short piece only lasts for 4:13minutes but makes a lasting impression.
Using mainly computer graphics and CGI it only really has to human elements that give it that link to reality. With a neutral and plain background of grey it gives out a very cold lifeless feel but uses strong imagery. With a human face on a mechanical spine and a television set being the only things to catch the eye it manages to keep you focused on the main area of the piece. This Video is very strong visually and conceptually and uses craft and concept in equal measure.
The sound track for this piece is very effective and fits very well, all the sound is daigetic apart from the music laid over the entire piece. I think the music really merges in well and unless you deliberately listen for it your conscious of the fact that its there but not aware of it.
I think the Premise of the video is that people are so focused on the media, and that to many people aspire to and try and copy what they see on the TV or in magazines and that the Media industry puts forward a distorted view that in actuality isn’t that easy to emulate.After watching Doll Face I had a few new ideas towards my own project and started wondering if I could maybe work a similar aspect of unrealistic perfection into my own video somehow it also made me consider maybe some form of animation
Using mainly computer graphics and CGI it only really has to human elements that give it that link to reality. With a neutral and plain background of grey it gives out a very cold lifeless feel but uses strong imagery. With a human face on a mechanical spine and a television set being the only things to catch the eye it manages to keep you focused on the main area of the piece. This Video is very strong visually and conceptually and uses craft and concept in equal measure.
The sound track for this piece is very effective and fits very well, all the sound is daigetic apart from the music laid over the entire piece. I think the music really merges in well and unless you deliberately listen for it your conscious of the fact that its there but not aware of it.
I think the Premise of the video is that people are so focused on the media, and that to many people aspire to and try and copy what they see on the TV or in magazines and that the Media industry puts forward a distorted view that in actuality isn’t that easy to emulate.After watching Doll Face I had a few new ideas towards my own project and started wondering if I could maybe work a similar aspect of unrealistic perfection into my own video somehow it also made me consider maybe some form of animation
Chapters review
6. Audience, and audience interpretation of the work (200 Words)
Was the reaction different within the group? Does this matter? Is it important that we all have one interpretation?
Watching these videos I think people are bound to have different reactions because every individual is different and therefore will interpret things in different ways and bring there own ideas, experiences and conceptions to the piece. Among any given group of people these things will not be the same for everyone, for instance someone older wouldn't have such high expectations of the CGI used or animation because they aren't necessarily as technologically aware as the younger generation who will expect more from the special effects used having grown up with that type of standard. Someone older may be better able to appreciate The Girl Chewing Gum when a younger audience member is more likely to not find it that interesting. I think as long as the general concept is grasped in some way it doesn’t really matter whether people come to the exact same conclusion or that they react differently towards it, although pretty much everyone in our group was agreed on the ideas behind each piece in one way or another.
As to whether people will like the film or not it’s down to personal taste and preference as most things are. Some people will find it interesting or inspiring where other won’t really see much point in it at all.
I don’t think it’s important that we all have one interpretation like I said previously I think as long as the general meaning is conveyed and picked up on some way that its probably meant to be open to different interpretations.
Was the reaction different within the group? Does this matter? Is it important that we all have one interpretation?
Watching these videos I think people are bound to have different reactions because every individual is different and therefore will interpret things in different ways and bring there own ideas, experiences and conceptions to the piece. Among any given group of people these things will not be the same for everyone, for instance someone older wouldn't have such high expectations of the CGI used or animation because they aren't necessarily as technologically aware as the younger generation who will expect more from the special effects used having grown up with that type of standard. Someone older may be better able to appreciate The Girl Chewing Gum when a younger audience member is more likely to not find it that interesting. I think as long as the general concept is grasped in some way it doesn’t really matter whether people come to the exact same conclusion or that they react differently towards it, although pretty much everyone in our group was agreed on the ideas behind each piece in one way or another.
As to whether people will like the film or not it’s down to personal taste and preference as most things are. Some people will find it interesting or inspiring where other won’t really see much point in it at all.
I don’t think it’s important that we all have one interpretation like I said previously I think as long as the general meaning is conveyed and picked up on some way that its probably meant to be open to different interpretations.
Wednesday 15 October 2008
Chapters review
5. How these works might inspire your own work (100 Words)
Talk about your own ideas and how they may have been inspired by the work that you have seen.
I came up with a basic but very loose concept for my own piece in a very unconventional way, just from kneeling on the floor set of a chain reaction in my head of a small but workable idea after discussing my idea with my tutor I was able to expand upon and develop this idea into a workable concept for my piece the only video that really inspired me while watching it was the Telling Lies video of using text to highlight the underlying meaning and also watching the Video for doll face made me think more on my overall concept and the meaning behind my piece, apart from that there hasn’t really been anything I’ve seen that’s had a major impact on my ideas. Or given me any sense of a solid idea although I think my piece will be more concept based there will certainly be a lot of craft involved also. Although at the moment it’s still a working progress I think I have a pretty definite idea of what I’m going to do for my piece.
Talk about your own ideas and how they may have been inspired by the work that you have seen.
I came up with a basic but very loose concept for my own piece in a very unconventional way, just from kneeling on the floor set of a chain reaction in my head of a small but workable idea after discussing my idea with my tutor I was able to expand upon and develop this idea into a workable concept for my piece the only video that really inspired me while watching it was the Telling Lies video of using text to highlight the underlying meaning and also watching the Video for doll face made me think more on my overall concept and the meaning behind my piece, apart from that there hasn’t really been anything I’ve seen that’s had a major impact on my ideas. Or given me any sense of a solid idea although I think my piece will be more concept based there will certainly be a lot of craft involved also. Although at the moment it’s still a working progress I think I have a pretty definite idea of what I’m going to do for my piece.
Monday 13 October 2008
Chapters review
3. Narrative and non-narrative structures (100 Words)
Discuss the story line is it simple structure Beginning, middle, end or is there a more complex or different structuring happening?
All the videos we have watched so far have a narrative structure although some are more apparent than others. Most of the pieces we looked at run in narrative order with one exception, 1001 nights. With koyaanisqasti it’s harder to distinguish the guidelines of which part is the beginning middle or end but it still has that distinctive order. If it wasn’t in the order that it is in it would carry a completely different message to the one it has now as would most of the other pieces that we looked at. Most of this comes into consideration at the concept stage.
The only video you couldn’t really alter would be The Girl Chewing Gum because if you changed the order to it, it wouldn’t really work at all. With 1001 nights it differs because there are 5 short stories that run in order within one piece you could change the order of those pieces around but what ever way it was structured the meaning doesn’t really alter. I think if the peice is in narrative order we take it in a more convevtional way the way we percive it is more logical but if its presented to us in non narrative order it makes it makes it easier for us to take it out of context and look at it in a more uncoventional way and take our own meanings from it and interpret it more freely.
Discuss the story line is it simple structure Beginning, middle, end or is there a more complex or different structuring happening?
All the videos we have watched so far have a narrative structure although some are more apparent than others. Most of the pieces we looked at run in narrative order with one exception, 1001 nights. With koyaanisqasti it’s harder to distinguish the guidelines of which part is the beginning middle or end but it still has that distinctive order. If it wasn’t in the order that it is in it would carry a completely different message to the one it has now as would most of the other pieces that we looked at. Most of this comes into consideration at the concept stage.
The only video you couldn’t really alter would be The Girl Chewing Gum because if you changed the order to it, it wouldn’t really work at all. With 1001 nights it differs because there are 5 short stories that run in order within one piece you could change the order of those pieces around but what ever way it was structured the meaning doesn’t really alter. I think if the peice is in narrative order we take it in a more convevtional way the way we percive it is more logical but if its presented to us in non narrative order it makes it makes it easier for us to take it out of context and look at it in a more uncoventional way and take our own meanings from it and interpret it more freely.
Friday 10 October 2008
Chapters review
2. The use of technology and techniques and styles (100 Words)
How does the use of technology differ think about when they where made was the technology new then.
There is a distinct difference in technology between videos like doll face and The girl chewing gum the video for doll face is predominantly CGI where as the video for the girl chewing gum is all filmed in real time, but then if you was to compare the videos for 1001 nights and doll face both rely mostly on technology and in this aspect they are similar. Most of the more recent videos rely more on technology mostly because there are more techniques available now then there have ever been before and its very readily available and in most cases more convenient and means that there is not the need for such a large budget and a lot of the piece's are produced independently with less outside involvement. A lot of experimental piece's are now produced by the younger generation this also contributes to the fact that there is a lot more technology involved as the ' Mobile' Generation are more computer literate. Not only is the technology to make the products more available but the technology to view the piece is also, where as before you would have had to wait for the piece to be shown at maybe a cinema or on T.V or search it out, now its available on demand via the Internet. You can go onto the Internet and type 'experimental video' into a search engine and be presented with a plethora of videos whereas years ago that kind of technology wasent avalible.
How does the use of technology differ think about when they where made was the technology new then.
There is a distinct difference in technology between videos like doll face and The girl chewing gum the video for doll face is predominantly CGI where as the video for the girl chewing gum is all filmed in real time, but then if you was to compare the videos for 1001 nights and doll face both rely mostly on technology and in this aspect they are similar. Most of the more recent videos rely more on technology mostly because there are more techniques available now then there have ever been before and its very readily available and in most cases more convenient and means that there is not the need for such a large budget and a lot of the piece's are produced independently with less outside involvement. A lot of experimental piece's are now produced by the younger generation this also contributes to the fact that there is a lot more technology involved as the ' Mobile' Generation are more computer literate. Not only is the technology to make the products more available but the technology to view the piece is also, where as before you would have had to wait for the piece to be shown at maybe a cinema or on T.V or search it out, now its available on demand via the Internet. You can go onto the Internet and type 'experimental video' into a search engine and be presented with a plethora of videos whereas years ago that kind of technology wasent avalible.
Monday 6 October 2008
Chapters review
1. Discuss both past and current artists and works(200 words)
Discuss the artists you have looked at comparing general similarities and differences between them. Not your own opinions!
We have looked at several pieces for this assignment; the first experimental video we looked at was Koyaanisqasti, created by Godfrey Reggio in 1982. The second video we looked at was 1001 nights by Jananne Al-Ani made in 1998. The only similarities that can really be found between these two are in the concept, because they are very different pieces but with a similar idea behind both. Watching either you wouldn’t find anything to connect it to the other. The concept is similar because they both give you scenarios that you wouldn't necessarily expect and both centre on the idea of the world in a state of chaos although in 1001 and nights its a more literal interpretation when 5 Young women speak of experiences of war and in Koyaanisqsti its more a metaphorical message that comes across.
Other videos we watched are 'The Girl Chewing Gum' and 'Telling Lies' Both videos stand out as individual with unique concepts among the other videos we watched. The Girl Chewing Gum leads you into the idea that the piece is being directed as its filmed but it soon becomes apparent as birds fly across the scene on command that this isn't so, this piece is a good example of both concept and craft and its hard to say which one is the stronger element because the initial concept is very clever and strong but also there would have been a lot of effort and time put into the making of It as well, i would say the craft and concept for this piece are about equal.
Again the video Telling Lies is a unique and clever concept however this piece definitely relies more on concept because without the ability to grasp that concept by others this piece would have no foundation. It works primarily on the fact that people will often say one thing while thinking another whether that's to save feelings with little white lies or just to save ones own skin by covering up the truth, based around telephone conversations with various people we listen to the conversations being held while reading on a screen what the person speaking is actually thinking, although there is no doubting that a lot of time was taken to make the video the foundation and main structure for telling lies definitely resides in the concept.
Discuss the artists you have looked at comparing general similarities and differences between them. Not your own opinions!
We have looked at several pieces for this assignment; the first experimental video we looked at was Koyaanisqasti, created by Godfrey Reggio in 1982. The second video we looked at was 1001 nights by Jananne Al-Ani made in 1998. The only similarities that can really be found between these two are in the concept, because they are very different pieces but with a similar idea behind both. Watching either you wouldn’t find anything to connect it to the other. The concept is similar because they both give you scenarios that you wouldn't necessarily expect and both centre on the idea of the world in a state of chaos although in 1001 and nights its a more literal interpretation when 5 Young women speak of experiences of war and in Koyaanisqsti its more a metaphorical message that comes across.
Other videos we watched are 'The Girl Chewing Gum' and 'Telling Lies' Both videos stand out as individual with unique concepts among the other videos we watched. The Girl Chewing Gum leads you into the idea that the piece is being directed as its filmed but it soon becomes apparent as birds fly across the scene on command that this isn't so, this piece is a good example of both concept and craft and its hard to say which one is the stronger element because the initial concept is very clever and strong but also there would have been a lot of effort and time put into the making of It as well, i would say the craft and concept for this piece are about equal.
Again the video Telling Lies is a unique and clever concept however this piece definitely relies more on concept because without the ability to grasp that concept by others this piece would have no foundation. It works primarily on the fact that people will often say one thing while thinking another whether that's to save feelings with little white lies or just to save ones own skin by covering up the truth, based around telephone conversations with various people we listen to the conversations being held while reading on a screen what the person speaking is actually thinking, although there is no doubting that a lot of time was taken to make the video the foundation and main structure for telling lies definitely resides in the concept.
Monday 29 September 2008
? Craft and Concept ?
CRAFT
What is craft? my definition of craft is the way something is made, the tools and techniques used when making either a piece of art or a movie or video, the work, effort and time put into that piece by either the artist or the director. a good example of this is an artist doing a painting this is a craft because he is making the art himself.
CONCEPT
What is concept? my definition of concept is the idea behind the piece and the planning process coming up with an idea and then refining that idea into something that can be used to make either a piece of art or a film or video. art gives the best example of this quite often not things people have made will be called art because of the concept behind it like some one could pick up an ashtray filled with butts and call it art because it depicts the decay of modern society that person didn't make the cigarettes or the ash tray but they came up with the idea behind the piece.
What is craft? my definition of craft is the way something is made, the tools and techniques used when making either a piece of art or a movie or video, the work, effort and time put into that piece by either the artist or the director. a good example of this is an artist doing a painting this is a craft because he is making the art himself.
CONCEPT
What is concept? my definition of concept is the idea behind the piece and the planning process coming up with an idea and then refining that idea into something that can be used to make either a piece of art or a film or video. art gives the best example of this quite often not things people have made will be called art because of the concept behind it like some one could pick up an ashtray filled with butts and call it art because it depicts the decay of modern society that person didn't make the cigarettes or the ash tray but they came up with the idea behind the piece.
2nd review of experimental media
The second video i chose to comment and analyse was Robins. i found this video intriguing the concept really caught my attention although it was very unorthodox i think maybe that's why i like the piece so much. i think this piece involves both craft and concept although i do think concept is the stronger element behind this video. I'm not really sure what this video is supposed to represent but it gives me the idea of nightmares. they way the subject is almost trapped in various rooms and keeps ending up falling into the bed its reminds me of that panicky feeling that nightmares invoke that you cant escape and you feel as if your falling into a trap also the whispering voice that you hear (ex-diagetic) also helps add to that idea, especially at then end when the scene changes and the subject finds himself in the park in daylight and then you can even see the relief as he takes a deep breath out and feels free, because this to me symbolises the moment when you wake up and see familiar comforting things around you and you realise that it was just a nightmare and everything is going to be fine and that its over. I really like the idea of this piece a lot and it helped give me some good notions for my own piece although I'm still not 100% about what i want to do i have some good ideas.
1st review of experimental media
The girl chewing gum by John Smith was made in 1976 in black and white and has a run time of 9 minutes. a clever piece yet not one that i particularly enjoyed. A film of observation, when first introduced to the film you watch her a man directing people in and out of the scene and at first you think that is just whats happening a director is giving directions for people to enter and exit the scene and they are following that but as the piece progresses and birds fly in and out of shot on command you start to realise this is just clever editing. as the piece progresses the narration becomes more and more creative delving into what the narrator perceives to be the pedestrians personal characteristics and lives. The narrator even goes on to state that he is stood in a field a far few miles away from the scene you are watching in a middle of a field shouting into a microphone or so he says, when in all probability he is more realistically stood in a sound recording studio somewhere talking into a microphone in a recording booth. we then switch to the scene of a field with electricity pylons and cows in the distance but we still retain the sound from the Town, this i think is to demonstrate the element of control that the narrator supposedly has that he can remove different elements and impose them onto other parts of the video. again I'm not really sure what the point is other than to demonstrate that element of control.
1001 nights
i thought this video was interesting to watch, a experimental video by Jananne Al-Ani which lasted for 6:12 minutes was a short film where 5 women talk about their different experiences in which i can only guess are instances of war, it did make me wonder because all the women in the video in my opinion looked to young to have been involved in such things except perhaps one, these women very much look like ordinary people that you might cross on the street on any given day but the experiences they talk about and describe seem to have been truly terrifying to think of yourself in such a position. I'm not quite sure what the aim of the piece was or is but it was interesting to listen to those 5 women talk of their ordeals. I wonder whether maybe that is the point and you are just meant to listen and then imagine what it must have been like to go through something like that and realise that it does happen to regular people. its certainly something different.
koyaanisqatsi
I didn't really grasp the significance of this piece although i can appreciate the amount of time and effort that i know must have gone into it i personally didn't enjoy it, i thought it was fairly boring to watch (sorry but i really did) and struggled at times to pay attention this could be due to the fact that i didn't get it really i don't know. unfortunately i joined the viewing just after it had started so i missed who made it. throughout the piece you a swooped in over various different landscapes. then rushed hurtled through the city observing pedestrians and cars speeding along and rushing around oblivious to anything apart from whats going on in their own lives. at the end of the piece you watch a shuttle launch and then watch as a piece of the craft that separates from the main body of the ship is burnt up in the atmosphere and spirals back down to earth. this piece of the film is slowed down. i think its meant to symbolise the pattern of life in some way, that's the only meaning i could grasp from the piece other than that I'm not really sure.
Monday 22 September 2008
Brighton Pics, Boat Museum and The Pier
I found this image quite inspiring, it may not be a traditional seaside snap but it represents the seaside all the same it just has a more quaint country feel to it i think. I like the way it shows different textures in the pebbles, the wood and the rusted chains and the way its slightly over exposed is a good way to exaggerate the fact that's its a sunny day at the beach. I like the way i managed to capture the boat, you can just about make out the sea in the background, it was by coincidence that i managed to capture the man who was sat by the hut, at first i didn't even realise he was sat there but i think this really adds something to the picture even if it was accidental.
I like this picture because of the slightly washed out tone of it, again the image is slightly over exposed, i did this on purpose because the lighting wasn't that good and the first image i took came out slightly dark so i altered the shutter speed to let in more light. To me this picture is a perfect way to express Brighton beach on a nice day. If you where to say those words to most people 'Brighton beach' they would generally associate Brighton with the pier. I especially like the way the image seems to suck your attention into the background and that although the foreground is what stands out most and is the most obvious part of the image it does still have a strong background and your attention is also drawn to the bottom of the Pier and because there is a lot to look at it is able to hold the attention for quite a long time.
My interpritation of experimental media
To me experimental media means to challenge the traditional conventions of media.
To find new interesting and unusual ways to present media to the public, in film this can mean shorts that are used to challenge people’s perception of things like art or the media today. Also using new and unusual techniques like montage in photography when creating pictures and challenging the modern consensus of what photography should be. Every so often someone will come up with a new technique for film or photography - as these are the most common areas that experimental media is used - and this will be adopted by various other photographers or directors in there work, until a new more 'edgy' technique is found. In this sense media is the same as many other industries trying to keep up or get ahead of the latest trends or technology.
In previous projects we have done photo montage this was a way of using experimental media by using diffrent aspects of lots of diffrent images you can combine that to create a new image. Looking at the film industry there are lots of examples of experimental media, for instances channels that air projects from aspiring artists who try out all diffrent types of film like animation, stop - start animation. Good examples of experimental media for me are Anime films, alot of modern Anime uses unconventional methods to confront modern problems in an unusal setting.
For this project i expect to use this opportunity to challenge modern media and its concepts by using unusual techniques and innovative ideas.
To find new interesting and unusual ways to present media to the public, in film this can mean shorts that are used to challenge people’s perception of things like art or the media today. Also using new and unusual techniques like montage in photography when creating pictures and challenging the modern consensus of what photography should be. Every so often someone will come up with a new technique for film or photography - as these are the most common areas that experimental media is used - and this will be adopted by various other photographers or directors in there work, until a new more 'edgy' technique is found. In this sense media is the same as many other industries trying to keep up or get ahead of the latest trends or technology.
In previous projects we have done photo montage this was a way of using experimental media by using diffrent aspects of lots of diffrent images you can combine that to create a new image. Looking at the film industry there are lots of examples of experimental media, for instances channels that air projects from aspiring artists who try out all diffrent types of film like animation, stop - start animation. Good examples of experimental media for me are Anime films, alot of modern Anime uses unconventional methods to confront modern problems in an unusal setting.
For this project i expect to use this opportunity to challenge modern media and its concepts by using unusual techniques and innovative ideas.
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