Thursday, 21 January 2016
Reflections Photography - 3 initial ideas
We were asked to come up with 3 initial ideas for our reflections projects so taking inspiration from what I had looked at I brainstormed my 3 ideas:
these ideas are very basic at the moment but I am going to expand on them and get feedback on them in a tutorial.
Reflections: Traces, the Archive and Reconstruction (Photography Inspiration)
We looked at a diverse range of photographers and artist linked to the idea of reflections through traces, archives and reconstructions to inspire us in our photography reflections project. Here is the work we looked at and the notes I made:
This has helped me see all the different directions that I could go in with my own photography project. Next I got given an artist and I had an hour to research him in more detail and make a presentation on him. Here it is:
This has helped me see all the different directions that I could go in with my own photography project. Next I got given an artist and I had an hour to research him in more detail and make a presentation on him. Here it is:
Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Mini Experimental Film Project 2 - Research
This week we have been set the task of researching in preparation of making another short experimental film the following week. In order to try and make us reflect on the outside world around us and current affairs we have been set the topic of 'Migration' this time. Here is my initial research:
I began very basic by seeing what came up as soon as I typed migration into Google. The first thing that popped up was a definition which said 'Human migration is the movement by people from one place to another with the intentions of settling temporarily or permanently in the new location. The movement is often over long distances and from one country to another, but internal migration is also possible; indeed, this is the dominant form globally.'
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_migration)
De-constructing this I can see that basically migration is the movement of people from one place to another. I however find it far more interesting that as soon as I search migration the internet has assumed I am talking about human migration. This automatically sparks some very interesting ideas in my head about comparing human migration to bird/animal migration.
I then went on to the Guardian website (http://www.theguardian.com/world/migration) as this was also one of the top searches and I found some interesting articles which are linked to migration according to the Guardian. Here are some storys I read:
1- (http://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2016/jan/20/france-is-bulldozing-the-calais-jungle-but-its-replacement-looks-suspiciously-like-a-jail)
In this story it is talking about the current issues facing over crowding and poor treatment of the refugees in refugee camps. In particular it talks about how Calais has rebuilt a camp for them however it looks very much like a prison so the refugees are very reluctant to stay there. It talks about the quality of treatment there from some of the police as being very bad when they first arrived therefore they want to get to England. I find this insane how these people are so desperate to escape the terrible conditions in there own country only to be faced with something similar in there new destination. I read in particular about one camp in Dunkirk nicknamed 'the border of hell' because no humanitarian standards are met such as no running water, electricity and no medication for the sick. This story was very sad to read and I feel like if I were to make a piece in response to this it would have to be something which explores the emotions these people must be feeling because of there poor treatment. I would call this piece 'the border of hell' to link it back to the refugee camps.
2- (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/20/britain-iraq-refugees-saddam-hussein)
In this story it is again talking about the refugees but this time it is speaking about how Britain needs to take responsibility for its share of refugees from Iraq. We are supposedly not agreeing to cooperate as of yet but what is being argued in this article is that because we 'broke' Iraq and helped cause a lot more problems for them so we are held responsible and now we basically have no right as a country to refuse to help when it is supposedly are doing anyway. I find myself constantly saying supposedly as I write about these articles which is interesting because it kind of reiterates another point which is how the media can really not be trusted to deliver accurate and fair news especially newspapers who only represent certain groups. If anything this story sparks off ideas to me about lack of faith in the media. I could possible make a piece which shows migration but then shows how the media talk about it so abrasively when its actually a really sensitive issue.
I then decided to look more into actual statistics of human migration such as where people wanted to go and why and then I found this really interesting graph on-line (http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/refugee-crisis_making-sense-of-migration--facts-and-figures/41560118) which shows where all the refugees and asylum seekers are in the world however it was produced based on 2014 but I still find it really interesting:
Observing the map in this way instinctively makes me think of travel and the journeys that people must have taken to travel so far to be in these different countries. This has sparked off another idea about focusing on the journeys of people and how hard this must be for them. I don't know how easy it would be to represent travel but I'm thinking if I could get footage of planes that would be really useful.
I began very basic by seeing what came up as soon as I typed migration into Google. The first thing that popped up was a definition which said 'Human migration is the movement by people from one place to another with the intentions of settling temporarily or permanently in the new location. The movement is often over long distances and from one country to another, but internal migration is also possible; indeed, this is the dominant form globally.'
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_migration)
De-constructing this I can see that basically migration is the movement of people from one place to another. I however find it far more interesting that as soon as I search migration the internet has assumed I am talking about human migration. This automatically sparks some very interesting ideas in my head about comparing human migration to bird/animal migration.
I then went on to the Guardian website (http://www.theguardian.com/world/migration) as this was also one of the top searches and I found some interesting articles which are linked to migration according to the Guardian. Here are some storys I read:
1- (http://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2016/jan/20/france-is-bulldozing-the-calais-jungle-but-its-replacement-looks-suspiciously-like-a-jail)
In this story it is talking about the current issues facing over crowding and poor treatment of the refugees in refugee camps. In particular it talks about how Calais has rebuilt a camp for them however it looks very much like a prison so the refugees are very reluctant to stay there. It talks about the quality of treatment there from some of the police as being very bad when they first arrived therefore they want to get to England. I find this insane how these people are so desperate to escape the terrible conditions in there own country only to be faced with something similar in there new destination. I read in particular about one camp in Dunkirk nicknamed 'the border of hell' because no humanitarian standards are met such as no running water, electricity and no medication for the sick. This story was very sad to read and I feel like if I were to make a piece in response to this it would have to be something which explores the emotions these people must be feeling because of there poor treatment. I would call this piece 'the border of hell' to link it back to the refugee camps.
2- (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/20/britain-iraq-refugees-saddam-hussein)
In this story it is again talking about the refugees but this time it is speaking about how Britain needs to take responsibility for its share of refugees from Iraq. We are supposedly not agreeing to cooperate as of yet but what is being argued in this article is that because we 'broke' Iraq and helped cause a lot more problems for them so we are held responsible and now we basically have no right as a country to refuse to help when it is supposedly are doing anyway. I find myself constantly saying supposedly as I write about these articles which is interesting because it kind of reiterates another point which is how the media can really not be trusted to deliver accurate and fair news especially newspapers who only represent certain groups. If anything this story sparks off ideas to me about lack of faith in the media. I could possible make a piece which shows migration but then shows how the media talk about it so abrasively when its actually a really sensitive issue.
I then decided to look more into actual statistics of human migration such as where people wanted to go and why and then I found this really interesting graph on-line (http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/refugee-crisis_making-sense-of-migration--facts-and-figures/41560118) which shows where all the refugees and asylum seekers are in the world however it was produced based on 2014 but I still find it really interesting:
Re-framing History - Artist Re-evaluating the Past
Here is a lesson which we did looking at different artists and film makers who looked for inspiration from the world around them and in particular the past. This was to help inspire us to use the outside world in our work rather than just our own world. Here are the notes I made and some clips we looked at:
John Akomfrab-
Omar Fast-
John Akomfrab-
Susan Meiselas-
Omar Fast-
Ident Workshop (Graphics Identity)
I took all the skills I had learnt from the after effects workshops and began making an original piece myself. We started looking at Graphic Idents which are little animations/logos which are used by company's in their videos to give it a brand and identity. I wanted to create one so I decided to do one for the Tat Modern. I decided I wanted to keep it simple working with basic shapes but I would then animate these shapes in interesting ways through rotation and scale etc. Here is what I came up with:
I am really happy with what I have made because I have taken all the skills I have been taught and used them in an original way. I feel like this Ident works well because it has a lot of movement and is fun. However the only downfall might be that it may come across as a bit too childish for the Tate Modern because of the use of a smiley face at the end. Next time I need to focus a lot more on the brand itself.
I am really happy with what I have made because I have taken all the skills I have been taught and used them in an original way. I feel like this Ident works well because it has a lot of movement and is fun. However the only downfall might be that it may come across as a bit too childish for the Tate Modern because of the use of a smiley face at the end. Next time I need to focus a lot more on the brand itself.
After Effects Workshop Continued
To help myself further my understanding of After Effects I took part in another workshop in which we were creating Neon Graphics:
1) Firstly we had to have a picture to base it upon so I went into Google and found an image I liked of a neon sign. I saved this and then imported it into a blank composition on After Effects. I made sure to set the background to black as this would add to the neon effect.
3) I then went again into the shape settings in the bottom left hand corner and this time to give my shape some more curviness I went into Stoke 1 and expanded this menu and found the settings called Line Cap and Line Join. To add the curviness I changed these two settings to Round Cap and Round Join.
4) I then removed the image which I had been using as my guide by clicking on the eye icon again in the bottom left hand corner. I could now focus on my own shape I had created. To make it look like more of a glow I duplicated this shape but went in to the colours setting of my duplication and changed it to a neon blue colour. I then expanded the options for my duplicated shape again in the bottom left hand corner and increased the stoke size so that I end up with white surrounding by blue.
5) I then went into the effects and presets menu which is on the right hand side of the screen and here I searched for a glow effect. Once I found one I applied it to both my original shape and my duplicated and then played in the setting to add luminosity to it as well until I was happy with the effect.
6) I then wanted to animate my writing so that it looked like it was being written out so to do this I clicked on add which was an option next to the shape tab in the bottom left hand corner again. I then in this menu clicked trim path. This then allowed me an option in the shape menu called trim path. I went onto this and using key frames I changed the values so that it started on a blank screen. I then moved on my timeline to where I wanted the writing to be written out by and increased the values up and this added a new key frame for me. This then meant it was written out for me.
7) Now I had achieved what I needed to I then began to experiment with other effects from the effects menu which added some really interesting styles to it. I particularly liked wiggle as it made it look like electric.
Here is the small animation which I created:
1) Firstly we had to have a picture to base it upon so I went into Google and found an image I liked of a neon sign. I saved this and then imported it into a blank composition on After Effects. I made sure to set the background to black as this would add to the neon effect.
2) Next we had to take the pen tool which is in the top left hand corner and use this to trace over the shape in my case following the letters of the neon sign. I only did half the sign as it was taking a long time and It was only a practice. When you first do this it fills in the areas in between your lines which you don't want it to do so instead make sure you go onto fill option in the drop down menu in the bottom left corner and backspace when clicked on fill and it will remove this fill and just have the letter like so.
3) I then went again into the shape settings in the bottom left hand corner and this time to give my shape some more curviness I went into Stoke 1 and expanded this menu and found the settings called Line Cap and Line Join. To add the curviness I changed these two settings to Round Cap and Round Join.
4) I then removed the image which I had been using as my guide by clicking on the eye icon again in the bottom left hand corner. I could now focus on my own shape I had created. To make it look like more of a glow I duplicated this shape but went in to the colours setting of my duplication and changed it to a neon blue colour. I then expanded the options for my duplicated shape again in the bottom left hand corner and increased the stoke size so that I end up with white surrounding by blue.
5) I then went into the effects and presets menu which is on the right hand side of the screen and here I searched for a glow effect. Once I found one I applied it to both my original shape and my duplicated and then played in the setting to add luminosity to it as well until I was happy with the effect.
6) I then wanted to animate my writing so that it looked like it was being written out so to do this I clicked on add which was an option next to the shape tab in the bottom left hand corner again. I then in this menu clicked trim path. This then allowed me an option in the shape menu called trim path. I went onto this and using key frames I changed the values so that it started on a blank screen. I then moved on my timeline to where I wanted the writing to be written out by and increased the values up and this added a new key frame for me. This then meant it was written out for me.
7) Now I had achieved what I needed to I then began to experiment with other effects from the effects menu which added some really interesting styles to it. I particularly liked wiggle as it made it look like electric.
Here is the small animation which I created:
Mini Experimental Film Task
We were set the task of over the course of a week coming up with our own playful experimental film ideas and then making a rough video to demonstrate them to the class and allow us to practice some of the techniques we were looking at. The film needed to be between 1-2 minuets long and needed to challenge the structure of time for example through techniques like slow motion, time lapse, montage etc. I decided to begin my jotting some ideas down which I had from the inspiration given to us. Here is my mind map:
After reassessing my ideas and after discussing with my peers I decided to go with the idea of Dreams VS Nightmares because I felt like this one had a lot of different elements I could incorporate in but most importantly it fitted the theme of time because in dreams/nightmares there simply is no concept of time and this is what I wanted to come across. I also thought that out of all my ideas it could be done with in the time constraints of a week and I already had locations in mind which were close enough for me to get to of my own accord. I knew straight away as well that this would be a very personal project because I was focusing on my own dreams and nightmares however this is what spurred me on to create it.
Because we were on such short time constraints I didn't manage to do much research even though I would have liked to as this is a subject which really interests me. However I did decided to find out what people think dreams and nightmares are by going on to the internet and seeing what that threw up at me. I found a very simplistic definition of a nightmare which said: 'A nightmare is a very distressing dream which usually forces at least partial awakening. The dreamer may feel any number of disturbing emotions in a nightmare, such as anger, guilt, sadness or depression, but the most common feelings are fear and anxiety.' (www.asdreams.org/subidxedunightmares.htm) This made me think that I really needed to make sure the nightmare side of the piece needed to explore the main themes of fear and anxiety because not only is this relatable to me but it will be the most relatable feelings to the audience. Then I looked into what dreams are and found an interesting definition which says 'Dreams are a universal human experience that can be described as a state of consciousness characterized by sensory, cognitive and emotional occurrences during sleep. The dreamer has reduced control over the content, visual images and activation of the memory' (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284378.php) This makes me feel the the dream side of it needs to be very random in its ordering to show lack of control over ones self when in a dream. I also feel like this means that dreams are linked to our memory and therefore when choosing footage to capture I need to think even more personally about not only my previous dreams but my memories which influence these.
I then started thinking about how I was going to film it and I made the decision that I would use split screen. I was really influenced in lesson by a piece called 'Turbulent' by Shirin Nishat which used split screen to have the women on one side and the man on the other. However I learnt when this piece is installed it is on two large screen which face each other rather than side by side. I decided this would be ideal for my idea so even though I was at the moment only going to produce them side by side I would actually given the chance install them one facing the other as I feel this create a much more tense atmosphere. Now I had decided that dreams would be on one side of the screen and nightmares on the other I then thought into the type of shots I wanted and thought I needed very whimsical locations for the dreams which were very beautiful and then for the nightmares I wanted harsher looking landscapes and I wanted it to be dark in some of them as this is one of my fears. I set a location of the woodland which is a 5 minuet walk from my house as it was easy to get too but I knew there were some amazingly beautiful landscape shots there and also the woods themselves were very scary looking. I went late afternoon and filmed into the evening so I got images ranging from daylight to night fall and complete darkness. I had a friend come along to help me as I felt it was necessary to have me in any of the shots that needed a person because it needed to be personal to my dreams and nightmares. I therefore found myself directing the camera on when to shoot and how to frame the shot and then I would go perform the action whilst she followed instructions. Overall it was a really successful shoot. I then after reflecting back on the shoot felt like my piece was very bland just using basic montage so I then came to the idea of layering images and thought it could add even more atmosphere but also a personal touch if I have my faces behind the two sets of montages. So I filmed me looking happy and placed it on top of the dreams sequence and then me looking scared which was placed on the nightmares side. I then edited it all together which took a long time as I was playing around with opacity and speed on every clip and trying to make it all flow together. I then needed a sound track so I got a song sent to me from a musician I know and I specifically requested something very dream like but also something which jolts as well to fit with the Nightmares. He sent me a song which was perfect however I still felt it was bland so I used some of the sound effects from my original footage and added that back in so that it created a layered sound-scape which I was much happier with.
Here is the finished product:
I am very happy with this because it turned out much better than I even thought it would and also I feel like whilst making it I kept constantly developing it and pushing it further too. I did feel however that if I had gone to a few different locations for shooting I could have got even more interesting shots but I think for the time constraints this worked. I showed it to my class and I got a lot of positive feedback which was that they liked the pace of it which was very good to hear as I spent so long working on this. I also got some constructive criticism which was that it was too much going on in one small screen and this is when I explained that I would install it differently however it did make me think about maybe not trying to fit so much into one minuet and instead cutting some shots out or extending the length of the piece. Overall I felt that this was successful for my first experimental film but I would love to push myself a lot further.
Because we were on such short time constraints I didn't manage to do much research even though I would have liked to as this is a subject which really interests me. However I did decided to find out what people think dreams and nightmares are by going on to the internet and seeing what that threw up at me. I found a very simplistic definition of a nightmare which said: 'A nightmare is a very distressing dream which usually forces at least partial awakening. The dreamer may feel any number of disturbing emotions in a nightmare, such as anger, guilt, sadness or depression, but the most common feelings are fear and anxiety.' (www.asdreams.org/subidxedunightmares.htm) This made me think that I really needed to make sure the nightmare side of the piece needed to explore the main themes of fear and anxiety because not only is this relatable to me but it will be the most relatable feelings to the audience. Then I looked into what dreams are and found an interesting definition which says 'Dreams are a universal human experience that can be described as a state of consciousness characterized by sensory, cognitive and emotional occurrences during sleep. The dreamer has reduced control over the content, visual images and activation of the memory' (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284378.php) This makes me feel the the dream side of it needs to be very random in its ordering to show lack of control over ones self when in a dream. I also feel like this means that dreams are linked to our memory and therefore when choosing footage to capture I need to think even more personally about not only my previous dreams but my memories which influence these.
I then started thinking about how I was going to film it and I made the decision that I would use split screen. I was really influenced in lesson by a piece called 'Turbulent' by Shirin Nishat which used split screen to have the women on one side and the man on the other. However I learnt when this piece is installed it is on two large screen which face each other rather than side by side. I decided this would be ideal for my idea so even though I was at the moment only going to produce them side by side I would actually given the chance install them one facing the other as I feel this create a much more tense atmosphere. Now I had decided that dreams would be on one side of the screen and nightmares on the other I then thought into the type of shots I wanted and thought I needed very whimsical locations for the dreams which were very beautiful and then for the nightmares I wanted harsher looking landscapes and I wanted it to be dark in some of them as this is one of my fears. I set a location of the woodland which is a 5 minuet walk from my house as it was easy to get too but I knew there were some amazingly beautiful landscape shots there and also the woods themselves were very scary looking. I went late afternoon and filmed into the evening so I got images ranging from daylight to night fall and complete darkness. I had a friend come along to help me as I felt it was necessary to have me in any of the shots that needed a person because it needed to be personal to my dreams and nightmares. I therefore found myself directing the camera on when to shoot and how to frame the shot and then I would go perform the action whilst she followed instructions. Overall it was a really successful shoot. I then after reflecting back on the shoot felt like my piece was very bland just using basic montage so I then came to the idea of layering images and thought it could add even more atmosphere but also a personal touch if I have my faces behind the two sets of montages. So I filmed me looking happy and placed it on top of the dreams sequence and then me looking scared which was placed on the nightmares side. I then edited it all together which took a long time as I was playing around with opacity and speed on every clip and trying to make it all flow together. I then needed a sound track so I got a song sent to me from a musician I know and I specifically requested something very dream like but also something which jolts as well to fit with the Nightmares. He sent me a song which was perfect however I still felt it was bland so I used some of the sound effects from my original footage and added that back in so that it created a layered sound-scape which I was much happier with.
Here is the finished product:
I am very happy with this because it turned out much better than I even thought it would and also I feel like whilst making it I kept constantly developing it and pushing it further too. I did feel however that if I had gone to a few different locations for shooting I could have got even more interesting shots but I think for the time constraints this worked. I showed it to my class and I got a lot of positive feedback which was that they liked the pace of it which was very good to hear as I spent so long working on this. I also got some constructive criticism which was that it was too much going on in one small screen and this is when I explained that I would install it differently however it did make me think about maybe not trying to fit so much into one minuet and instead cutting some shots out or extending the length of the piece. Overall I felt that this was successful for my first experimental film but I would love to push myself a lot further.
Thursday, 14 January 2016
Narrative and Word Exercise (Cut Up Method)
We took inspiration from the cut up method of selecting words at random to form a new meaning in a very similar way to how David Bowie use to write some of his songs. This was to get us out of our comfort zone and instead being creative with narrative and words. We took a newspaper and cut out all the words which we really like and all the words which appealed to us for whatever reason. Then we in a group mixed all our words up ad took it in turns to place a new word to the piece and together we managed to write a poem. Here is the piece our group created:
I really liked what we ended up with and I felt like this task taught me that they are many different ways to come up with stories and also it showed me how to think outside the box when it comes to experimental film.
Experimental Film Research and Inspiration
We looked into some of the history of experimental film and where it began. We then viewed work which helped give us more of an idea of what we can create and how we can do it. Firstly we began looking into Dadaists and how they weren't linked through genre but only through the fact that they were rebelling against order therefore they did not follow any conventions when making films hence why they are very experimental. we watched Rhythmus 21 by Hans Richter (1921):
I think with this piece it was all about the way he made it creating a new kind of video where by he would animate shapes. Even though this seems very simplistic to us in terms of process and subject back then it hadn't ever been done because they didn't have the technology we do. It also has no narrative so it breaks conventions in that sense.
Next I looked at a piece called The Return to Reason by Man Ray (1923):
This piece again defied conventions because it didn't have a story it was again all about process. This piece was made by placing objects onto the film to create these unique and unusual shapes which are actually quite mesmerising.
Then I looked at a piece called Man with a Movie Camera by Dziga Vertov (1929):
With this piece it is focusing on the real world however it still defies conventions because instead of having a linear narrative to base the images upon instead it focuses on the actual imagery itself. I really like the way tempo and rhythm play such a part because the pictures have a certain flow to them and this works along side the music really well.
Then I looked at the Surrealist movement and how they were inolved in experimental film. There priciple when it came to their films was to simply shock the audience through any means possible. I looked at Un Chien Andalou by Dali & Bunuel (1929):
I really feel like this does fulfil it purposes of shocking the audience because it uses some very strong and uncomfortable imagery such as the slicing of the eye at the beginning. I feel like this was put together so strangely by having such random event happen that it comes across like its a dream which could have been their inspiration for this piece.
Next I looked at a piece called La Jetee by Chris Marker (1962):
"La jetée" by Chris Marker from minneapolis on Vimeo.
I felt like this piece used a really interesting process to tell the story. I like the way we only had still images because it allowed us to focus on the story a lot more and also allowed us to link up the pictures ourselves to form the imagery. I like how the piece is based on memory and uses photos because photos are a way in which we hold on to memories so this is a very interesting concept.
Then I looked at Mothlight by Stan Brakhage (1963):
This is another piece which is based more on the process of actually making it because again it is very different. It was done by places things like moth wings and leafs onto film frames. I find it really interesting how we manage to take in all the information even though the frames move so fast. I like the idea of this process and how it is very organic and hands on.
Next I looked at a piece by Sam Taylor Wood called A Little Death:
I feel like this piece is much more about the actually meaning behind the imagery. To me it is a representation of nature VS man. Man is represented by the dead Hare where as nature is represented by the peach. The hare rots away whilst the peach deliberately doesn't so I think it is saying that ultimately nature will always win. I liked the way it was composed as well because it look rather like a painting and then being captured as a time lapse made it seem like the painting was coming to life.
Finally I looked at a piece by Shirin Neshat called Turbulent:
I again really think this piece is all about the meaning behind it. I think it is showing the difference between how women in that country get treated compared to men. For example she doesn't get an audience where as he does even though her voice was so much better. I also really like the way this piece has been made because it uses split screen where one side is related to the other and one with out the other wouldn't make sense.
I think with this piece it was all about the way he made it creating a new kind of video where by he would animate shapes. Even though this seems very simplistic to us in terms of process and subject back then it hadn't ever been done because they didn't have the technology we do. It also has no narrative so it breaks conventions in that sense.
Next I looked at a piece called The Return to Reason by Man Ray (1923):
This piece again defied conventions because it didn't have a story it was again all about process. This piece was made by placing objects onto the film to create these unique and unusual shapes which are actually quite mesmerising.
Then I looked at a piece called Man with a Movie Camera by Dziga Vertov (1929):
With this piece it is focusing on the real world however it still defies conventions because instead of having a linear narrative to base the images upon instead it focuses on the actual imagery itself. I really like the way tempo and rhythm play such a part because the pictures have a certain flow to them and this works along side the music really well.
Then I looked at the Surrealist movement and how they were inolved in experimental film. There priciple when it came to their films was to simply shock the audience through any means possible. I looked at Un Chien Andalou by Dali & Bunuel (1929):
I really feel like this does fulfil it purposes of shocking the audience because it uses some very strong and uncomfortable imagery such as the slicing of the eye at the beginning. I feel like this was put together so strangely by having such random event happen that it comes across like its a dream which could have been their inspiration for this piece.
Next I looked at a piece called La Jetee by Chris Marker (1962):
"La jetée" by Chris Marker from minneapolis on Vimeo.
I felt like this piece used a really interesting process to tell the story. I like the way we only had still images because it allowed us to focus on the story a lot more and also allowed us to link up the pictures ourselves to form the imagery. I like how the piece is based on memory and uses photos because photos are a way in which we hold on to memories so this is a very interesting concept.
Then I looked at Mothlight by Stan Brakhage (1963):
This is another piece which is based more on the process of actually making it because again it is very different. It was done by places things like moth wings and leafs onto film frames. I find it really interesting how we manage to take in all the information even though the frames move so fast. I like the idea of this process and how it is very organic and hands on.
Next I looked at a piece by Sam Taylor Wood called A Little Death:
I feel like this piece is much more about the actually meaning behind the imagery. To me it is a representation of nature VS man. Man is represented by the dead Hare where as nature is represented by the peach. The hare rots away whilst the peach deliberately doesn't so I think it is saying that ultimately nature will always win. I liked the way it was composed as well because it look rather like a painting and then being captured as a time lapse made it seem like the painting was coming to life.
Finally I looked at a piece by Shirin Neshat called Turbulent:
I again really think this piece is all about the meaning behind it. I think it is showing the difference between how women in that country get treated compared to men. For example she doesn't get an audience where as he does even though her voice was so much better. I also really like the way this piece has been made because it uses split screen where one side is related to the other and one with out the other wouldn't make sense.
After Effects Workshop
For our new project called 'Time Art' we need to create a twin screen video loop piece based on the connection between the human body and the digital world. One of the ways we can do this is through the use of Adobe After Effects to edit video in more depth and also to create original animated pieces. To begin this project I completed a series of challenges and tutorials to allow me to start to experiment and gain knowledge on After Effects editing tools. Here is what I created and learnt:
Beside the basic I also learnt how to add effects to images and in this particular example I did following a tutorial I changed the colour setting so that it faded to a purple/blue colour in the background as the logo appeared:
Then I began to look into how to start animating objects and graphics using features such a keying when adding effects. In this particular example I animated the logo to rotate and move into the frame:
I then took all the skills I had learnt through this initial tutorial and applied it to my own shapes. I began with a very basic star shape and I had a go at animating in a very similar style to how I animated the graphics in the tutorial above. However I wanted to see how the adobe programmes work together so I made the star shape in Adobe Illustrator and then inserted it in to After Effects to animate it:
Finally we had to try and recreate one of the pieces which was show to us at the beginning of the day. The piece I chose to do was a logo animation for a Jewish museum. Here is the original that we were shown:
Jewish Museum Logo Animation from Sagmeister & Walsh on Vimeo.
Then here is my attempt to recreate it. I only got as far as recreating the very beginning of it as it took me a very long time to work out how to do a lot of the animations however I am very happy with what I have achieved:
I am overall very happy with what I have managed to do with After Effects because I have never used it in this way before. I feel a bit more confident now when it comes to creating my own original piece.
Beside the basic I also learnt how to add effects to images and in this particular example I did following a tutorial I changed the colour setting so that it faded to a purple/blue colour in the background as the logo appeared:
Then I began to look into how to start animating objects and graphics using features such a keying when adding effects. In this particular example I animated the logo to rotate and move into the frame:
I then took all the skills I had learnt through this initial tutorial and applied it to my own shapes. I began with a very basic star shape and I had a go at animating in a very similar style to how I animated the graphics in the tutorial above. However I wanted to see how the adobe programmes work together so I made the star shape in Adobe Illustrator and then inserted it in to After Effects to animate it:
Finally we had to try and recreate one of the pieces which was show to us at the beginning of the day. The piece I chose to do was a logo animation for a Jewish museum. Here is the original that we were shown:
Jewish Museum Logo Animation from Sagmeister & Walsh on Vimeo.
Then here is my attempt to recreate it. I only got as far as recreating the very beginning of it as it took me a very long time to work out how to do a lot of the animations however I am very happy with what I have achieved:
I am overall very happy with what I have managed to do with After Effects because I have never used it in this way before. I feel a bit more confident now when it comes to creating my own original piece.
Sunday, 10 January 2016
Experimental Video Research - Pipilotti Rist
When choosing an experimental artist to look at in more detail I chose Pipilotti Rist because I had never heard of her before so thought it would be really interesting to look at someone new. Also her work appealed to me the most because she used techniques such as combine images to create deeper meaning in her work which I also really like the concept of doing. Here is one of her peices which drew me to her:
I really like this piece because the two images are linked through the use of the flower yet they are basically polar opposites of each other because one is showing the beauty of the flower in nature whilst the over shows its destructiveness. I find this piece really mesmerising trying to work out why she is doing what she is doing.
Here are the 6 main points I researched about her and her work:
1)
This video explains how she likes to work with small groups which is really interesting however the main point she makes which I think is most interesting is that she explains that now this industry has developed she can experiment with all her tools the way she wants. She expresses her love fore the art by saying she uses her camera in the same way a painter will use there paintbrush to express themselves. I just like how you can see her excitment for what she does.
2)
In this video I feel it teaches me that it isn't just her imagery that is important but it is also the space in which the videos and imagery are viewed by the audience. The space helps to change the way the audience views and interacts with it which is important because as she explains the viewers are the most important part of her work. A lot of her work is celebrating human nature and us as people so it is vital that the viewers feel important in that space too.
3) http://www.luhringaugustine.com/artists/pipilotti-rist/bio
I have read her short biography on line and found it really interesting that she has said: 'Arts task is to contribute to evolution, to encourage the mind, to guarantee a detached view of social changes, to conjure up positive energies, to create sensuousness, to reconcile reason and instinct, to research possibilities and to destroy clichés and prejudices.' I really like this opinion she has because she is basically saying that art is a very positive thing and specially her work which she uses to conquer negativity especially that surrounding people such a negative stereotypes. Although a lot of her work focuses on the female form especially her earlier pieces (because she used her own body) she is actually trying to represent human kind as a whole and create some positivity surrounding that.
4)http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/sep/26/pipilotti-rist-hayward-gallery-review
I found this article from The Guardian really interesting because it is speaking about how it actually feels to go to one of her exhibitions. From reading it I can imagine just how engaging her work really is because the writer says they felt absorbed in it and said it almost addictive. This shows that she really does live up to her earlier statement where she said all her work is about the people viewing. I get the sense from this that her work is very intense and therefore very engaging taking you on a constant emotional roller coaster. This is because all her work has a strong message and she wants you to be immersed in each and every message. The most important part of this article to me is how they constantly describe her work as overwhelming and also very sensual.
5)https://www.nowness.com/story/pipilotti-rist-worry-will-vanish
This website shows us a small clip from her piece 'Worry will Vanish' which is a a corner screen showing videos of nature combine with close ups of the body such as veins and it is meant to be viewed in a cosy installation space which has a soft carpet and duvets for you to snuggle in whilst viewing. It is to encouraging complete relaxation in people. What I like most about the article is that it talks about how she came up with this concept initially. She had a friend who discovered and took LSD, he then described the experience to her saying 'I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with an intense, kaleidoscopic play of colours.' So she used his description of the experience as her starting point to how she was going to make this video work using the same style to show the beauty of the world.
6)
This interview is a lot longer than the other I looked at as she goes into a lot more depth with what she is saying. I really like how she spoke about how she is desperately trying to develop and use the technology in the best possible way and in the way she wants to create new things for the people all the time. I also liked how we got to see a lot of snippets of her work in this video because each one was unique and different but what was more noticeable was that each one was presented to the viewer in a very unique and relevant way. Such as her having the viewer lay down and look up at the projections because she believes this will change the way they view it and also then the way they interpret it. The most important thing I felt like she said here was the way she was describing making her exhibitions taking the viewer on a journey as they move from one piece to another and how it is all about them being as immersed as possible which is why she present them the way she does.
I really like this piece because the two images are linked through the use of the flower yet they are basically polar opposites of each other because one is showing the beauty of the flower in nature whilst the over shows its destructiveness. I find this piece really mesmerising trying to work out why she is doing what she is doing.
Here are the 6 main points I researched about her and her work:
1)
This video explains how she likes to work with small groups which is really interesting however the main point she makes which I think is most interesting is that she explains that now this industry has developed she can experiment with all her tools the way she wants. She expresses her love fore the art by saying she uses her camera in the same way a painter will use there paintbrush to express themselves. I just like how you can see her excitment for what she does.
2)
In this video I feel it teaches me that it isn't just her imagery that is important but it is also the space in which the videos and imagery are viewed by the audience. The space helps to change the way the audience views and interacts with it which is important because as she explains the viewers are the most important part of her work. A lot of her work is celebrating human nature and us as people so it is vital that the viewers feel important in that space too.
3) http://www.luhringaugustine.com/artists/pipilotti-rist/bio
I have read her short biography on line and found it really interesting that she has said: 'Arts task is to contribute to evolution, to encourage the mind, to guarantee a detached view of social changes, to conjure up positive energies, to create sensuousness, to reconcile reason and instinct, to research possibilities and to destroy clichés and prejudices.' I really like this opinion she has because she is basically saying that art is a very positive thing and specially her work which she uses to conquer negativity especially that surrounding people such a negative stereotypes. Although a lot of her work focuses on the female form especially her earlier pieces (because she used her own body) she is actually trying to represent human kind as a whole and create some positivity surrounding that.
4)http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/sep/26/pipilotti-rist-hayward-gallery-review
I found this article from The Guardian really interesting because it is speaking about how it actually feels to go to one of her exhibitions. From reading it I can imagine just how engaging her work really is because the writer says they felt absorbed in it and said it almost addictive. This shows that she really does live up to her earlier statement where she said all her work is about the people viewing. I get the sense from this that her work is very intense and therefore very engaging taking you on a constant emotional roller coaster. This is because all her work has a strong message and she wants you to be immersed in each and every message. The most important part of this article to me is how they constantly describe her work as overwhelming and also very sensual.
5)https://www.nowness.com/story/pipilotti-rist-worry-will-vanish
This website shows us a small clip from her piece 'Worry will Vanish' which is a a corner screen showing videos of nature combine with close ups of the body such as veins and it is meant to be viewed in a cosy installation space which has a soft carpet and duvets for you to snuggle in whilst viewing. It is to encouraging complete relaxation in people. What I like most about the article is that it talks about how she came up with this concept initially. She had a friend who discovered and took LSD, he then described the experience to her saying 'I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with an intense, kaleidoscopic play of colours.' So she used his description of the experience as her starting point to how she was going to make this video work using the same style to show the beauty of the world.
6)
This interview is a lot longer than the other I looked at as she goes into a lot more depth with what she is saying. I really like how she spoke about how she is desperately trying to develop and use the technology in the best possible way and in the way she wants to create new things for the people all the time. I also liked how we got to see a lot of snippets of her work in this video because each one was unique and different but what was more noticeable was that each one was presented to the viewer in a very unique and relevant way. Such as her having the viewer lay down and look up at the projections because she believes this will change the way they view it and also then the way they interpret it. The most important thing I felt like she said here was the way she was describing making her exhibitions taking the viewer on a journey as they move from one piece to another and how it is all about them being as immersed as possible which is why she present them the way she does.
Saturday, 9 January 2016
Initial Research - Experimentle Video
Our new project is based on experimental video so I thought I would begin by looking into definitions of this and what it means:
"Experimental film, experimental cinema or Avant-Garde Cinema is not so much a genre of film as mode of filmmaking that rigorously re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms, as well as alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working."
- Found on Wikipedia, I feel like this definition is explaining to me that when you call something an experimental film your not referring to its genre but instead to the interesting and unique way in which its made.
- Found on Wikipedia, I feel like this definition is explaining to me that when you call something an experimental film your not referring to its genre but instead to the interesting and unique way in which its made.
"In one sense, it refers to anything that defies the conventions of traditional narrative and documentary cinema. It doesn't have to tell a story. There don't have to be characters. There doesn't even necessarily need to be a message of any kind... On the other hand, experimental film is an aesthetic and aural art form. Film inherently takes some of the most expressive elements from other artistic mediums and combines them into a magnificent smörgåsbord of sight and sound."
- Found on No Film School, This definition explains again that is about how its made and mainly it is called experimental because it defies normal film conventions in some way. However it then goes on to talk about how it is also a very visually aware art form which combines many different elements of any kind to make something which visually is striking.
These two definitions along with other information read make it clear to me that when looking at experimental film I need to think visually about it and also about how it made and how it challenges its own medium. It is all about pushing the boundaries and making something different which doesn't fit the boundaries.
To help me gain a bit more understanding I want to look on YouTube and Vimeo at some experimental pieces to see how they differer from normal conventions:
This piece was made by a student of Sunderland University called Ben Jones back in 2012. What I really like about this is how it really makes a visual impact in an abstract way. He goes on to explain how he made majority of it so simply with a fish tank and food colouring but the way he has captured it makes it seem otherworldly. I love the way the colours dance in time to the music and also I feel like he has edited successfully by playing with the timing of it having it reverse and speed up etc.. Overall I feel like this is a nice and simple example of experimental film because it doesn't follow a clear narrative or characters etc so is defying conventions and is just simply a visual piece of art.
This is an experimental documentary piece which I though was again really interesting because it is so visually striking. It is telling us about a day in Montreal but it is clearly focusing in on the negative aspects of it such as the large consumerism and the excess waste created. It is telling us a story but without using the normal conventions. It instead plays with the speed of the actions and repetition of the important images they want to highlight. It also again uses music as a strong element which fits together with the images to create a really dramatic peice.
This piece I would say is one of the more conventional pieces out of the three I've looked at because it has a main character which we follow however apart from this it still doesn't fit into the boundaries of film. This piece is trying to tell the story of a man dealing with grief. This subject only becomes apparent to you towards the end of the piece which is very confusing but I think this is a deliberate decisions.They want to push the boundaries by making the audience feel disorientated and confused in the same way the character is. I like this piece because it has more meaning behind it and still used some strong visuals but I feel my personal interest is more abstract than this.
All these examples have helped me grasp a better understanding of what kind of things people explore with experimental film and it also makes me even more aware that it is very visual based.
These two definitions along with other information read make it clear to me that when looking at experimental film I need to think visually about it and also about how it made and how it challenges its own medium. It is all about pushing the boundaries and making something different which doesn't fit the boundaries.
This piece was made by a student of Sunderland University called Ben Jones back in 2012. What I really like about this is how it really makes a visual impact in an abstract way. He goes on to explain how he made majority of it so simply with a fish tank and food colouring but the way he has captured it makes it seem otherworldly. I love the way the colours dance in time to the music and also I feel like he has edited successfully by playing with the timing of it having it reverse and speed up etc.. Overall I feel like this is a nice and simple example of experimental film because it doesn't follow a clear narrative or characters etc so is defying conventions and is just simply a visual piece of art.
This is an experimental documentary piece which I though was again really interesting because it is so visually striking. It is telling us about a day in Montreal but it is clearly focusing in on the negative aspects of it such as the large consumerism and the excess waste created. It is telling us a story but without using the normal conventions. It instead plays with the speed of the actions and repetition of the important images they want to highlight. It also again uses music as a strong element which fits together with the images to create a really dramatic peice.
This piece I would say is one of the more conventional pieces out of the three I've looked at because it has a main character which we follow however apart from this it still doesn't fit into the boundaries of film. This piece is trying to tell the story of a man dealing with grief. This subject only becomes apparent to you towards the end of the piece which is very confusing but I think this is a deliberate decisions.They want to push the boundaries by making the audience feel disorientated and confused in the same way the character is. I like this piece because it has more meaning behind it and still used some strong visuals but I feel my personal interest is more abstract than this.
All these examples have helped me grasp a better understanding of what kind of things people explore with experimental film and it also makes me even more aware that it is very visual based.
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