evalution of my video

Firstly I did have a few problems at the beginning when making my video. I did have to film and act everything myself which I found quite challenging. I have produced an experimental video from the clips and shots i have taken.

I started off by planning and drawing a story board which I then sorted into different types of shooting locations were I was going to film. I then went out and filmed all of the different things that I was going to use to shoot my video in. I then filmed it.

I thought this was fun but challenging, because I was acting and filming it a lot of the time. Other times when I was filming I found different ideas and shoot that I didn't plan to shoot, there was a great sense of inspiration and colourful ideas that I was thinking when I was filming. after I finished filming I uploaded all of the clips that I had got from my shooting.

I was using the apple mac computers which I had never used and found that it wad more tricky then I had first anticipated. Half way though editing I realised that I did not have sufficient amouts of footage to get the concept of the video that I wanted to achieve. I then went out and got more footage and found that i really did need them.

I went back to the mac and finished editing it. I then got some music to go over the top of the video. however I was not successful in doing this. Instead I used a silent effect. After I finished editing it I began to plan the exhibition which was the most difficult about the main tasks. I wanted to space to reflect my video not oppose it.

I decided to show it in an appropriate place ad thought it was beneficial to the video. If i was to do anything different next time I would have music and made it have a happy ending. I do not think that my video went exactly how I found it but though different circumstances I could not make the first plan, but I think that now it was even better then my first idea.

Ideas for my questionaire

Did you enjoy the video?

What did you think it was about?

Was there anything in particular that you liked?

Was there anything in particular that you disliked?

These are general ideas and are not my final questions however I do think that is necessary to have a rough idea of what i want to ask my viewers.

Task 2.2 Exhibition/Installation Plan

1. I have two different ideas for my exhibition space, each in their own right will reflect the video and its meaning. However they are complete polar opposites.

My first idea was to show the video in my flat, it would reflect the opposite to the video, meaning that the concept is about a homeless person, and it would be a contrast; so the flat would be comfortable warm and friendly, whereas the video is cold uncomfortable and hostile. It is a good idea that I think would be easy to accomplish.

However my other idea is to show it outside, because this would be more of a reflection of the video, the viewers will be cold and there would be a correlation between the video and the exhibition space. The problem with this idea is that I think that it would be more difficult to get an appropriate screen to view the video and people may be a bit more reluctant to watch a three minute film in the freezing cold!

The idea that I decided to with was the one in my flat. I put the curtains over all the furniture and a bare window with it slightly undone, this created a cool effect. I thought that making my flat look like it was unkempt this would reflect the ideas behind my videos. I wrote graffiti on the wall 'distorted perception' the title of my video. I thought that my exhibition space was uncomfortable and harsh to the eye, all in all this did make the video more hard hitting.

Task 2.3 Prduction and Post-Production Diary

Diary Entry 1. 9/11/09

I started filming this Saturday, I started off with the few ending shots that I needed, I needed to go to a bonfire and film it, I got more footage that I need but I think that it will help me get the better clips. I filmed the bonfire in the evening.

On Saturday afternoon I was in Horsham and I went into the rural areas and found some great locations, I will be going back there on Wednesday, I did manage to get a couple of good shots but time was against me and I found that I didn't have enough time to get all of the shooting done, but I had made time for it on Wednesday afternoon when I will be shooting in Horsham park for the rest of my video.

Diary Entry 2. 10/9/09

I made a decision today that I did not have sufficient time to film all of the shots in Horsham park, I think that it would be a better idea to film a lot of the location and close up shots in the memorial gardens and parks in the Crawley area.

I think that this is a better solution to the problem I had with finding the time and booking out the equipment. I think that if I did film the rest of my video in Crawley I would be able to enlist help of my fellow students, and thus complete my shooting on time.

Diary Entry 3. 16/11/09

After looking and trying to edit the shots that I had, I realised that I did not have sufficient footage to convey a good video and for people viewing it to understand. So I have planned to book out a camera and get the final shots because I cannot possibly contemplate trying to make a video out of a couple of shots.

I have planned to book out the equipment on the Wednesday and edit it on the Thursday. I know that this is eating into my editing time but I think that it is a necessary sacrifice to make in order to complete my video on time with the relevant shots in it.

Diary entry 4. 19/11/09

I finally managed to get all of the footage that I needed to get and all I need to do is record the soundtrack and edit the footage that I have got, I still have not thought of an appropriate name for my experimental video but I'm sure that after I have looked at the finished piece that inspiration for a name will come to me!

gisele kerozene

I watched a film the other day, it was called Gisele Kerozone and it was made in 1989 and was shot in stop frame animation.

It was about three witches that are worshipping a bird like voodoo doll, and the bird like thing is stolen by another witch man. One by one the other 3 witches chase after the fourth and they hop onto their motorised brooms and chase the man. they then are killed or destroyed.

I did think that there was no actual concept to the video, there didn't seem to be a point to it, it was just like an explosion of creativity.

The craft however was very heavy indeed, it shows great craftsmanship and a flare of inspiration. I did think that it was a little bit violent to watch and it was even more perverse because it was done in a comical way.

Girl chewing gum

I watched an experimental video the other day. It was called 'girl chewing gum'.

Girl chewing gum is an interesting video, it was made in 1976 and is shot in Hackney in black and white. The craft used in girl chewing gum is very basic, only using the camera in the same position, but moving it around with the zoom.

The concept behind the video is complex and does not reflect the craft in the video. The concept that I got from the video was that the media leads their audience into believing one thing but then tricks them because the voice over has lied to them from the beginning, and confesses to it.

Another concept that may have been conveyed in the video is the thought of trying to be in control, the commentator is telling all the characters what to do, yet hes just the voice speaking over the top, and the people being filmed are actually completely oblivious to him.

I did like girl chewing gum, and I thought that it was heavily reliant on its concept.

Muto

I watched a video called muto the other day; it was by a famous graffiti artist and was made in 2006.

Muto has a strong craft involved in it, but the concepts are a little bit trickier to grasp.

Muto uses stop frame animation which creates a great effect of moving drawings. The images themselves were not great works of art; it would be pointless because they are constantly being wiped off.

The concepts that I grasped from watching muto was the idea of life and death and reincarnation, there was a lot of images of things being eaten and then the thing that ate it exploding and something coming out of the ruins, this to me suggested the thought of recreation, which was also what was happening physically to the images.

I also thought that the context was slightly warped, for a start, trying to depict life from black and white drawing is taken out of context, you would use colour or something to make things look a little more real, but muto doesn’t need this. Also there is a bit in the video where teeth are running like animals, it’s a stretch of the imagination but for a second you are lead to believe that they are not actually chalk doodles on a pavement but real life moving animals. Only for a second.

Muto is a refreshingly experemental video for its time and relies heavily on the craft and the physical and mental skill which has been used to make it, it is not my most favourite of videos, but I respect the artists ideas and talent.

chapter 1 - discuss both past and current artists and work.

There are a few similarities and differences between modern experimental videos and older videos.

For example the video girl chewing gum has similar concepts to doll face, in the way in which the artists make the audience aware that the video is based on lies, in girl chewing gum the voice over towards the end of the video even admits that he s an a field miles away and has tricked the audience into thinking that he is someone important. This is also portrayed in doll face, however the lie that the robot encountered was part of the video – in a sense the media from the television was lying to the robot.

Both doll face and girl chewing gum rely heavily on concepts, both a move the audience, however the difference is in the emotions, girl chewing gum may provoke anger and annoyance through being tricked, but doll face could make the audience saddened and upset because beauty is a relevant issue to any age and gender.

The differences between the videos is not so much the concept but more the craft, as you an see in girl chewing gum the camera stays I the same position and only follows characters and zooms in and out according to the voiceover. The sound quality is also older, it is crackly and muffled, although the artist that created the video, he may have wanted to achieve a more raw effect, you can still hear a fuzziness which you wouldn’t in a modern recording of something. Doll face has been heavily crafted with use of fantastic computer effects and animation; it is obvious to the viewer that the mot modern equipment has been used to make this film. The sound quality in doll face may be non descript and does not play a main part in the video because it is based on the visual interpretation, however, it is crisp clean cut and polished, the polar opposite to girl chewing gum.

Doll face was made in 1998, girl chewing gum in 1976 only twenty years on and the main factor that is evident is that the quality and technology has developed so much, however this will never effect the ideas that artists have, merely extend their capability to convey their ideas to the audience.

chapter 6 - Audience, and audience interpretation of the work

When we watched the video doll face the reaction was slightly different within the group, most of the class felt that there was a strong concept of beauty and the effects it has on us, but there was different angles to it some people thought it was the price of beauty (the robot ended up dying) others thought that it wasn’t as narrow as that; the media have control over us, more then we are aware of. However some of the male members of the group thought it was a bit pointless and boring, almost as if it was a waste of time.

I think that it is paramount to have different ideas and interpretation of artists work; through this the artist has made the audience think for themselves and form their own opinions of it. This may be good or bad e.g; some people got one of the main concepts that the artist was trying to convey, or they thought it was boring.

When an artist has finished their work and submitted it, it is then out of their hands, all they can do is wait for the verdict from their viewer. A big part of art, even more so in modern art/experimental videos etc is the concept behind it, if an artist can achieve this then they are half way there, and a lot of the time, when you are viewing and discussing a piece of art that you have seen it becomes more live and so much more in depth this is why I think that it is so important to have different interpretations.

chapter 2 - The use of technology and techniques and styles

The use of technology has changed greatly in the past 40 years, from the girl chewing gum which was made in 1976 to Muto which was made in 2006 both videos can reflect the different technology which is available for example, Muto uses stop frame animation and better quality cameras, its something that is taken for granted. Muto probably had a lot of funding and appropriate lighting equipment even though it looks simple it is heavily crafted.

However girl chewing gum, was shot using a very basic camera, there is no real craft behind the camera, and it was shot in one position, the camera operator doesn't actually move at all this video is still simple but still effective.

The use of technology is not as important as the audience may think, although it makes viewing more visually pleasing, it wont affect the meaning behind the video. Girl chewing gum has a lot of different concepts as does Muto, each made stronger by the styles in which they are filmed in.

chapter 3 - narrative and non narrative structures

With experimental videos it is not a necessity to have a solid narrative because the idea behind an experimental video can be whatever the artist wants it to be, it is up to the audience to make their own judgement and interpretation of the video.
However if a narrative helped to explain the video and was vital to the meaning, then it would be necessary to have a beginning, middle and end.
There can be a more complex and different structure that is happening in the video, for example in the video 'Muto' there is no narrative but a loosely based structure of a cycle throughout.

chapter 5 - How different works will inspire my work

I really liked the craft in Koyaanisquatsi when the camera shows the speeding up and slowing down of time. I wanted to portray the meaningless of time in my video. I think that it would depict a sense of not being in control of anything.

I also like the idea of not having any voices, just a non descript music playing non diagetically and would be effective, and thus make the viewer more aware of the visual aspects of the video.

The idea for my video is to make a short clip about the young homeless people in Horsham, this is a subject which I feel that I can draw inspiration from. I do want to keep the idea of a story minimal because I want to portray the rawness of the situation.

the thought of representing the emotions and how the character is important to the video. However I do not want to use a commercial way of portraying this, my suggestion is to use fire in different forms e.g. a candle/bonfire. fire can represent passion, hope inspiration and dismissal, which would be key points in my video.

Although I have not found a lot of inspiration from the experimental videos I have viewed, I do like the way in which different editing and camera filming has been portrayed.

Koyaanisquatsi - 'Life out of balance'

Today I watched a film that was called Koyaanisquatsi meaning life out balance. It runs for 1h 23mins, and was funded by Francis Forcopular and directed by Godfrey Reggic.

The types of visual images are varied; beginning with images of a natural cave painting then developing from this into different complex and more disturbing images. All of the images are in colour and the different frames of landscapes and building's are fantastic pieces of craftsmanship behind the camera lens. There are no actors as such there are simply different insignificant characters that are in the frames. the film is almost a bibliography of our earth so far.

The types of audio that were used in the film match the imagery of the film fantastically. There are parts of the film where the images are moving so fast and its almost a blur, the audio makes this fast paced and you cant actually Tell which one is leading the other. The audio is non diegetic throughout the film, however the music makes the images so well that at times you think that the sound may actually be coming from the frame. There is no diagetic sounds that come from the film.

There are many different concepts of the film. This may be because the film is a long film for that subject matter. Or maybe it is down to making a film that is so relevant to this side of the century. Or perhaps it so full of different concepts and ideas, that the audiences head would be buzzing!

One of the many concepts that I got from the film was that it was portraying a cycle of life from birth to life then death. In the beginning of the film where was a diagram of a very old cave drawing. Then through a series of images we are taken through time until the 1980's where the times have completely one of the last things that the audience sees is a explosion of a rocket which would symbolise death. Another concept (linking closely with the idea of life and death) is the way we have changed the world as it is and we a re responsible of our own annihilation. There is a lot of destructive images of buildings being demolished which would suggest destruction.

chapter 4 - The use of exibition space to create meaning

The use of exhibition space to create meaning was a factor that was considered when I was viewing art work around the Tate gallery. Modern art can seem boring an insignificant and a bit pointless if it is displayed in a traditional way, (hung on a canvas with other art not too dissimilar from each other) because there is so much more meaning, different concepts and opinions in modern art, it is important to package the art correctly.

There was a lot of space to the Art, which suggests that the ideas and the art needs space around it to make room for the viewers ideas, also i found that Cornelia Parker's work on the hanging cutlery was reliant on the space that it was in. Without the cool halogen lighting and the bright white walls the effect of the shiny silverware would have been lost.

Cornelia Parker's work '30 pieces of silver' could be seen as a paradox; these are pieces of delicate and fragile of cutlery suspended precariously on thin wires but the actual cutlery has been brutally flattened by a steam roller, this may suggest violence.

The title '30 pieces of silver' is interesting that it may be related to biblical meaning. the 30 pieces of silver is what Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus with, it seems interesting that a work of art that has no correlation with this concept, yet it would be worded exactly the same.

The use of exhibition space really helped this piece of art because you would expect to find pieces of crushed silver in a junk yard, however because it has been put into a gallery with the appropriate lighting, the status of the inanimate objects has changed. It is now more important and people will take notice of it because it is the only thing in the room.

I do think that I did not get a lot out of the Tate however I do think that with hindsight I respect the art and the artists more for their ideas instead of their artwork.

Experemental video; 'Doll face' Andy Huang

I really liked this experimental video, I found that not only was it a very thought provoking video on an emotional level but the composition was very well put together.

The craft of the video seemingly simple was actually very complex, to fusion a robot and a human head together and make it believable shows great skill.

The concept of 'Doll face' can be seen in many different ways, looking from and audience perspective i felt that this was linked very closely to how the media effects humans, with reference to the flashing images of the TV bombarding the robots head, and no matter how hard the robot tried it was never quite good enough. it shows how people cover up their faces like a mask and what people do to try and achieve perfection. The parallels between this video and our modern day society shows that no matter how much people try to achieve something that is aesthetically pretty it will never be enough, and the conclusion to that is a tragic death of the robot-the ultimate price of beauty.

There are many different types of contexts in doll face, it is a point that I think that Andy Huang wanted to achieve. By taking something completely out of context and putting the scenario into many different ideas, and letting the audience make their mind up about it.

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