http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6mn-ZEs6WY
I chose to do a stop-motion video on that highlights the need for education reform in our nation. The old tactic of simply throwing money at the problem isn't working, and we need innovative, creative ideas to come up with a solution. I've always wanted to do a stop-motion video, and with the ideas I had about which mediums I wanted to use to convey the message, I felt like education was a suitable topic to the concept. The hardest part to do was to edit all the images appropriately. I made the mistake (one that I definitely learned from) of leaving my camera's ISO on auto while I was taking the pictures, when I really should have had it set consistently for each different shoot. Overall, it was a very fun project to do and create!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Visual Literacy Statement
Visual
literacy has opened my eyes and broadened my perspective on the media arts this
year. Before I was well versed only in audio, and interested in the other arts.
But this class has really taught me the basics in design, photography, and
video. I’ve always just skated along in natural ability and experimenting at what
looked best to me in these fields, but it has been great to actually learn
about what established practices are, and what terms and techniques are used in
each of the various disciplines.
What
surprised me this semester has been my interest in filmmaking and editing video
in general. Going into the class I
assumed that my favorite focus would be still photography. While that interest
has not wanted whatsoever, I was pleasantly surprised by the joy I receive from
editing video into something concrete. I
think that the effort that must take place into producing a video results in
greater satisfaction when the piece of art is finished and you’re able to share
it with others.
A key
lesson I learned from this class, and elsewhere, this semester is that
disappointment and frustration are just as key to the creative process as the light
bulb moment of inspiration and ideation. It remains a part that no one sees or necessarily
understands, but that failure and disappointment are signs that you are
actively searching for a solution to whatever the problem posed is. So all in
all, Visual Literacy has taught me a great deal about not only the appropriate
techniques used to create media art, but also about the purpose and direction
of creativity in general.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Gizmodo Shooting Challenge
Gizmodo has shooting challenges for photographers that they post on their website, and the most recent one was black and white. I had taken a picture at a concert recently, and so I decided to email it in anyways. Somehow it got chosen to be put up!
http://gizmodo.com/5904768/shooting-challenge-blackwhite-5
http://gizmodo.com/5904768/shooting-challenge-blackwhite-5
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Hirshhorn Tweet
While we were at the Hirshhorn, I took an instagram and the official Hirshhorn twitter retweeted it!
Short Video Script
Script (rough outline)
Screenplay: Jilted
Please note that this is a very rough outline of the film we ended up shooting.
SCENE 1 Kay on steps.
MAN and BALL1 playing on incline. MAN is distracted. Walks away. BALL1 rolls down incline. Shallow depth of field, close up. POV-BALL1.
SCENE 2 Library. In front of doors. 2 GIRLS and BALL2 sitting and chatting. BALL2 rolls away. Exit towards McKinley.
SCENE 3 Bottom of steps.
BALL1 rolls by benches with people. Towards KoGod. Quizzical look.
CLOSE UP OF PEOPLE’S EXPRESSIONS.
SCENE 4
BALL2 rolls to Kay steps. Follows rollsteps of BALL1 exactly. (Scenes 1 and 3) Speed up scene later.
CLOSE UP OF BALL2 “FACE”. Intertitle: “Where did my friend
go?”
SCENE 5 BALL1 rolls through pretty walkway. (to the right)
Approaches stairs by Bender. Gets kicked. Hits Evan in face. Exagerrated emotion.
BROKEN WALL WHEN EVAN LOOKS UP AT THE CAMERA-DISTRESSED. FIXED CAMERA ANGLE AT TOP OF STAIRS.
SCENE 6
BALL2 rolls through walkway and does NOT roll down stairs. Goes directly across street to amphitheater. Cut before entrance to amphitheater.
BALL2: “He’s been here, I know he has. But where is he?”
SCENE 7
BALL1 rolls across street to amphitheater area. Rolls down to stage/ramps.
SCENE 8 BALL2 follows Scene 7 but via the stairs. Sadness.
SCENE 9
BALL1: (wonders aloud) “Where to run now?”
To: MGC elevator. 2nd floor to 3rd floor.
BALL1 RIGHT SIDE. ROLLS INTO FRAME INTO ELEVATOR. FIXED CAMERA. CAMERA ROLLS UNTIL DOORS SHUT.
BALL2 left side. Hits door as BALL1 is inside. Continuous shot.
SCENE 10
Continued from Scene 9. BALL2 staying in same place. BALL2: He’s running away from me!
But why?
SCENE 11 Cut to BALL1 outside MGC facing Batelle doors.
BALL2 is inside looking away as BALL1 rolls down steps towards middle of quad.
SCENE 12
BALL2 follows quickly behind Scene 11. Catches glimpse of BALL1 exiting.
SCENE 13
BALL1 enters center area of quad. BALL1: Sigh of relief. “She’s
gone.”
SCENE14
BALL2 sees BALL1 in center of quad. Rushes over. BALL1 and BALL2 in same shot/frame.
SCENE 15 Characters face each other.
BALL1: “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” (rolls off leaving BALL2 alone in middle of quad. Sad)
SCENE 16 Last shot of BALL2 alone. Fade to black. Roll credits.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Memento
I found that on the whole the movie really did not emphasize the elements I found important in the short story. The story was constrained by length, and if it was as descriptive as the movie was it would no longer be a short story. There were two main visual elements that I did feel came through in the movie that I predicted earlier. These would be the importance of the polaroid pictures, and also to some degree the desaturation or subdued colors. The desaturation comes in the flashbacks when the movie goes to all black and white before returning to color. The polaroid pictures are a repetitive theme throughout the movie, just as they were in the book. In reference to my earlier blog post I found that the movie was much more action based and less contemplative than I thought the short story was. I generally just got an entirely different tone from the story, and felt like the movie really extrapolated in some instances to make it fit the medium better, which is understandable. Within the short length of the story I felt like the alarm would be something that could be used a little better as a marker, and something startling to grab the audience’s attention. However that wasn’t really necessary in the movie as other visual cues could work just as well. All in all, I really enjoyed Memento (even though it certainly was mind twister), and reading the story ahead of time really gave the movie watching experience more depth and context.
