One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Redux)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1p2Q2tir-Q

or see the video bar on the side of my blog.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Original)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGDJXDGhae8

Ways of Seeing -- The Panza Collection

Two minimalist pieces in the Hirshhorn Museum’s Panza Collection, which really grabbed my attention, were Jan Dibbets “The Shortest Day of 1970 Photographed in My House Every 6 Minute from Sunrise til Sunset,” as well as Doug Wheeler’s “Eindhoven, Environmental Light Installation.”

While the idea of Jan Dibbet’s photography experiment conducted in her home in the Netherlands was quite simple it was really the final product; how the shot was framed and how the photos were displayed, that really made the piece. I found her work to be quite beautiful from close and from a far. Upon viewing the photos from very close I was only able to examine one photo at a time, however, considering the fact that the subject matter of the photos does not really change, I was able to move quickly through the timeline without halting (like a very choppy movie). At this distance I was also able to examine the way the light in each photo changed ever so slightly, elegantly filling the room. When I moved back and examine the line of photos, the product was equally as impressive. Here I focused less on the beautiful window and nicely placed tree present in each photo but the piece as a whole. It appeared as an impressive strip on the wall moving from darkness to bright white and then back to darkness at the same rate at which it had disappeared.

The other piece that I really admired in the Panza Collection was the work of Arizona resident Doug Wheeler. This piece instantly caught my attention, most likely because his work was comprised of the entire room and the people within it. The perfectly white walls, ceiling and floor all appeared to slant toward the far, which was lined with concealed neon tubes. This emitted a brilliant blue light, which made the room glow and even appear hazy or foggy. I felt as though I was walking down a tunnel toward the final bright light, or heaven if you will. The other people also became a part of the exhibit when they passed in front of the blue neon wall producing dramatic silhouettes.  I very much enjoyed the way Wheeler created something so interesting and visually stimulating using such simple means.

             

Visual Narrative (Redux)

My photos were meant to tell a suspenseful and dramatic story. While I wish I could have used more of my photos, these nine will have to do. At some point I decided to apply a reddish tint to most of my photographs. I suppose this was to make the situation a bit more ominous. I sometimes altered the quality of the prints, however, most of them were of poor quality to begin with. I made sure to make the views from the bush especially distorted and strange to make the unseen subject seem especially creature-like.  I mainly focused on altering the color and contrast of certain areas of my photographs to draw the viewers' attention to items such as the lone shoe.

Visual Literacy: Video Project 1

I found the process of shooting my 60 to 120 second video to be very simple. With a short script and plenty of time, there is little reason why anyone in class could not be satisfied with their final product. Upon shooting my short video, I found the restrictions to be very useful. With only a minute or so to present my story, as well as a few restrictions on the number of camera movements and cuts that could be used, I was forced to choose my shots very carefully. In an effort to not break the shooting guidelines, I found myself planning my short very carefully and present my story in an efficient and effective manner. How I framed my shots was completely based on location and my characters locations within the location. Prior to shooting I did have a loose idea of how I wanted to frame my shots, however, I did not have a location in mind. Upon selecting my location, I found myself having to adjust my shots to fit and fully utilize the environment. The members of my group were extremely cooperative which also made my job as director very easy. Plus I wrote the script with my group members in mind, which I feel made their jobs as actors very easy. Upon completing my video project it became clear that how I originally imagine my short to be…could never really be. This was especially true because I offered a certain amount of leniency with the dialog. I believe that in order to make the video in my mind a reality, a greater amount of control was needed. It would be necessary to draw my shots ahead of time, take better notice of my actors’ expressions and allow them to rehearse the correct dialog more than once or twice before shooting. I would also prefer to utilize editing and lighting, however, these were not allowed or where simply unrealistic for such a project.

I did not alter the background, however, I did add a reddish orange tint to the Buddha by using color correction. I added more yellow as well as red to the Buddha and removed a small amount of blue. I also made sure that the lighting on the Buddha was consistent with the light being emitted from the background.
I did not alter the Buddha's color in this rather random piece. However, I did alter the size and location of each Buddha. I chose to center the large Buddha and used the natural lines of the pavement to add a sense of symmetry to the piece. I also lined up the smaller Buddha's on the natural horizon created by the pavement.
I did not use color correction on the buddha, however, I did alter the background quite a bit to make the colors stand out. I positioned the Buddha in such a way that the proportions (size/movement of lines) and lighting make sense

1. This birds-eye-view was lit using a key light.

2. In this medium close up, the buddha is lit using the natural light from behind and a makeshift flag in front.

3. This birds-eye-view of the Buddha and the apple is lit using a single backlight.

4. This wide shot was taken using a medium amount of backlight to create a silhouette effect.

Design through photo pt. 1 - A Background Library

While taking the photographs for this particular assignment, I was looking for any interesting patterns present in my environment.  This was surprisingly easy to do considering that patterns have a way of catching the eye, especially if the viewer is looking for them.  Upon taking these photographs I became increasingly aware of the presence of symmetry and repetition in a world full of unique textures and colors. When approaching my environment from an artistic point of view, I managed to see, for example, a wall which I had passed every day since my arrival at American University, as not only a wall, but as product of design. Each brick positioned in such a way that a distinct pattern, unifying color and intercut texture became evident. Lighting and location also became a major factor in deciding which backgrounds to shoot. Framing was especially important for such an assignment. The background I wished to capture needed to cover a large enough area in order for me to isolate the pattern or color I wished to focus on. My framing for many of the photos would also act as a tool to emphasize certain patterns.  I would find that the way I chose to capture a background would undoubtedly determine its effectiveness in the photo and final product.

Hirshhorn's The Cinema Effect

My Hirshhorn experience began with a film by the name of “This I Played Tomorrow” by Christian Jankowski.  Despite the fact that this piece was shot at the famed Italian film studio Cinecitta, I found that there was little to this particular film. I am all for abstract cinema but I thought that Jankowski’s vision was lacking.  Even if there was a solid idea behind “This I Played Tomorrow,” the final product came out rather dull. Perhaps it was the similarity in last names, but as I watched this film I thought about director Alejandro Jodorowsky, who was behind such trippy cult classics as “The Holy Mountain” and “El Topo.”  While both Jankowski and Jodorowsky’s plots may become a bit scattered at times there is one large difference. I was in no way drawn in by Jankowski’s cinematography.  His palette consisted of many tans and grays which, when combined with lack of lighting, made the whole film seem a bit dry. I also thought many of the shots, for example the final dolly or possibly handheld shot, which led to cast and crew celebrating together, could have been more thoughtful. This goes for many other scenes.

The second video I saw was entitled “John,” by Ian Charlesworth. I truly enjoyed this piece.  The shoot was done entirely on a dark stage with a stationary camera, and a single spotlight on John. This was done because John, a Northern Irish teen, was meant to be the focus of the video. Charlesworth did this because he did not want his audience (or himself considering this was an audition) distracted by any sort scenery or the visual presence of other characters. Upon watching this piece, I was hit by scenario after scenario of raw emotion from a young actor simply being himself. These frightening real life situations presented by the director force the viewer to imagine the terrifying struggles of the young man, despite how unfamiliar John’s life may be.

The next film caught my interest immediately simply because of the way it was presented. In Mungo Thomson’s “New York, New York, New York, New York,” four huge screens covered the walls of room forcing the viewer to stand in the middle and try to take it all in.  Bright city images flashed all around me making it impossible to focus on any one thing. This made for a rather realistic view of New York, fast moving and chaotic. However we eventually find out that these seemingly real images of “New York City” are nothing more than a set. Or so the film synopsis says.

The next film, “Lonely Planet,” by Julian Rosefeldt really caught my attention because of the sensation achieved my looping the film. Rosefeldt also portrayed an image of a mysterious traveler passing through an almost surreal India by using an energetic array of colors with vibrant contrast. One scene that stood out was a dolly shot which followed the lone traveler through a sea of cubicles. The cubicles were set in such a way that their white, blue and yellow walls created an exquisite visual, which the audience could not ignore. Rosefeldt’s focus on the faces and everyday interactions of the Indian people also created a sense of real life cultural immersion.  “Lonely Planet” also included a rather swell dance number.

My favorite piece, by far, was Candice Breitz’s “Mother + Father.” She uses 6 screens with isolated clips of recognizable actors and actresses (on black) touching on such issues as parenthood, marriage and sometimes even joy, Bruits has created an emotional and extremely creative piece of art. The actors appear to converse and interact with one another while all working to capture the same mood and issue. This is all made possible by a large amount of careful editing which, with the use of meticulous timing and repetition (audio and visual), make for a rather chaotic symphony for the senses. However, the experience would become rhythmic at times which was equally as effective. Lastly, the separation of the mother and father exhibits made the viewer feel as if he or she had heard two different sides to the same story.

I did not enjoy “Living a Beautiful Life,” by Corinna Schnitt. The melodramatic acting and over lit digital video made me feel as if I were watching an infomercial…the idea was nice, however, once pieced together the message was lost in the form of a rather dull video project. The rule of thirds was also completely ignored.

I had a similar view of Kerry Tribe’s “Double,” it would appear that in an effort to create a truly unique, “deep” and interesting piece, Tribe created a video lacking in substance. Ms.Tribe chose to show her actors partaking in everyday activities, which would prove to be as entertaining as it sounds.  Here we see another example of ineffective shots and disjointed images coming together in the form of a rough digital video.