4k on set

I smell like crap! After having a meatball, spaghetti, and croutons thrown at me ten times....ew!

We are filming now and making a mess!!!

4K!

The Challenge: DIY 4k

In the weeks ahead lie sleepless nights, hand cramps (from editing), and a big mess, hopefully all for success at the end! The schedule has been finalized and the shooting begins. The supplies are to be purchased for our messy food fight including: meatballs, croutons, whipped cream, a baguette and much more . I am excited, nervous, scared and hoping to not clean up a giant mess. The whip cream canons are to be drawn at 10 am tomorrow. The final outcome will be posted later!

19.11.11 La Jolla MOMA Exhibition: Phenomenal: California Light, Space, Surface

I really enjoyed this exhibit and intend to see the other half at the MOMA in downtown. What better day to spend a rainy day than at an art museum. The minimalist objects of this exhibit were fascinating. Although I enjoyed all the work in this exhibition, the work that particularly stood out to me was that of  Peter Alexander. His two pieces at the La Jolla MOMA “Orange Wedge” and “Pink Wedge” were complimentary but evoke such different feelings. “ Orange Wedge” was reaching for something above it creating a sort of hierarchy within itself. As the object thinned towards the top it became more and more delicate becoming something almost too brittle to be formidable. The object was optically deceiving making me circle around it never truly understanding the physics of it. How did it stand about so proudly? Could one simply tip it over? This idea of reaching for something higher was not at all implied in the second piece “Pink Wedge”. “Pink Wedge” had a much more complex relationship with itself. It was also optically deceiving in the since that it was translucent forming odd curvatures. It appeared to be so regal forming the idea that it was untouchable. It reminded me of touching a piece of ice. When one touches it  ruins it with their body heat ultimately melting it. Melting it so it is no longer useful or admirable just a puddle, a new form.  Both were very interesting pieces and also intellectually frustrating.

When is Political Art Acceptable?

I did my first political art work this past week and was shocked by some of the reviews and shocked by myself. My assignment in my VIS 165 class was appropriation. I have always been fascinated by gentrification and ultimately its foundation immigration. I wanted to some of the most densely immigrant populations in the world and compare and contrast them. Where is it seamless and where is there cultural collision.  I received mixed reviews most commenting on the form rather than the content. Some not even understanding the content. I found it most fascinating when people where not able to identify the flag and tried so hard to distinguish different nationalities often putting them into broad sector. So when is it appropriate to make a political piece and where is it appropriate to display it. Here are key things I learned:
1) DO YOU RESEARCH 2) double check wikipedia 3) be senstive to material you aren't all encompassing 4) know your audience and how they can relate, understand, digest the material

Here is my project: (do not copy for your on use)

SO WHEN IS POLITICAL WORK ACCEPTABLE AND WHEN DOES IT CROSS THE LINE?

Reflection of Project 2_Site-E

Despite my technical struggles with this project; I enjoyed putting together a story more personal to me than most of the work I have done. It was hard to decide what to show and what to not. I loved the fact that although capturing the information would be considered invasive to my vacation I am always strapped to a camera and it felt normal. Rather than carrying a larger video camera (which I would consider invasive) I was able to whip something out of my pocket and quickly and discreetly capture it. The resolution was definitely and issue that had to be dealt with in this project. (I did so using stop motion intervals and spit screen effects) To be honest, I wish that my critique had been a bit more extensive. The addressing of the sound problems (which I agree with), use of devices while doing so on vacation, and odd timing for certain clips was key. I was able to understand the audience better allowing me to know what to keep in mind for my next project. I was grateful at how understanding my classmates had been and happy to share a bit of my personal life.
Piece:  http://vimeo.com/31517998

A Shift from the Mundane

It seems that there is a point in life when the extraordinary takes a turn to the mundane. When a latte becomes a necessity rather than a treat, when I love you becomes hello and goodbye, or when you refuse to read novels because your eyes have adjusted to the diatribes in-scripted in textbooks. How do you avoid this treacherous turn? I do so by capturing color. Color of the extraordinary within the ordinary. The small things like a graffitied wall make me happy. I believe that people forget how powerful form can be. Form itself can tell a subtext like Jean Pierre Jeunet does in "Amelie" or Fernado Meirelles and Katia Lund do in "City of God". The best example we have seen of this was the experimental piece from the disposable film festival "Folded"  by Surabhi Saraf. Each tiled fold embraces a wave pattern of color. The content is simple but the film its self is really beautiful due to form. Sometimes it is easier to show then to tell allowing you (the viewer) to come to your own conclusion. 

Here are some raw (unedited aka a bit shitty quality) examples of pictures I took while in New York and around Europe: 

Links:

Amelie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sECzJY07oK4

CIty of God http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioUE_5wpg_E

Folded http://vimeo.com/21678734

Response to: "Why Star Wars should be left to the fans" By: Will Gompertz

While reading this article I began to question my own work. I believe that the artist and the viewer have separate intentions and interpretations of the work. Through critiques within school I have learned a lot about my own work but as the artist I can either accept or reject the criticism. If I feel something is not complete at the time I display it ( which happens often due to due dates) I would change it later on. Josh and I found this with our remix project; the project we displayed was the process rather than what we would interpret as the final product( if there is one there this could be a continuos loop that goes on forever). George Lucas had a similar feeling; the film was his and although beloved by fans HE changed it as he had intended it to be. In the article, it said the reason for change was due to technical evolution. It also said,  "'films never get finished, they get abandoned' and that he thought it the 'director's prerogative … to go back and reinvent a movie'. Which it appears to mean replacing the old version, not adding a new one to complement it." I agree with Duchamp's Creative Act; however, his idea of transference ( "the moment when the artist hands over control of his or her artwork to an audience") is not something I comply with. Yes, the artist hands the work to the public but I believe it then because a separate piece of artwork, 1)the artist's work and 2)the audiences interpretation of the work. The spectator does validate the works inner qualification in the public sphere but that is the "second" (audiences interpretation) piece of work not the artist's; an artist is not looking for approval they are making a statement. I side with Lucas what he is doing is not wrong because as an artist if I felt that something were unfinished I would not want it out in the public sphere to be falsely criticized. An artist may not be the best person to judge their own artwork and of course they should listen to their fans but in the end the first edition is their creation. Lucas has now allowed multiple layers of one piece and by destroying one he felt did not fit with his vision is not wrong. 

Participatory Artwork

While in New York I experienced a lot of different installation pieces that I as the viewer had to help the artist complete. My actions determined the path the work took. For example, my favorite piece that I saw was a part of the exhibition "Living as Form" at Creativetime called "Golden Ghost(The Future Belongs To)" by the artist Surasi Kusolwong. I grabbed my boyfriend and we dove into a mountain of colorful thread. Laying there enjoying the comfort of the mass thread we then crawled around not realizing we were intended to be in search of something. The experience was absolutely brilliant. We got out covered in a rainbow of fur like thread; my boyfriend sporting a blue tail and I a speckled pair of black pants and various colored highlights in my hair. We ourselves had taken away a part of the piece and as much as we tried to pull off every thread it was impossible. The concept behind the piece was looking at consumerism reversing the hierarchy instilling frustration in the viewer by way of less traditional form of art work engaging the viewer to take part in the work. Inside this mottled mountain were 6 hidden golden necklaces the artist had created containing the symbol of a ghost. It was like finding a needle in a haystack (which despite my digging, crawling, throwing, and rolling I did not find). I loved the experience especially doing it with another. The artist’s idea of consumerism came across but also allowed room for the participants’ own interpretation.

http://creativetime.org/programs/archive/2011/livingasform/exhibition.htm

            For my second project I wanted to take this idea of participatory and translate it into a documentary style film. How to translate these vignettes is a mystery at the moment. My documentation of participation of simple things throughout the day was interesting to me. I wondered why I choose to record the things I did and why did I choose that certain device to do it. I used my boyfriends Iphone to take images and videos of something urgent (something that would last for a short amount of time), I used my own cell phone when I had a bit more time but was still out and about. I used my ipod when I wanted to be conspicuous and appeared as if I were just listening to music rather then being a voyeur. I used my DSLR when constructing a more aesthetic, controllable image as well as being mindful of stop motion.  I would also like to incorporate a scanner into my project perhaps through the use of photography. I found it very difficult to use these devices at an artist level and hope to keep them as raw and true to what I saw. I hope I am able to translate my idea and people will appreciate seeing things through my eyes.

Review of Remix Project

I was pleasantly surprised at the reactions I received concerning the remix project. Josh and I’s joint efforts had a well-respected response primarily an wide interest in our process of remixing a remix. I expressed my struggle with the restraints and was sympathized and acknowledged for it. I went in to critiques unsteady and unhappy with my project but walked out relieved. The project was difficult but fun. Josh was able to take 90 minutes and transform it to 5 minutes with a completely different message. I continued with this narrative route but was more acknowledged from my abstraction, which I appreciated and wish I had continued with. I normally take a more abstract route and enjoy the process much more than a narrative. The abstraction of a film that is widely recognized by not only our culture but the majority of the world is complex. No matter how much you take away from the original narrative or remove a familiar character; the overall form can still be recognized (especially those with a distinct Disney signature). Had I the time to continue this process I would challenge myself to steer away from the narrative and explore the abstraction détournement .

Snow White and the 7 Gay Dwarfs --> a black out

Yesterday, was my turn to remix the group Snow White piece. I latched onto the project for many reasons but to be frank, I thought doing a group project who simplify my heavy load. Well this thought was horribly incorrect. I had to take Josh's piece "Snow White and the Seven Gay Dwarfs" and transform it to have a completely different message. I remixed and remixed and remixed growing more frustrated as it got later. I couldn't get this sexualized version out of my head. I kept thinking I don't have the proper tools but couldn't fight the projects tight boundaries. I wanted to do an experimental piece but it just seemed silly so after my attempt because I could not match up a score. After 5 different edits, I decided to go along with the narrative "Snow White and her Light". I have no idea where this idea came from to be honest. Some of the hardest things was mixing a score from a rape/murder sound track. I had to come up with something out of that! The other more difficult part was getting past the filters that he had applied. I lowered the opacity a a lot and overlaid it onto a black slug but you can still see changes in tonality. I created a candle out of a close up shot, turned a song to a call for help, and  romanticized a menial task. I expressed to Josh my frustration throughout this process and he came as a voice of clarity saying, "Agreed, except our tasks are kind of opposite; I was trying to condense and you are mostly trying to expand. I tried to use a wide range of images and minimize how much I changed them from the original to give you more options for at least the first round haha. I'm interested to see how it morphs under the pressure "  I am sorry Josh but my expanding didn't go as expected. I was going to do crazy filters, transitions, multiplies but then I thought about the next artist who would work with the piece and how they would have to come up with something with even less material than I had. 

 I would definitely say this was not a very successful edit but given the parameters it really pushes you to think outside the box and do things you aren't comfortable with. I have probably done 3 linear narratives in my life and now I did the one thing I always try to avoid.  Yesterday, I did an experiment in the EPG lab and was hook up to hundreds of electrodes, they never called me by my name but just "the subject"; now I know how Snow White must have felt when I was experimenting on her world. I hope this project grows and look forward to seeing it reach its maturity. 

1st edit_Josh: http://vimeo.com/groups/digitalcinema171/videos/30188438

transformed to my 2nd edit:  http://vimeo.com/30222920

"Remix with a Message"

To change the message from its original content I feel has been done time and time again. Many people have taken advantage of this technique for example:

My first response to this was to laugh but then when watching it go on I realized it wasn't very funny and just nonsensical. What is the message here? How does one maintain the comic sense of remix with a message (be it false or not) and use it as a tool to say something new that can be taken seriously while being enjoyed as a form of escapism?  This I find is difficult.

Natalie Bookchin takes a more serious contemporary stand point and makes you dig for her commentary within a youtube phenomena world.  What is the purpose of remix on youtube?

Last year, I had to make an appropriated found footage piece (http://www.vimeo.com/20040555). I decided to take the comedic route but was later punished in my critique for it being half-baked and not having a strong enough message. When discussed with my professor my intended message (the abuse of youtube as a tool) had not come across properly but was in fact a good message after-all.  I found myself wanting to form a sense of escapism and communal laughter. Does everything have to be so serious?

I am left at an in between with this project to take the serious or comedic fashion. Yes, I am passionate  about comedy but also do not want it to distract the viewer from the message. The remix experiment has begun. Wish me luck!