DXARTS 202

future plans

2009-06-07T23:50:00.001-07:00

The future of this project and my research in DXARTS department would be a more interactive installation with multiple projections. In order to to capture more of the experiences of the characters, I would also show some variety in the size projections and monitors within the installation. In the future, I would ask myself more of the questions about the installation that were brought up during the discussion in my class like; is this the right space, how many projections should I have, is this feeding the concept of my project?

On the more technical side of the project I want to explore how I can integrate sensors into my projects. It starts with having a better knowledge of the technology in order to use it correctly. I want to be able to allow the audience to interact with my videos on a physical level. I think that my projects would become more powerful if it could alter itself as people approach it or touch a sensor. In order to achieve this I plan to take the mechatronics sequence so I can apply these technologies to my own projects.

I also want to create more complex, lush soundscapes that can compliment the videos that I create. I think that the sound for the piece was impressive for the modest things that I could do to the sounds. What I hope to research is stereo sound and how I can make each speaker project a different track, or possibly bouncing sound from speaker to speaker. I hope that the sound sequence offers me the opportunity to research this topic and implement it into my projects.

description

2009-06-07T23:43:00.000-07:00

This piece is based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Pit and the Pendulum," which explores the emotional and psychological decay of a character trapped in solitary confinement. "Isolated," is a multi-channel experience that explores the relationship and choreography that happens between multiple screens, and how the viewer can perceive space within that relationship. This is my first attempt at a multi-channel piece, and also my first attempt at a video installation.

documentation

2009-06-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

So I finally presented on Wednesday and here is the video that I took from that presentation. I also had a viewing with some close friends to get there reaction as well. I am happy with the response I received from those that got to see it. Here is the video from those screenings:

project update #10

2009-06-07T23:13:00.001-07:00

Well, we presented on June 3rd, and everything went off without a hitch. The projections worked fairly well and I think the content played well to the ideas and concepts that I was trying to portray and explore. Overall, I think the project came out ok, however, there are still many parts of this project that I want to correct or rework.

One of things that came up in the discussion of my piece was the idea that this project needed more projections that would cover the entire space. I think this is a great idea and it would help bring the audience into the psychological state of the characters that are inhabiting the space. I think it was interesting how it was suggested to also play with having projections in obscure positions and spaces, while also exploring how having monitors within the space might also change the experience of the installation.

project update #9

2009-06-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

So everything is pretty much set in its way. We made subtle changes to the video, mainly color correction and rearrangement of the clips. I think that the final product is quite good but I haven't seen them in the context that they will be shown. However, I have tested the videos side by side and they worked very well. We composited all the sound together onto one track, what this has done is allow all the audio to be played from one source.

The set up of the room will be two screens one on the north wall and one situated 7 feet in front left of the screen.

project update #8

2009-06-02T22:52:00.000-07:00

I have locked the films and are exporting now. We incorporated more characters into the environment and the films are trying to explore the idea of space and are perceptions of it. I think that the audience will have a nice sensation with the way space and depth are played with in this presentation.

I am going to author the dvd's soon and then wait until tomorrow to set up the projectors and monitors. All the sound will be played from one composite sound track that incorporates both films. The films will be on a continuous loop in order to create the idea that the story does not end.

project update #7

2009-06-02T09:38:00.001-07:00

So the last few days have been quite hectic. I reserved equipment to project my piece on two screens in Rait 205, and have pretty much locked in my concepts in terms of presentation and also the video itself, for the most part. I want to continue to work on it up until the time of the presentation. Most of my time has been geared toward authoring the dvd's and tyrying to learn how to write scripts for DVD Studio Pro and how to go about looping my video in a random order. Right now, I am still in the testing phase of this process but things are looking more optimistic now then at any other time of this project.

In terms of the coding I have learned how to randomize the playback, but I still need to find a way to track those clips so that they all play before old clips repeat. So that is my challenge as of now and setting up the room, which will always be a challenge on the day of.

project update #6

2009-05-27T15:37:00.001-07:00

here is the test so everyone can see it...

project update #5

2009-05-27T15:09:00.001-07:00

So recently I have finished an initial draft of the video for testing purposes, in order to see how the two projections will interact with each other. I also need to lock in a method of presentation. I have been debating between projecting on two monitors or dissecting a single projection into 2 channels. I will be presenting this project on Wednesday, June 3rd.

project update #4

2009-05-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

Here's an exciting update...I just reserved a space to show my project. I now have access to Rait 205 on Wednesday, June 3rd from 12pm-3:30pm in order to show my project. What I hope to achieve out of this project is to have 2-3 monitors looping my video randomly, while my audio is playing through the surround speakers that are available in that room. Another benefit to this room will be the ability to use the large projector, if I feel it necessary.

Since the story has no explicit ending I felt it could lend itself to a continuous loop, and would give a new spin to this project that has gone through a few iterations.

project update #3

2009-05-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

I met with my instructors today, from 453, and they provided a lot of insight into things that I should mindful of when creating my project. We talked about how the project would function either on a single screen or as a video sculpture, that would include multiple screens. Tomorrow, I will film some dancers and then begin to record some live music that might be brought into the soundtrack. I haven't ruled out the idea of a live performance, but I want to create a back-up plan, as well.

As of now, I still have two iterations of this project that I have to choose from, and I probably won't decide until later on. I plan on talking to Eunsu and Cynthia about possibly trying to exhibit in DXARTS 205. I want to use their sound system and projector in order to display my project in complete darkness.

project update #2

2009-05-18T09:20:00.001-07:00

As of today, I have been editing together a potential version of this project. It will be a multi-channel interpretation of Edgar Allen Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. It will explore the effects and psychological degradation of an individual left in solitary confinement. It is a project that was started in DXARTS 453 but that I feel has potential to be pushed even farther to capture more emotion from the character, as well as other elements including sound and environment.

I am also working on another potential version of this project that would work with traditional Samoan dancers. I want to bring more exposure to the Samoan culture but also create an expressive video experience that will engage the audience. I am scheduled to continue filming this Wednesday, and will hopefully wrap up filming this week, in order to give myself ample time to edit the video and sound and construct the proper programming for a DVD that can loop in the way that I want it to.

The challenges that I foresee are time and programming. I hope that I have enough time, and that I can manage it well enough to complete all aspects of this assignment. The editing will not be a problem, but I can see the website and the documenting to be a problem that will need to managed very carefully. I can also see that the constructing of the DVD could potentially cause some problems, but after looking at all the research I have, I think that I am capable of creating what I desire.

project update #1

2009-05-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

So as of today, I have contacted the two people who will be dancing in my video and we are currently discussing the location of the shoot. This process has been a collaborative effort in order for them to understand the vision of the project and for me to understand the history and spirit of the dance. What I hope my piece can begin achieve is to package my vision of this project with the history and movement of the dance itself into a beautiful interaction between their bodies and my camera. I think we have the potential to create something deeper and more meaningful than just documentation of a dance. I hope that we can begin to develop a dialogue within the piece that puts these topics into the mind of the audience, but also allows them to feel a part of the dance, rather than just watching the dance.

I think we can achieve this by not only choreographing the moves of the dancers but also choreograph the movement of the camera as another member of the dance. We achieve this by not only focusing on the dancer but getting in close on specific movements and reactions as the two dancers interact within the piece.

initial test

2009-05-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

This is a first in a long line of tests that I am planning to do for my final project. It was a way for me to understand how two screens/ videos begin to interact when placed next each other. How looking at one image affects your perception of another image. How one image can dominate another image just because of brightness or other aesthetics. What I learned from this is that you have to choreograph what you show on which screen and how that will compliment or contrast what is happening in the adjacent screen.

The footage from this test was taken from another project. I haven't shot anything for my project yet so this test was merely to play with the idea of having two screens and what it might look like

random playback research

2009-05-06T11:50:00.001-07:00

Something I have been trying to figure out is how I can randomly loop a batch a videos to play on a DVD. I was able to find a website that had some answers that I might explore using DVD Studio Pro. The website shows you how to access their random script in DSP, and shows how you can also track which videos have played and which have not, that way old videos won't be played until the whole batch has been played first.

This will help if I want further experiment with loops and randomization because DVD Studio Pro is powerful tool and I need to know how to use it. I have also looked into Puredata and I am in the very early stages of learning that program, but they are tools to help me make my videos more interesting and more interactive for the audience.

content:

2009-04-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

I have been very conflicted on how to approach this project. I have so many things that I want to try but understanding what is possible in the amount of time given is what makes this project challenging. One of the cornerstones of ethnic studies is the idea of identity and how it is constructed. I think that potentially one idea for the content of my project could be to articulate through digital video the construction of identity. What type of things do we draw our conclusions of ourselves from? Are they static? I always tend to have deep conversations with myself about these issues and I think that it has the potential to be something provocative.

This piece could also go in a very narrative direction in order to see how creating more options and angles for the audience to view a piece can create infinitely more experiences. If I were to go this route the story would need to be somewhat simple, in order to complete for assigned date.

project outline/timeline

2009-04-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

Timeline:

April:
27th- Proposal presentation
30th- Finalize Outline
30th- Begin scouting locations and casting
May:
1st- Begin storyboarding and shot sequence
6th- Finish scouting and casting
8th- Finish storyboarding shots
9th- Begin shooting on location
13th- Finish shooting (all footage), begin post production
18th- Finish all post production, begin construction on installation/viewing
20th-29th- Present and critique
June:
2nd- Reflection

Materials:

1. cameras
2. tripods
3. boom stick
4. shotgun mic
5. h2 recorder
6. location (tbd)
7. actor (tbd)
8. projectors
9. dual screens/ adjacent walls (depending on location)

Content:

TBD

hirsute

2009-04-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

I just watched a short film Hirsute that was very interesting piece that touches on issues of time travel and homosexuality. The way in which it brings these topics together is very interesting and gets at the roots of what identity is and becomes over time. The story is about a young researcher who discovers the notion of time traveling and goes back in time to meet his former self. When he enters the past he meets himself and tries to teach the things he has learned from the future. Once they go to sleep there is a confrontation, when the future self tries to have sex with the present self. This leads the future self to commit suicide.

Recently we had AJ Brooks, the director, in our class to have a guest lecture, and it became quite inspiring to me in listening about his process and how he approaches his work. It gave me great insight into the business side as well as the creative side. There were so many things I was unaware of that I now feel a little more prepared, but not at all ready to go into the commercial world of film.

The film wasn't dramatically original in terms of cinematography or vision, but inspired me to create pieces that were not merely for commercial gains but also have personal relevance to me, the artist. I think that the strongest feature of this film is the personal connection that you form with the director and his way of seeing the world. I think that this is the best way to make art. To find things that resonate within your soul and express them in whatever form you wish.

final project proposal

2009-04-19T23:19:00.001-07:00

My final project is inspired by the work Olafur Eliassion and Stan Douglas. I want to create an immersive environment through the use of sound and multi-channel video. I hope to create a video that can manipulate the interpretation the audience has of the space and the video. This line of thought will further be encouraged by the sound that will be morphing and changing within the space. The concept of the video has yet to be determined, but I feel that showing commonalities of music throughout different cultures and nations. I think that there is a lot of ideas and concepts that can be explored and I want to create something that people will be able to connect to on a visceral level. It should also be noted that this idea is still in the very early stages, and will go through many iterations before the final product is fully realized.

hierarchy

2009-04-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

So as you can see by my labels my inspirations come from many different places and many different sources. As I gather more and more I find that my vision becomes more refined and specific. I will continue to update this post when new sections arise but for now here is what I have found, and been inspired or compelled by:

1. Video
2. Painting

nude ascending staircase

2009-04-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

The piece I'm talking about is Marcel Duchamp's Nude Ascending a Staircase. I love the way that this piece is able to express something that was once thought to be a limitation of the medium. In this piece you are able to see the passage of time through movement and through a single still image. I love how this painting breaks the barrier of painting and challenges everyone to recontextualize what is possible to create on canvas. I think the way that I want to bring this into my own work is not so much a aesthetic or technique, but rather incorporate the intention that Marcel Duchamp had for creating a revolutionary way of visualizing paintings and art. I hope to rework the landscape of digital video in much the same way and find new ways of implementing cameras and cinema into a totally new context so that it uncovers possibilities that we never knew existed.

multichannel video

2009-04-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

While continuing to do some research, I found some examples that have inspired me to further my reach with this concept of multichannel video. A piece called Win Place Show which is video projected on a dual projection. On two adjacent screens, images appear that complement one another, repeat the same situation from a somewhat different perspective or show a different narrative level. Every time one thinks that a scene is repeating itself, it turns. I think that this will be a launching point for me in how I address the final project.

After seeing this I have the inspiration to create a video with a similar projection, but I also want to create an immersive sound environment that can accentuate the feelings portrayed in the video. A project to this extent would be my ideal final product.

favorite piece of art...

2009-04-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

It's always hard when people ask me what is my favorite anything because I never like to be tied down to one option. So my definition of favorite is something I frequent. My tastes always change and often times the things I frequent change. Right now I have been very into Francis Ford Coppola, and how can you mention that name without mentioning The Godfather movies (part 1 and 2). I really enjoyed the cinematography in both movies, and really enjoyed the story that Coppola was able to tell.

Along with that, cinema is collaborative medium that draws from so many other art forms, that I would couldn't help but acknowledge the performances by Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, and Robert DeNiro. There are so many individual parts to a movie that have to come together to make it spectacular, and Coppola managed to achieve that type of harmony. This piece has inspired me to become a filmmaker so I can tell stories in with the same intensity. I think Coppola is able to capture so much emotions in scenes of silence, more so than he does with dialogue, which is something I alwasy strive to do in my own works. This film is very important to me and will continue to inspire me for years to come.

tv buddha, Nam June Paik

2009-04-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

Nam June Paik's TV Buddha is a piece that explores space, vision, and religion. This is piece is something that has inspired me since I became aware of it. I have never actually experienced it but the idea and concept of it, is something that I want to explore in my own work. I think that exploring a space through video is very interesting to me, along with manipulating the space.

identity through shapes

2009-04-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

This piece is meant to convey a complex thought through a very simple process. This project is a basic animation, but was conceptualized during many conversations I had with professors and TA's in the American Ethnic Studies department. One of the things that I have begun to realize is that we have not come very far since the Civil Right's Act in terms of racial equality, even though the perception is that we have. It was assumed by many that the election of Barack Obama meant that the goal of civil right's had been attained, but I don't see it that way. I still see so much underlying inequalities and racism in our society on a day to day basis, and it has caused me so much internal tension.

This project was meant to convey those ideas and emotions. I hope you are able to feel not only my tension and in some cases anger, but also get a historical perspective as well. The transforming shape was born from the idea that we feel that racism has become extinct, but rather that it is always with us and in fact there are times when we revert back to those specific times. The music that accompanies this piece is a montage of civil rights speeches and contemporary commentaries on that time in America. There is also a string quartet that is meant to heighten the tension in this piece through the audio landscape. This is part that I connected to the most because it really captures my personal thoughts and feelings when thinking about this piece.

butoh dance

2009-04-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

This was an intense study on my inner state of being. I think the thing that affected me the most was the silent moment we had with ourselves and the tree. I found myself reliving a very intense, intimate moment from my recent memories. I began to go back to the moment when my grandfather passed away a month ago. I felt like I was able to have a very intimate conversation with myself. I began to be in tune with my inner self, and then the dancing we did felt very much like release of all those feelings that I was wrestling with earlier.

I think the most surprising thing about this experience was the intensity of the thoughts and feelings. They felt so vivid and alive during that time. Everything just became drowned out and I wasn't surrounded by people anymore, but rather I was alone in the woods connecting to myself. It was an incredible experience to have all the weights lifted off my shoulders and be able to just focus on myself and what I'm feeling. I think that a "Thank You!" is definitely needed because you were able to draw something special out of me today that will inspire me for a long time.

motivation

2009-04-08T12:33:00.001-07:00

My motivation for making art comes from the love I have for my community. I feel that I have a connection to all minorities that live in America because we all share common experiences, and that our stories need to be told. For me, those stories are told through my art and through pieces that I create. I think that by allowing people to connect with you, they will gain a better understanding and perspective on how minorities feel and act in America. All I want to do is facilitate a dialogue for people that will hopefully carry on after they have experienced my piece.

capture the moment

2009-04-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

I chose the piece "Changes" by Tupac Shakur because the song is meant to highlight the social consciousness that this man had for his community. It brings to the forefront the grim reality of race relations in America. He is able to capture the reality but also offer possible solutions to people who experience these situations. The interesting part about this song is that it was created over 10 years ago, and is still relevant when describing how race and class are perceived in America to this day. For me it has shown me how little we have really accomplished since the Civil Rights Movement, and how far we must go in the future.

art from artist

2009-04-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

For many years I have admired Saul Williams because of the way he uses art in dialogue with reality, history, and himself. Saul is an actor, poet, and musician and uses all three mediums to express himself in various ways. The most influential to me are his writings, which bring together his own emotions fused with the vast histories of diasporic peoples. He has such an understanding of history and culture that his words can become a history lesson for various groups of people.

He is also able to marry art forms like poetry and acting with the elements from the hip-hop generation that he is bred from. He is inspired by the people that inspired and in many ways embodies the kind of art that I want to create, art that will affect my people and people like me. I think that Saul uses his art as a catalyst not only for himself but for others to be able to connect to him through these different mediums and find what that means.

complexity in simplicity

2009-04-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

I chose this piece by Olafur Eliasson called Mirror Door because it manipulated me into reimagining the space the way he intended, using very modest tools. I enjoyed seeing how integrated the mirrors were into the space, so that they became apart of the wall, and when you look at the room you seamless transition. For me, it represents like a magician's slight of hand, which creates an entire illusion. This piece inspired me to look at my own projects from the perspective of creating a grand experience from simple tools, the way Eliasson did in this piece.