Colleen's Blog @cdavisdesign-blog - Tumblr Blog

Fire Starter

Project 2: Academy Leader

The starting point for this project included burning three dimensional numbered blocks that were handcrafted out of paper. I explored my concept sketches in Premiere by increasing, as well as reversing the speed of the video and applying fire related audio. Location, placement of the numbers, and the spread of fire across paper are unique to each short clip. The addition of newspaper on the numbered blocks creates more of a story for the academy leader, drawing a connection between the paper blocks and the use of newspaper to help fuel a fire. Using stop motion, kindling sticks spell out the title “Fire Starter” to introduce the video and set the tone. The end credits provided another opportunity for some charismatic play, showing the full fire pit, the (ineffective) jug of diesel, and a friendly family pet laying down by the warmth of the fire. Audio includes the sounds of crackling fire and birds chirping in the background for the introduction and end credits. Each number count utilizes the sound of a tomato being squished, which I believe replicates an interesting suction-like noise that is unexpected, yet appropriate for the reversed and increased speed of the flames.

Shooting the film took several trial and error attempts to find suitable lighting, tripod placement and manual camera settings. The day I shot the final film was consistently overcast, allowing for sufficient white balance. I intended to shoot on a day without any precipitation, however I found the faint snow drifts added an extra appeal to the overall video, allowing it to further represent the outdoor, cottage feel I was hoping for.

Academy Leader Sketches

This weeks sketches include experiments from two of my storyboard ideas. The first, and least favourable utilized hand crafted three dimensional block numbers made of paper. A light source was strategically placed by each block, then moved to reveal the number within the shadow. This outcome has potential, though proved itself to be less interesting as an overall concept.

The second sketch includes setting the block numbers on fire, with multiple audio explorations. The speed of the video is sped up to show each number being completely burned within the duration of one second. To add an intriguing element of surprise, each clip has been reversed to reveal the number at the end of each second count. Audio for the first video includes the sound of paper being torn, which I believe is successful but perhaps too obvious. The second fire sketch utilized the sound of “pumpkin guts” being squished, adding an element of humour to the mix.

Storyboards

Project 2 – Week 1

There were three main ideas I brainstormed for this week’s storyboards. One was a stop motion film comprised of many ink drawings that began as an abstract line, then slowly converged toward the centre of the frame. The ink would eventually create each individual number. Another idea utilized three dimensional blocks of numbers. The video would begin by showing the number on an unusual angle for a fraction of a second. Then the direction of the lighting would change, passing through the block to reveal the number within its shadow. Audio for these sequences includes the sound of water rippling in the background, and each “second mark” could be the click of a camera, a large swoosh or an enhanced dripping noise. The final storyboard idea, and my personal favourite, is to set three dimensional number blocks on fire. These sequences would be reversed so that each number begins as a pile of ashes that reveals the inflamed number at the end of each second. Audio considerations include the background sound of crackling fire and the “second mark” would be the quick ripping of paper. The top video is a loose video sketch for the last idea.

Neutralize

Object Narrative - Assignment 01

Himalayan pink salt lamps are household objects that have recently gained popularity for their ability to cleanse air. When heated by the warmth of a lightbulb, they are said to absorb harmful positive ions created by technological devices. The salt lamps are also tools used for meditation as well as the reduction of depression and anxiety.

The concept of this video portrays a combination of the salt lamp’s two main uses. The video begins with a highly stressful, distorted visual and audible experience. As tiny pieces of salt move toward each other and form one unified, large rock, the tense sound of static slowly fades. Once the bulb within the lamp is turned on, the agitating pieces of metal move upward and are ultimately absorbed by the salt lamp. This video can be viewed both in the literal context of removing positive ions from the air, and also as a metaphor of reducing tension by introducing more nature into one’s life, and limiting the use of technology.

#nature #stop motion #salt lamp

Video Sketch #2

The second video was a more narrative sketch that better communicates my storyboard designs. The approach I intended to create in this video roughly demonstrates the idea of nature verses technology, and the positive outcomes of incorporating natural elements into every day life. Visually, the idea of technology (in the form of pieces of tin foil) becoming absorbed into the salt lamp translates well. Conceptually I would like to further enhance the benefits of disconnecting from man made electronics, and placing more concentration on nature. My next steps will include exploring audio sequences that translates the juxtaposition between the two.

Video Sketch #1

For this sketch I explored scale and positioning while focusing mainly on the texture of the salt lamp. Closely cropped shots are intended to build suspense and intrigue the viewer. By experimenting and combining the photos in Premier I discovered much smoother transitions through the use of more images would greatly enhance the quality of my work.

Object Narrative

Himalayan Salt Lamp

Rock

Ridged

Solid

Translucent

Light

Food

Seasoning

Spice

Texture

Click

Switch

Pink

Peaceful

Natural

Unique

Himalayan pink salt lamps are often seen as a tool for purification, unity and positivity. They can be viewed as symbols of peace, serenity, stability, positivity and simplicity. The lamps are unique individual pieces of art that indicate diversity of beauty within nature. These lamps can be used to “boost blood flow, improve sleep, increase levels of serotonin in the brain, and calm allergy or asthma symptoms.”

Overview– Salt lamps have recently become a popular house decoration due to their attractive aesthetic and the generally calming impression they provide. They have uniquely shaped and textured surfaces that are translucent when the light inside them is switched on.

Key Message– I want the audience to experience a wide range of emotions throughout the duration of my video. The key message I’d like my audience to take away is that staying in touch with nature and avoiding excess technology use allows more space for happiness.

Research– Himalayan pink salt is a mysterious chemical that is known commonly as a purification tool. Historically it derives from a 100 million year old seabed and is mined near the Himalayas, typically in Punjab. Sellers of the Himalayan salt products often claim health benefits that are superior to traditional salt. The lamps are intended to attract and absorb polluted water molecules from the air, as well as positive electronic ions emitted from technological devices. Most scientists reject these claims, however the lamps do generally boost happiness and relieve anxiety.

Inspiration– Managing stress and anxiety. Overcoming dependence on social media and breaking through from technology overuse.

Concept Planning– I’d like to incorporate technology, static electricity, high anxiety and the stress of being confined within society. Then transition into a calming, natural and positive environment.

Aesthetic Treatment– The audio will be loud, expressive and dramatic during the beginning of the film. Noises will include the distracting buzzing or humming of electricity, the sound of incoming alerts on a cell phone, the clicking of a mouse and keypad. Sounds at the end of the video will include the click (off/on) of the salt lamp, cracking of salt breaking/ becoming more refined, possibly the sound of someone meditating/ humming, a slight breeze, birds quietly chirping and leaves rustling gently in the wind.

Schedule–

Monday: Find people to be in video, brainstorm ideas for Brighten, start filming. Build environment for technological equipment for Energy Wednesday: Shooting day for Brighten. Salt and aluminium movement shoot Thursday: Video editing and audio exploration/ reshoot Sunday: Continue editing

Storyboards

Visual Analysis Exercise

Breathe

1. The visuals are connecting ideas or themes. The video is extremely human focused (until the end) so it appears more relatable. Very bright, saturated colour. Generally happy mood with some humour. Close up shots that preserves anonymity. Videos in quick succession that start with no theme but move into having one. Editing is paced out, steady.

2. Conceptual underlying themes include the relief associated with breath, breath as it relates to life and death, and the abstraction of the world breathing through wind. The beginning of the video captured a collection of breath as a response, capturing a variety of emotions.

3. Audio helped to understand the context of people’s actions. Quick videos allowed each breath to become individualized, unique to the one before it. There was a rhythm of breathing within the editing and pacing of the video as a whole.

4. Reaction and timing provided context, giving the viewer an idea of how the noises were made.

5. Smooth transitions between themes, then sudden gaps where there was no correlation. Extremely diverse range of breath. The majority of the videos took place in the western world.

Terrain Divided

1. Juxtaposition of drawing and physical objects (rocks, leaves). The moving rocks and leaves create sections or barriers. Red and yellow overexposure creates “flashes” of light. Leaves and the forest floor transition from static to spinning to timelapse video.

2. Nature creating and dividing natural barriers. The relationship between soil and rocks and leaves. Division and separation between primal species or tribes.

3. Overlays and colour create a “burning” visual. The unification of rocks building physical walls indicates separation.

4. The pleasant noises of rocks tapping against each other and the rustling of leaves communicates nature and movement.

5. We found it difficult to understand at first. The concept was not entirely clear until the title was shown at the end. Found the red flashes to be redundant.

Translation

Exercise 04

Banksy’s “Girl with Balloon” print is not only a modern piece, but it has recently become a controversial topic of interest. The original artwork was sold for $1.37 million (U.S.) October 5, 2018, only to be destroyed by a hidden shredder in the frame immediately after purchase. We chose to translate this piece now known as “Love Is in the Bin” due to its recent occurrence, its powerful impact in the media, and its new worth that is potentially double the original price. We intend to create a workspace environment, in which the focus is on an individual painting on a piece of paper. The artist will work intently on the piece before picking the painting up and walking to the background of the frame, to hang the work on the wall. Immediately after placement on the wall, the individual will rip their work in half, and place it in the garbage. We intend to use a dimly lit atmosphere and to hide the artist’s face to give the illusion of suspense and mystery. The background will be blurred for the beginning of the video while the foreground is in focus, until the end when the focus switches.

You can view the birth of “Love Is in the Air” here.

Emily and I successfully translated our key ideas for this exercise, and encapsulated our vision through video. We created a narrative that draws comparisons to the original artwork as well as the recent event that sparked its regained publicity. Our initial struggles included lighting, camera placement and transition of focus. We also worried that our representation would appear too literal. This challenge was overcome by creating a home environment that lacked the publicity of the actual event.

#banksy #loveisinthebin

The Man Behind the Noise

Movies are designed based around a plethora of individual components. Camera angle, lighting, background music, duration of the clip, the talent of the actors involved– the list goes on. But how often do we consider the importance of every day sounds within film? Would movies be just as effective without the loud, intimidating horse hooves running past the main character, or the exaggerated heart beat at a critical point in the film? Sound artist Stefan Fraticelli makes a living by brining those crucial sounds in movies come to life.

Stefan uses a “realistic approach” by immersing himself into his work process. He utilizes food, belts, sand, hair, and other unique objects, as well as his own body to design specific sounds. Through this technique, Stefan is able to break down the composition of different noises and layer the sounds on top of one another. This approach allows him to amplify, distort, condense or tone down critical sounds as needed. Simple, every day noise such as a dog walking down a street may have several key components. The sound of someone breaking an arm has multiple characteristic sounds such as bones being crushed, tendons ripping and skin being torn. Stefan can recreate all that and more by chomping on some carrots, smashing a couple plates and occasionally falling on the floor.

#soundart #soundartist #stefan fraticelli

Sound Essay

Exercise 03

Object: path

Transformative: escape, bloom

For this sound essay I recreated memorable and engaging sounds I heard on my trip to Thailand this past summer. The track opens with the sound of an airport, than transitions to the humming of motorcycles and traffic, then music and mumbled conversations of Thai markets. The middle contains more traffic, excited chatter in a Muay Thai boxing ring and the sounds of both tourists and locals partying. The piece finishes with the chatter and music of a market, birds chirping and finally, the sound of the airport again.

The object word “path” was chosen since the sequence revolves around the sounds of travel and tourism, in which mobility is frequent. “Escape” pertains both to the nature of the sounds (the vacation itself) as well as the way each clip sounds drastically different from the one before it. Finally, the word “bloom” was selected to indicate the smooth transitions from one sound to the next.

#path #escape #bloom

Listening & Sound

Inside Schulich School of Business:

2:45 PM– The individual sounds from loudest to quietest were people talking (laughter, different languages, monotone, excited), a metal door shutting, milk foamer being used, microwave beeping, the constant buzzing of a building fan or generator, keys jingling, myself eating an apple, a plastic bag being opened, soft footsteps passing by and my own pen on paper.

Mechanical– Constant buzzing, metal door, milk foamer, microwave beeping

People– Talking, keys jingling, footsteps, myself eating an apple, my pen on paper, plastic bag being opened

Nature– No nature sounds were heard inside

Moving sounds: Keys jingling as someone walked by, footsteps walking by me, the plastic bag rustling as someone opened it

Stationary Sounds: Constant buzzing, metal door, milk foamer, microwave beeping, people talking, myself eating an apple, my pen on paper

Specific sounds such as laugher, excitement and monotoned conversations were being made in response to the conversation of others. The most remarkable noise I observed was the abrupt loudness of the milk foamer I heard toward the end of my 5 minutes at this location. Overall, I expected this space to have a wider variety of sounds. I was surprised that the noise level variation was relatively similar.

Outside Schulich School of Business:

2:55 PM– Sounds heard from loudest to quietest included an aggressive driver in his car, one motorcycle, a car horn being honked, a bus driving by, a car engine starting up across the street, the wind and leaves rustling on trees fading in an out, conversations as people walked by, myself sniffling from the cold wind, my paper rustling, a steady beeping from the car parked across, birds chirping, distant cars driving by (most likely on Keele Street) and a couple having a quiet conversation across the street.

Mechanical– The aggressive driver, motorcycle, bus, car engine, car beeping, honk and distant cars driving by

People– Myself sniffling and breathing, the two people across the street having a quiet conversation, and the couple walking past me

Nature– Wind, leaves rustling and birds chirping

Moving sounds: The distant cars, aggressive driver, bus, motorcycle, wind and leaves, as well as the couple who walked past me

Stationary Sounds: Constant car beeping, couple speaking across the street, birds chirping, car engine starting, my sniffling and rustling my paper

The only sounds that were being made in response to other sounds were from two separate conversations. The most memorable sound by far was the driver at the beginning of my 5 minutes of observation who revved his engine and sped off loudly past me. I was quite surprised at the depth to the noises that could be heard outside compared to inside the Schulich building. The noises heard outside the building varied in pitch, duration and source of sound more drastically than inside.

Transitions

Exercise 02

Sequential video showing transitions in line photography. This short film was a collaborative exercise created by myself, Emily and Anushka. The three of us took photos of variations in linear shapes around campus at York University (approximately 100+ images collectively). We then edited and narrowed down the photographs based on content, positioning and composition. The direction of the lines varies throughout, but is positioned vertically in the middle of the frame for the majority of the video.

Originally we all had the similar idea of opening the piece slowly with no complex transitions, then eventually speeding up the video with heavily manipulated images and transitional effects. At some point there was a mutual agreement that this approach was too obvious.

Our finalized approach shows a smooth transition into a quick-paced, dramatic beginning that immediately engages the viewer. The high number of cut-away shots then slows down to show similar appearing photographs, only to quickly speed up again with highly saturated images. Unique transitions become more frequent, as each frame disintegrates into the next. Finally, the video ends by slowing down with less suspenseful movement from one frame to the next, eventually fading out to the credits.

#graphic design #experimental #photography #york university

The Art of Timelapse

Confused about the difference between timelapse video vs. photography? I certainly was. Matthew Vandeputte is a professional and well-versed photographer, video editor and YouTuber who has graciously provided the Internet with a video explaining just that. Matt explains the difference between the two, outlines the advantages of each and addresses when it is appropriate to use either photo or video for your timelapse. He explains the different formats for shooting and also provides examples from his own work.

From what I’ve gathered both in this video and otherwise, it is almost always more beneficial to create a photo timelapse sequence. Photo timelapses produce more interesting results since individual images can be manipulated more thoroughly than a single video as a whole. Sequential photo timelapses can also be edited to zoom in or out, and pan left or right which produces a more captivating and fluid video. Video timelapses, as Matt suggests, are should be reserved for when the editor does not have the time process a large number of photos.

#photography #timelapse #graphicdesign #video editing

Light & Duration

Exercise 01 (second video)

My group consisting of myself, Anushka and Emily shot two time lapse videos on the first day of class. One, we agreed resulted in interesting movement, lighting and composition. The second video we were not as pleased with. Anushka successfully captured a time lapse video shot by Square One in Mississauga, which rectified our previous attempt.

The video has very little shaking, provides an interesting composition and is an overall stimulating visualization for its audience. The diminishing light due to the sunset, the movement of people, buses, cars and even the moon contrast well with the buildings and streetlights. Movement is apparent from the contrast between blurred people and buses, and the sharper static objects such as buildings.

https://vimeo.com/290154450

#squareone #timelapse #composition #movement

Light & Duration

Exercise 01

Time lapse video of York University's fountain spanning 30 minutes. 121 photographs were taken on the third level of the Vari Hall building in 15 second intervals.

Despite the dreary weather, the area had a steady flow of students, buses and cars on the Monday afternoon. Very few people remained static for the duration of the shots, where as a warmer, dry day typically would consist of people lingering about the area for longer periods of time.

#graphic design #york university #timelapse #photography

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Colleen's Blog