Video Installation meeting

When we had a group meeting in class we came up with a direction for our project and left with some agreement and disagreement. We knew we wanted the project to be dark but some wanted it to be more dark and disturbing than others. We agreed that the project will incorporate found footage into the project. The group met again on Monday night but I was unable to make it due to having a final during the meeting. I contacted the director Austin and he filled me in on the meeting. I know what we will be projecting images onto as well as a tighter tone. Charles is going to search for a band to play during the installation, destiny and I are going to search for found footage and edit it together under Austin's direction. We have a good group and I am confident that our installation will be a success. We seem to be on the right track.

Self Portrait revised

For my self portrait I will have extreme close-ups of my eyes. A layer of video will then begin to play on my iris. There will be cuts to both archival footage of things I have shot and found footage of films and other content that I relate to. These images will be heavily distorted and edited to portray the pain and heartbreak that has been dominating my life this year. Throughout the distorted footage there will be intercuts of my eyes that become more and more expressive. I know that I will be datamoshing a lot of the found footage together to make beautiful compositions and images that are not recognizable by content but will have personal significance nevertheless. The audio will be distorted audio from clips and a voiceover of my poetry that will be un comprehensible along with soundbites of me playing my keyboard throughout. The effect I wish to have is a visually engaging work that communicates anxiety, sadness, and disarray while being composed of things I attribute heavily to myself while being anonymous.  

Ok Go Presentation

I had never heard of OK GO before this presentation. They are an interesting group to me in the context of the viral video. This band seems to have ditched their initial intent of being a band and embraced the fact that they have the ability and fame for these highly planned performance videos. They even go as far as stripping the music to a bare minimum to draw attention to the videos only because they know that is why they are famous. Also the experimental nature of their videos really work in an interesting way with their marketing sponsors. They are a unique object.

Cucalorus Reflection

My intentions for the festival were far exceeded during my time at Cucalorus. Not only did I see many impressive short films but I also got to learn many other things. I met many of the filmmakers whose shorts I admired. People during the festival were very approachable and easy to talk to. I had good discussions with the directors of many shorts and features. I asked questions like I intended to do and got great results. I also went to many different types of screenings to get a good variety such as shorts on race, children films, horror, documentaries, and experimental films. I saw many more films than I intended and this was the first film festival I have attended and so it was worth it. My intention to see the film Burning (2018) did not pan out though because of my work schedule. Despite that I saw many pleasant films.
My favorite experience at the festival was the sound and image block that took place at Whiskey Tango Foxtrot on Thursday night. The films were all music videos made by bands across the country. Most filmmakers were hired by musicians while some others directed the videos themselves. I saw some very impressive stop motion music videos as well as videos shot locally. I met a filmmaker named Kira Bursky who directed a music video I really admired. She made visuals and then projected them onto a wall and had the actors choreographed to move in relation to the images and then recorded that for her film. It turns out she is from Asheville and we have been living among each other our whole lives. I got her information and we plan on meeting up during winter break now.
The thing that surprised me the most is how approachable and kind spirited everyone at the festival was. When you think of filmmakers an ego is usually attached to the concept and each filmmaker I met was very willing to discuss their film and other topics with anyone who approached them. It was a very pleasant surprise and it made the whole experience better.
Next year when I am a filmmaker at the festival I will know how it operates and I will be comfortable and confident in my ability to maneuver around Cucalorus. I have an understanding of the atmosphere now as well.

My favorite films were
KRISTA
POOR JANE
WHITE RAVENS
BOXED
HAIRCUT


I lost my Pegasus pass and so I do not have any images to share :(

Self Portrait brainstorm.

I have a concept pinned down for my self portrait film. I am going to cut between an extreme closeup of my eyes and then to images in between. At this point in my brainstorming I have a few ideas about what emotion I want to portray but I am struggling to find a concrete base idea for the images. I have been consdiering multi layered images of distorted light and or stop motion. I may however also shoot images of things that I do in my normal life and edit them until they are unrecognizable. Another idea I have is creating a heavily distorted montage of images that are very important to me using found footage. I feel as if this method may be my best bet given the amount of time and resources I am able to have for this project. I want it to accurately portray me while being visually stimulating as well.

Sound Design

In assignment 1D we recorded soundscapes before adding images. This process was different than the method I usually employ and it was challenging. This order of filmmaking really draws attention to the importance of sound. Sound and image work together in horizontal montage. Sound design can completely change the context of the image you see on screen. Sound design is a labor heavy process and for me it was much more challenging than simply laying images down next to each other. The sound leads the mood and it sounds awful unless there is careful intent and attention to detail. I learned that you can manipulate sounds to operate in an entirely different context than their usual function such as when we edited a vibrator into the noise of falling through air. What you hear informs you just as much as the image.

1C

While shooting on 35mm film with my group members I learned new things. The most notable piece of equipment I learned to use was the light meter. I had never handled a physical light meter before and it was a challenging experience to use it correctly. I learned that 400 IS0 film can in fact shoot nicely exposed photos at night with the right lighting. I had never attempted it before. I enjoyed shooting with other people which isn't usually the outcome for group projects like this. Everyone had a good eye and although we were crunched for time we all had an enjoyable experience shooting together.

Cucalorus intentions

I am signed up as a screen coordination volunteer this year at the film festival. I have intentions to perform well during my shifts because screen coordination is considered to be an important role during the festival. I have to email the filmmakers that are showing films during my shifts. I plan on networking and meeting my fellow volunteers this year and also talking with the filmmakers. I plan on asking any questions I can think of after seeing films. I am lucky to have received a Pegasus pass to the festival due to my posisition as a screen coordinator. This means that after my shifts I can go to see any films that I am interested in seeing. I also have access to the afterparties with this pass which will allow me to go to social events with filmmakers and other people involved in the festival and get to know them. I plan on trying to see experimental films made locally to network with other artists and film students. I want to see more experimental films that challenge me while also introducing me to new filmmaking methods and styles that I can learn from. I am very interested also in making a film for the festival next year.