valuation of Second Year
For the first project we looked at Future Cinema, we researched 3D and secret cinema and tried to find out what people wanted. We eventually came up with a live projection show, which we set in a skate park venue. The idea was to have live projections on the skate ramps, some live camera feed projection and some pre recorded mixes. We also hired a DJ, and had laser projections. What we did was to make the skaters interact with the projections. By filming them, and playing it back to them, they could see whether or not they where doing it correctly.right. It worked on a small level, and I can see no reason why it would not work on a larger scale. Unfortunately, the skate park has a strict health and safety policy and because of this it was impossible to get the numbers we would have like to have attended. I am pleased how this project went, and feel that the grade we received was an unfair reflection of our incredible hard work. However, I do feel that a lot was learnt during the duration of this project, and I am happy with the overall result that was achieved.
I had great fun with the Performance Video project as I have a musical background. The brief was to design and create a digital user interface and perform with it. I looked in to sound and the projection of sound. I ended up building an amplifier from scratch, 2 velleman 200w kit amps two tridal transformers and a velleman kit pre amp. The build gave me a massive insite into electronics, amplification and sound effects. I decided to build a guitar to go with the amp, and I also built a set of pickups made out of some nails, a magnet and some copper wire. I then linked up with Olly Emmett and will Bartlett to create a music video based on war, it was a VJ experimental music installation project we successfully managed to incorporate our instruments and my amplifier to induce the strange sounds. We also used war speeches and sound effects created and recorded on garage band. What we ended up with, was something really different not only in how it looked but how it sounded. I am very happy with the overall result of this project and feel it was a sort of progression from the Future Cinema project. The video and sound outcome was so experimental it looked like a VJ set.
With the research project I decided to look in to street photography with a focus on Henry Cartier Bresson, and the history of street photography. What I discovered was that street photography paved the way for snap shooting. Not only snap shooting, but the art of the public, I have discovered that photography is the peoples art.
I wanted to look at film and film production in the Professional Project, I decided to work with Olly Emmett and Will Bartlett again, as I worked with them on many other shoots, such as the AUCB fashion show, and the Alice in wonderland play. We wanted to try and create a company and operate as a team. We were called Raw Media Productions. The first video we shot was a play called Coyote Was Going There. The set up included three JVC cameras and a left and right condenser microphone to try and get the best quality sound we also used a fostex box, which we plugged in to the sound board. Unfortunately one of the cameras went down in the interval so we only had a left and right shot for the second half. As I had shot the dress rehearsal we did have the shots we needed but as it was a different performance it was not easy to blend the footage in to the mix, but I think the over all compositions of our final product was good.
The second video we shot was another play by AUCB Ships of Fools. For this performance we could only use two cameras, which made the shots look a bit unimaginative. We used two sm57 microphones for a stereo pickup as a result the sound quality is very clean. I think the overall presentation of the peace is as good as it could be. But we did story board the play with three cameras in mind ,but we adjusted to the situation and got some good footage. We also worked with a few bands including Rapids and the longest day. We had countless meetings with Rapids about shooting a video for them but they had no time off tour in which to shoot the video which fitted our project time. In the end they decided that they wanted some photography work done of them playing live for there website and promotion. After speaking to their mangager about what they wanted, we shot the performance with a cannon 450d and a light rig and on stage flashes. The band seemed happy with the shots, and have since asked us to film their music video which we will be doing next month.
With the main band The Longest Day we decided to shoot two videos, a live performance in Portsmouth and an post apocalyptic video shot in the new forest. for their song kamikaze dream. The live show interested me the most because recording sound at a gig can be very complicated. In the end we used three SM57s as they are favoured for small gigs. I also got the band to play to a click track as a back up incase the sound quality peaked too much and was unusable. Thankfully the sound was good and we where able to use the live sound. The camera and microphone set up was good, and what I did was have a left and a right camera ether side of the stage with the SM57s on the cameras. I also had a central long shot with a standard camera mic for ordinance and the background sound. I am very happy with the way the TLD video turned out it looks very professional and the DVD cover I designed worked well. Unfortunately due to their tour throughout April and set backs with the venue. We were unable to shoot the post apocalyptic video in time for the crit; but we have decided to shoot it in late May anyway.
I have also been working with a student in Leeds on a website called The Artist Catalogue which is a business networking website for artists. I have written the business plan and have been working with him on web design and logos. I have also found an investor and a web designer that is happy to work on it for a stake in the business.
At the end of last year I was a very lost in what I wanted to do, I had no decisive career plan. This year I have tried adapt each brief to explore my key interests, I have found out what I dislike, and what I enjoy, I now know that I want to work in film and sound. I have enjoyed this year far more than last year and feel I have learnt a huge amount, not only about digital media but about working as a team. I got a lot out of all the projects, the Performance Video project allowed me to learn a new skill, building electronics, in which I had very little previous experience with. The satisfaction of building something that complex, that actually worked was unreal!
With the professional project although our clients messed us about, and not everything went to plan, I think we all enjoyed it more than the previous projects. We set up a business and worked as a team, the work we produced was as good as we could make it. If I were to do it again, I would start by using cameras with digital backs. This is because the footage we got for Ships Of Fools was over 80 GIGs, as was Coyote Was Going There. We also had a total of 22 Hours of footage to capture and mix and produce. Looking back on it, I think we were totally over faced with work for the time given but I am happy with what we learnt and achieved. With regards to what I have achieved during the year, the thing that I have enjoyed the most is the business plan and website, it is where most of my time and work has gone, I have researched businesses had meetings with banks to discuss the possibiligy of a loan. I have designed and planned out and copyrighted a website address. I have also secured an investor, and a web designer who I am negotiating a percentage of the company with. I am looking forward to next year at AUCB and have a good idea of what my specialist project will be.
