my final project

• so everything that could have gone wrong did
• but i am finally done with this project
• it is a mix of a handful of ideas that I had
• relates to the general population
• i find it humorous, thats the purpose, hope my audience does as well
• I cant believe the semester is over!
• its been a great experience!
• I even downloaded final cut pro on my home computer to keep up and work on the skills I have developed in this class

Final Critique 4/19/10

Kelsey:

• I like the overlay of the same person in one scene dong different movements around the fire.
• the transition from dark to camp fire light is very abrupt
• i like the fluctuation from calm to noisy rhythms to calm and so on
• more creepy dolls!
• focus of individual frames could be better
• did the baby doll eat a bunch of paint?
• i am confused abut the relation to the girl and doll, perhaps she turn into the doll after the chant around the fire?
• and the dog?
• made music just for project
• favorite part was ritual around fire

Nicole:

• project is being viewed from 3 different monitors
• nice song choice (RHCP)
• performance piece class interaction
• being tied up in a good way, it is necessary for the restriction of the cage because of the safety it holds
• distancing of experience
• although i like the song, it felt much like a music video, perhaps a track with no words, just instrumentals would be better?

Joel:

• a crazy mix of 5 second clips from different music videos
• i suppose that when the lyrics switch over, they are suppose to make sense
• it becomes humorous
• awfully good!
• happy songs at first, but when put together the message becomes unclear and frustrating, an the repetition can make us hate something we use to love

Olga:

• creepy child
• nice layering affects and repetition of "I wish, I wish"
• i interpreted it as a reverse ritual of "Bloody Mary" chant while looking into the mirror. Going from a dark place to a peaceful place instead of the other way around

Will

• flash of pictures then slow motion video of cruise trip (back and forth)
• wish the switch of music was more smooth
• documentation of great memory
• funny
• gave a good sense of self, through imagery and song choice
• made me really want a vacation!
• when camera swayed, it showed an interesting 3rd party idea of motion
• sort of weird

Leslie:

• 6 monitors on at once, with 1 different person on each screen
• individuals were put in a room in front of a mirror and told to wait there for 5 minutes
• each person made different gestures throughout that time
• some seemed to be interacting with each other even though it was a different recording and no one else was in the room
• our class started to interact with the people on screen as well by reacting and commenting on their actions
• project would/could have been altered and is probably every time, if the videos were to have played a second earlier or later than what we saw
• my favorite project so far!!!

Ryan:

• we viewed this project on a brick wall with real swings for a dramatic effect
• relates to childhood memories and memories in general
• we remember less and less of what really happened every time we try to recollect a memory
• so the video follows this idea and blanks-out when first person view falls off the swing
• interesting aspect
• good work

DVD Studio Pro for Final and All Projects

• Not HD-but yes SD DVD
• create new folder on desktop for all video files
• drag track for audio and video into bottom tracks
• can extend audio to make it as long as video
• drag projects onto new buttons
• deselect motion option
• choose still for each button
• click on first video
• set targets
• make sure end track is set back to menu
• highlight button and choose color
• simulate
• when complete, click on build-this will compress all files for you
• then burn to blank DVD
• if having trouble-result to google search for help options

Final Critical Essay Presentation

Joel: "Performance/Audience/Mirror" by Dan Graham

• founded own gallery at age 22
• has done performance, installation, sculpture, photography, and many more art forms
• influenced by present day life

• Great relationship between speaker and audience
• the point of the mirror is to remind us that when watching one person speak in the room, they are also looking back at us. and we may not realize what we are doing or how we look, like posture of facial expression, until he points it out, it seemed like the mirror wasn't even there
• the seating area isn't the most comfortable, so it triggers movement which Graham incorporates into the piece. Not too uncomfortable that people loose interest, but just enough to add to the performance.
• at a certain point eye-contact is made and certain people try their best to break it
• there is a very simple angle that doesn't change. simple, not distracting
• shot in black and white because color tends to distract people. the point of the piece was to get their attention on what was being said
• rehearsal of roles
• camera person can be seen in mirror and even he is incorporated in the performance
• we often forget we are being watch

look at this if you want some motivation for the final!

check this out if you are a kid at heart!

critical essay presentation

Olga: "When Faith Moves Mountains" by Francis Alys

• takes place in Peru
  
• man is planing for a mission which took over 2 years to do
• documenting people involved in this mission of trying to gather 500 people to move this doon of sand
• a line of people, that looks likes miles, are lined up shoveling and moving sand
• when they were getting closer and closer to the end, everyone shovels harder
• Alys doesnt want to use video as a way of art, just as a way to show what is actually happening (no editing)
• people thought we was crazy at first to want to "move mountains"
• tape measure actually shown measuring the doon
• goal was to move doon 10cm

Gaby: "Paradox In Praxis (1997)" by Francis Alys

• "sometimes making something leads to nothing"
• sound is diegetic
• the mans attitude towards moving the ice, the task at hand, changes with time ending in a nonchalant eventual completion of the pointless motion
• the children at the end was very random
• the block of ice left a trail of moisture to represent its existence, but that emphasis was very momentary because moisture evaporates to leave no trace at all.
  

• firefox download plugins
  
• one click youtube download
• 4 best quality or MP4
• addons.mozilla.org
• white balance camera
• take white sheet of paper to match up color (should take up entire frame)
  
• makes a difference outdoor and indoor
  

Ch.14 Narrative & Non-Narrative Reading

• more than one image construction can be used to convey intricate ideas using narrative and non-narrative propositions.
• narrating is a an aged and popular form of socializing. Some scenarios can expand self awareness, present information, and spark up new ideas.
• classification, and sequencing are the multiple image constructions ordinarily used by artists like printmakers or photographers.
• setting boundaries lead to successful stories. Try to answer questions like: who, what, when, etc.
• concepts and intuition can be transmitted through a simple series of cause and effects or through simple unrelated images.
• the beginning and end, personal perspective, and characters used in a story can improve or hinder the story

Constructed Sound Critique- 03/31/10

Nicole: touched base with last project, but instead of it being a social networking addiction, the repetitive human "tweet" sounds seemed like a delusional bird song. Very Nice

Kirstin: Bedtime soothing music. Escape from reality, that might not be a typical fantasy. Harsh staircase echoing hawaiian music. Subtle pop song was a great touch considering they usually aren't in the background.

Anthony: Complex. Children, thunderstorm, groove.

Jim: country. "Top of the stairs" adds humor to presentation. Happy go lucky, mixed with subtle zombie sounds. Subliminal messages. Wish that pop song was more of an undertone.

Sarah: Chaotic wind. Buzzing, quick silence. Back to chaos. Reminds me of the busy noises/streets of a popular city. All the noises one hears throughout the day all played back at once.

Olga: Calm after the storm feeling. Man vs Machine-who can make most noise.

Constructed Sound Critique- 03/29/10

Kelsey: sounds like an obnoxious old elevator going up and down with a weird demonic spirit riding in it. Perhaps the beeping is the sound of the passing floor. Reminds me of the Tower of Terror, especially with the broken up, repetitive elevator music. Makes me feel uneasy, which is what I think she was going for. Nice consistency.

Ryan: couldn't relate he space of the elevator or the hallway with this track. I feel like there is too much experimentation with this sound that it just ends up sounding random. Perhaps I misunderstood the intent with the way the class was divided into groups to listen to the sound.

Emily: Classic and R&B remix. Very Hectic. Like a broken record, both old school, classic and new school, hip-hop. I get a sense of imbalance and chaos. Momentary soundtrack to two individuals crazy lifestyles from different eras. Played off of last fragmented sound piece and took it to a different level.

Will: Neighborhood/Classroom. The narration of what is in an individuals head. Every new "moment" in the track justifies or touches base on the previous "moment".

Joel: Also very similar to previous fragmented sound project. Took a cliche, scary sound, and made it even creepier, which I didn't think was possible. The location (hallway) that the sound was heard in added to that effect as well. Very humorous too with the "Im alive" line. Great job.

Gaby: Can tell that you used sound from previous Betty Boop song, but more distorted, which was an even better choice! Has that child-like, murder story, "I'm gonna getcha", feel to it.

Leslie: Firecracker-like noises is was stood out to be the most. Was consistently inconsistent. Some silence, but not calm silence. Random noises. Don't let the sun explode! HaHa. Loved it!

KT: Reminds me of someone in mourning. Feels like a scene from Shutter Island, when the kids were killed in the lake. A peaceful tune to tell a sad story. Tastefully squeamish for me. I like this very much, maybe because I just saw the movie.

Audacity lesson-Constructed Sound Project

• import audio at 44100
• order- split stereo track
• order-make stereo track- brings both back together
• can create key frames through out to adjust audio
• bottom scale controls left and right sound
• can create sound and export to right, and another one for left. import both separately and then export together
• effect-apply effect-delay time ....
• high pass and low pass filter can cut frequency on various levels
• when finished-export as WAV-listen and check project

What has blown my mind lately!

This is a bit of a long video, but so worth watching. This is where we are at with progression in medical science. Its AMAZING!

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!

Fragmented Sound Critique

Olga: 1. Voices dominate the music in the background. Yet there is a part where the music is able to be heard and appreciated as well. I liked it a lot because the various voices overlapped nicely with great repetition and seemed to be preaching the same thing. 2. Nice subtle ringing towards the end pulling the sweet bird sounds into the chaos.

Will: The two sound pieces go together. Very catchy and repetitive in one, very hip and trendy beat box in the other. I feel like less voices make first work strong. I like the warfare idea as well. Very nice job!

Kirstin Critical Essay- Joe Wright

• Directed movies like : Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, The Soloist, and more.

Focusing and critiquing three scenes from Pride and Prejudice 2005:

1. Woman, Elizabeth, walking through sunny country and town reading and admiring surroundings. Black bird plays every time this character enters a scene. Wright only used natural lighting for this film along with natural sound. So if you hear piano, someone is playing piano near by, and same with nature.
2. (Scene 11) Great display of dramatic cuts. Elizabeth is standing on cliff with wind blowing dress and hair. Uses all real on site settings, no green screen. Then scene switches to family under a tree eating lunch. Shows great scenery. Shows free deer running in contrast with tamed horses strapped to a carriage.
3. (Beginning of very last scene) Sunrise scene. Shows Elizabeth watching man walk through field totally in love. Scene only shot once in 15 minutes because of the quick sunrise. Interesting angles with background sun lighting.

Leslie Critical Essay- William Wegman

Analyzing "Treat Bottle" 1972:

Most known for his works with his dog Manray. In this video, Wegman places bottle on ground, with doggie treat inside. Dog struggles to get it out, sliding the bottle around the room. Dog finally picks up bottle with mouth but places it back on the floor. Still hasn't gotten the treat. Finally the bottle breaks and dog finally gets treat. The narrative is somewhat suspenseful and persuades the audience to cheer for the dog. The environment and space that Wegman creates leaves us unable to help the dog yet we continue to watch the video. The contrast of the white walls and cement floor allows the audience to focus mainly on the dog and his task.

The fact that we see Wegman in the beginning of the video when he unscrews the bottle cap, it is easy to find it to be cruel that he is there watching the dog struggle to get the treat and then risk being cut from the broken glass. Represents human orders of hierarchy. Video brings out much emotion in audience. I really enjoyed this video.

(watch middle of the video)

Fragmented Sound Critique

Emily: 1. hip hop bop feeling, very busy in the background. underlaying voices are a nice mix, but they soon become apart of the noise. easy to detect a repetition and chaos in the bop sound. 2. more classical music/rmb style. also a lot of repetition. can definitely sense repetition. I like this one more because there is a better sense of rhythm.

Ryan: 1. I like the slow beginning, makes me excited for what is to come. abrupt stop is interesting. very musical, wish there were more variations of sounds or voices. couldn't tell if it was chaotic, representing environment, or repetition. 2. this I can definitely tell that there is a bigger sense of repetition. I like this one a lot!!! I feel as if the audio is being addressed to me. I felt involved. was busy, but it worked.

Joel: 1. techno beat is catchy but cliche. good choice to have a sudden break up so that it catches the audience off guard and pulls them in. not boring. good use of repetition. 2. this was also a cliche horror movie sound. it could have been better if it was more of a story, maybe have creepy sound at first and transition to an even more annoying/awesome sound.

Kelsey: 1. sudden out burst of sound is refreshing. sounds like a sports announcer on crack, but in a good way. this piece is full of energy. great use of repetition. 2. slower start is a nice contrast to the first sound bit. trippy. makes me imagine someone in a dream like state of mind after being tortured.

Leslie: 1. great sense of repetition. humorous with the use of content. 2. the sound of harsh rain is irritating rather than soothing, but in a good way, because the random thunder like sound catches me off guard and its not boring. :]

Nicole: 1. Very repetitive. I found it humorous because it reminded me of the obsession people have with the Twitter networking site. The last random twitter at the end was a perfect addition to the humor. 2. very chaotic. i feel like its a preacher in a church giving a sermon with the chorus in the background.

Jim (dork): 1. I like the combination of religious chants and a preacher as the dominant voice. good use of repetition. surprisingly has a melody and rhythm to it. 2. my baby jabberwocky! beware! yes, loved it. the topic itself is a beastly thing to think about, and i got chills listening to all of the voices saying to the poem. i like how they started off saying different lines in the poem and then ended up on the same one.

Kirstin: 1. techno extreme. nice repetition. 2. quite relaxing with beach wave sounds. faint haunted feeling.

KT: 1. I get an old movie type opera scene with this. Maybe the old Heidi movie? simplistic bliss 2. absolutely and distinctly chaotic. i love the erie, high pitched sounds.

Gaby: 1. Cutie patootie Betty Boop REMIX!! Catchy with great repetition. Simple and strong at the same time. 2. Erie, slow, morphing sounds. Dazed-like hypnosis feel. I like the distortion of voices at the end with the fade out.

Sara: 1. nice repetition. rhythmic. i like the overlay of "saw you in a dream" with the busy noise in the back. 2. Also rythmic. Dream-like, banjo playing, good time memories! exaggerated sound, of spanish and two different cultures.

Constructed Sound Project Idea

Im actually excited about this project. Its an extension of the fragmented sound project but we have to create an environment. Im excited because I find sound so much more powerful when I can close my eyes and imagine being in a different location. As far as what Im going to do personally, Im not sure yet, but I'll keep you up to date.

Stockhausen Reading: Moment Forming & Momente

In this reading, Stockhausen explains his thought process as well as his tips for Momente, a composition he started in 1961, and for our own moment forming ideas. To begin with, relating to music, when sounds occupy a particular region, or maintain an average speed, etc.-a moment is happening. A moment is made up of constant characters, and when they change, a new moment begins. If they change slowly, the new moment occurs as the old one continues. There are 3 groups of moments that sum up a work: 1. M-moments, where melody predominates, with an emphasis on heterophony (articulating sound-events around a line) 2. K-moments, sound quality characterized by everything that functions as components of a complex sound. 3. D: duration, principals of measured duration of different lengths gives rise to silence and polyphony. What's interesting is that once something is cut, the pieces can be separated & superimposed which produces polyphony. Having illustrated the groups as much as possible, one can now build up a great deal of different generations of inter-relating moments, and can control how much they have in common.

There are also I-moments to be combined with the groups which are very vague, static, directionless moments. You can imagine how the combos can be created from the various elements. The strongest moment is the one which takes and gives the least. The weakest is the one you can hardly recognize for itself. The internal structure of a moment also applies to the material selected and the notion reflects the internal relationships.

The part I found most engaging was when Stockhausen mentioned that he gives his male choir members a list of seven nonsense syllables and every member chooses a specified number to vocalize during a given number of seconds while the solo soprano sings, whenever they feel like it. This ushers to a controlled randomness of distribution of those syllables in time and order. So the outcome is random for both the conductor and the audience.

Fragmented Sound-Idea

Im going to try to mix up the ideas people have about different languages: French and German. Most people think that the German language is harsh and ugly, and French is the language of love. In an abstract way, Im going to make a nice sounding audio bit with use of repetition for German, and a hectic annoying one for French.

DVD Studio

• click advance setting
• Class needs to create DVD with menu and one track
• drag movie file into asset section
• control-click-first play
• click & drag movie into track
• movie shows up in menu window
• in shapes, drag over simple button into menu
• drag video track into button
• highlight & click button & check motion in bottom right window
• simulate DVD
• track-end jump- menus-menu one-simulate
• remote ctrl-menu button-back to menu
• stick in DVD-burn

Visiting Artist-Andrew Erdos

• Awesome HAIR!!!
• grew up in Philly
• wasnt always into art, wanted to be an investment banker
• got really into glass blowing in high school
• stopped working with glass in a functional way
• started thinking about how to use glass and that science of molding it in a time-based way
• began to document the process and results of sculpture, and although the glass gets destroyed and then reused, the sculpture lives on forever through his photos
• sometimes sets up sculptures with the intention of finishing them as a time based video
• there are 13 santas in Iceland!! go figure
• dont do heavy drugs!!!!! i mean dont do drugs

• who would want to rob him at gun point?!?! dont worry, karma will kick them in the ass!
• insane in the membrane... insane in the brain!!

I think im in love....

3rd group critical essays

KT Stemper-"Pipilotti Rist"

• got started doing video projects through pop-culture fame.
• uses a lot of symbolism through narrative with the character through real world disbelief.
• uses red hot poker flower to destroy car window(real flower)
• at first is
• chooses to appropriate sounds from pop-culture in most work, but this time collaborated with others to create own sound
• the music used in this piece is somewhat "trippy-like"
• the title helps her to avoid labeling the piece and also creates a paradox through this child-like sense of play
• in her camera style, she increases her color contrast to compliment the pop-culture phenomenon
• she tries to get the message across that there is always going to be controversy on feminism, and that it should be embraced; the first generation has already rejected feminism and she thinks that since nothing else can be said, this generation should consider taking a new view on it.

Ryan Rudock-"Martha Rosler"

• this artist concentrates on video and written work
• focuses on everyday life events, and their different interpretations

• in this video, Martha recites the alphabet and associates each letter with an object in the kitchen
• as the video progresses so does her aggressiveness with the object she is showing
• the video starts to become threatening, especially the way she stares into the camera without a single smirk, when talking
• this video helps demonstrate the frustrations and pressure a women might feel in this era when being obligated to work in a kitchen and have it known as "her place"
• can easily be seen as a feminist video
• the video ends with her shrugging her shoulder to add a hint of humor and to release tension to the audience

final cut pro tips for project 2

• 720 by 480 is used for SD videos
• editing in Final Cut Pro
• FCP-system setting-new folder for project-choose folders
• save project to same folder
• file-log and capture, video has to be playing in order to capture (can set in and out points or capture now button)
• when done with capturing, press escape button
• or: file-log and capture-press play-hit I when you want to start in point-press O when want to set out point
• press log clip when wanting to separate clips for projects(this just logs)
• highlight all clips that you want to capture(red ones)-file-batch capture-ok
• remember to save folder on external hard-drive
• (black tape from 0 to 60)
• drag clip to time line-sequence settings-automatically makes sequence size of clip
• set far right window to image and wire frame(this allows you to play multiple clips at once in different frames/boxes)

2nd group critical essays

Sara Martinez- "Bill Viola"

• He has been around for 30+ years.
• Doesn't use much camera movement and angles to show entire environment being filmed.
• inspired by Buddhism and Christianity, and he focuses on dualism: soft & hard, loud & quiet, etc. ( he thinks you cant understand one without the other)

• this video uses white noise to help meditation and to concentrate on surroundings; calm feeling
• must focus on small details to understand the full effect of the video because it is very subtle
• the man in the video fades into the background & becomes nature
• he jumps and freezes in the air, but surroundings are still moving
• reflections of other people are seen moving in the water
• water turns black at some point then back to normal
• male comes out of water naked, disappears, then is seen walking through the woods again
• plays with idea of what is real and what isn't real, especially with reflection in water
• water drips from his feet when he is still in the air (this shows his connection with water without him being in water)
• he is first clothed before jumping, then naked after coming out of water to show his rebirth.

Will Scott-"Spike Lee"

• Lee tackles many different controversial topics in his movies, like racism
• delivery of these topics are very "in your face"
• uses vast dialogue, camera angles, and transitions to change mood of viewers and different characteristics of the characters

• The movie is titled "The 25th Hour"
• the main character complains and expresses his feelings about various people, races, generations, family members, friends, and architecture in New York city, in a very vulger way (doesn't hold back; isn't subtle)
• shows love-hate relationship
• shows images. like american flag, to arouse emotion

• this is another clip from the movie
• uses light to set emotion: blue is when the character has grasp on the conversation and situation, and red is when he is acting on impulse
• shows different taboo situations in everyday life

1st group of critical presentations

1. Emily Sneedon-"Michel Gondry"

• Presented the video that was directed by Gondry- "Too Many Dicks On The Dance Floor"
• Went into detail on the video, and that deep explanation gave insight on storyboard of video and Gondry's thought process.

Explanation:

• various beats and camera angles to emphasize overall lyrics
• gives us a big view of dance floor t know where the characters will move
• Diegetic Sound-sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film.
• mainly uses cuts as transitions fantasy realism
• emphasizes a lot of spacial relationships to allude from the fact that the setting is an actual club dance floor and not a film set

2. Nicole Pennington-"Paul McCarthy"

• Showed video clips such as "Cultural Soup" and used that video, directed by McCarthy to somewhat generalize his style.

Explanation:

• Phallic representation: styrofoam ball on broomstick
• Audience relations
• psychoanalytic theories
• repetitive dialogue: much like brain does with memories
• coping
• castrating father figure
• Oedipus complex: son loves mother and is jealous of father

Class Scores

Last class we all did our 90 minute scores, and i must say it was anything but usually. Its hard to sum up what went on for that time, but it did give me a great senseof everyones personality. I had fun listening to the sounds of our movement, and enjoyed the project overall.

Fluxus Clarity

• Fluxus started in the early 1960s with artists working in NYC.
• Other Fluxus groups started in Europe and moved to the U.S.
• Fluxus is a broad movement, with artists working in sound, text, performance, media, and continues today

Fluxus Artists:

• Dick Higgins
• George Brecht
• La Monte Young
• Allison Knowles
• And many more

Fluxus Forms:

• Flux Kits or Multiples

• The Event

(Hints that the artist, work, and audience are blurred in some way)

• The technology of computers was a big influence with Fluxus. Media changes everyday as dose Fluxus.

Flux Kit:

• A database structure
• non-hierarchical
• a list of unordered items
• a collection of individual items w/every item having the same significance as any other

The Event:

• kbf
• iwkjf
• oewjf
• wfm

Fluxus view of art-making:

• making something "special" by exaggerating, patterning, juxtaposing, shaping, transforming...making something ordinary into something special
• making room for the consideration of others perspective, and a common respect for difference.
• valuing primary over secondary experiences
• strives to offer depersonalized, primary info about a subject or action

The Flux Kit:

• offers "not the perspectivaly controlled and controlling visual model of veristic art...but sensory info for a radically empowered experience of art that connects the individual to a greater social or environmental context."
• thought that you aren't creating something to resemble something else. What you are creating is what you are creating.

John Cage and the logic of change:

• focused on silence(cage of silence)
• expresses the idea that we make art in scores, and that scores aren't only for music purposes.
• thinks that sound is acting.
• idea was to accept whatever sound occurred within a period of time.

• The Fluxus movement followed 1950s Action Painting as demonstrated by Jackson Pollock.
• Life Media: spontaneous decisions, the relationship to the environment, and the physical parameters within which the work occurs.

Fluxus Handout Summary

• Rene Block coined the term Fluxism which refers to the idea and philosophy of Fluxus.
  
• Fluxus is rooted in ideas of global transformation, changes in the world and changes in the way we see the world.
• Paradigms in art emerge when the world-view is shifting. Shifts in vision shape culture, history and science.
• Fluxus and intermedia emerged in the era of electronic music and video.
• Visibility and value do not always coincide.
• Fluxus was born at a shifting point in the world views.
  
• The idea that you can be an artist, and at the same time an industrialist, an architect or a designer, is a key to the way we view our work and our role in society.
• Fluxus was first a magazine title that never took off. But when a festival emerged in Wiesbaden, Germany, it was called a Fluxus Festival, and that eventually made the Fluxus group.
• A second generation emerged as the Fluxus artists began to influence others through friendship, collaboration or even teaching.
• Fluxus has been able to grow because its had room for dialogue and transformation.

Twelve Criteria of Fluxus:

1. Globalism: embraces the idea that we live on a single world, a world in which the boundaries of political states are not identical with the boundaries of nature or of culture.
2. Unity of Art and Life: when Fluxus was established, the conscious goal was to erase the boundaries between art and life, the sort of language appropriate to the time of pop art and of happening.
3. Intermedia: idea that Fluxus was an art form appropriate to people who say there can be no artificial boundaries between art and life. Without those boundaries, there can be no boundaries between art form and art form.
   
4. Experimentalism: trying new things and assessing the results. Experiments that yield useful results cease being experiments and become usable tools.
5. Research Orientation: applies not only to the experimental method, but to the ways in which research is conducted.
6. Chance: in the sense of aleatory or random chance, is a tradition with a legacy. Random chance, a way to break the bonds. Evolutionary chance engages a certain element of the random. Genetic changes occur as well in a process that is known as random selection.
   
7. Playfulness: the play of ideas, the playfulness of free experimentation, the playfulness of free association and the play of paradigm shifting that are as common to scientific experiment as to pranks.
8. Simplicity: refer to the relationship of truth and beauty, and related to the term elegance.
9. Parsimony: refer to the relationship of truth and beauty, and related to the term elegance.
10. Implicativeness: an ideal Fluxus work implies many works. This notion is close to and grows out of the notion of elegance and parsimony.
11. Exemplativism: the quality of a work exemplifying the theory and meaning of its construction.
12. Specificity: has to do with the tendency of a work to be specific, self contained, and to embody all its own parts.

• Musicality refers to the fact that many Fluxus works are designed as scores, as works which can be realized by artists other than the creator.
• The issue of musicality has fascinating implications: the mind and intention of the creator are the key element in the work.
  
• Fluxus today isn't the Fluxus that was sometimes an organized group, or movement.
• Fluxus, the circle of friends, the way of thinking and working, is alive
  

Project Critiques

Sara Martinez-"Constellations": This project was made with the use of black construction paper and clear push pins, added affects in FCP and Photoshop, and was given a more star-like effect. The stars move around to create different scenes and pictures in the sky. Some parts of the movie are sped up more than others and I find it a bit distracting. I like where this project is heading and would like to see it made to be longer. I like that the stars "played" themselves in different scenes such as the city sky line, where the stars made the buildings and the actual stars. I also like how one image transforms into another with the subtraction and addition of the push pins.

Joel Ramnaraine-"Sunlit Romance": This project was filmed outside in a park setting. Its about two young people and their intriguing relationship. The whole movie, the audience wonders about their relationship because there are scenes that look like they are searching for each other, scenes where they are walking away from each other, and finally a scene where they end up together. Its a nice piece and although there was one setting and one camera angle, it worked well with the tone of the movie, and the music complimented the mood.

Nicole Pennington-"Dead Leaves": In this project, dead leaves form images to create a narration of a love story. Full of hope and sadness, its a beautiful romantic tragedy. This project shows a good sense of motion and I almost forgot that it was a stop motion animation. The crumbling of the leaves and the last piano key struck my heart and made me feel a connection with what the couple was feeling as they parted. Fantastic piece.

Leslie Dulfer-"And Then There Were Two": This piece fits a very cliche idea of a love story. The way that male figure portrayed his feelings were very exaggerated, but in a good way. When the two figures fall in love I expect too see them running in a field of flowers as well, to complete a corny scene. The video is tasteful and the choice to have no music allows the audience to fill in that void themselves.

Jim Kirkwood-"Les Lapins": My absolute favorite stop motion animation piece in the world!! Its cute at first with the bunny's because they are known as innocent creatures, so you don't expect to see them having sex at the end. The music also compliments the movie, especially with the line, "with your cheeks so soft." It shows a good sense of timing. The subtly of the flirting at first mixed with the raunchy and indiscrete love scene makes it perfectly hilarious and fun to watch.

Olga Brachollari -"Moot": As the girl drops the cup of liquid on the floor, a mud monster is born. This already gives leeway to an interesting movie. All the mud monster wants to do is stop pollution!! I like that he winks as he is throwing the cup away after making his way to the garbage can. But shortly after he is stepped on and that reflects on how others step on peoples efforts to recycle and be environmentally friendly. Wish there was music to add to the drama of the movie since it was so short, one with a climax when he finally throws away the garbage and a fumbling sound when he is being squashed.

Gaby Mendez-"The Sacrifice": Nothing spells irony quite like this movie. Its funny how the Wheaties cereal pieces are trying so hard to be a part of the cereal in the bowl and little do they know that they are escaping away to a dark fate. The faces on the cereal was a great addition because it shows more emotion and thus allows the audience to connect with them more. However, I wish there was milk in the bowl to make it look more realistic. Also, the liquid state of the milk could have added nicer movement to the piece.

Kirstin Anderson-"Buaia Baruk": Great soundtrack to go along with the movie. Has a good guy/bad guy feel to it, and has you rooting for the monkey the entire time. Its fascinating how the cut outs are used in various scenes. There was so much movement for a paper material that isn't very flexible to begin with. The timing of the actions and the music is on point. Overall, a very successful project. One thing to change would be to not have the music cut off so abruptly at the end.

William Scott-"Under My Skin": Nice elevator music. Adds a casual feeling to such a casual routine in the overall movie. Its a good way of spicing up an everyday scenario and making us all want to have music like this play as we clean our face and wash our hands. I didn't get the message at first about it being a short movie on the perspective of someone who has OCD, but now I do.

KT Stemper-"Towel Dry": I like the various camera angles. Also, how the movie settings aren't limited to one room. I like how instantly the towel comes to life and takes a journey. We saw a short story through a towels perspective and a humans perspective. Should fix the clips where you can see shorts on the person when they are getting out of the shower, I feel like this movie should perhaps be longer to express a definite narration.

Emily Sneeden-"Check Your Spam": I love how an animated drawing is brought into a real life setting through a use of metaphorical play on words. "Check Your Spam" is ironic because spam mail is sent to a spam folder so that you don't open up a virus. Also, the title hints that you should perhaps check the expiration date on your spam can. The fact that the 2D realm meets the 3D realm is a great twist to this project.

Ryan Rudock-"Flashed": I don't really understand this movie. Why is the superhero, Flash, moving so so? I wish there was more of a story plot going on. I did like the shadow of the action figure on the background photo because it reminds me of an old time movie setting when they are in a car "driving" but the only thing moving is the background. So the inverse was done in this case.

Anthony Moitisanti-"Familiar": I like how you use the nature of the transformer to transform into a helicopter to get to the cookie jar. And letting us know what the transformer is looking at, by having the objects twinkle, was creative and humorous. Perspective through a toys eyes. Abstract and unreal world is successfully played.

Kelsey Olson-"Film Colorer du Ferbie": This movie shows us a mystical world of love, lust, and longing. This theme is a very adult them, that is portrayed through children's toys. Its wrong yet intriguing at the same time. I like how the Ferbie moves through the house animating so many other objects. Thats what gives the sense of another world, like how toys come alive when people aren't looking, rather than just a possessed Ferbie. I also like how the lighting and mood change throughout the story. From day to night, excitement ad fear.

terms to know for project 1

close-up: tightly frames a person or an object
medium shot: a camera shot from a medium distance
scene: a part of action in a single location in a TV or movie, composed of a series of shots
sequence: a series of scenes which form a distinct narrative unit, usually connected by unity of location or unity of time
long shot: typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to placeit in some relation to its surroundings
graphic: visual presentation on some surface,such as wall, canvas,computer screen, etc.
spatial (space): the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction
rhythmic: the variation of the length and accentuation of a series of sounds or other events
transitions: when scenes or shots are juxtaposed
fade: the process of causing a picture to gradually darken and disappear, or reverse
dissolve: a gradual transition from one image to another
wipe: One image is replaced by another with a distinct edge that forms a shape
duration: amount of time or particular length of time
plot duration: elapsed time of events within a story
story duration: amount of time that the implied story takes to occur
tempo of the piece: the speed or pace of a given piece
intensity: exceptionally great concentration, power, or force and feeling the piece gives to audience
scope: extent or range of view, outlook, application, operation, effectiveness, etc.
setting: the surrounding or environment of anything
chronology: the sequential order in which past events occur

Ch. 13 Aspects and Elements of Time

This chapter basically helps us to figure out the best way to compose a story board. It is important to include frame, shot, scene, and sequence before you start.

FRAME: a single static image.

SHOT: a continuous group of frames

When composing a timeline all the sketches and images should make sense, and compliment each other when combined. Consider action-to-action, subject-to-subject, etc. Keep in mind what you want to get across to your viewers and how intense or soft the messege is portrayed through the images. Consider the setting and subjects. All of this makes up a great storyboard and then a great piece.

Dear Haiti

Check this video out. My boyfriend showed it to me. It could be the answer to some of the problems in Haiti. It doesn't have much to do with TBM, but maybe you could show more people, and eventually this idea can become reality in helping millions who have lost homes.

Ummm...

HI OLGA!!!

First Project: Stop Motion Animation

So today I came up with a few ideas for the first project. I tend to come up with morals to go along with my work before I come up with an actual idea or execution to the project. So here they are, let me know what you think or how I can make it better. Try to imagine the concept visually, because I only have text for you to refer to for now.

1. Technology relies on us just as much as we rely on technology.
   

• A girl is on the computer the whole day (camera view from behind her, looking over her shoulder at computer. clock changes as time goes by). Girl gets off of computer and goes to bed, closing the computer (not turning it off). After a couple of minutes, computer opens slightly turning its light back on. Computer tries to wake up the girl so she can "play" again. The computer nudges and cuddles up to the girl. Finally, girl wakes up and places computer back on desk. This goes back and forth till the girl locks the computer to the desk. Computer is sad. Girl is tossing and turning and cant sleep knowing the computer is sad. Girl gets up and kisses computer goodnight. Lights out (blank black screen). Goes to credits. END

2. Sometimes thinking too hard into something gets you nowhere; its better to let it (the paint) do its thing.

• A girl is painting a mural, but seems stressed and unfocused. It gets late and she starts to give up and leaves the room (the camera is then left to be focused on the mural). All of a sudden, paint chips start to come off of the mural and collect together on the floor. The girl walks in surprised to find that the paint chips seem to have a life of their own. The chips approach the girl, the girl is hesitant at first but then welcoming. The chips make their way up the body of the girl, and then to her hand, engulfing it. The girl is somewhat lead over to the mural by the paint chips on her hand. The paint chips then start to guide her hand to make a master piece (camera angle shifts to girl standing back then smiling). Blank black screen then credits. END
  

Ch. 5 Cultivating Creativity Summary

• In order to come up with a new idea, one should reflect on theirs and others old ones or even combine a few of all of them.


• Design consists of creative parts. Only when the parts integrate well, will one have a successful design.


• Seven characteristics in Creative Thinking:

1. Receptivity: creative people are open to new ideas and experiences. They embrace multiple solutions to a problem.
2. Curiosity: Researching unfamiliar topics and analyzing unusual systems is a source of fulfillment. Ask questions like, "how does this work?", or " how can it work better?"
3. Wide range of interests: with a broad knowledge base, a creative person can make innumerable connections. Such as a spider web of ideas.
4. Attentiveness: Pay attention to seemingly minor details because those small experiences can result in great ideas.
5. Seeking connections: Seeing similarity among seemingly different parts has often sparked a creative breakthrough.
6. Conviction: Remember the past and use it to your advantage. Take old ideas and make them new.
7. Complexity: Combine rational ( take notes, memorize, etc) and intuitive ( exploration, etc) and one can create a master piece.

• Goal setting: having a goal in mind helps a persons idea be effectively realized. If you focus at a task at hand anything can happen.
• Be aware of time management. Some people dont work well under pressure, so allow yourself enough time to get your work done well.

What stuck out most to me in this chapter was time management. I procrastinate to the extreme, but end up doing really well in the end. However, I find myself stressed out and having lack of sleep. I also liked The part in the chapter where is talked about bouncing ideas off of others. Sometimes others ideas can inspire your greatest ones.

Do any of you have other tips, besides the ones from the book, on time management?

Check these out!

If you want to check out other videos that I saw in class on Monday, go to youtube.com and look at "Street of Crocodiles" by Brothers Quay, and "The Reflecting Pool" by Bill Vida. Another group of very well done artworks.

Michael Gondry

The Hardest Button to Button



What a fun video to watch and sing along to. Gondry uses pixilation animation to make it look as if the band members from white stripes reappear with a new drum or guitar when a new note is hit. Very crafty, very clever!

Fell In Love With A Girl



This video is another one directed by Gondry for the band, The White Stripes. Another clever piece done with Lego animation. I really enjoyed this video as well. Its the perfect example of thinking out side of the box. Definetly challenges the norm when it comes to music videos. A+

William Kentridge

Automatic Writing



Beautiful, simply beautiful work!!! I was blown away when I saw this video. And it wasn't my first time watching it either. Just the thought of how much time and patience William Kentridge put into this video makes me worship the ground he walks on. The drawings aren't even crisp and clean cut either, they are full of loose lines, and old marks from previous sketches. Its hard to tell you what this piece is about, because I truly believe that in this video, the meaning is different to all.

Jan Svankmejer

Meat Love


I like this video because Svankmajer takes two inanimate objects, in this case two slices of meat, and give them characteristics and movement that give them a sense of being and life. Its short cute and fun. I also like how he slyly symbolizes sex by having the meat roll around in flour, and then it is interrupted by them being cook. Its a perfect romantic tragedy!

Passionate Dialogue


I have mixed feelings about this video. I like it at firs because although they are clay figures of a man and a women, and the natural characteristic of clay is to be molded, you forget that these figures aren't actual people. And it seems lovely how they start to intertwine and mix into each other in a lovely romantic way. However, when there is a piece of each of them left over on the table after they split apart again, neither one of them want it. Thus resulting in physical neglect and abuse, and the two figures literally rip each other apart. Classic break up scene. I didnt care for this video because it left a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Perhaps it hit too close to home. Although I appreciate his creativity, Scankmejer's other works appeal to me more!

Out of all the videos by Jan Svankmejer that we saw in class, These two were my favorites. But if you like his work, check out "Darkness Light Darkness"

today 1/11/10

Took a look at classmates blogs today. Not much there yet, since class just started, but got a brief 411 on them. Introduced first project: Stop Motion Animation. This type of "filming" started before actual movies were made to first introduce movement to this field.

Zeotropes:a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures.

Flip Book: a book w/series of pictures that vary gradually from one page to the next, so that when the pages are turned rapidly, the pictures appear to animate by simulating motion.

Artists such as George Melies, Jan Svankmajer, William Kentridge, and Michel Gondry make use of stop motion animation in their personal work.

Watched and discussed videos from Svankmajer, Gondry, Bill Viola and Kentridge.

About ME

Not much to say. I love art and anything to do with it. Even if Im not that talented at a certain field in art, I cant help but want to improve. I just got a hedgehog for Christmas. His name is Koopa and he is a month old. Big time cutie! My favorite color is green. I love just about any type of food. I love sports, friends, music, the usual. I swear Im more interesting in person. Im looking forward to this semester because I have to submit my portfolio for my major. Its going to be sweet! Im sure you'll learn more about me through my future blogs. Enjoy!

First Day of Class on the 3rd Day of the Week

Met classmates. Found out 1/2 of the population of UF art students are probably focused on graphic design. Glad Im a print making major. Felt a bit intimidated since I don't have much experience in time based media. Got happy because my blogger account looks PRETTY! Got sad because I remembered that I was born in the wrong generation because I know nothing about technology. Went through syllabus. Watched videos in class. Video 1: showed world wide cable coming together in a "trippy" scene to unite cultures around the world. This video used so many special effects that I got dizzy. Video 2: Men going to the moon. Silent film in black and white. Artist used man made scenes painted black and white. Made before artists knew to move the camera as people moved. Learned more about the blog and class requirements. Sent teacher an email. Class ended. Didn't want to leave because of the 20 degree weather outside. Left class. Overall, it was a good first day.