DXArts 45x Video Journal
453 Proposal: Attunement
Attunement will be a haptically enabled video exploration of our internal quest for balance. Click here to read my proposal.
Quarter 1 and 2 reel
Below are quick links to all my films from 451 and 452. Since I won't be making another film of this format for this class, I felt it was a good time to put these all in one place. You can also watch these on YouTube if you have trouble viewing them here.
Assignment 6: Fix
For the final short film of the quarter, my assignment was to further pursue the use of algorithmic processing in integration with story telling. Fix is what came out. Visual effects were written in Processing and Python using batch processing of image sequences using Python Imaging Library.
watch the film here.
Assignment 5: Exquisite Corpse
The context for assignment 5 was to create a videographic exquisite corpse. Exquisite Corpse is a game where a piece of paper is folded into several sections. Each draws a small portion of the picture and passes it on for further contribution. The only thing shared between players are the ending lines from the previous drawing from which to begin the next drawing. The video analog to the game was for each group to create a three minute film which was to begin and end featuring a particular part of the body. The ending shot of one film was to be the beginning of the next. We were given the start being the torso and the end being the right hand. The film is below and has no title:
We shot the film in Vancouver, WA and outside of Portland, OR. I feel that this was a huge learning experience for me. The dynamic of working with a team, actors, scheduling shoots, and securing locations was exciting and really draining. It was hard to maintain a solid control and focus on the objective of the film while keeping everyone comfortable and happy. We also came to the house sight unseen and were blessed with a plethora of artifacts. In post, the heavily story-based aspects of the film made editing easier than in my last film, C., which was extremely unscripted. Given the time, I will go back and remaster the sound to make it more appropriately atmospheric for the tone of the film. I'll also create an HD version. The film was shot in 1440x1080 in 30F mode on the Canon XH A1 and edited in Final Cut Pro 5. The film crew consisted of Paul Maupaux, Mi-Jong Jang, Amir Stone, and myself. The boy was played by Tommy Paul and the man was our friend Dick. The internal space of the house was provided by Ron in Vancouver, WA. Special thanks go to Maia Agranoff for playing the role of casting coordinator in the face of serious illness.
Reflexive Recut
This is a revised version of last quarter's final film Reflexive. The new version removes the pesky lens flare that was in the first one, fixed a little compositing, and dealt with some field render issues. I felt like I never got a chance to finish this thing completely so I am glad I went and revisited. I've also written a brief explanation of artistic intent.
"Reflexive"is a statement regarding our philosophical interaction with the replacement of long held religious iconography with post-modern symbols and landscapes. Two physically identical characters engage in a cyclic philosophical discussion, both taking alternative views on the same information. The search for perspective leads the protagonist across the new 'holy-land'; where crucifixes are now telephone poles and the number of god as been incremented to reflect our modern progress. The experience he encounters cannot be interpreted objectively. It is colored by the philosophy of the interpreter. No progress is ever made and no conclusions are reached.
Assignment 4: C.
The restrictions for Assignment 4 were to create a title sequence for a film that will never exist. My personalized twist on the assignment was threefold. The first was to incorporate an infinite temporal structure. Each moment of the film must indicate moments occurring outside that are not depicted but are understood by the audience. Finally, it must involve some sort of algorithmic process.
watch C. (hi-res)
watch C. (mid-res)
interact with the simulation.
The behavior simulation was written in the processing environment. It was partially based off of the boids swarming algorithm and partially of a swarming algorithm designed by myself. The simulation was rearscreen projected and filmed in real time. The particle orchestration was conducted by Jared Friend and the figure actor was Mike McCrea. The sound was also produced by Mike McCrea in SuperCollider. The titles were rendered directly from processing.
Crenshaw Experiment
This 1 minute short is a rough study and proof-of-concept video for a series of photographs by Martin McGreevey. It was filmed on my new Canon XH A1 in 1080p24 and downsampled to SD 4:3 (letterbox). Crenshaw is a washed up monster politician who can't seem to find the keys to his shed.
watch Crenshaw
Assignment 3: Reflexive
reflexive (hi-res)
reflexive (mid-res)
Assignment 2
theory/storyboard
movie
outcomes
