response to element project

After screening the animation project, I realized that the new technique I tried were very effective. I wish I had allowed them to take more time on the screen. I especially enjoyed the salt and idia ink, and I look forward to experimenting with more techniques. I do wish that I had used less sharpie on the water element. The oil/ink portion turned out to be very cool and I would have preferred to have seen more of that and less of the sharpie. I also wish the tinted finger-nail polish had been bolder. I think the solution to that is as simple as a few more drops of ink. This class is really opening me up to another world of film making. I have seen many films that use the techniques we have dabbed around with thus far, but were unsure how to achieve the look I had envisioned.

So my dog ate my homework...

How cliché! It has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I had already completed the original hand drawn animation project, and there were definitely needed improvements. But, as you know, it was drawn in sharpie so corrections are virtually impossible. However, not to worry because my dog ate my homework, so I get to make those corrections.

I am morphing a star into a polka dot. In the first endeavor, I attempted to (free hand) gradually move the image from one side of the screen to the other, and back again. This go round, I am going to draw a grid to insure the move noticeable. Hopefully it will work.

A MOVING PICTURE GIVING AND TAKING BOOK

For me, personally, I feel like this article is a review of information and vocabulary I have previously obtained. It’s always good to review, to stay fresh. I wish I had been asked to read this article when I first started taking film classes. I think it would have been very effective and helpful. There were a few things that were new to me that I have very possibly heard in the past; however my memory isn't the best.

I have heard "sound speed" on every film set I have been on, but I never knew exactly why and I definitely haven’t heard of silent speed prior to this article.

I also found it very interesting that Brakhage referred to the viewers as the "editors".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6TcX_TKLcg

This music video, by one of my favorite directors, Michel Gondry, is a perfect example for the animation project. If you’re not familiar with Michel Gondry please please please check him out. He rocks. I have an awesome DVD that has better versions of all of the clips you can find on the internet, including interviews with Michel. He is most famous for his work on multiple music videos. He has worked with The White Stripes multiple times, the Rolling Stones, Beck, Weezer, Foo Fighters, Bjork and so many more. Check it out.

animation project...

This animation project is harder that I had expected. I chose a star as my first symbol and I have the whole sequence planned out but I am having trouble drawing the star in the same direction. I did cut out a tiny template but, again, the direction thing is getting me.

Elements (part 2)

I went on a search in Wilmington for rapidiograph and india ink, and it is unbelievable how hard it is to find that stuff. One would think that between Michaels and AC Mores you could find any art supply. I mean, really. Those buildings are massive and neither of the two has the one thing I need. I did end up finding a small craft store that carries both but only in black, so needless to say I was forced to stretch my creativity so not to veer to far from my original idea.

The water element worked out, for the most part but because of the lack of rapidiograph ink in the Wilmington area I had to find a different substance to tint my film. I ended up taking clear finger nail polish and tinting it. I think it worked but of course I won't know until I see it projected if it was the look I was searching for.

the theme for the earth element was texture. I did use the transfer technique but to spice it up a bit, I decided to paint the whole strip black and, using my finger nail file, I scratched different textures from my yard in to the paint. I enjoyed playing around with things that I see every day, like the side walk and tree (bark), that I hurry past, never stopping to pay attention to, on my way out.

I’m interested to see the final product, spliced together with music.

fun assignment.

Elements...

The two elements my group and I decided I would work with are water and earth. I am pleased with my assigned elements.

My ideas for earth go as followed:
I realize that the word earth can describe the entire planet, however, the fact that other elements where also given (air, fire, water) that are encompassed by the “earth”, I have interpreted the earth as the solid mass or land that we inhabit. Therefore, I want to represent the earth element with a combination of organic materials (India ink) in conjunction with man made substances (magazine clipping). I haven’t yet gotten to see any of the projects we have worked on up to this point projected, and for that reason I am having trouble know how many frames to cover to get the length of each effect I am going for. I am aware that 24 frames make up one second, but it’s different when you’re working with hundreds of frames. They all run together after a while. Hehe.

Water:
Water is very fluid and peaceful. These are two qualities that i really want to show through in the ‘water’ segment of this collaboration. In attempt to accomplish this effect I want to use similar elongated waves or lines through out the entirety of the strip. I want the strip to transform, going through three stages beginning with just a smooth fluid stream of cool colors. The second stage is going to be a bit more intense, using a wavy stroke, representing rough waters. The third and final stage is going to bring in bubbles. I will use the oil/ink technique and I would like to try to burn holes in the film strip using a safety pin, but I’m not sure what that’s going to turn out to look like.

first impressions

There is an interesting dynamic that comes with taking one’s first experimental ‘production’ class the last semester of your undergraduate experience. Although I have studied experimental film making to partake in the process is a completely different experience. I feel out of my element but I am looking forward to all of the project that incorporates old mediums (where my comfort lies) with new techniques. I had quite a few friends take the class last semester and I have seen a bit of last semester’s final product and I am really excited to be able to add a whole other dimension to my real. I really liked the film painting and scratching projects and seeing them all pieced together with a soundtrack was intense to say the least.

I have been playing with the ‘practice’ doughnut and I would really like to see it projected. It is hard to know what the projected image will be. I tried writing on the film over a spread of frames, but when I showed Adam he said that you would have to stretch the word over hundreds of frames, which make sense (24 frames per sec/ allow 5-10 sec to allow your dialog to develop).