On Thursday I went along to Hawick Knitwear and finished up filming for my project. I spent about 3 hours in total at the factory and made sure to take notes to include in my sketchbook. Human Resources and the staff in general were consistently helpful and genuinely interested when it came to what I was filming. I began at the very 1st stage of production and followed the process through the mill capturing visuals that looked similar to each other. I was considering composition with every shot I took. Having the tripod definitely helped me frame certain shots, and even allowed me to venture from stationary recording to slowly sliding the camera left or right. I made sure I spoke to each operator a little before I began filming at their machines, every single one of them were more tan happy to help out and even gave me a basic run through of what it was they were actually doing. This made a huge difference when it came to understanding how long I should film for or how zoomed in I should be etc. I let them know the exhibition dates and that I would provide them with a few invitations nearer the time to show my gratitude for allowing me in to film.
I have been researching this guy and his work for my Final Major Project and I found this interview. The quotes he read out at the beginning explore the human urge to create art and for what purpose we create it for. He explains that these words really helped him when he started out as a young artist.
Having new material and fresh clips to take into iMovie is great. Even though nothing is stopping me from using older clips, I feel much more in touch with my imagination when working with untouched material. Plus I sometimes struggle editing together previously used footage as I can't shake the ideas I had first time around.
Filming the Hawick Harlequins rugby team play the Welsh side Bargoed RFC was an interesting experience. I had fun and was able to capture some shots that I was planning on attempting, and even some that presented themselves for the first time on the day.
It's a little daunting finding yourself in a situation that you knew was coming and had prepared so much for, then suddenly feeling an immense pressure to achieve the things you set out to do.
This is how I felt the Saturday before last.
Sitting in the changing rooms with the squad felt natural. As a member of the Quins and having played and socialised weekend after weekend over 3 years with the team, there was a relaxed atmosphere as the lads were pulling their boots on and donning the strip. During bouts of recording I would ensure some players that the final work will be without sound, but this only encouraged their enthusiastically explicit language. It soon became apparent that I would need to produce a blooper reel purely for the team's appreciation!
Once we were down at the riverside and onto the pitch, I began recording movement around me. My first few clips were of our committee members pushing the touchline flags into the grass and various shots of legs leaping across the pitch step by step.
As I looked through the viewfinder whilst recording I couldn't help but think;
"Ooh! That'll look good if I do this..."or"This bit will work better if I crop the..."
The editing stage was constantly on my mind and it was affecting the work! I had to focus on the moment and concentrate on capturing the best footage possible. Once the game kicked off I went into a zone of complete paranoia.
I hope I got that bit!
Shit - was that in focus??
Where's the ball went??
How long until half time?
I haven't got enough footage...
The first half was traumatic. For both me and the team. The second half went better and I was able to relax and get some images of the supporters on the touchline. There is once clip where I decided to focus the camera on the lower half of one player, and it just so happened he was passed the ball soon after I began filming. Little occasions like that empowered me and made me realise how important being patient was.
I have looked over most of the footage from my day of filming. Most of it is good, and I am confident that I will be able to produce a final work that is as close to my brief as possible.
12 February 2015
Today's discussion in class touched on the process of becoming a well known and big selling artist.
The stage where I was disheartened about the reality of the Art world has now passed and I feel like talking and discussing these topics in class really helps when it comes to thinking about my future. Niall mentioned that merely "being aware" of the challenging road to success, is important. You need to be able to express yourself through your work and also when it comes to networking and getting your work and your name out there. The truth of it is - of which I learn more and more each day - is that talent is not enough. One of the many things I will take away from this BTEC course and my tutors guidance and teachings is that one truth. Talent is not enough. I think that establishing your own intentions comes first. That sounds obvious but personally, hearing all of the hoops you have to jump through to become a 'proper artist' only seems the slightest bit possible if you know what you are all about, what your work is about and why you make what you make.
Since seeing '24 Hour Psycho' as part of the Generation exhibit at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art I have made an effort to look at more of Douglas Gordon's work.
I am interested in how people perceive certain movements and in particular hand gestures. This specific concern was unearthed why I discovered Gordon's video piece titled 'A Divided Self I and A Divided Self II'. Displayed over two screens it consisted of 2 hands interacting with each other. The two screens were near mirror images of each other.
I felt a sense of un-ease and intrigue during, and afterwards. While some would acknowledge these feelings as negative I realised that this reaction can only be a good thing, the visuals had evoked a reaction that made me feel uncomfortable and because of this I was filled with curiosity.
Why did it affect me? How exactly did it make me feel?
These questions that I asked myself, and the mere fact I was asking myself questions is the main reason I want to create film work. I want to make people feel, and question. Whether it be negative or positive or neutral - I want a reaction. To be honest, the more negative the better!
Below are two pieces I created with 'A Divided Self I and A Divided Self II' in mind. I am pleased at what I came up with and realise that at this early stage of experimentation I have a lot to learn, but for now I wanted to see what I was capable of.
As I mentioned earlier I am interested in how people react to visuals such as these ^ and so I asked my family and friends careful questions about how they felt during and after watching these pieces. The general feedback included phrases like "creeped out" and "it scared me" or rather candidly from my Dad "arty farty". I made an effort to observe their facial expressions whilst the videos were playing and they pretty much matched up with the feedback.
All of this helps me so much as I prepare for my first session of filming for my Final Major Project this weekend. I am constantly aware - both during filming and editing clips - of the audiences attention span and patience.
I made sure I never asked them if they liked the pieces. I only asked how they felt.
Last month I decided what I wanted to achieve through the Final Major Project unit. The idea is to produce a short film consisting of two pieces of footage, on separate screens, side by side, playing in synchronisation. Screen 1 will show a rugby team preparing, warming up and playing a game followed by their post match routine back at the clubrooms. The 2nd screen will follow the manufacturing process of a garment within a Hawick Knitwear mill.
These 2 scenarios will be shot in a very abstract fashion. I will focus on shape, colour, symmetry and juxtaposition.
In preparation for filming these events I wanted to get a feel for the camera I will be using, so I had a friend assist me in creating a small 'Mockumentary' following a reclusive man living with his 3 dogs in the country. There was no script or structure to the short film, I suggested things for Calum to talk of or things he could do, places he could go, etc. I wanted a subject to focus my camera on and see what I could come up with.
When I got home home and was preparing to edit, I found I had recorded a total of 81separate clips. This was not what I had expected and so putting together an appropriate selection of clips proved a tricky task. I spent around 3 hours figuring out what audio to use, whether or not to follow an obvious theme etc. What I considered most throughout editing was how the visuals would pair up with the audio. I wanted the theme or plot to be left open. Most of the dialogue sounds as if it should be 'off camera' or 'behind the scenes' conversation, thus hopefully feeling similar to a 'Mockumentary'.
After finalising details and watching it over and over, I noticed how quickly it moved at certain points. I didn't notice this at the beginning and Rosie, my classmate, was the one who pointed it out to me that the eyes of the viewer may struggle to follow what is on the screen. I will take this into consideration when filming for my Final Major Project.
The plan was to film the Hawick Harlequins home game against Duns at the weekend past, but the game was cancelled due to a frozen pitch. Thankfully I will have another opportunity this coming week as the Quins have another home game. As for filming in the mill, I plan to get an e-mail sent to the Managing Director this week detailing my plans and asking for permission.
I am on a roll so I may as well keep posting... I just need to talk about these guys once more. Albert and David Maysles released the documentary 'Salesman' in 1969 and it follows the working lives of 4 bible salesman travelling across New England and Florida. It provides a fascinating insight into the stresses and struggles involved in this particular line of work.
I have loved watching documentaries since I was about 15/16. Some are better than others and it of course depends on the subject matter and how they are made, but the whole concept and idea behind documentaries themselves, fascinates me immensely.
At a time when cameras and video weren't as popular as they are now, watching these men behave and communicate amongst themselves and customers fills me with endless curiosity.
I feel comfort in hearing these men confide in each other and behave they way they do. The challenge and effort involved in negotiating with everyday people seems a task that requires the patience of a saint. These men sell bibles door to door all the while their boss is breathing down their neck wielding a no nonsense attitude and accepting no "excuses" or "alibis".
Personally, there's nothing I like more than spending hours sitting looking through piles of old photographs from my childhood and also members of my family's childhoods. Video footage of my mum and dads childhood doesn't exist due to lack of technology, but I find pleasure in viewing footage they both filmed during the 80s when they first met and up until their marriage. I love how I can experience life before I was born through these home videos.
I suppose this all ties in with my interest in documentaries. Especially documentaries as old as 'Salesman'. There are many factors about this particular documentary that I like: the fact it is in black and white, the mens clothes, the interaction between the men and potential customers, the ability to observe how life was like in that day and age (e.g. without advanced technology, TV, mobile phones etc.) and finally the connection the Maysles brothers have made with the salesmen and people on film.
Albert Maysles has a belief that whilst making a documentary, the person behind the camera, the person in charge of capturing moments on film - has this responsibility to record reality in it's purest form possible. As if the camera isn't even there. Trust has to be established. The bond between humans has to be there, otherwise the intent and purpose of the documentary begins to fade. The link I shared in my erstwhile post shows Albert Maysles explain why he makes documentaries, why he loves it and why his passion for it has remained since his first project in 1955, based around a mental institution in Russia. He talks of the trust and comforting energy he emits when meeting people he is going to later document. I spoke earlier of Maysles and his belief that the trust and bond between himself and his subject is the first step on the right path to a strong documentary.
I chose this guy as one of my six practitioners for my Location Photography unit. I love the attention to detail in his photography and the fact he takes the time to get to know his subjects, even though this connection is brief he creates a bond a certain level of trust that allows the people he meets to act natural and behave in an open way in front of Maysles' camera.
I watched this clip of Maysles giving a talk on documentaries. This interested me and ignited a desire in me to explore the world of making documentaries and how they are made.
My recent exposure to editing in iMovie with clips I have filmed on my camera is part of this ongoing interest in video.
We caught our 5.00pm flight out of Newcastle on Monday the 29th of December. Christmas was the warm up match, preparing us for the main event...
The prospect of spending 4 days over new year, in a beautiful city, with great company and a multitude of places to visit and things to do was an intense thought!
I had came equipped with my camera, sketchbook and notebook along with intentions of documenting our trip particularly with the two on-going units: Location photography and Observational Drawing still in the works.
I believed this holiday would prove a beneficial opportunity for me. This was definitely the case as we swiftly began our routine of a coffee and smoke at Rick's Cafe on our first morning. These few hours each morning allowed me to pull out my sketchbook, relax and take the world in as it passed by through the window in front of us.
Me on the left and Jake on the right. Photograph taken by Calum
I felt very productive and realised this ritual we had taken to each morning was essential if I were to emerge from the Netherlands with any observational material at all. I didn't take as many photographs as I thought I would. I felt as if seeing too much through the lens would affect how I saw things with my own eyes. Plus the camera I own is pretty poor in the dark and this was the time when Amsterdam looked its best, especially around this festive period.
I did record some footage of our trip. I'm starting to really enjoy working with video and capturing places people and areas on film. I have this belief that my mind subconsciously attaches emotions and memories to things that pass me by first time around. It's not until I review the footage later on then I recognise faces or objects that I thought I'd never noticed; but I really did.
Noise and audio are things that attract me to video and editing. Our brains want to make sense of things, and when you are watching for example a short film with music, and background audio from the video you might find yourself piecing together what you see, with what you hear. I can't speak for everyone but this is definitely how I feel!
iMovie has allowed me to manipulate sounds and images to create a visually intriguing experience that questions the intent and reason for it's existence - this is what I want!
I collated clips I had recorded over the 4 days including - Calum reading from Jack Kerouac's 'On The Road', footage of passing foot traffic, Jake rolling a joint, Calum writing, and various others. I was struggling with whether to keep the film instrumental or add a track with lyrics. I saw a film 'Wish I was Here' a couple of months ago and a short song by Aaron Embry 'Raven's Song' was featured on the soundtrack. After much deliberation I realised that this song was a good fit!
So, below is a link to what I came up with. I tried to pay attention to Embry's lyrics and kept in mind what images were visible at the times where he was singing.
This took me a solid hour. There are things about it I feel should be changed, the length is perfect I think, not too long and the amount of clips used are suitable regarding the different verses in the song.
I bought him a coffee for posing
I mentioned that I took along my sketchbook and pencils on the trip, this was a great decision! Whenever we fancied a coffee or were tired from exploring, I grabbed my sketchbook form my rucksack and begun. I adopted a technique of loosely sketching figures, street signs, coffee cups, faces, railings, electronic signs, trams, pavements, backs of heads, hands, beards, hairlines, lips, and anything that caught my eye or looked even a little interesting.
Doing this was therapeutic. I knew whilst drawing I was contributing to my Observational Drawing unit and this made me happy, but it was more than that, each time I drew a line accurately or glanced up then back down and realised that my drawing actually does look a little bit like what I'm drawing was great! I thought "Huh, maybe I am getting the hang of this drawing thing.."
Unfortunately, due to lack of planning and huge queues we were unable to get into the Van Gogh Museum. This was disappointing, but I am planning a solo trip to Amsterdam in the summer and so with a little forward thinking I should be able to book tickets for a tour and nose about.
I have found that a change of environment works wonders for productivity. I felt I had freedom, as if there were no shackles or irrational social boundaries to contend with.
With more drawings to add to my Observational Unit, I can power ahead with others I have half finished, and polish off annotation etc. Also, photographs I have taken may be eligible for submission regarding my Location Photography unit.
Over the last few months since we began our Location Photography and Narrative Image Making units, I have been randomly filming people in and around our class. I had no idea what I would use these short clips for in the beginning, but after getting to grips with iMovie I discovered a whole number of possibilities regarding editing.
My first initial attempt at a short movie was put the music of Pink Floyd and their song 'Us and Them' I realised an immediate connection with the lyrics and the people in the clips I had recorded.
With no plan or any idea what was my beginning, middle and end I just began sifting through the material I had recorded.
Listening to the lyrics closely I tried to arrange certain clips that may look or sound relative to the words being sang and sort of worked from there.
Below is a link to the video!
Learning a lot from this experience with iMovie I discovered the amount of layering that was possible in the editing process.
I had another look at all of my clips and decided to have another shot. Last night I spent 2 hours finishing off another movie with some of the same clips as my first. I found a lot of sound clips and transitions within iMovie I wanted to use, but this meant straying from the dramatic atmosphere I was wanting to create! So I decided not to take it too seriously and start playing around more!
