Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Also--I've just added links to two archives for downloading film and still photos. The first is Prelinger Archive--lots of educational films from 40s and 50s--everything from atomic tests to what color to dye your hair--all public domain and waiting for you to collage into a found-footage project. And the Library of Congress, which has enough historical still photos to create your own Ken Burns-style Americana mockumentary. Enjoy.
Recently assigned projects: 1) Short (2 min) "Story You've Never Told Before." Screened Monday 17 May. 2) 3 min. Beginning/ Middle/ End Project--Video should have beginning middle and end of three different stories. Test Screening (rough 2 min segments) Wednesday 19 May--look for feedback. All production done by Thurs 20 May, so we can begin editing.
Today: Screened a few more "Never-told-before" videos, discussed ways to strategize visual aspects of projects (storyboards, overshooting). Discussed potential problems with sound capture and how to avoid (use no sound, use external mikes, re-record sound) and importance of headphones to monitor sound that's actually being recorded. Screened "Box" from last summer and introduced class collaboration to start Thurs.
Friday: Trip to Spokane (Gary Hill) is on--we will leave at beginning of class.
Today: Screened a few more "Never-told-before" videos, discussed ways to strategize visual aspects of projects (storyboards, overshooting). Discussed potential problems with sound capture and how to avoid (use no sound, use external mikes, re-record sound) and importance of headphones to monitor sound that's actually being recorded. Screened "Box" from last summer and introduced class collaboration to start Thurs.
Friday: Trip to Spokane (Gary Hill) is on--we will leave at beginning of class.
Thursday, May 13, 2004
First Post for Summer 04 Class: Assignments so far.
1) Tuesday, 11 May. Video Portrait of the Self. 2 min. maximum length. Create some sort of self-portrait without using a direct image of your body. We will screen these Wednesday, 12 May.
2) Wednesday, 12 May. Typology. 2 min. length. Use camera to collect 60 examples of a "type" (type of object, color, mood, etc, etc). This averages out to 2 sec. per example. Think about composition of each shot, and how an audience will relate to the video (for example, do we "get it" right away, or is figuring out the "type" part of the experience. We will screen these Thursday, 13 May. Four "video points of view" introduced: 1st person ("I am doing this..." POV); 3d person ("He/She/They are doing this..." Mainstream narrative approach); 2d person ("You are being watched..." Surveillance mode); Impersonal point of view--Pure image.
3) Thursday, 13 May. 6 Cuts, 1 Subject (group project). 3 min. length. Working in randomly assigned groups of three, you will until Monday to make a video dealing with a single subject, composed of 7 unbroken takes (so, 6 cuts). Think about compositional strategies (centered, 'rule' of thirds, eccentric), whether shots are Long (Wide), Medium, Close-up, Extreme Close-up. Remember, video is NOT film--it conforms best to conventional moving-image aesthetics in CU and XCU--looks most "video-like" in Long Shot. Also consider camera motions--Zoom/Dolly; Pan/Track; Following/Moving with. Screening is Monday, 17 May. I will assign a short (2 min) individual project on Friday, also to be screened Monday.
1) Tuesday, 11 May. Video Portrait of the Self. 2 min. maximum length. Create some sort of self-portrait without using a direct image of your body. We will screen these Wednesday, 12 May.
2) Wednesday, 12 May. Typology. 2 min. length. Use camera to collect 60 examples of a "type" (type of object, color, mood, etc, etc). This averages out to 2 sec. per example. Think about composition of each shot, and how an audience will relate to the video (for example, do we "get it" right away, or is figuring out the "type" part of the experience. We will screen these Thursday, 13 May. Four "video points of view" introduced: 1st person ("I am doing this..." POV); 3d person ("He/She/They are doing this..." Mainstream narrative approach); 2d person ("You are being watched..." Surveillance mode); Impersonal point of view--Pure image.
3) Thursday, 13 May. 6 Cuts, 1 Subject (group project). 3 min. length. Working in randomly assigned groups of three, you will until Monday to make a video dealing with a single subject, composed of 7 unbroken takes (so, 6 cuts). Think about compositional strategies (centered, 'rule' of thirds, eccentric), whether shots are Long (Wide), Medium, Close-up, Extreme Close-up. Remember, video is NOT film--it conforms best to conventional moving-image aesthetics in CU and XCU--looks most "video-like" in Long Shot. Also consider camera motions--Zoom/Dolly; Pan/Track; Following/Moving with. Screening is Monday, 17 May. I will assign a short (2 min) individual project on Friday, also to be screened Monday.
Sunday, August 03, 2003
I've added two more links--to the Montreal Kino site (where the idea started) and to the Madison, Wisconsin site (only USA kino I can find). All this has only been happening for a couple years, so kino in Pullman will be a cutting edge sort of thing, right?
Keep in touch about any film projects--I'll email you all beginning of fall to organize various projects we talked about. Please let me know if you have any problems posting to this site, or if you'd like to be given admin access (to add your own links, make the page look better, etc)
Have a good summer. Thanks for a great class
Keep in touch about any film projects--I'll email you all beginning of fall to organize various projects we talked about. Please let me know if you have any problems posting to this site, or if you'd like to be given admin access (to add your own links, make the page look better, etc)
Have a good summer. Thanks for a great class
Thursday, July 31, 2003
More on the kino/ 48 hour film festival thing: as we (those of you who were here) discussed last night, perhaps the focus of the first event could be documentaries--48 hours to shoot, edit and screen an original documentary (broadly defined); all footage to be shot within those 48 hours. Comment?
I'd like to keep this blog up as a way of organizing the event(s)--let's try for a meeting the second week of fall semester or so, with the event to take place in October or early November.
I'd like to keep this blog up as a way of organizing the event(s)--let's try for a meeting the second week of fall semester or so, with the event to take place in October or early November.
Saturday, July 19, 2003
Your weekend assignment: Make (or shoot raw video for) three seperate pieces. One will be a beginning, one a middle and one an end, tho' not to the same "story." Keep them short. No genre subjects (romance, action/adventure, etc). Some suggestions: What happens if the pieces have no human (or living) subjects? We'll screen the initial results Monday.
For Tuesday, I'll be asking for a short outline/synopsis/treatment/proposal for a final project. We'll work out the details Monday.
I had a conversation with Brian after class about "kino." It's a film/video movement that originated in Montreal (according to the radio program where I heard about it). Basically, the idea is to shoot, edit and screen projects in a single 48 hour period. I was thinking this fall it might be interesting to do an event like this--get a group together, hand out cameras and such on a Friday evening, keep the media room open for editing around the clock, and have a public screening of whatever people come up with on Sunday. What do you all think?
Post ideas for a "box" sequel.
For Tuesday, I'll be asking for a short outline/synopsis/treatment/proposal for a final project. We'll work out the details Monday.
I had a conversation with Brian after class about "kino." It's a film/video movement that originated in Montreal (according to the radio program where I heard about it). Basically, the idea is to shoot, edit and screen projects in a single 48 hour period. I was thinking this fall it might be interesting to do an event like this--get a group together, hand out cameras and such on a Friday evening, keep the media room open for editing around the clock, and have a public screening of whatever people come up with on Sunday. What do you all think?
Post ideas for a "box" sequel.
Friday, July 11, 2003
Review of projects so far (by day assigned): Tuesday--2 min "self-portrait"/ tell a story you've never told before; Wednesday--<5min "10 interesting things, each lasting 10 sec or so; Friday--10 min (or less) "semi-coherent" piece, incorporating found footage (due Monday); also begin thinking about a longer more polished piece(s) for second half of class.
You all have user names and accounts now on the machines in the media room--they will be available for your use during class. I will try to schedule a few hours outside of class during the final week so you'll have greater access. ISS also has editing facilities.
I've added a few more links--one to Artist's Trust (good organization to keep in mind, esp. when you're no longer students and are eligible for project grants); Athens International Film and Video Festival (good festival I had work in a couple years running); and what looks like a really good site on Chris Marker (director of Sans Soleil). Apparently, he has forthcoming projects, and the current issue of Film Comment magazine is dedicated to discussing his work. V. good links and such on this site. Again, Sans Soleil can be rented from Howard Hughes in Moscow, from the Media Services in Holland Library (free!) and it might be worth trying the chains (Blockbuster, Hastings, etc.) Also, I've added a link to Facets video, out of Chicago. They have probably the best selection of videos in the US--experimental stuff you cannot find anywhere else, as well as other things--they even do mail order rental. Plus, they're nonprofit.
See you in class. Please post any comments, reactions, etc to Anything screened so far, or the Baudrillard, or whatever.
You all have user names and accounts now on the machines in the media room--they will be available for your use during class. I will try to schedule a few hours outside of class during the final week so you'll have greater access. ISS also has editing facilities.
I've added a few more links--one to Artist's Trust (good organization to keep in mind, esp. when you're no longer students and are eligible for project grants); Athens International Film and Video Festival (good festival I had work in a couple years running); and what looks like a really good site on Chris Marker (director of Sans Soleil). Apparently, he has forthcoming projects, and the current issue of Film Comment magazine is dedicated to discussing his work. V. good links and such on this site. Again, Sans Soleil can be rented from Howard Hughes in Moscow, from the Media Services in Holland Library (free!) and it might be worth trying the chains (Blockbuster, Hastings, etc.) Also, I've added a link to Facets video, out of Chicago. They have probably the best selection of videos in the US--experimental stuff you cannot find anywhere else, as well as other things--they even do mail order rental. Plus, they're nonprofit.
See you in class. Please post any comments, reactions, etc to Anything screened so far, or the Baudrillard, or whatever.
Monday, July 07, 2003
I added a few links--two video artists (with pages that load slowly if you have a dialup connection) and B&h Photo-Video, a NYC store with huge selection of equipment, videotape etc, and good prices.
