Photography; Photograms; Picasso 09/10/09

Technical notes
Photography; Picasso` s photos of a reservoir; merged them to produce Cubist paintings. Picasso also produced images by scratching onto photographic emulsion in film, eg using a pin.
Picasso` s Photograms; quite complex. Using card, bits of paper, negative and positive. Used cut out figures, scratched onto exposed film. Used a pin to make holes in the film.
Task; scratch a little picture into the emulsion side of the film. (Easeier to do thois on top of the lightbox as you can see better what you are doing.) Take it to the darkroom and print. OR; cut figures out of black card. (Draw it first in pencil so that you know what you` re doing.)
Picasso; ‘On Photography’. Good book about Picasso` s work. In the library.
When you make these prints you need to stop the Aperture right down, as there ` s not much on the negative for the light to go through. You may also need to step – up the contrast. Different with the cardboard cutouts.

Project Research activity…
Students need to remember to write down in their activity logs anybody they` ve talked to about their ideas and how that has changed their ideas or plans.
Evidence they need; Bibliography; identifying the resources they `ve used. Whether it` s an image, a film, a performance, piece of music, book they` ve read……
Hard copies of their research PLUS what they` ve done with it. Highlighted sections / annotations / notes.
If using a film, need notes from that film. If using an image, needs analytical notations. All the Research they` re doing in each Class, eg. Graphics, Media, performance, ahould all feed into this.
Methods of Marketing.

Posted by Rebecca Payne

Friday, 23 October 2009 at 13:06 , 0 Comments

more music..............

More music videos I like.................

Chris Cunningham

Bjork 'All is full of love'



and the making of it........................


I love the way that this video looks like it has used fully fledged robots, but is actually created using sketches and CGI effects. This video is an Art Work in itself, and is on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.






I`m guessing that this video was shot underwater. I love the effect that this has produced and the way it enhances the floaty, surreal sounds of the song.

Michel Gondry


I love the use of projection in this video. It` s a simple technique but really seems to illustrate the idea of the Artist` s dream.

I really like the narrative elements of this video and the way it has a fairytale element to it which brings back an array of childhood memories.

This is such a stunning video and relates to my own personal subject interest in Global Warming and the end of the world whilst retaining strong aesthetic qualities.

This video really utilises photography techniques and I find it really visually appealing. I also really like the way that it leaves the viewer with a feeling of distortion or madness.
I like the way that this video gives you the feeling of following a journey. I also really like the use of industrial elements and the way they reflect the industrial sounds of the tune.
I like the phsycadelic imagery of this video and the way it makes refernces to the illustrations of Robert Plumb.
I like the way that this video incorporates the lyrics, and makes them appear like poetry.

(not that I'm a huge Bjork fan or anything.......)


Posted by Rebecca Payne

Friday, 16 October 2009 at 02:52 , 0 Comments

Presentation...


Penwith College
Creative and Media Diploma L3
Year 1
Unit 1 : Capture
Assignment 1: Investigation
Music and Multimedia Pathway
Issue Date: 23/02/09
Submission Date: 16/03/09 (Research deadline)
30/03/09 (Presentations)
Lecturers: Sarah Crook, Armando Garcia, Sam Jubb, Laurence Hartwell
Assignment 1 — investigation

Assignment overview
For this assignment you must work on your own, even if you are working in a group for
Assignment 2.
You must investigate past and current work in the medium of music videos.
Your investigation must aim to explain:
• the techniques and technology of both the creation and distribution of music videos
• how previous work differs from current work
• why previous work differs from current work
• how technologies and techniques vary from one example to another
• How different videos / directors use the same techniques and technologies in different ways
• The relationship between music video image and the image of the artist / s
• The impact of key, innovative directors in the development of the genre
• how developments in the past have influenced contemporary practice.
You will present the results of your investigation to the rest of the class in an illustrated
presentation of approximately ten minutes.

Stage 1 — research
First, you must look for examples. To do this you should use the full range of research resources
available to you. Do not rely only on the internet — use the library, and the department
resources as well. Whilst your own opinion is key, statements and ideas need to be backed up by well cited example. Try to include evidence from opposing points of view to add depth to your argument.
When you find good examples, take care to note where you found them as you might want to
use them as illustrations in your presentation.
Your notes must be collected together, clearly labelled, and put in your Unit 1 Process Portfolio.
All research must be completed for the beginning of the lesson on 16/3/09
Stage 2 — presentation
In your presentation you must demonstrate that you understand past and current practice of
capture in the medium you have chosen to look at and the relationship between them. That is,
you should explain:
• the techniques and technology of your chosen medium or media
• how previous work differs from current work
• why previous work differs from current work
• how developments in the past have influenced contemporary practice.

When you prepare your presentation you should think about:
• what you want to say
• the order in which you want to say it
• how you will illustrate your points.
Remember that you should always try to:
• make a point as clearly as possible
• give an example to illustrate that point
• explain exactly how the example illustrates the point.
After your presentation you must get your Unit 1 Process Portfolio up to date. The Process
Portfolio must contain:
all your research notes
paper copies of the text, powerpoints, video excerpts and slides for your presentation
where possible, copies of illustrations (where paper copies of illustrations are not possible — eg
your medium is film or video — you must indicate clearly in the presentation text or on the
copies of the slides what the illustrations are).
Presentations will take place on Monday 30th March
Presentations will be recorded as part of the evidence
Assessment
You will be assessed on your understanding of:
• past and current practice in capture in the chosen medium or media (assessment focus 1)
• how factors such as historical developments have influenced current practice (assessment
focus 1)
• how different practitioners have approached the process of capture in your chosen medium
or media (assessment focus 1).
The mark you are given will contribute to your final mark for this unit.
To achieve the higher marks you must provide a well-evidenced, critical explanation of your
subject.
Level 3, Unit 1: Capture — assessment record for Mark A, (assignment 1)
Candidate’s Name
Candidate’s Number
Centre Name
Centre Number
Assessment Focus LO.1: Understand past and current practice of capture in a chosen medium or media
Mark band 1
Mark Range
Mark band 2
Mark Range
Mark band 3
Mark range
Mark
Given
Describes past and current practice in capture in the chosen medium or format.
Describes how factors such as historical developments have influenced current practice.
Describes approaches to capture in the chosen medium or media by different practitioners.

0-4
Discusses past and current practice in capture in the chosen medium or format.
Discusses how factors such as historical developments have influenced current practice.
Discusses approaches to capture in the chosen medium or media by different practitioners.

5-7
Provides a well-evidenced critical explanation of past and current practice in capture in the chosen medium or format.
Provides a well-evidenced critical explanation of how factors such as historical developments have influenced current practice.
Provides a well-evidenced critical explanation of approaches to capture in the chosen medium or media by different practitioners.


MY TASK;Present an example of a presentation for the students..................

A comparison; Lasse Halstrom' s 'Waterloo' video (Abba) in comparison to Michel Gondry` s 'Mad World' video (Gary Jules.)...

ABBA
WATERLOO

Won the Eurovision song contest in 1974.

Abba`s first number 1 hit in many European Countries.

1st UK number 1 for the band. Number 1 for 2 weeks

Made it to the US Top 10

Brought to the European song contest 'never seen before';
flashy and flamboyant costumes
silver platform boots!
a group singing not in their Native language
simple, still unseen before, Choreography.

Song Title; 'Waterloo'. Named because the song is about a girl who is about to surrender to 'romance', in the same way that Napolean had to surrender at the battle of Waterloo in 1815...


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


Notes
Starts with alternate zooming in shots cutting from each band member to inserts of close up of Napolean. Edited to the music.
Then goes to wide shot of the whole band, setting the scene.
Band is the focus; shot in studio against a white background.
Performance video.
Immediately, the piano motif is there.
As the music breaks, it zooms in on Napolean again, then goes to Mid shot of 2 female singers alternating with cut aways of close ups of piano.
Changes to Profile shot of the 2 girls.
Chorus; zooms back out to Wide shot.
Then Tilts up to a Crane shot of guy on piano.
Back to Profile shot of 2 girls again, zooming into close up of guy on guitar.
alternates between shot of 2 girls and focus on guy on guitar shot between them.
back out to wide shot
back to 2 girls; over the shoulder shot.
alternates between choreographed movements of the 2 girls and piano motif.
repeats previously used techniques; crane shot of piano, zooms from mid shot to close up, close up of guy on piano.
Profile shot of whole band.
use of focus again.
repeats; each member of the band gets a good amount of coverage.
zooms into space between the 2 girls to finish; image fades out as song fades out.
very simple
filmed in a studio using very bright, high key lighting
white background, easy to edit
very literal- using the shots of Napolean to refer to the battle of Waterloo.
They are establishing their Branding through costume, use of piano motif.
Mood of the video is happy, jolly, same as the mood of the song.


Mad World


Originally by the band Tears for Fears. Released in 1982.

First music video of the song; directed by Clive Richardson in 1982.
Featured band member Curt Smith gloomily staring out of the window whilst other band member Roland Orzabi performed a bizarre dance outside!

Cover version; much slower, ballad like version by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules, written for the Donnie Darko soundtrack in 2003.

Song was released on CD as part of the soundtrack, but soon built up a cult following and was later released on single, becoming number 1 over the Christmas holiday in the UK in 2003.

The music video by Michel Gondry has since become very popular on you tube, gaining over 15 million views as of the start of 2009.

Meaning of the song/ story behind it;
'The song came when I lived above a pizza restaurant in Bath and I could look out onto the centre of the city. Not that Bath is very mad; I should have called it Bourgeois World '
Lyrically the song is pretty loose. It throws together a lot of different images to paint a picture without saying anything specific about the world.'
Roland Orzabi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4







Mad World
Gary jules version;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4
tears for fears version;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZRib_aAQFQ
Notes

Opens with Wide shot from above- shows someone looking through a window and you have the feeling that you are doing the same.
Then it Tilts up, following your gaze.
As the music starts, the children change from random motion into a Choreographed shape.
Their motion reflects the mood of the music. Timing may have been altered / slowed down to enhance this.
Camera stays on static Wide shot while they perform the choreographed movements.
Camera pans to follow movement of actors, continues to pan and tilt as it goes up to singer on roof.
Wide shot of singer on roof; setting the scene, putting it into context.
New York/ big American city.
Pan and tilt back down to children, then you realise it is a point of view shot- you are seeing out of the singer` s eyes- you are seeing his daydreams.
The choreographed children are illustrating his thoughts.
Pans and tilts following his gaze, the speed of the camera movement reflects the mood of the song and daydreaming theme.
The images that they form are all quite random, the same as in that quote about the lyrics of the song.
The actors which leave the scene and start playing basketball, etc; camera follows them; link back to reality.
The static wide shot of the children often has cars moving in the top half of the shot, this keeps a connection to the setting, in the city, the Mad World.
Camera Pans and Tilts around to musician on piano in snow on roof.
Whole thing is very slow paced, makes it more emotional, reflecting mood of the song.
Does look like the whole thing` s shot in 1 go, but if you look closely, iy does look like there` s bits where it ` s edited. Also might possibly use a Green screen or some CGI on some bits, for example, when they` re on the roof; backdrop looks a bit too perfect.

The whole thing is very Michel Gondry; it` s sweet, sensitive, childlike, following the theme of dreams, a bit surreal, artistic.
1 simple idea, expanded into something magical. uses repetition. Features the Artists. Use of Choreography and Timing.
Shot in New York.
Branding of the band; they are artistic, meditative, deep, creative.


SUMMARY

Common features; both videos used simple ideas and repetition.
They both used quite simple editing.
Both used cutaways to a representational scene (or object.)
They both used filming styles that enhanced the mood of the song.
They are both trying to tell the story of the song or have a connection to the lyrics.
They both feature elements of Performance.

Main differences/ development
Choreography - how the use of this in film has been developed over time.
Abstraction and Representation- the ways in which film can be used to represent ideas and as a medium of expression.
Audience expectations - The increase in popularity and exposure of music video through MTV, You Tube and general TV and internet demand has created pressure for high quality, innovative and entertaining music video.

Reason for choice
Michel Gondry still using basic techniques. Not showing off with technology. Its very conceptual.
Using the imagination to develop the idea rather than the technology.
Shows how the medium of film has developed through ideas and creativity. Experimentation.
Film as an art form.
not just the technological changes but Cultural changes, changes in ways of thinking.
....it ` s something the students could do themselves.

Bonus material......

'Mad World; old skool version by Tears for Fears. Set task for students; to compare old and new version and see what` s changed; Techniques....Technologies............80s dancing.................

Posted by Rebecca Payne

Thursday, 15 October 2009 at 10:16 , 0 Comments

02/10/09
Technical notes
Functional skills; IT
Log onto Homepage.Type in 'Hartwell'. Scroll down, go to 'Publish', click on 'key skills homepage'. Lots of recources.
Mean-average
Median-middle
Mode-most common
Range-difference between the highest and the lowest


Film and Media
Spike Jonze
Michel Gondry- renowned film maker. Did'Eyernal sunshine of the spotless mind'.
He has a certain style; very French. sweet sensitive. childlike. surreal. quirky. humorous. eccentric. 'The science of sleep'. Another brilliant film he did. Dreamlike.
Chris Cunningham- a bit more hard edged.more scary. a bit twisted.
Michel Gondry- 'The White Stripes'. It` s about taking 1 idea and repeating or really expanding on it. Where is it filmed?
'The hardest button to button'.Technique; often it` s a simple ideaRepetition, Edited to the music.
How does it promote the band? What is it saying about the band? Branding They are; original, eccentric, artistic.
Techniques; how did they do it?; lots of equipment. Each shot; 3 or 4 seconds. Then its all about the editing.
Method; 1st they listen to the track. Noticed it had a very strong drumbeat. So they thought, 'lets edit it to the beat'. master of the simple idea. people remeber it.
Kylie Minogue; 'Come into my world'. Choreography. It` s all really well choreographed. all about timing. Layers.Using a Green screen. She s walking in a studio. set in France; chic, paris, artistic cool.sexy. Repeating, layering things; Michel Gondry` s style.
Forms; Narrative, Abstract, simple idea. Clever. Film maker showing off what he can do. Cutting edge.
Foo Fighters; 'Everlong'. Leads through to ending. Ending resolves the narrative. Uses glass in front of the camera. Could use paints, drawing, writing. Then play it backwards. Branding of the band; they are funny, cool,crazy, wacky, imaginative.
Alot of his ideas came out of his own dreams from childhood. Big hands. House in the woods. Dreams are very much a theme of Gondry` s work.
Always has the Artist in the video and it ` s saying something about the Artist.
Bjork; 'Hyperballad'. Very image based Artist. Works collaboratively with other Artists. Set; in Iceland. Where she` s from. 'Emotional Landscapes'. Title of song. Film features the landscapes of Iceland, filmed from above. As music changes to Dramatic, landscape splits apart. Mood changes as the mood of the music changes.
Chemical Brothers. Another simple idea, filmed from a train. Same clips, repeating themselves. Edited to the beat, a film of just 1 train journey.Speed, editing, cutting etc relects the changes in the music. Alot of footage, a journey through France, edited together. There are a few CG Images in there, added for interest.eg, bridges, houses. In this case, the video makes the music. Brings it to life. Repetition in the song reflects repetition in the video.
'Around the world'; bit sinister, bit dark. title, 'Around the world'; they are dancing around a circular stage.
Another Chemical Brothers one uses mirrors.Made on video rather than film. Film has that deeper,'cinematic' feel. Video is shallower. (80s.)
Michel Gondry- summary. He` s got such a strong, repetitive style that his videos are very easily recognisable. Childlike, quirky, uses costume, eccentric, repetitive.Music, promotional video is a good way ofmaking money. Lots of directors start out in music and lead on into film.

Posted by Rebecca Payne

at 09:55 , 0 Comments

25/09/09
Film/ Media
Jonathon Glazer
Spike Jones
Mark Romenick artists they are looking at.
Media History. 1981; MTV started in Britain.
1984; MTV Europe.
Invention of the music video; video became more important than the music. e.g. ‘Wham’ , ‘Duran Duran’. The video BRANDS the music.
ABBA videos; made by Lassa Halstrom.
their recent musical ’Mamma Mia’ was the biggest selling movies of the last 5 years.
History of ABBA; 1973; Waterloo. Abba won Eurovision song contest. Types of shots; ‘inserts’, ‘close-ups’, ‘cutaways’. Piano is the ‘motif’; it features in most of the Abba videos.
example of a cutaway; boy is thinking about bird - cuts to shot of bird - cuts back to boy.
Whits background; easier to edit. Performance video.
Branding; costume. It` s very ‘literal‘; uses shots of a statue of Napoleon to make reference to the battle of Waterloo. Wide shot at start of video. Very high key lighting. (too bright).
‘Profile shot’; from the side. ‘Crane shot‘; from above.
At this point in time, Lasse Halstrom is learning himself. (Now a very famous film director.)
Popularity; Abba; 2 men, 2 women; appealed to both audiences.
Branding; name ABBA uses first letter of names of each member of the band. Very basic, unimaginative branding!
Queen; video of Bohemian Rhapsody- another iconic music video- everyone knows it; has been parodied over and over again.
‘Mamma main’ video. Piano developing as motif. Focussing on the hammers inside it this time. They` ve won Eurovision, they` re getting recognition as a band. They` ve got a bit more backing but they don` t want to change the formula! Camera getting a bit more manipulative; focusing a bit more on the women- using attraction appeal. Using extreme close-ups; using focus; switching from 1 mouth to another. Experimenting with the technology.
Interesting; looking at the teeth. Abba are flaws and all; now they would use false teeth or airbrushing! Everything is manicured. Edited. James Bond in the 60s was very different to Daniel Craig. He used to smoke and drink.
‘Fernando’ video; still same formula. Profile shots, close-ups. The band always looks bored because they ` ve shot it so many times! This time they` ve used very basic lighting effects by cutting holes in a sheet. Halstrom is learning how to use illusion.
‘Dancing Queen’. Filmed in the best Swedish night club at the time. Still using motifs of them facing each other, profile shots, they look more expressive. They` ve brought in other actors to make the crowd and use ‘Point of view’ shots from the viewpoint of the audience. Audience participation theme; makes you feel like you` re there. Feels like a real performance. Uses a bit of ‘slow motion’; close up of singer shaking head.
Top of the pops audience; they only let the cool people in!
Storyboards; not the same as a cartoon. They shoe the filming shot to shot. Developing a narrative.

Posted by Rebecca Payne

at 09:49 , 0 Comments

my darkroom Xperiments! 25/09/09






Darkroom experimentation...To remind myself how to use the darkroom I grabbed a go when none of the students were around and refreshed my memory by following the student worksheet and producing some photograms and projection Prints of my own!
NB; THIS IS NOT MY BEST WORK!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Rebecca Payne

Sunday, 4 October 2009 at 12:52 , 0 Comments

technical notes; Photography 25/09/09

Technical Notes; 1st ND Photography lesson!

Photography
Inverting prints; 1 image on top of the other, OR; Photoshop- image- invert.
Opaque; light can not pass through it. (won` t work in projection printing.
Photoshop
on College computers, first thing students need to do when they log on is set it back to the Default Settings, as it` s always left on the settings of the last user. To do this, press down 'alt', 'ctrl' and 'shift' and hold them down whilst going to Photoshop in Applications and clicking on it. A little box comes up which says 'Delete the Adobe settings'. click on 'yes'. This takes you back to the default settings.
Some of the computers have scanners next to them. Photo face down, file - import - canon. preview image. Tidy up area around image in Preview and then press scan.
Go to; 'image' - ruler - put the ruler over the image and click in each corner. Then go to; image - rotation - arbitrary. This straightens the image up if you` ve scanned it.
image - adjust - invert. Makes a negative.

Posted by Rebecca Payne

at 12:44 , 0 Comments

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