Collation

Frantic preperation is now on to get our semester's work together for our final presentation and crits. It has been interesting, even at this relatively early stage to revisit the previous two studio projects which now feel like so long ago. They had been dismissed to the back to ones mind upon completion which is perhaps is a good way to do it as the distance means you can revisit and reflect with a clearer mind and perspective. Like I mentioned in reflection of my presentation on Friday, you get so close and personal to a project whilst working on it that it is difficult to stand back, disengage and really think about it and it's implications. This is something I am intending to do in my supporting material, take just a few paragraph to look at the wider implications and potential application of what I have achieved with each project and think about their potential to take it further. In fact I think that is what James is encouraging us to do, rather than dismissing projects which didn't work out completely, to go back and rework them and make them into something you're proud to display and confident in talking about.

Each project was not without it's constraints, the most commonly identified one being time. Even some of the small feed in projects I think I'd be keen to revisit one day, even outside the context of a brief which too can act as a constraint. I don't think I'm going to do much at this point for reworking any of my projects but I do want to explore some of their future potential, even if to incorporate as part of a future project as the skills we have acquired with the software and construction are easily adaptable to different briefs.

There has been a lot of confusion around the class as to exactly what we're supposed to do for presentation and crit but I see it quite simply as a concise overview, as an answer to the question if someone asked you 'what have you done this semester?' As our grades so far have been only summative grades, I also interpret it as showing what may not have come through. As the example I gave before, such as if perhaps the final product wasn't the best possible outcome, or even the other side of that if you started at point A, the brief, and ended up at point Z, the final presentation, by winging it and making up the night before and still managing to bluff a reasonable outcome. I see this as the opportunity to show the points in between A and Z; the ideas that didn't make it to presentation, the influences, the side roads, the detours, the construction. It reminds me of the additional optional scolarship paper which accompanies Level 3 NCEA art boards, where one present 8 A3 pages of journal work alongside their 3 A1 art boards to show exactly that; their thoughts, explored ideas, artist influences.

Even though I got a fairly abismal marks on both my scholarship entries for photography and design, I am feeling pretty confident. I am looking forward to showing off my work on the open studio on the Friday night and seeing what everyone else has put together. If nothing else, it will be another integral part to our constant process of reflection and learning from each other's skills.

The final roll

In a retrospective look back at this project, I feel (like many others in the group) that a lot of my time was put into construction, a decent amount of time put into filming (the fun part!) and the final part of putting it all together was a tight squeeze in the last few days. Preparation for presentation - despite my goal following last presentation - was nothing more than mental dialogue on the bus to uni on the day. Only consolation was that this would've proved to be more or less redundant anyway as we were running tight on time but at least I will have a proper chance to present this and my other projects at the final crit.

From presentation, I did get a bit of feedback which surprised me, in questioning of my use of music and some of my composition of my video. I suppose like with any project, you get so close and emotionally attached to it, you have to step back and have a better look to be able to accept and identify with the criticism you receive.

I still believe my choice in music is justified as I felt that the simple accoustic guitar helped provide a pace and rhytm, like footsteps, without being overpowering. Sitting watching my video on a large screen, I felt like it was something I could just sit and mediate to, reminiscent of colourfield paintings where you respond to the interplay of colours devoid of recognisable subject matter, and hence, any assigned meaning. In reference to the city setting, I was trying to make a reference to the music of the buskers around the city and the glimpes of music you hear as you move through the city, perhaps coming back to later in the day from your subconscious experience of it, where you're not quite sure where you heard it but it is there.

Looking at my video again, I can understand and see how the compositions of my smaller strips were perhaps less successful as they are a bit more detached than the meditative effect of the full screen movements which engulf your vision. I was trying to make a reference to pathways and the more literal streets and paths through the city and the experiences along the way, visually also providing almost a bird's eye view.

On the whole, I was pleased with how my final result came out, especially as for at least half the project I wasn't even sure my risk would work out at all, potentially leaving me with nothing. I am glad I took this risk as I too often stay too close to my comfort zone and it is a much more satisfying result when you've taken a risk as the out come is less predicable.

Never the less, here is currently my finished outcome. I used finished lightly as going by a quote I once heard and taken to heart, 'An artwork is never finished. It just stops in interesting places.' With the chance to continue to develop and refine our projects in time for our final critique, I feel this is very apt.



Also, to aid my explanations, here is my documentation of how it all works!

Patterns and Pathways

Following my predicament with the lack of continuity between the colours of the exposures, automatically adjusted by the negative scanner, I managed to find a way to more or less successfully weave them together into the strip I wanted. Definitely starting to look more like a Darren Glass Reference!

To turn this into a video, I was inspired by the 'Scratch Films' of Len Lye who would scratch directly into or paint onto film reels which were played back on a projector to creating patterns of moving lines, patterns, and colours, such as in his video 'Colour Box'. Despite lack of a movie projector, once I started playing around in Final Cut Pro, the way I imagined I'd make my idea work was deemed feasible. It was simply a matter of playing the still image into the timeline, extending it to the desired length and then using motion to adjust the x or y coordinate of the center point to change from one point to another over time. Hence it would move across the screen vertically or horizontally with only a section of it in the frame, giving the impression of the movement.

Image: Section of film from Len Lye's 'Colour Box'.

Once I managed to get them moving, it was a matter of composing them into a 2-3 minute sequence. It was these composition which would work in tune with the feeling of movement created by the individual films. The pathways, interactions and interceptions of the films are to reflect the infinite number of pathways and potential ways in which one can experience and move through the city, as with the infinite amout of ways I could combine and compose the films.

All, essentially for the purpose to linking back to my concept of capturing and conveying how the light and space shifts around us as we move through the city which taps into the way in which we psychologically experience the city. As it is almost completely abstract, the original subject and setting is indistinguishable as it is redundant, we remember more from our experiences how we felt at the time. We may not remember the exact paths we walk through the city but we recall the sense of movement, speed and constant turbulence.

As with other studio projects, there were a few bits of software to pick up. I found Final Cut Pro relatively easy to pick up as I'd done video editing in media studies for two years in high school, having created a short horror film and documentary. Final Cut was definitely more advanced that the software we'd used there but it was obviously the same concepts and mechanisms behind it. I disliked having to use Live Type as a separate piece of software to create the titles as it made it a lot more fiddly with the extra process of importing and exporting but I suppose that is often necessary with the overall complexity and vastness of each standalone program, of which we were only using what was probably just a small fraction.

It was good to develop on from these existing skills I'd previously developed and especially when I got to using DVD Studio Pro to create the menu which would enable it to burn a readable DVD. Even though menu functions on DVDs are a commonality, it never occurred to me as something that was possible for me to create as well so that was a really satisfying result and greatly improved the aesthetic of the final DVD.

I feel I have taken away a lot of skills from this project, in both metal work and technical and with software. As with other projects I have found I am starting to think of other projects I can incorporate these into or how I can keep developing my ideas. I think that is actually something I need to work on more towards the beginning of the project, that is, pushing more of a variety of ideas. It was a process I actually conformed to a lot last year in the method and criteria of NCEA where art design, always you had to generate a range of concepts, pick one or two to push and develop and change, but always bringing it back to regenerating ideas to create something new and more refined. It is something to keep in mind for next project or to think about in preperation for the final crit.

Moderate successes.

First test run of my apparatus was not without it's flaws but that was to be expected. I did four separate exposures in a variety of locations and methods to get an idea of what works and what doesn't. My first exposure was standing outside AUT tower and just spun and rolled it in my hands; second exposure was rolling across Aotea square; third exposure was a multiple exposure where I aimed the pinhole at several brightly and different coloured fixtures; fourth exposure was rolling it down a steep hill covered in bright yellow leaves.

The main technical difficulties was in that as it rolled, the opposing holes would get misaligned by either the two cylinders turning or becoming pushed closer together or starting to come apart. If I were to reconstruct it, I'd create some sort of mechanism that actually locked it in place. As a temporary measure, I used strong duct tape to stop it from turning and drilled another hole to ensure that it would stay within the vertical range of the pinhole.

I cannot express the extreme joy and relief that I felt as my first film came through the C41 and I saw that there was something on it. At that point I didn't particularly care what. Once all four half films had come through, it was into the scanner which, designed to read individual frames, protested at the lack of said frames. Regardless, two of my four trials gave good results with relative continuity between frames and variations of colour and light patterns.

The most successful ones were actually my two more controlled exposures, possibly because it was on the uncontrolled ones that the aperture misaligned and got closed up as these ones were more or less unexposed. At least I know from this that my method of changing and storing films is successful and my canister is light tight. Below is the result of this exposure and what the exposure was of. The colours are at this point a little inconsistent due to the nature of the scanning so the method of scanning will require some experimenting.

My next exposures were planned and taken with these ones taking into consideration and, despite many technical difficulties with the temperamental machines at work, they came out again with varying degrees of success, giving another reference point to again work from for my final trial.

The important thing at this point is to not lose sight of the brief and original concept. Where my most successful trials so far have been my controlled exposures, ideally the more random ones where the path of the apparatus takes over are more fitting in my exploration of light and space. The controlled exposures can perhaps be justified in terms of drawing attention to the normally overlooked fixtures of the city as dynamic in their own aspect but my initial idea is more focused on movement through and around the city. Perhaps I need to bring this back to and reevaluate my brief before my next round of trials to clarify what I am trying to achieve and what these exposures show so I can then bring this together and convey it more successfully in my video.

Ready to roll

It's what you can't see that will make the magic. Both in the operation and construction of my apparatus and in the way in which my footage is captured. Today I completed construction and so tonight is the eve before I take it for a test run. All that was left to do was to adjuct the height of the holes so they lined up and glue in my foam circles which will keep my interior cylinder in place.

Armed with four rolls of film, tomorrow I will take to the city for a few rounds of experimentation and then out to the photolab on Wednesday, and after analysis of results, further experimentation thereafter.

We were from the word Go, Day One of the BCT, encouraged to take risks and this is definitely one of the biggest risks I feel I've ever taken with a project. I always like to do relatively simple concepts which I know will work. In theory, my apparatus follows established principles and methods of pinhole photography and I have taken every care to construct my apparatus according to these; from the light tight construction, to taking into account calculations of aperture, focal length, and ISO, to painting it black, to the fine tin foil pinhole, to 'borrowing' a dark bag from work to enable me to change film on site without need for a darkroom.

At this point perhaps what I'm most apprehensive about are the things which are now more or less beyond my immediate control; the spin of the interior cylinder, risk of over/under exposure, and even damage to the exterior appearance (ie chips in the paint job).

At this point only have vague ides around how to compose my final video but this is something which will inevitably be based on the result of my apparatus. I have a few ideas and am actually thinking about using processing again to perhaps create something where the physical movement of the apparatus will have another element of control over the immediate visual result. I also have a potential artist model in mind but will be doing more research on video art. Workshops on Final Cut Pro will also give me a better idea what I have to work with and what I am capable of in the remaining amount of time, how to best use it to my advantage. I have used very simple video editing software before so I think it will be more or less easier with this background to adapt over the the new software.

But first, tomorrow we go for a roll around the town!

Stuck on you.

Despite a slight apprehension towards welding, what with the sparks and the bright and potential damaging light, it proved to be mostly painless. It wasn't too hard, just a matter of developing technique and perhaps my project wasn't the easiest one to work with. After attempting to weld the first cylinder to a circle (with the help of a technician of course!) it proved to be a rather messy result, even somehow managing to, rather counter productively, weld a hole in the cylinder. This was most inconvenient as I need my apparatus to be completely light tight so for the second half, we decided perhaps to just spot weld around, enough to hold it in place and then fill around the base with a filler later.

I was unhappy at this point at the two cylinders didn't fit quite right within each other any more and looked rather haphazard. Nothing that couldn't be fixed with some paint, and of course the filler, so it was off to Placemakers for some metal primer which, as luck would have it, was coloured as well. I was intending to paint it black in any case so as to avoid light bouncing around, though it could have an interesting effect also, but it is not my intention at this point.

The black finish was a definite improvement and the fill was then added around the edge. It was at this point I realized that during this process of fabrication and construction, where it's form was ultimately determined by its function and purpose, the aesthetic value of it was still also and important driving force. The fill also significantly improved the appearance by not only sealing up the bottom to ensure the inside would be light tight, but smoothed out the rough ridges created by the welding and now it merely awaits another once over with some black paint.

On the final stages of construction now, it awaits the final touches to ensure it's intended functionality. The holes need to be altered slightly to ensure they line up to actually let light in, whilst checking that there are no unwanted light leaks. The interior cylinder needs to be secured inside in such a way to ensure it spins freely to expose all around it as it rolls, whilst restrained so that it doesn't actually make contact with the edges to avoid damaging the negative. Again, this could prove to have an interesting effect but it is not the effect I'm after. Perhaps when I have achieved the goals of my initial intention, I can then modify my apparatus to experiment with these elements.

Pinwheel camera

To represent my concept through a physical apparatus, I have chosen to approach the collection and presentation of video footage in a slightly different manner. Rather than creating something in which to mount a video camera, the apparatus itself will act as the camera as well as the vessel. I have taken the concept of the pinhole camera which, like artist model Darren Glass, I will use to capture the effects of light as the camera itself moves, exposed onto negative film.

To allow for ease of movement, I have designed a light tight cylinder which can rotate to open or close the pin hole with a smaller interior cylinder which spins a bit more freely within the canister. to ensure a relatively even exposure of the film. I will need a dark bag with which to change the film in between exposure to more easily get a variety of exposures in different locations and lighting conditions within the city. It will be relatively lightweight and small for easy transportation. It may also take some experimentation and calculations to figure out the ideal exposure time.

A few hours, several different machines and a shower of sparks later, I had my pieces cut out. Not exactly to my calculations, however careful though. The equipment in the 3D lab was easy enough to use with the introduction workshop with James and the extremely helpful technicians. At this point, the most difficult thing was putting enough pressure on the blade / guillotine which cut the metal sheet into usable strips.

Beginning to assemble it required a bit more careful thought as to the smaller details, such as drilling the pinholes, and figuring out the best and best possible order to do them in. The pinholes were drilled and the metal strips were curved to shape and spot welded together, ensuring they locked into place when the holes lined up. Despite a slight reluctance to brave the welder, it was all go ahead and ready to them weld the cylinders down to the circular plates. This proved to be even a little more daunting by the fact that each technician seemed to be giving me a different bit of advice as to the best way to approach it, but in the end I found myself kitted up with the arc welder in hand...

Where at first it seemed an interesting combination between the video and the use of metal, perhaps that is part of what is making us again push our creative potential and come up with something new and different. Where metal does seem somehow a little more intimidating to work with than, say, wood, it's potential is perhaps a lot more. It also seems to link a lot more with the location of the city in the base of it's construction. When you think city and construction, you think loud drills and sparks and metal scaffolding and solid metal structures and skeletons. A lot of interesting bits and pieces seem to be under construction in the 3D lab, the cylinder / circle / wheel / sphere seeming to be a popular choice. I feel confident in my idea that it will give a different outlook as I have chosen to explore the depiction of video in a different way.

That's how I roll

Introduction to our new studio project immediately set me off in excitement when we stared off in a discussion of art history and the distinctions in pre to post modernism in relation to what was happening in society and with people at the time. As with the large project, I am going to look at and bring in aspects of art history to explore and deepend my conceptual ideas.

The idea of exploring or depicting the city in a new was is reminiscent of the Situational Shuffle introduction activity where we look at different methods to move around and interact with our immediate and everyday surrounding environment. Similarly this project is to be undertaken in the city and experiencing it in a new way. So I was thinking about the psychology of the city, the common perception being that it is a centre for turbulence and movement. The city itself is a collection of static buildings and fixtures, yet moving through the city, you feel like you should be in rush just because of the subconscious effect of environment and the movement which epitomises it.

Maybe it is as a result of recently having been to Wellington to see the Monet and the Impressionists exhibition but I started thinking about depicting fleeting effects of time, light and weather conditions. With my background understanding of film and darkroom photography, I thought about the essence of photography is in simply just light. It is how the light is captures and present which gives us photography, from the roots of photography in pinhole cameras, to film to the digital medium today. Like the impressionists, it can be a different challenge to somehow convey the fleeting moments in time, the qualities of light. The simplest example of conveying this in photography is that of extended exposures. I have previously explored use of extended exposures as means of conveying movement and in fact, the city is filled with many different types of movement.

To expand upon this further, we take photographs in terms of the final image, the containment within a single rectangular frame. Why not expose an entire reel of film in one go? Artist Darren Glass has taken a similar idea in creating abstractly shaped pinhole cameras, such as a circular shell in which the negative is contained which is then rolled down a hill, capturing the space, the colour, the light around it in a new and different way. So then it seems to almost negate the idea of movement to capture it in a single image but from the introductory Bullet effect exercise, it made me think about how really film and movie is also just a multitude of single still frames composed in sequence to give the impression of movement.

Also closely related to time is the idea of narrative, a beginning, a middle and end but like Glass, I prefer the element of the random and the abstract nature of the outcome. It gives a larger scope of possibility for composition into a final video into what is more conceptual and subtle. I just need to be careful to avoid it being too overly complicated like my last project so still need to keep it relatively simple yet effective in how I construct my apparatus and resulting video.