TRANSITIONS

I thought these tutorials on transitions may be helpful as you edit your video portrait.

This clip has some very helpful suggestions:
http://blueskeltonproductions.blogspot.com/2008/01/film-transitions.html

This is a shorter description:
http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/transitions/index.htm

FINAL VIDEO PORTRAIT CRIT.

DUE:
WED. April 15
Bring 1-2 minute portrait on:
1-DVD
2-Uploaded on the web, blip.tv

UPDATE BLOG

“The most difficult thing for me is a portrait. You have to try and put your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt.”
-Henri Cartier-Bresson

Objective:
The objective of this exercise is to edit your video footage to make a 1-2 minute portrait of your subject.


EDIT
Final Cut Express


BLOG
-What is the story you are trying to tell?
-How has your editing reinforced or changed your project?
-What are the greatest challenges of editing?
-What technical questions do you have about Final Cut Express?


Due Wed. April 8
1. 1-2 minute video

2. Post all responses to questions on your Blog.

INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS & UPDATE BLOGS

I will meet with you individually tomorrow to talk about your projects.
Please update your blogs for this meeting.

BRING STORY BOARD TO CLASS TOMORROW

WED March 25 NO CLASS Major Registration Day

SHOOT Due Wed. April 1

The objective of this exercise is to shoot 5-10 minutes of raw footage for your video portrait project.


SHOOT
-Shoot 5-10 minutes of footage
-Follow Story Board Idea- Gives you a Plan to Follow
-Include these shots in your footage:

• Long Shot, Medium Shot, Close Up
• Master shot: the view point in the scene in which the relationships between subjects are clear
• Establishing Shot: long shot at the beginning of a scene designed to inform viewers of a change in location and to orient them to general mood and relative placement of subjects in scene
• Reverse angle: a shot that turned around approx. 180 degrees from preceding shot
• Point of view shot: also POV presents the viewpoint of the character in the scene
• Shallow focus: shallow depth of field-used to isolate a subject from background and/or foreground
• Detail shot: a tighter highly magnified version of the close up used to show a fragment of a whole subject or a small object in its entirety.
• Deep focus: wide angle lens used to keep extreme foreground and background both in focus simultaneously

-From- Film Directing Shot by Shot-Stephen D. Katz


BLOG
-How do shots reinforce story?
-What was your experience working with the camera?
-Did the camera reveal things that were unexpected?
-What is the greatest challenge of this project?
-What are some possible solutions?



1. Shoot 5-10 minutes of raw footage-Ready for Editing demo.

2. Post all responses to questions on your Blog.

3. BRING HARD DRIVE TO CLASS NEXT WEEK


Viewed in class: Tarnation - film by Jonathan Caouette

SOUND

Objective: The Objective of this exercise is to make a 1- minute Sound Portrait. You will learn to use the Roland Digital Sounds Recorders. You will learn to edit the sounds in Final Cut Express.

Methods:

You will notice and respond to Sound as it relates to the Subject of your Portrait. Become aware of the landscape of sound in the same way you approach a painting or a photograph.

Where are the subtleties of the sound?
What are the shapes, values and forms of what you hear?
Keep in mind your “Subject.” If your Subject only had a sound and not a voice what would you hear?

Blog : Your response to the questions above.

The sound portrait may include the voice of your subject but not for the entire time.


DUE Wed. March 18:

1. 1 minute Sound Portrait of Subject

2. Final Story Board for Video Portrait Project

3. PHOTOGRAPH
-2o new photographs related to your portrait

-Print 1 contact sheet with 20 photos

-Print 3 Photos of your choice on photo quality paper

4. Post 3 photos on your blog and responses to questions.

PORTABLE HARD DRIVES

Hi all,

Bring a portable Hard Drive to class on Wed. preferably with a Fire Wire for the Sound Demo.

Contact met with questions.

Portrait of a Person

“ Imagine you’re sitting at a wooden table with a friend you haven’t seen in a long time and you begin talking.”
-Broken Screen-Doug Aiken


Objective: The Objective of this exercise is to make a 1-2 minute video portrait of a person non-fictional or fictional.

Begin with -
Research:
-Who is this person?
-What do you want to say about this person?
-How will you communicate the essence of this person?
-How is time communicated?

Post all responses to questions on your blog.

-Story Board Idea-Draw your idea out-Gives you a plan to Follow
-Make 20-40 Photographs: person, supporting persons, scout possible settings, objects, photos related to idea etc.
-Print 2 Contact Sheets
-Print 4 photos of your choice (photo quality paper)


Due: Wed. March 4
-Story Board
-6 Prints (2 contact sheets, 4 photos 8.5x11” -photo quality paper

-Post 3 photos on your blog.
Resources:

Video/Film Portraits:
www.shortnstout.net/mandala.mov
http://www.dwell.com/daily/video/20610194.html
Film: Tarnation-Jonathan Caouette.

Consider these shots when photographing:

From- Film Directing Shot by Shot-Stephen D. Katz
• Long Shot, Medium Shot, Close Up
• Master shot: the view point in the scene in which the relationships between subjects are clear
• Establishing Shot: long shot at the beginning of a scene designed to inform viewers of a change in location and to orient them to general mood and relative placement of subjects in scene
• Reverse angle: a shot that turned around approx. 180 degrees from preceding shot
• Point of view shot: also POV presents the viewpoint of the character in the scene
• Shallow focus: shallow depth of field-used to isolate a subject from background and/or foreground
• Detail shot: a tighter highly magnified version of the close up used to show a fragment of a whole subject or a small object in its entirety.
• Deep focus: wide angle lens used to keep extreme foreground and background both in focus simultaneously

Wed. March 4th Sound Demonstration and Assignment

PASSAGE OF TIME

“Sometimes I think there is nothing but time, and that what you see and what you feel is what time looks like at the moment.”
-Paul Thek

Objective: The Objective of this exercise is to communicate the passage of time in a series. You will do 5 series.

Method:

Series Links multiple images together sequentially. Each image builds on the previous image and leads to the subsequent image. Like a short film, it tells a simple story using multiple images.

Medium: Photographs (Drawing may be included to support your series)

Topics:

Daily Ritual Tell a Story Light/Shadows
Sell an Idea Follow a character

Make:
-5 series
-8-12 images in each series
-Text may be included but is NOT required

DUE: Wed. Feb. 25
-Print each series on one page 8.5x11” or larger

-Make images 2 x2” -larger than contact sheet size!

-Photo quality paper (matte or glossy)

5 sheets printed- One for each series.

Blog Entry:
-Write about one idea for a series.
-Post One series on your blog.


References:
Chapter 14-Narrative-Non-Narrative

To Illustrate and Multiply: An Open Book
Examines how sequencing, a characteristic of time based media,
manifests itself in various ways in artists’ books.

http://www.moca.org/openbook/

MEMORY

“This man was selected from among a thousand for his obsession with an image from the past.”
-La Jetee-Chris Marker

Objective: The Objective of this exercise is to make a photographic sequence that relates a memory or images from your childhood.

Method:

Sequence n 1: a continuous or connected series: as a: an extended series of poems united by a single theme (a sonnet sequence)...e: a succession of scenes developing a single subject or phase of a film story


Medium: Photographs (Drawings may be included to support your project)

-Make 20-25 images that reflect this idea
-Text may be included but is NOT required

Writing:
Blog Entry-Write a 2 paragraph or more account of this memory.

DUE:

Wed. Feb. 18
-Edit &Print 6-8 images on photo quality paper (matte or glossy)
-Size is your choice

References:
Francesca Woodman
Duane Michals
Sylvia Plachy - Signs & Relic

FRAME, VANTAGE POINT & PERSPECTIVE

Objective: You will research photographers who use frame vantage point and perspective in an interesting way. From this research, you will apply what you have learned in your own photographic study of your environment.


Photography Research:

Sylvia Palchy Jacque Henri Lartigue
Robert Frank Lee Friedlander
Helen Levitt Abe Morell
Paul Strand Josef Sudek
Gary Winograd Henri Cartier Bresson
Sally Mann Ralph Eugene Meatyard
Eugene Richards Hiroshi Sugimoto
Minor White Andre Kertesz

Choose one photographer from the list. Check out their book from the library this week. Study it in terms of Frame, Vantage point & Perspective.

BLOG
-Post the Name of the book and one photograph from your research
-Write a short (1-2 paragraph) response as to why you chose it in terms of Frame Vantage point & Perspective.
-Answer the question-What does it communicate through the frame?

Exercises:

Use your camera frame as a window to the unique way you see the world. How can I see this scene, object, or person in a way that has never been seen before? I am not interested in the expected. Take a risk. Put the camera on the ground. What does it look like under a table? Kneel when you are taking pictures. Stand on a chair. Respond to your environment without inhibitions. Play with frame, vantage point and perspective.

Part 1:
-Make 60 pictures
-Make 3 contact sheets, 20 images on one sheet (Photoshop has a Contact sheet feature)
-Make 3 8x10 prints-color of your favorite images

*Make pictures at the Sand Mandala creation in the Brant Gallery over the next 3-5 days.

Guidelines: Use full frame-Do not crop-Do not use zoom feature

Viewed in Class: La Jetee-Chris Marker

La Jetee

POST Light Description

Please Post your description of light before Wed. class on your blog.
Let me know if you have questions

SEEING OURSELVES SEEING

Homework: January 21
Due: January 28

“Turell’s work allows us to see ourselves “seeing”. Whether harnessing the light at sunset or transforming the glow of a television set into a fluctuating portal, Turrell’s art places viewers in a realm of pure experience.”

Objective: The Objective of this exercise is to “see ourselves seeing”. Observe and analyze your relationship to your environment, light and time. This will be done through a series of drawings and written responses.

1. Research:
-Choose a space/landscape/room, which will have available light from the outdoors coming into the area
-Go to this place 3 different times of the day: early morning, mid-day,
sunset or evening
-Describe the place, the time of day, objects, space etc. during these different times.
- Describe what the light is literally doing. How does the light describe the place, objects, and space?
-If a person were blind how would you describe the most interesting time of day to them?

Total: 9 written responses
Post at least ONE of these responses on your blog. (You may post more.)
Write the other responses in your notebook.

2. Analysis:
-Go to the place 3 different times of the day: early morning, mid-day,
sunset or evening
-Make a drawing in this space with the SAME attention to framing and composition in each drawing.
-The difference will be how you describe the light through your drawing in this place.

3. Do this exercise in THREE DIFFRENT places.

Total: 9 drawings (spend at least 20 minutes on each drawing)

Materials:
-Composition Notebook
-Charcoal and/or Pencil
-Sketchbook paper and /or newsprint (no smaller than 8x10”)

Methods: Contour & Value Drawing

Resources:
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/turrell/