Brett Amory

Amory Drums from Shaun Roberts on Vimeo.

Source: Fecalface.com, 'Brett Amory', viewed 31 August 2011,
http://fecalface.com/SF/index.php/features-mainmenu-102/studio-visits-mainmenu-121/3509-brett-amory-studio-visit

IO put this video in because I found it searching through some stuff today. I am still refining my video concepts for my project. This piece is great. Its short snappy and is mostly photos but has a couple of elements of animation when he plays the drum. I think that how they do it but It might be filmed? Interesting effect.

Good lighting and interesting choice of shots. I like it.
I am amazed at the power of photos sometimes, not being a photographer myself.
Very effective in communicating the ideas.

Bjarke Ingles Group, Denmark

Bjarke Ingles Group 2011, BIG, viewed 30 August, 2011,

http://big.dk/

This was a site that my friend and architect Garth Ancher, put me onto. He wanted to know how hard it would be to create a site like this for himself.

I asked a web designer and he told me its quite a big job. The way the website works is that the firm has all of its projects depicted as icons on the home page. You can view them in chronological, alphabetical, scale, programmatic and status. when you click to see them in these different modes the icons rearrange accordingly with the catagory. So if they are arranged in scale small number appear on a scale from smallest to largest and the icons rearrange according to their size on this scale. The icons form shapes that look like a cityscape each time they rearrange, each icon is a symbol of that project and when you roll over each shape it expands to a small photo icon to give you a better idea of the project before you click to the link.

So its info graphics and a modular homepage that is interactive with the viewer. Fun, clever and engaging. Once you click on one of the icons you are taken to a more traditional site, but the site also branches out into similar sub-menus that act in the same way as the home page.

Its a strange thing that not many people will ever visit this site on the greater scale of things. But for the people who do, they will find something that suggests it is as innovative and clever as the work that comes out of this studio. These are the people who are the most important to impress to because they will be BIG's clients. Its important to speak to your target audience. Otherwise you are just wasting your time.

Pula Golf

Source Pula Golf 2010, Pula Golf, visited 30 August, 2011,

http://www.pulagolf.com/en/

This site is for a gold course in Majorca, Spain. The web design team have created a fantasy gold island where each part of the island you scroll over changes as you roll over it. For example: When you roll over the hotel it folds down to reveal a bed and a red line extends out to a pop up window that appears as the link to a specific part of the site. In this case accommodation and bookings.

When you click on the link a second island appears with a closer look at the hotel component of the site. Clicking on a different part of the hotel brings up another menu that has photos and information.

Of course this is all easily bypassed by using the menu at the side. This choice of interaction with the map or just using the side menu is good because it provides people with options on how they use the website. With many rich golfers being old men this is important because they may find the interactive section either hard or frustrating to use, so its good to have the option.

Its good to consider who is going to be looking at your website. In my case I am aiming my site at the arts community in Hobart an further abroad but also at arts industry professionals. Its important to keep in mind that people in this field might not have the time or skill to navigate a site too complex so its important to provide alterantives to interactivity or make them very simple so everyone can use and enjoy them.

Streetwaves

Source: Streetwaves 2010, Streetwaves, viewed 30 August, 2011,

http://www.streetwaves.org/flash

This site is interesting. It looks like a beach-scape that has been made for a 90's CD-ROM game menu. While the aesthetic could do with a little work the ides is good. Each sign nailed to the wall leads to a different part of the website and is the same with many of the other items on the beach.

I have been thinking about making something similar but not quite so computer generated in its appearance. Stu and Aedan makes shaks all the time using various pieces of their and other peoples art. It seems like a great way to incorporate all of the artists from the rage cage on the home page. Making pieces of everyone in the studios work into a shack, stu and aedan style. By clicking on a piece of the shack it will take you to a different part of the website.

Five Impossible Features

Source: Five Impossible Features 2011, Five Impossible Features, Viewed 30 August, 2011,

http://ikt.co.id/#/item-category/everything-you-need-to-know-about-us.html

This is a great example of something that is a bit more advanced than standard web design. This company creates websites so it is important for them to be able to do something that will impress customers. The angled tiles at the right side of the screen react to the mouse being rolled over them. When ou move the mouse left, they move left, when you move right they move right, and so on. The tiles also slightly expand when you roll over each one.

When you click on one of the features in these tiles the tiles flies of the screen only to reappear in the centre as the main focus of the website. The tiles on the side rearrange themselves accordingly to their original order when the tile is replaced.

Its a fairly simple concept but done well. I know from talking to web designers that this type of onscreen movement is simple to the eye but can mean hours of coding.

I like the idea of movement in my website. Its engaging and makes a website more fun and interactive for the user. I will explore further into the web to find more ideas.

Website Research

Given that I only have a few weeks left of my project I am starting to really focus in on the website side of things. I have to say that I have spent so much time on the video side of the project that I haven't considered the website too much yet. I never wanted the project to go too far outside the videos themselves but I realise that to satisfy the criteria of the whole project I must make it into a complete package rather than just some random videos.

So I'm starting to research websites. And not just artist websites but everything. Any website that has great functionality and originality. As I mentioned in the crit, I look at this stuff all the time and yet I take it all for granted. So now its time to start paying attention. I've taken the first step by literally typing in the words cool websites. I'll see where that takes me. If I can look at 50 websites in the next day or so I am bound to find some inspiration.

Source: Scribblesquad 2011, Scribblesquad, viewed 30 August 2011,

http://www.scribblesquad.com/

I looked at this site for a design trio. They have a fun feel to the page and there is a section here where they have combined different fonts with images to tell people what they do. It makes the page more fun to look at. You get a sense of what these guys are about from their homepage alone so its quite successful.

I want to use heavy imagery on my site and combine it with white space to provide that balance.

No crazy html programming going on here. Its a basic site with a fun aesthetic.

BIG BANG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU

Source: Youtube 2011, 'Big Bang Big Boom', Blu, 2010, viewed 20 August, 2011,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMoKcsN8wM8

Minilogue - Hitchhiker's Choice

Source: Youtube 2011, 'Animals', Minilogue, 2009 viewed 20 August, 2011,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8_OX0ItynE&feature=related


I've made a short stop motion animation so I thought I'd better put a few examples up of stuff I have seen in the past. This is a great little animation, "weird animals, musical motifs and strange devices are quickly inked on paper and just as quickly disappear, whether by morphing into other shapes, being absorbed into the page or just being completely erased". (Minilogue 2009)

Its heaps of fun to watch and very clever. The way the artists hand interacts with the moving image is interesting too.

Minilogue - Hitchhiker's Choice

Source: Youtube 2011, 'Animals', Minilogue, 2009 viewed 20 August, 2011,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8_OX0ItynE&feature=related


I've made a short stop motion animation so I thought I'd better put a few examples up of stuff I have seen in the past. This is a great little animation, "weird animals, musical motifs and strange devices are quickly inked on paper and just as quickly disappear, whether by morphing into other shapes, being absorbed into the page or just being completely erased". (Minilogue 2009)

Its heaps of fun to watch and very clever. The way the artists hand interacts with the moving image is interesting too.

1987 Dailymotion - Fischli Weiss - The Way Things Go - a Arts video.

Youtube 2011, '1987, Fischli Weiss - The Way Things Go', viewed August 15, 2011,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzQvLFSMlSg&feature=related


I talked to James today and there was a feeling that I need to bring more of the studio to life in my identity. Bring the characters who work in there out in my work. The videos are one aspect of it but I need to make the studio the focus of all of my work. I am possibly missing the mark by creating an identity that looks to much like a spray can or a bmx poster.

I can see where he is coming from. He suggested looking at this film by Fischili and Weiss. Called 'The Way Things Go', it deconstructs everyday items and turns them into art. This is an ongoing theme in their work and was the basis for a Honda ad where the car is deconstructed and the various parts work together to make a complete car roll out onto the stage.

So the concept for the Rage Cage project then is to create something that will bring all the aspects of the studio together and bring out the personalities of the artists who work there. This could come in the form of stop motion animation. Illustrative animation. Photo montage or video montage. Bring the studio to life I suppose.

The outcome of this will hopefully be a title sequence and identity that then go on to inform every other aspect of the project.

Back to the drawing board!!

Below is the Honda advertisement that was influenced by Fischili and Weiss's 'The Way Things Go'.




Source: Youtube 2011, 'Honda Ad', viewed 15 August, 2011,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2VCfOC69jc

@lushsux from Zonk Vision on Vimeo.

Vimeo 2011, '@lushsux' viewed August 15, 2011,
http://vimeo.com/25957019

LUSH SUX from Joshua Blank on Vimeo.

Vimeo 2011, 'Lush Sux', viewed August 15, 2011,
http://vimeo.com/27282008

Tom Ohern recommended I view the artist Lush. I have watched a few of his short movies and they are all based around tacky, sexist, lo grade humour and naked chicks. I can see why Tom likes it because he does a lot of this kind of stuff too. He constantly draws penises and makes lewd statements on walls. Its low-fi graffiti and it get a reaction out of people. Its a little in joke that not everyone will find funny but if you get the punchline its 'fuckin' hilarious!!

No great camera work on these two videos. Just chicks with their tops out doing 'crap' graffiti. Raw, slightly perverse, fun stuff.

Barry McGee

VBS T.V. 2011, 'Barry McGee', viewed August 15, 2011,
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/art-talk/barry-mcgee

This is another video Tom O'Hern put me onto. I can see why. The interview is conducted between two cartoon characters, one speaking Spanish, while video footage plays in the background. Its quirky, fun and at the same time manages to tell a story about the artists work. There are lots of strange cuts, minimalist computerised synth music. Its a great non-conventional interview. I can see why Tom would have wanted me to see this. Its right up his alley.

David Choe

Source: Youtube 2011, 'David Choe- Dirty Hands', viewed 15 August, 2011,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS7wfeeeM8I


Today I'm following up the artists that Tom O'Hern suggested I look into. I'm still building a visual picture of his influences in my mind so I can better relate to him and make a video that reflects him as an artist.

This is of American artist David Choe. The film is fast paced and frantic and shows off the life and art of someone who is has a big personality. He seems spontanious in his art making and the way the video is shot reflects this with its fast cutting and the music that switches between heavy metal and opera. There are also moments that suprise the viewer where he talks about how being jailed changed his life.

Its poorly shot (Or poorly uploaded onto youtube), but the narrative and the imagery fit well together to paint a portrait of a guy that just wants to create chaos.

Ben Eine

Street Artist Ben Eine "Greatest" - White Walls... by WarholianTV



Source: dailymotion.com, Street Artist Ben Eine "Greatest" - White Walls - Warholian, viewed, 11th August, 2011,
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhszxw_street-artist-ben-eine-greatest-white-walls-warholian_creation

This video is great. The guy is such a character. He talks about how he developed his style to distinguish himself from a graffiti artist while still working on the streets. The video follows him in San Francisco putting up large scale works. Its a really positive video. His work has great messages and he's genuinely excited to be able to the work. Its one of the first interviews that is shot almost entirely outside. There's background noise but it adds to the atmosphere of the video because he's talking about the streets in the context of his work.

The music is fairly upbeat. London underground type stuff. It corresponds with the character of Eine. He's a bit of a 'geezer', in his attitude. A fun colourful video showing people that street art does not just have to be political or socially messaged. It can just brighten your day.

Thoughts in Week 4

I have had successes in this project so far. I can also say that now I am hitting a bit of a wall!! I had a nightmare situation the other day where the camera I as using to record an interview broke down without me realising until I checked the tape back. It was a spur of the moment interview and It went amazingly well. The downside was that the heads of the video camera were dirty and I lost everything!!

I had almost storyboarded the entire end product of this shoot in my mind and the interview fed right into my ideas. I felt tlike I was onto a great video. It happens and there is a chance I might get to shoot it again? I am definitely being more considerate of lighting and all the aspects of shooting interview footage that will make the end product more engaging, but Technology seems to be what is holding me back this week!!

Today I have tried to put a video onto the university computer and there are so many files that students have left on here that I can't manage to get the computer to keep up with the playback. I have basically lost a day of editing messing around with cleaning up hard drives and moving data from place to place. Always a scary thing, in case you lose valuable files!

So whats next? I can't give up. I have too videos edited to the point where the audio is good enough to start storyboarding so I guess that is the next step. Technical problems can be worked out over time but you can't sit there and worry about it. I just have to keep pushing through it and producing work. It is hard for motivation though when you keep hitting walls rather than going forward. The E-media guys are a great support team though!

ROA video Profile

ROA street artist profile film by filmmaker... by WarholianTV


Source: Warholian.com 2011, ROA Street Artist Profile Film, Day, C.M., viewed 11th August, 2011,


I found a great new source of artist profiles today. The site is called 'Warholian.com' and there is a wealth of artist profiles on here. This particular video id nice. The artist deals with the animals that benefit from the urban environment. It is shot nicely and clearly and what really drew me to it was the parallels that I can draw between his work and that of Gabbee Stolp who works in our studio. She makes jewellery and performs taxidermy on animals that she finds or that people find for her. She is a vegitarian and soes not agree with harming animals but there is a sense of exploration of the living and dead that I can see in her work and in ROA's.



Source: Alphabetrix.com 2011, 'Deceased Estate', Stolp Gabbee, Mixed Media, 2011, viewed 11th August, 2011,

Summadayze 2012 | Colourfornia* from Future TV on Vimeo.

This is a fun video that has been created as a teaser for the upcoming Summerdayze festival. Using the theme of "Colourfornia" the video shows slow motion video of beautiful girls being covered in powder paint. Who wouldn't watch that?

The beauty of this sexualised imagery is the paint as it passes through the air, mixes and contrasts with other coulours in slow motion. The shapes that it forms and the pieces that fall away engage the viewer, as the girls slowly change from white t-shirts and blue jean-shorts to completely coloured with paint.

The music is performed by Calvin Harris and is very appropriate due to the lyrical nature of the song entitled: 'Colours'.

I enjoy the visual of colour flying through the air and it was the same with the video previously posted about the Absolute Vodka project. I can't explain it really? Something about that freeing experience and expression of the act of flinging paint at something and seeing the often uncontrolable but exciting result?

Again this was fun to watch, but is also providing me ideas for my video imagery that will accompany Nicole O'Loughlin's video. She talks about how colour is important with feeling and emotion and that colour is an important element of her work.

O'Loughlin talks about Mark Rothko's work and Richard Sarra. There I am wondering if rather than just add still images of their work, I might try to represent their ideas and her ideas through other visuals of a similar nature. For example. Filming rust and brightly coloured canvases that allude to these artists work as well as suggesting the themes that O'Loughlin talks about herself.

LA Light from Colin Rich on Vimeo.

Source: Rich C 2011, 'LA Light', VImeo, viewed 9 August, 2011,


This video is a beautiful time laps piece that shows off the architecture of LA and builds a visual picture of the city. Accompanied by a slow well suited piece by Cinematic Orchestra, the piece is nicely constructed and has a certain luminosity to it that makes the scenery surreal and almost 3-dimentional.

I am starting to realise how difficult it is to get fantastic footage. Its not always as easy as just setting a camera up and starting to shoot. Lighting angle, focus, shot and all these other elements come into play. I have shot 3 videos now and I feel like I am considering all these elements a lot more when I shoot. Compared to my first effort this semester, my latest work is a lot more considered.

I am especially interested in colour at the moment. I shot an interview with Nicole O'Loughlin to create an artist profile and I have realised that the underlying themes of colour and texture are so important to her work that I really need to shoot a visual narrative that captures colour and texture.

For this I will be shooting in a brightly lit setting with a pure white background so as not to detract from the object or texture in shot with complicated backgrounds or shadow.

I feel with enough consideration I can make a very lovely video from what has provided in the interview. I have finished editing the audio information. The next step for me is to storyboard and start shooting the visual elements.

Mastodon: "Black Tongue" Official Video

Source: Youtube 2011, Black Tongue, viewed August 3, 2011,


This is a video clip for Mastodon's new single Black Tongue. Mastodon has always had a strong visual aspect to their audio work. The band deals with mythical and mystical subjects in its music and this particular video is no exception. The video shows a wooodworker bringing the cover graphic for their forthcoming album to life. The cover features a multi mouthed beast that looks like a cross between a deer a wolf and a cow. The video shows the crafting process and pays particular attention to the creation of the eye.

I have been thinking about ways to show process lately. This is born from thinking about the videos I have previously uploaded for my journal/blog and how they show artistic process as a way of providing insight into the way different artists work, and also through reviewing footage I have already shot and thinking of visual imagery to enhance my own artist profile videos for the current "Rage Cage" project.

I have been cutting the video footage I have shot down from almost an hour of conversation with each artist, to 5 minute distilled versions of the footage that speak to the essence of that interview and tell a story or capture the essence of that artist. From this I will storyboard a sequence and come up with a concept for each artists profile video. It will feature rich visuals that will accompany footage of the interview or might just accompany the audio of that interview. The outcome is intended to be insightful. A window of vision into the artist and their process.

Although nothing new I do like the scratchy effect on this video. I think its unnecessary on this video but it can be fun and an obvious choice hwen trying to make a video appear older than it is. I in fact don't think that the video and the music work that well together on this video. I think that the part that works are the computer graphic elements in black and white where the head of the beast is multiplied and turns in on itself. I think this part of the video is most successful as a visual and as an aesthetic that fits with the bands song. The footage of the craftsman is too slow and does not seem to find rhythm with the music.

You can't always praise every video you find and you need to see what doesn't work so you can try and lean from them and create things that do work. I find that you can often match music quite well to a video if you take your time to really understand the mood of the visual and also what the content is trying to say.

LASCO Brand Introduction from LASCO on Vimeo.

Source : Lasco 2011, Lasco Bran Introduction, 1st August, 2011,


This is a really nice uplifting video. It shows the determination of a brand that stands up for its own country rather than sending money outside of America to cut production costs. The video starts of showing ghostly almost still shot images and walkthroughs of abandoned warehouses that presumable once produced footware. This part of the video is accompanied by a slow piano soundtrack that almost makes you feel sad that shoes are no longer made in these abandoned spaces.

The second half of the video has an uplifting soundtrack and is accompanied by video that shows the shoe making process. The shift in music and the appearance of new shoes in these old abandoned spaces is a really nice transition in terms of composition and storyline. It also contains interviews and voiceover and gives you an insight into a shoemaking company and its workers, who refuse to let quality slip for the sake of making more money.

I think its nicely shot. The interview shots are shot on a dark background with a light hitting the subject. Its a nice feel that works well with the darkly lit shoe factory. The beginning of the film has a fish eye lense effect that is blurred around the edges. I'm not sold on that and I think it was unnecessary.



Apart from that the storytelling is done very well through the use of camera and narration.