Abstraction
We walked around central London aiming to capture something abstract. This proved to be quite challenging as we were on a corporate street, however there were some objects that presented opportunity to view abstraction. I also tried to take some images of negative space as this, with odd cropped angles could be classed as an abstract method of photography.
The White Paper test
To develop abstraction, we were given a single piece of white paper, and instructed to take some abstract images with it. We could use mirrors, spotlights and colour filters to help, and could fold/crumple the paper. The results were almost unrecognisable as a piece of paper. Below are some artists that inspired.
'The creative process in the practice of Tamara Lorenz is reminiscent of scientific or philosophic experimental design. It is at any rate not in the sense of positing art’s exclusive claim over creativity.'
German artist Tamara Lorenz creates various constructions which she then photographs to exploit their abstract properties. The addition of strong planes of colour provide another source of contrast in addition to those of line, shape, tone and texture. Rather than photographs of things, each image seems to create its own reality. Consequently, the viewer is unable to recognise a conventional subject and is occupied with the business of looking. |
Tate Britain’s new show, titled 'Painting with Light', covers a period of history and a moment of artistic sensibility that might not at first appear novel enough to bother with — the interaction between painting and photography in Victorian and Edwardian Britain. It goes back and forth between the two mediums showing how, by turns, each influenced and led the other. We visited the exhibition and commented on the similarities and differences between the artwork and photography. It was interesting to see how the paired works informed eachother, like the 'Chatterton' work analysed below.
This work consisted of 2 photographs, hand-tinted albumen prints on stereo card, 1839. The photographer has incorporated light by photographing a scene lit from the back (the window behind the body). This suggests a heavenly aspect, which links with the death photographed too. The light from the window also creates numerous shadows that reinforce the idea of death. Furthermore, the extinguished candle is a clear reminder of death; the smoke is different in each, which draws attention to it and the extinguishing of both light and life. These photographs intended to inform a painting, which became famous. The two works were placed side by side in the exhibition, and examined the relationship between them. It was clear that there were numerous similarities- the artist had just adjusted slight things like the window being open. |
Documentary
To explore the documentary aspect of the project, I visited Borough Market in an attempt to try and capture a sense of the location and the people that I came into contact with. I focussed on the stall holders and their interactions with their customers and products. It was hard trying to get close enough to capture their natural, everyday movements. If they noticed I was photographing them they would either pose for the camera or stop what they were doing. It was interesting to focus in on one person within the busy market, as they normally go unnoticed and get lost in the mayhem. Creating this photoseries provided a sense of tranquility, a snapshot seeing them work amongst the madness.
Chemigrams
Chemigrams are images created by experimenting with various substances and photographic paper. The results are abstract works that often resemble light paintings or ghostly apparitions. We used 2 types of photographic paper: glossy and matte. The substances we used were oil, soap, honey, bleach, dye, moisturiser, brushes and orange juice. We also experimented with the developing process, swapping fix for developer in the sequence and experimenting with spraying on developer. |
Summer work
documenting a journey
Over the summer I travelled to South Africa on a school trip. I documented the journey back to London- from waking up at 5am and travelling by pickup truck to the coach, to getting on the plane and travelling through the night. I tried to capture the mundane aspects of the journey but adding interest, like the familiar seatbelt sign on it's own and the light it emitted. I also made a time lapse film of landing. As it was at night, you could only really see the lights which gradually got larger and brighter and mapped the city's population through it's light pollution.
Whilst in South Africa, I also documented a game transect and drive- a journey involving driving and walking in the bush. This was an interesting journey to document as it was visually beautiful and had many different elements to it. It also captured the changing weather and time of day.
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Over the summer I visited an exhibition in Valencia. It focused on documentary photography of America in the 30s. It was both historically and photographically relevant to my courses, and provided context to supplement events that I have learnt about. They also offered an insight in to a photographic movement that I hadn't known much about previously.
Through a careful selection of photographs, magazines, books and documentaries, the exhibition reviews the historical context of the work of the FSA photographers, and pictures by some of the greatest exponents of social photography in America. In the field of photography, the pictures that best illustrate the social sequels of the Great Depression after the stock market crash of 1929 are the ones taken by the American photographers who took part in the programme of the Farm Security Administration (FSA, 1935–1944). This was set up by the government to provide graphic documentation of the agricultural reform programme promoted by the New Deal, the project gave rise to the greatest choral account of the desolation and poverty of the rural population and their emancipation in those years. |
I attended a talk at the Royal Academy to see the legendary fashion and portrait photographer, David Bailey, in conversation. Bailey has produced some of the most famous portrait photographs of this era, and has been featured in major exhibitions and publications worldwide. .In the talk, Bailey discussed his original and imaginative approach to portraiture with Tim Marlow, giving a fascinating insight into his work processes and techniques. One thing that particularly struck me was how unphased and oblivious he seemed to his overwhelming fame- he displayed a modesty and sincerity that seemed out of touch with the stereotypically pretentious world in which he finds himself in. He stressed that to get his perfect shot, he engaged with the model directly; asking them questions, making them laugh and having interesting conversations that made them forget that they were being photographed. He also said that he prefers to take minimal shots, with a plain white background and close cropping that has become his signature look. When questioned, his advice for young photographers was simply to 'go out and do it'.
Practical brief:
INITIAL IDEAS
First response:
As an initial response to the theme, I photographed people through water, aiming to create a barrier within which to distort them.
I used a tall glass of water and a glass jar to hopefully create different distortions. This produced some visually interesting results which transformed the face almost comically. I liked how water had the property to do this, but I cannot see where I would progress in using it within a container. I plan to experiment further with distorted portraiture. |
Second response:
For my second response to my brief, I took pictures of my friends, aiming to create some simple portraits to distort physically. After selecting my favourites, I made them black and white and altered the levels to increase contrast on photoshop.
I then submerged the images underwater. I experimented with creating bubbles using fairy liquid and a straw. I also used mirrors to further distort the image, and photographed when the image had crumpled up. To distort further, I used a slow shutter speed which blurred the water movement and created eerie, abstract images.
I then edited them on photoshop by making them black and white and altering contrast/levels to make it more bold. I liked these as they were abstract in that the water and photographic technique has distorted them and created some interesting effects
artist & me
After taking these images, I noticed some similarities between particular shots and those of some artists I had previously looked at. I found it curious that so many different paths could be taken from a single set of images shot at the same time: the water had proved to be a distorting medium in more ways than anticipated. By altering them on photoshop and examining the physical vs digital methods of manipulating them, I was able to draw comparisons.
After experimenting with contrast and levels with my images, I noticed a similarity with Deborah Turbeville's images. I chose to compare these 2 as they both comprise of a female portrait that is closely cropped and in black and white. Turbeville's work has a grainy, old feel to it that overlaps with my image on the right. Also, both models are staring directly in to the camera which adds a sense of personalisation and forges a connection between the work and the audience.
The images differ in that mine is more blurred, and that it's submerged underwater which created bubbles. I used a slow shutter speed which added blur and an element of abstraction. I think the really dark shadows contrasting with the light is an overlapping feature in both.
The images differ in that mine is more blurred, and that it's submerged underwater which created bubbles. I used a slow shutter speed which added blur and an element of abstraction. I think the really dark shadows contrasting with the light is an overlapping feature in both.
Stephen Shanabrook distorts images by physically folding and crumpling them to warp them in to horrifying new faces. When submerging my image and trying to move the bubbles, it got folded and crumpled in a way that reminded me of Shanabrook's work. I liked how they were both altered almost beyond recognition, twisting the classic portrait that they started off as in to warped subversions of beauty. The images differ in colour, and process too: whilst Shanabrook considers and engineers the creases/ folds to construct his work, mine was a more random method that was left down to the water movement. I liked this element of unpredictability, and found it intriguing that the 2 different processes resulted in quite similar outcomes. Both images have a defining facial feature: in Shanabrook's, the mouth is twisted up into a constructed smile whilst in mine the left eye stares out at the viewer.
I chose to compare these 2 images as they have overlapping elements; most noticeably, they are distorted by flowing water and a slow shutter speed. Like for many of the artists I explored in my curatorship tasks, light is a defining feature of the image. I also like how the face is distorted and blurred by the barrier of water and it's movement. In my image, the reflected light and water movement becomes concentrated at the eyes, which give it a more supernatural and magical feel. However, they differ in that DeMaison's image is much darker which emphasises the contrast between the background and her face, whereas mine is lighter. The movement of the water adds a sense of restlessness to both images, as if they are a quick snapshot of a larger motion.
development:
To further develop my project, I printed the images out smaller to try and make the bubbles appear as bigger when rephotographing, which would hopefully result in some features being magnified/ duplicated. This was more successful, as the edited images show. The submerged picture was given a grainy quality as it was a different paper than previously used, and became grainy when wet. This made it feel old and dated which I liked. It reminded me of DeMaison's work, an artist I researched and analysed for my curatorship task. It also was remnant of Turbeville's softer, film-shot portraits. |
I'm pleased with these images as they remind me of grainy film and have captured some magnifications/replications of features. After experimenting with using a physical image, I wanted to try and produce a similar effect by photographing the model 'live' to compare the outcomes.
Alban Grosdidier is a photographer and graphic designer living in France. In his series 'Drowning' he wants to address the 'feeling of submersion' that you have when living in the big city, and he does this through a series that depicts people being trapped underwater. When submerged, the models' faces become distorted by the water and reflected light. I want to try and respond to Grosdidier to develop my project as it would involve directly shooting the models underwater (rather than printing their image and placing it underwater). |
After physically doing it, I was interested in the outcome and how the changed method had produced such different results. Whilst my earlier observations could be controlled at the point of rephotographing, these were 'live' action shots which were more unpredictable. However, I didn't feel I could progress within this; I could maybe take some better images but ultimately the idea would be the same. To move forward, I am going to undertake a series of photographic experiments to demonstrate distortion and help me direct my photographic study.
visual progress chart
experimentation
distortion- post production
To start the experimentation, I used the warp and transformation tools in photoshop on portraits I had previously taken. These produced quite comedic effects that were remnant of the things you would find in a fairground hall of mirrors.
barrier
As another strand, I took inspiration from my curatorship task in which Laurence Demaison created a barrier between the camera and herself and wanted to see the effects of this on my own work. To obtain the barriers, I went to the local glass/hardware shop and asked for any offcuts of textured glass that they were willing to give me. They gave me some really interesting pieces, and I took them into the studio to shoot with. It was intriguing to see the distortative effects of each different pattern on the model. I liked how in some cases, the barrier created repeating facial features and in others it blurred all features beyond recognition. I also found that the effect depended on the focal distance; closer achieved sharper, more distinguishable results whereas photographic further away was more ambiguous.
Erwin Blumenfeld used textured glass as part of his 'beauty in motion' work. However, his was a film, and added another dimension to the distortion that occurred. I wanted to experiment with making my own films, and seeing if this increased the sense of distortion through moving image.
I asked my friend to dance and move around the frame, whilst holding different patterns of glass in front of the camera. I tried to include some isolated, simple movements to focus the video and ensure it wasn't completely uncontrolled. I also asked that she wore brightly coloured clothing, as it would show up brighter and link to the distinctive colours in Blumenfeld's film. To try and respond the the quality of film, I used an app called 'Camcorder' that makes the footage appear as if it were on a VHS tape. This added an aged feel to it and compromised the sharp quality that added another sense of distortion.
I asked my friend to dance and move around the frame, whilst holding different patterns of glass in front of the camera. I tried to include some isolated, simple movements to focus the video and ensure it wasn't completely uncontrolled. I also asked that she wore brightly coloured clothing, as it would show up brighter and link to the distinctive colours in Blumenfeld's film. To try and respond the the quality of film, I used an app called 'Camcorder' that makes the footage appear as if it were on a VHS tape. This added an aged feel to it and compromised the sharp quality that added another sense of distortion.
my response:
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artist & me
I chose to compare these two images as they are both stills/screenshots from films. The films both feature a glass barrier which distorts the figure and refracts their movement in the same way. The glass provides multiple vertical strips of the model, allowing her movement to be mapped and replicated. The model in both is a woman, wearing a brightly coloured top to stand out and provide a point of interest for the audience. However, they differ in that mine has the date and time (as on an old video recorder) and is a screenshot from its upload to youtube, whereas Blumenfeld's is a plainer still. Also, his stands out more due to the bright red top and lipstick, whereas the app I used muted my colours a bit.
layering
To explore another element of distortion, I took portraits of some friends, edited them and printed them on to acetate. I did this in black and white and colour to see which worked better. I then hung them on a line in the studio and shone light through them, layering different images on top of each other to observe the results. I found that the normal images were too dark and opaque to see the image behind, so I made them lighter in photoshop by adjusting contrast and exposure, and reprinted it. These were more transparent and therefore easier to layer effectively.
I chose images of the same person in different poses and layered them over eachother. I then edited my chosen images in photoshop, increasing the contrast to bring out the different layers. I am quite pleased with the results of this experiment as they created interesting results. It felt like it represented a split personality in that it was the same person from different angles and perspectives, which is an idea that I can advance in a variety of ways within the topic.
Feminist Avant–Garde of the 1970s is an expansive exhibition comprising forty-eight international female artists and over 150 major works from the 'VERBUND COLLECTION' in Vienna, now being shown at The Photographer's Gallery.
The exhibition highlights groundbreaking practices that shaped the feminist art movement and provides a timely reminder of the wide impact of a generation of artists. Alongside established photographers such as Cindy Sherman, Francesca Woodman and Martha Rosler, the exhibition also provides a rare opportunity to discover the influential work of artists including Katalin Ladik, Nil Yalter, Birgit Jürgenssen and Sanja Iveković. Curator Gabriele Schor coined the term 'Feminist Avant-Garde' to underline the pioneering achievements of these artists.
Focusing on photographs, collage works, performances, films and videos produced throughout the 1970s, the exhibition reflects a moment during which practices of emancipation, gender equality and civil rights protest movements became part of public discourse. Operating across the public and personal realms – as well as using their own bodies as central motifs – these artists sought to address broad political issues and confront patriarchy and sexism in art and society. In doing so they created new, positively assertive female identities.
The exhibition highlights groundbreaking practices that shaped the feminist art movement and provides a timely reminder of the wide impact of a generation of artists. Alongside established photographers such as Cindy Sherman, Francesca Woodman and Martha Rosler, the exhibition also provides a rare opportunity to discover the influential work of artists including Katalin Ladik, Nil Yalter, Birgit Jürgenssen and Sanja Iveković. Curator Gabriele Schor coined the term 'Feminist Avant-Garde' to underline the pioneering achievements of these artists.
Focusing on photographs, collage works, performances, films and videos produced throughout the 1970s, the exhibition reflects a moment during which practices of emancipation, gender equality and civil rights protest movements became part of public discourse. Operating across the public and personal realms – as well as using their own bodies as central motifs – these artists sought to address broad political issues and confront patriarchy and sexism in art and society. In doing so they created new, positively assertive female identities.
I loved this exhibiton as it was both educational and inspirational- whilst concerning feminist art (a subject I have a keen interest in but haven't previously explored), there were certain pieces that were relevant to my project.
One piece in particular caught my eye. Ulrike Rosenbach's 'Amazon' was a moving image that lapsed in and out of overlapping figures, reminding me of the double faces I had just photographed using acetate. Speaking about the work, she says 'My work is a confrontation with my own identity as a woman. It is critical and experimental work, caught up in a permanent discussion phase. Beyond the level of self-portrayal, the actions are descriptions of mental states, the retroactive products of social conditions. They are the disclosure of my personal make-up. Investigations of my own potential. One component of this subject matter is an artistic analysis of the cultural image of the woman in history. The woman as mother of the family, as a housewife, as a prostitute for the men, as a saint, a Virgin or Amazon. Two video cameras separately record the Madonna reproduction and my face – but both images are shown on one monitor, delicately superimposed, one merging into the other. The video recording is my mental feedback. The Madonna image – representative, remote, beautiful, gentle and shy, a cliché traditionally used as a female image, rather vapid – is now part of me.' |
distortion through voice and video
After exploring various methods of physically distorting images/film, I wanted to consider more subtle ways to do it. I started thinking about psychologically distorting my work, and doing something that wasn't first expected from the audience. I liked the element of layering (above) in my own images and Rosenbach's film that suggested a dual personality, with multiple perspectives on each person. I researched in to the theme and came across Gillian Wearing's film '2 into 1' which depicted a mother and her 2 sons talking about each other, with each other's voices.
my response:
To respond to Wearing, I wanted to try and replicate her idea with members of my family: filming them and attaching different voices to each video. Below are the raw (unedited) films that I took. After reviewing them, the sound was too faint and unclear, which I needed to amend.
To respond to Wearing, I wanted to try and replicate her idea with members of my family: filming them and attaching different voices to each video. Below are the raw (unedited) films that I took. After reviewing them, the sound was too faint and unclear, which I needed to amend.
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PROCESS
To do this, I recorded voice memos of them talking about someone else, and then asked them to memorise the one that I assigned to them. For example, with the video of my brother, I gave him a voice memo of my dad and he memorised it. I then filmed him mouthing my dad's words. The raw films are above, and the editing process and films below.
After editing, I realised I could fix the sound issue by adding the original voice memo to the films and muting the fainter recording in the background. Moving forward, I want to develop this idea by creating more films and varying the model.
visual progress chart
film 3
To develop my idea, I started thinking about distorting further by focussing in on specific features. This would add interest to the video too. I was inspired by Myra Greene's self-portraits, which concentrate on specific facial features and question the constructs of portraiture as a genre.
I decided to change the demographic and film my 2 friends, Erika and Zara. I used Zara's voice and Erika's image for distortion. I found that this was less effective as they were both of the same sex and age, so it was difficult to differentiate between them and made it less obvious to spot the distortion if you didn't know them. However, I still feel that it was a postitive development in that it allowed me to experiment with different filming angles. The editing process was longer and different to last time in that I had to compile 3 different films in to one, choosing specific moments to match up. Syncing the voice memo was also more challenging as I had to contend with clip trimming on multiple clips. |
Despite the longer editing process, I liked the end result as it was more interesting to watch. Moving forward, I am going to keep the element of the different angles, but am going to use subjects that differ in gender and age to make the distortion more obvious.
film 4
For my next film, I recorded a voice memo of a 7 year old boy I babysit (Fred) and filmed my mum miming to his words. I hoped that this would produce a more effective film because they were obviously different people, which would emphasise the distortion. I took multiple films of different angles:
- her eyes
- her mouth
-her whole head (in front of cartoons)
-her whole head (in front of the news)
- her watching cartoons
-her watching the news
I chose to film her in front of/watching cartoons as that was what Fred was talking about in the audio file. I chose to film the same angle but change it to news on TV as this is typically considered an adult programme and to juxtapose the two would present further distortion.
- her eyes
- her mouth
-her whole head (in front of cartoons)
-her whole head (in front of the news)
- her watching cartoons
-her watching the news
I chose to film her in front of/watching cartoons as that was what Fred was talking about in the audio file. I chose to film the same angle but change it to news on TV as this is typically considered an adult programme and to juxtapose the two would present further distortion.
I feel that this was my most successful film yet, as it combined the best elements of my previous experiements. To impove, I am going to try and control the background noise more- as at the end of the film there is a crackle that obstructs the voice and proves distracting.
film 5
I made another film and tried to emphasise the difference between voice and image by using my uncle and the the voice of a 5 year old girl (Imi) who I babysit. She was quite shy, and had to be prompted to speak in longer sentences which was less effective as it had my own voice in it. I tried to incorporate everything learnt from my previous films, and feel this was successful. However, next time I want to use a tripod to minimise the shaking. Since she was talking about food, I filmed him in the kitchen and eating to try and match the two and use a more purposeful location.
artist & me
As mentioned earlier, I was inspired by Myra Greene's self-portraits, which concentrate on specific facial features and question the constructs of portraiture as a genre. I chose to compare these two images as they are obvious points of similarity between the two work, effectively showing how her work has influenced mine. They both detail a close-up shot of a mouth, with teeth on show. Both a are focussed on a specific feature. However, they diverge from each other too; whilst Greene's is a self portrait (and thus a female mouth), I took mine of my uncle, showing a male mouth. Greene's image was made using a special photographic/ developing technique involving wet plates, whereas mine is a screenshot from the above moving film. This also explains the difference in colour: Greene shot on black and white film and mine was digital and in colour.
development: glitch distortion films
After making my previous films in which I distorted through voice, I felt I had exhausted all the options and opposite voices and wanted to go down a different route within my project. I started thinking about using a digital voice, like the one that plays on google translate. I want to make some films with the models miming to a computerised voice.
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I then started thinking about ways in which I could visually disrupt the video, which would link to the technological approach I had thought about. I researched in to the best ways to do this, and found glitching/datamoshing to be effective as it distorted the video- sometimes beyond recognition- with somewhat unpredictable effects, whilst matching the digital audio provided by google translate.
I came across Kanye West's video 'Welcome to Heartbreak' (inserted on the left) which used glitching and datamoshing on moving image. After researching various ways to do this, I found an app called 'GlitchVideo' which allowed you to film videos or choose existing ones from your camera roll and manually glitch them using a variety of in-app tools. I chose a video I'd previously filmed of fireworks and one that I filmed in class to experiment with. The results are below. |
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I found the glitching possibilities that the app provided to be great and the ability to control their frequency and intensity was also very useful.
For my next set, I got my classmate to write about her relationship with technology and put it into google translate. I then made a voice memo of it, which gave me a non-human, computerised voice. I wanted to maintain the fact that it was their words. Then, I filmed her in different angles with white noise on the screens behind her, and edited the video on the glitching app. I decided to film one in which she was completely still and mechanical, to match up with the inhuman voice which was void of all emotion. I then asked her to be more animated in her speech, in order to contrast to the voice. Afterwards, I used iMovie to sync the audio as I had done with previous films.
For my next set, I got my classmate to write about her relationship with technology and put it into google translate. I then made a voice memo of it, which gave me a non-human, computerised voice. I wanted to maintain the fact that it was their words. Then, I filmed her in different angles with white noise on the screens behind her, and edited the video on the glitching app. I decided to film one in which she was completely still and mechanical, to match up with the inhuman voice which was void of all emotion. I then asked her to be more animated in her speech, in order to contrast to the voice. Afterwards, I used iMovie to sync the audio as I had done with previous films.
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The videos turned out to be quite grainy and compromised on quality due to the fact that they were shot on an iPhone (in order for me to be able to glitch them through the app). However, this isn't necessarily negative as it contributes to the distortion and glitch. Next time, I am going to make a longer film and be specific in the type of glitch I use e.g split or colour or warp. I feel this will focus the video more and be less manic. |
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Max Headroom is a fictional British artificial intelligence character, known for his wit and stuttering, distorted, electronically sampled voice. I like how its visually and audibly distorted, much like my earlier observations. Using geometric backgrounds and an electronic voice and repeating/glitching it is something I could potentially explore within my own work. I think I would need to use a music programme and sync a voice memo to the keyboard in order to manually play and distort the audio snippets. |
VISUAL AND AUDIO DISTORTION- DEVELOPMENT
To develop my project into its final stages, I wanted to make more films and increase the elements of distortion. I liked experimenting with using digital voices / visuals as a means of distorting the audio in my films, so I started to brainstorm other methods of distorting voice. In each film, I recorded a voice memo of someone different, having them physically change their voice in a variety of manners including having food in their mouth, speaking through a tube, a different language or at a distance.
asked them all to speak about 'self-perception' as it linked to my theme of distorted portraits whilst leaving ample room for individualism. I felt this was a good step as my previous observations had been fairly random on their subject matter. It also grouped all the separate films together under the same theme. The results were varied in each person's interpretation of the instruction, which introduced a further diverging element.
For the visual aspect, I filmed through different panes of textured glass which produced interesting results through fragmenting/reflecting and refracting different parts of the model's face. I liked the effects of the glass seen in my previous responses to Erwin Blumenfeld and experimental images.
I produced the films using the same process as before but thinking more about my composition and lighting. Consequently, I utilised the cropping and editing tools in iMovie to try and produce an enhanced image. This is detailed below.
Accompanying the films is a portrait of the 'voice' of the film and a description of the specifics regarding each.
asked them all to speak about 'self-perception' as it linked to my theme of distorted portraits whilst leaving ample room for individualism. I felt this was a good step as my previous observations had been fairly random on their subject matter. It also grouped all the separate films together under the same theme. The results were varied in each person's interpretation of the instruction, which introduced a further diverging element.
For the visual aspect, I filmed through different panes of textured glass which produced interesting results through fragmenting/reflecting and refracting different parts of the model's face. I liked the effects of the glass seen in my previous responses to Erwin Blumenfeld and experimental images.
I produced the films using the same process as before but thinking more about my composition and lighting. Consequently, I utilised the cropping and editing tools in iMovie to try and produce an enhanced image. This is detailed below.
Accompanying the films is a portrait of the 'voice' of the film and a description of the specifics regarding each.
process
I chose to use one model, Robin, in all of these films as it would link all of them together as a comprehensive series. It also made it all the more strange when hearing the different, distorted voices all coming from the same person. I think that to have different models as well as the panes of glass and multiple voices would have confused the project and potential audiences. |
Grannie
Taid
For my next film, I asked my granddad ('Taid' in Welsh) to speak in Welsh, his first language. This introduced a new element/angle on audio distortion whilst showing he was strongly patriotic in his self-perception. My brother cannot speak Welsh so this was the hardest one for him to try and mime. I also used 2 panes of glass to further complicate the film. |
Tom
In this film, my cousin Tom spoke about his perception of himself on a more superficial level. As pictured, he spoke with grapes in his mouth to distort his voice. I felt it was important to include a wide range of ages in this project, making the observation of distortion apply to a wide age bracket. |
Aiden/ digital voice
For this film, I asked my uncle Aiden (filmed earlier) to speak about his perception of himself. However, since it was not physically distorted, I put his words in to google translate and re-recorded them as a computerized voice. I had liked this when experimenting with it earlier in my project.
I also started using all 3 panes of glass and flitting between them more as I became more comfortable in the editing process. |
After making those films, I decided I wanted a bigger set and went to produce more. When reviewing them, I felt that they were sometimes too dark and so resolved to use better lit areas when filming my next ones. I also wanted to use female voices as there had been a slight gender imbalance in the previous films.
Alison
I asked my mum, Alison to talk about her perception of herself. I feel this was my most effective film yet as I used more individual takes to produce the final outcome and the dubbing process was noticeably more accurate. For the distortion element, she stood across the room to examine the effect of space on the voice memo. |
Ms Common
For this film, I asked my history teacher to speak about 'self-perception'. Whilst reluctant, her interpretation of the theme was interesting as it encompassed multiple elements of self-identity. She talked about family, her thoughts on what others thought of her and personal passtimes. I recorded her speaking through a rolled up piece of paper (a tube) which amplified and distorted her voice. |
project progress map
Throughout the process, I made my films more complicated with different angles and more intense editing so that there is a mappable progression. This is interesting as with each film's added complexity, they become more and more distorted. To get to my most recent films, I took inspiration from Blumenfeld's movement films and the glitching I had been doing.
Manifesto is a 2015 Australian-German multi-screen film installation written, produced and directed by Julian Rosefeldt. It features actress Cate Blanchett in 13 different roles performing various manifestos. Production on the film began in December 2014 in Berlin, where it was shot over 12 days. I would like to present my films in a similar fashion; in a dark room all playing simultaneously on different screens. I feel this will further distort it as they'll be playing over eachother and the audience won't be guided as to where to look. It is similar to my project in that I have used the same model with different voices, however they diverge in that I have filmed with a glass barrier to distort, whereas Rosefeldt had Blanchett use different personas to further emphasise the difference between each film. |
adding audio effects
After making my films, I found that iMovie had a bank of audio effects that you could add to your film. I experimented with adding them to the distorted film I made with my Mum's voice.
After doing this, I liked how different and distortative the iMovie audio effects were on my voice memos, but felt that they didn't fit with my intention. I found that the audio effects confused the film as I had both the glass visually distorting, and now the person's voice had been changed too. This meant that their original voice had been lost, so it wasn't as obvious that the voice came from a different person and gender. This lost some of the original intention, so I decided not to use these effects when producing my final pieces.
glitch
I also used a plain film (no glass) and made a glitched film using the app mentioned previously. I wanted to see the effects of visually glitching a film, as opposed to my normal method of using glass. Although an interesting change, it compromised the quality as I had to process it through an iPhone app and record in my class, where other people were speaking.
refinement
After producing those films and undertaking some final experimentation, I felt they needed refinement. I wanted to shoot against a plainer background, drawing inspiration from Wearing. I also wanted to improve the exposure, making the films more light. Another step in these new films involved using 3 panes of glass for each film, complicating them and developing the theme of distortion. I tried to crop the videos to get rid of any visible glass edges, using the same method as before.
robin/ alison
robin/ grannie
robin/ ms common
After making these films, I was pleased with the introduction of the plainer background as I feel that it is less distracting, and forces the audience to look at and listen to the subject. However, there is movement in them which is quite distracting.
final films
For my final films, I wanted to keep the plain background and lighting from the last set, but try and address the shaking/ movement of the glass. To do this, I had my brother steady himself by leaning on a table when holding the panes of glass. To minimise camera shake, I used a tripod. The set up in shown on the right. I used the same method as I have been throughout, making use of the cropping tools to eliminate any glass edges and focus the audience's attention. |