Sound

The first project for this class was to create a sound work using audio filters and plugins using a small recorded sample of a sine wave at any frequency. The sound file below is the initial sound wave that i began experimenting with in soundtrack pro.

Before i began proceeding further with this project my first initial steps involved researching the principals behind a Sine Wave and how it worked. if you were able to look at a Sine Wave with your eyes it would look like the image below.

The sine wave or what is also referred to as a sinusoid is a mathematical function that describes a smooth repetitive oscillation. It occurs often in pure mathematics, as well as physics, signal processing, electrical engineering and many other fields.

Further information explaining the mathematical equations behind a Sine Wave can be found here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sine_wave

As well as Sine Waves there are other types of waveforms, Square, Triangle and Sawtooth which can be seen in the diagram below.

Primary Research

Sneaker Documentary

Just For Kicks documentary title sequence from Arthur King on Vimeo.

This Title sequence was for a documentary about the sneaker culture in America. The title sequence is made using a series of photographs in a stop frame animation style. This is combined with layering titles in after effects over the images and manipulating the colours to the beats of the music and cutting on the beat of the music. The edit gives the sequence a real MTV popular culture feel and sets the viewer up to know what the documentary is about purely from the title credits.


MTV France

MTV France title sequences from Arthur King on Vimeo.

This title sequence was made for MTV France and the title sequence is used for the music countdown. The style of the titles is made in a graffiti look really poppy. The title sequence is animated to the beats of the music.

OFF Barcelona titles

OFFF Barcelona 2011 Main Titles from OFFF, let's feed the future on Vimeo.

This was one of my favourite title sequences, it revolves around the theme of an alien invasion but the title sequence takes a more artist approach placing the text within the video. The sequence is quite drawn out so it is more like a test for a short film rather than a title sequence for a film. The man aspect i like about the video is the suspense that the title sequence creates and the linear narrative of the story that the alien invasion gradually takes over the film and the audience is left hanging on what is going to happen.


Extreme Sports Documentary

Parks Bonifay Titles from Wesley Kandel on Vimeo.

Playgrounds Festival 2009

Playgrounds Opening Titles 2009 from Heerko Groefsema on Vimeo.

This clip was made for the intro to a film festival in the USA 'Play Grounds Festival' I found this title sequence amazing, the entire title sequence is completely made of photographs and the photos were stitched together in after effects to create the effects of a camera with an ultra slow frame rate. various elements were added such as particle filters for blood and sweet. the reason why the sequence was so effective was because the style of the edit with fast cuts and the added elements of the fast flashing of frames.


planet hulk doco

Planet Hulk Open Titles from NITRO on Vimeo.

Tyhpolie

Typophile Film Festival 5 Opening Titles from Brent Barson on Vimeo.

FITC Amsterdam 2010 Opening Titles

FITC Amsterdam 2010 Opening Titles from Soulbase on Vimeo.

"Het Klokhuis" Opening titles

"Het Klokhuis" Opening titles from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.

http://www.artofthetitle.com/2010/02/08/het-klokhuis/

TEDxEdges opening titles

TEDxEdges opening titles from Filipe Carvalho on Vimeo.

"Complexo" main titles

"Complexo" main titles from Filipe Carvalho on Vimeo.

AGI Open 2010 titles

AGI Open 2010 titles from Filipe Carvalho on Vimeo.

Graphic Design Research

Graphic Design

When i first started my typography project i immediately began looking at some kinetic typography.

From looking at a few of these video on you tube i decided to try my own kinetic typography for the project. Below is a 10 second example i show at the interim critique.

After the interim critique i decided not to go with this idea as i have experience using after effects and i wanted to move my focus into a more hand generated field and create a more dynamic interactive experience.

Fading

Rationale

This series of images discusses about how families are forgotten after war that they are the ones left behind to pick up the pieces. The inspiration behind this piece was several photojournalistic artists that worked in the major wars of the 20^th Century. I wanted these images to look dark and grungy and have a depressing feel about them. The woman in the image is standing on a balcony looking as though she is waiting for her husband to come back but through the series of images it is obvious that her hope is fading as she disappears completely by the end of the series. The images can be read and interpreted several ways, it can be interpreted that her hope is fading that her husband will never return. It also can be interpreted that over time she will be forgotten and is expected to carry on with her life. The images also have a sense that the woman’s memory is fading and this is a topic that the Australian Photographic Artist Anne Ferran is famous for.

I wanted the five images to have a surrealist look to them, as they are not a reflection of the past but an insight into the emotion of how the families and wives were feeling at this time. Through my research I found that artworks at the period of both the world wars were heavily influenced by death, destruction and fear. The series of images in “Fading” can be related to several photographers such as Margret Bourke-White and Anne Ferran who use shutter speed in their work in similar ways.

I Just Need Someone to Listen

Rationale

This apeture project is about escapism from depression, depression is a very senstitive topic within Australia and depression is the leading cause of suicide within Australia. About 20% of Australians will face depression within their life with 6% of people suffering major depression. Tasmania has the highest rate of suicide from depression in Australia (http://www.mindframe-media.org/site/index.cfm?display=85537) 2191 people committed suicide in Australia in 2008. Depression is a common illness and it can be treated most mental illness can be treated if detected early (Beyond Blue).

The purpose of this project was to raise awerness about how people were taking their own lives from a preventable illness. The water tank symbolises a form of escape for someone suffering depression. Once under water no one can here your screams, you are alone, you can escape your problems. You are free… This project is not about condining suicide but showing it in public to raise awarness that these people are real they have faces, they have families. They might leave their problems behind but their families are also left to wonder why?

This project can be read and interpreted on many levels in the critque the feedback suggested that this project was very successful and strong in illustraing this story. People saw the images as disturbing and confronting of watching someone take their own life before there own life. Though the group said they were disconnected from the person as they did not know who they were. The Group said that you were able to connect with the way the person was feeling even though you did not know them. You could connect that they felt alone, isolated, lost, that she was screaming underwater and that no one was there to help you.

To shoot this project I had to fill a 200 litre fish tank full of water then I played with the lighting in the garage and made several tests with the fluro lights. I then tested the light with just natural light and decided that I was not able to control the natural light how I wanted. So I then blacked out the window on the door in the garage with cardboard. After doing this I then used a bed lamp to light the tank from the side this was a little difficult as I kept getting a reflection of the light bulb.

To shoot these images in the certain style I was thinking of I bossted the camera ISO to 1600 and shot the images on a 1.8f stop with a 50mm lens. I had to set the camera onto burst mode as I only had a short time to get the images while the talent was underwater. I tried to shooting the images with different light settings and ISO settings a few images I tried with not light and a very high iso but it did not give the effect on the image I wanted.

After shooting all the raw files I then importeed them into photoshop and played around with the contrast settings trying to darken the image. I was very happy with the end result of the raw files they turned out exactly how I invisaged, as old time evidence photos.

I am thinking about printing the images on matte paper with no borders though I will be testing with borders and different paper. I was also thinking about presenting these photos in an evidence bag so the viewer has to open the bag and it will give the project a sense of mystery.

E-Media: Human Movement

Initial Ideas: My initial idea for the loop project was to have a gymnast do a back flip from the left side of screen to the right of the screen until he is out of frame. This would then create a seamless loop as the person would constantly be entering and exiting the screen. This idea was story-boarded and a gymnast was organized for the shoot, though the shoot was cancelled the day before as the gymnast broke his ankle so i had to make another loop instead.

Intent: The intent for this project was to create a 10 second - 1 minute loop, throughout the lectures i became very interested in several artists works that was inspired by human movement. I was particularly interested with the concept of the advertisement that sony used for its new motion flow television.

My next concept still involved using human movement, i arranged a group of break dancers for my next shoot in the alley way behind the centre point shopping centre. The shoot involved filming their aerial and break dancing moves. The idea behind this shot was to use one of their single moves and loop it seamlessly to look like the move would never end. Whilst editing the footage i found this quite difficult to do as the dancers were not landing the moves in the exact same spot. I edited the video below to show in the critique, this was a rough cut of some of the footage from the day. I explained my initial concept and showed the rough cut and mentioned that it could be possibly be used as a loop it self in a DVD menu. It was decided in the critique though that i should try and get one of these moves of human motion in a loop itself, which i completely agreed with as this was my initial concept.

Human Movement - First Test from Robert Harrison on Vimeo.

After the critique i rescheduled another shoot and shot single shots of particular moves. Whilst shooting the single moves i also shot close up cutaways to use a back up shot in case the moves were not seamless. The video below is an example from the shoot.

Human Movement- Loop from Robert Harrison on Vimeo.

The video below is the finished version of the loop, it was slowed down in Final Cut Pro to 10% of its original speed. This was done to emphasise the movement of the breakdancer with trailing motion blurs of a low frame rate. The music was also slowed down to the same speed as the vision so the music beats still matched the dancers moves.

Human Movement - Head spin ultra slow motion from Robert Harrison on Vimeo.

Reflection: In reflection of this project, i think it was really effective in achieving what i initially set out to do. The loop shows quite a different approach to visualizing human movement and illustrates images that the ordinary public generally does not see everyday. This loop was made to be shown in a gallery space viewed on a large screen or projector. Even though the beginning of the production for this project was set back a few times the end result was worth the extra effort. Throughout the editing i learnt a few new features in magic bullet looks for colour grading techniques and this helped in achieving a graphic look to the production.