Video Analysis

Assignment:
Make a shot-by-shot analysis of  two different, short, commercially-produced videos on YouTube. Write an outline that numbers each shot in order.

For each numbered shot, describe the main subject, whether it's a still/pan/zoom/pullout/tracking shot, and give a brief summary of any dialog in the shot.

Video Clip 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuc6fMj_Rsg

Shot 1: 
Man standing in front of brown BG, follow/panning shot, followed by zooming in to face. 

'Could switching to Geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance?' 

Dramatic pause, look straight into camera with close shot of face

'Does it take two to tango?'

Shot 2:
Switches to scene of dance studio and 3 people doing the tango, film style grainy/made to look old. Shot follows dancers/pans with them.

Show Geico text and website info overlay on shot.

'Geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.'


Video Clip 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VICaWgD-76w

Shot 1:
Zoom into bug light, and pan down to man sitting in chair eating pizza with Tabasco sauce.


Shot 2:
Zoomed in shot/close up of man's face over piece of pizza as he adds more Tabasco.


Shot 3:
Switch to shot of mans feet and empty bottles of Tabasco. He knocks one over with foot.


Shot 4:
Switch to close up of pizza slice with more Tabasco being added.


Shot 5:
Back to man in chair, enjoying pizza. Sounds of the woods at night (owl, bug noises.) Pan camera slightly out and around in brief semi-circle panoramic of man seated.


Shot 6:
Back to extreme close up (mostly just eyes) of the man as mosquito noise is heard above other noises. Zoom in on eyes.


Shot 7:
Extreme close up of one eye 'tracking' mosquito noise.


Shot 8: 
Back out to shot of full man in chair, watching as mosquito lands on him.


Shot 9: 
Mosquito lands on man's thigh. Pull in shot of mosquito on thigh. Zoom in.


Shot 10:
Extreme close up of mosquito on man's thigh.


Shot 11:
Back to close up on man eating pizza. Focus mainly on mouth.

Shot 12:
Back out to man in chair.


Shot 13:
Brief close up of mosquito detail/ mosquito flies away.


Shot 14:
Back to man in chair.


Shot 15: 
Camera positioned behind man's head to the right and looking out over his yard at night. Mosquito noises are heard. Mosquito blows up in a fire ball.


Shot 16: 
Back to close up of man's face. Man slowly smiles. Tabasco label appears in upper right.

Photo Mojo

Photo #1: A photo taken by me that includes someone you know.

Josh and the Kitties 4-15-09

This is one of the first pictures I ever took of my husband, during my first weekend with him down in Livingston. I wanted to always remember that weekend, and this photo is one of my favorites from that day. I love it because of its candidness and how it shows my husband in a very natural way. I also love that it shows two of our kitties, who have become part of our family. Whenever I look at this photo, it brings back memories of the time I spent with my husband, and of our first summer together.

Photo #2: A photo of me taken by someone I know

3-11-10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photo was taken by my dear friend, Carlynne Welch, to help her gain some more experience with portrait taking. I was more than happy to help, and we spent the entire day traipsing around the woods. I will always love this photo, both for the memories attached to, and because it is one of my favorite photos of me. I love that it is out in nature, and I can't get over how big and bright my eyes look.  My friend received many comments when this photo appeared on her photography blog, and I felt so proud to have been a part of it.

Photo #3: a photo of a stranger, by a stranger

During the planning stages of my recent wedding ceremony, I came across this photo, and it has been burned into my psyche ever since. And while I adore Hello Kitty, I just can't help but cringe a little everytime I think about this wedding. One only wonders what the rest of the ceremony looked like.

The Madness Is Over

Alas, Modular Madness has come to an end, and though I won't be missing gluing plates to a wall anytime soon, it was a little sad to see everyone's work uninstalled so quickly.

Well, on to the crit!

Ambition:
I feel that I took on a fairly ambitious project, both in scale and in the look that I wanted to achieve. The project climbs the entire wall of the alcove, and comes out from the wall a couple of feet in some places. Yeah, that's A LOT of plates!
Also, I wanted to achieve a very organic look, as if the piece was growing on the wall, which can be difficult to achieve with such geometric modules.

Craft:
Unfortunately, craft was where I faltered with this piece. I left about five paperclips still in place by mistake. (They were used to hold the plates while the glue set up.) and I also had chosen staples to attach some of the plates to the wall. While necessary in some areas, as the actual weight the plate was bearing was pretty significant, this could have been better hidden. In other areas, such as single plates being hung, I should have employed something like double-sided tape.

Form:
I think I achieved my desired form very well. I really wanted to capture the essence of something alive and growing to cover the wall, and everyone seemed very aware of this feeling from the piece. I received a lot of comments about the piece looking like a mold or fungus, red blood cells, or even a tumorous growth.

Presentation:
My presentation could've been better, as there were elements of my craft that weren't well thought out.However, the decision to install my piece in the alcove couldn't have worked out better for me. I really loved the uniqueness of the location and the way the set up of the walls allowed me to build the piece in a closed-in corner.

Overall, I feel that this piece had a lot more potential than I ended up portraying, and mostly due to problems with craft. I really think I'd like to experiment with this technique again and work out the small kinks. I'd also like to make the piece larger, to encompass the entire alcove, so that the viewer feels surrounded by this growth.

We're All Mad Here!

Modular Madness Assingment: Create a 3-dimensional piece that shows rhythm, pattern, and modulation out of similar found   objects.

I was really excited when we got this project and had/have a million ideas as to objects I could use. However, it didn't take me long to decide on using paper plates. I had begun construction on a piece of my own a while back that involved using small, cut circles to create a 3D modular piece, but ended up giving up on it in frustration. This project gave me a way to go back and finish what I started in a way.

First day of installation.

The piece changes with each plate I install, and though I can guide it along, ultimately it decides where it wants to go. Each plate I add drives the placement of the next.

Not Quite....

Sadly, I failed to meet the deadline for the cardboard project, despite many hours spent working on it. For now, it will sit unfinished until I have a break in my schedule to complete and resubmit the piece.

The wasp's head. Though well constructed, requires more detailing. Will add carved,hexagonal texture to eyes.

Though I'm disappointed that I was unable to finish, I learned a lot form this project. Ambition is great, but, as with all things, moderation is key. I went in wanting to make something amazing and wanting to really challenge myself. Unfortunately, I bit off a little more than i could chew, at least in the time frame we were given.

The lace-like wings, my favorite part. Great detail and well cut.

On the up side, the parts that I finished look really good, and I achieved a lot of detail, especially on the wings. So much so, that I was told that I had set a high standard, and needed to show that high level of detail on the entire piece when it is completed. /sweatdrop It's going to be a real challenge, and I hope I can complete this piece to the level I really want it to be.

Ambitious Cardboard (pt....???)

And so our story continues, in which our intrepid artist continues to battle valiantly against her 10-foot cardboard wasp foe...

Again, I'm forced to face the beast of my ambition (in an almost to literal a fashion). Am I sorry that I chose this particular object? Almost 90% of the time, heck yes. But that tiny, remaining 10%, I look at that mass of cardboard and see it for what it can be, what it will be......eventually.



The W.A.S.H. House has become my second home lately. I have clocked countless hours over this last Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun., (and in a few hours) Mon. And yet, final wasp-dom remains illusive. I had many issues with design, though I had no shortage of ideas. My main issue remained one of balancing the assemblage. At first, I was set on having my wasp standing. Though the legs are thin, I knew I could place them in a way that it would do so. The problem came when I added the stinger. It completely counter-balanced everything, and I could not devise an acceptable means of fixing the problem. Well, on to plan B.

Tools of the trade.

Plan B resorted to having my poor wasp lying dead on it's side. Plan B never excited me. I felt it took away everything the wasp stood for: it's ominous, predatory nature, it's delicate-ness. And while I tried to reconcile this by saying it would present an interesting juxtaposition, I still wasn't happy. Regardless, I went ahead as planned.

And then came the real kicker, in which my wonderfully delicate, beautiful wings I had cut out so laboriously stubbornly refused to be rigid enough for the purpose I needed. Well, crap. I was already feeling rather disillusioned with the entire piece, having had to scrap many more attractive designs in favor of more functional ones, and I just wasn't going to give up these wings.

And then, I got an idea.

Why not suspend it? That would give me the look and feel I wanted for this piece. And it was never specified how we would be displaying our pieces, so why not?

Disillusionment conquered.

Textually Active

Assignment: Create visually interesting and appealing patterns using a single repeating letter in your choice of typefont. a) Show translation b) Show translation & reflection c) Show translation, reflection, & rotation

Pieces done in Corel PSP

Translation of K's

Translation & Reflection of V's

Translation, Reflection & Rotation of I's

It's a pattern...It's a pattern...It's a pattern...

Assignment: Photograph patterns in everyday objects and environments.

Oven Burner 6pm 2/2/11  Rhythm Formal

Green Depression Glass Goblet 6pm 2/2/11 Pattern Formal

My Favorite Hand-painted Candle 6pm 2/2/11 Pattern Informal-ish

Bellows on my Kodak Pocket Fold Camera 6pm 2/2/11 Formal-ish Pattern

Flannel Pillow Case 6pm 2/2/11 Formal Pattern

My Husband's Work 6pm 2/2/11 Formal Pattern

Metal Picture Frame 6pm 2/2/11  Formal Pattern

Socks 6pm 2/2/11 Formal Rhythm(colored stripes) Formal Texture (striped weave in material)

Stabbity Death >:(

Thorax and butt-stick thingy (for lack of a tech. term) of my wasp, along w/ a scrapped stinger idea.

That's how I'm feeling about my cardboard project, or at least how I felt about it on Tuesday.

Despite working on it diligently during the class period, I made no actual physical progress. I cut, I glued, I fiddled around, I cursed, and cut and glued some more. Then, I restrained myself from setting it all aflame. It's part of my process....Honest....

I realized that I needed a break, so opted not to stay after class and work on it. I needed to get some new perspective.

I spent most of the rest of Tuesday and Wednesday considering how to go about finishing my giant wasp (again with much cursing and wishing death upon it), but I seem to have come up with some new ideas and have decided to toss my original plan of having it standing in place of having the wasp posed as if it were dead. This conquers the major hurdles of balancing the piece, and though I had been pretty set on having the wasp stand, I think it will still look impressive lying on its side.

I guess we'll see! (Glue-covered fingers crossed!)

Ambitious Cardboard (pt. 1)

Our assignment: To re-create an organic item in larger than life scale using nothing but cardboard and wood glue.

Given our assignment, we were all presented with a table full of objects. Bones, seeds, shells, corals; there was certainly a wide assortment, but nothing really called to me. Then Prof. Davenport mentioned he had some insects to choose from as well. That piqued my curiosity. 

After having taken Entomology while I was a Biology major at Baylor, I gained a new appreciation for insect's almost alien beauty and the depth of complexity they have once you take a closer look.

Among the collection were several beetles, a grasshopper, a cicada, and several wasps. I was initially drawn to the wasp, but dismissed  it as too difficult. However, the idea had already taken root, and I wasn't satisfied with doing anything else. Wasp it was.

I knew my typical approach of messing around with it until something clicked wasn't going to cut it here. This project needed some planning. I began by making many sketches of the individual pieces I would be assembling: head, thorax, hind-quarters, wings and legs. I decided on this approach since insects themselves are segmented. I even dug out my old entomology text to find more detailed illustrations.

I began by constructing a box-like thorax, leaving it open on the sides so that the wings and tail could be attached and supported inside. Later, I will close this with either cardboard or craft paper, depending on how either looks on the piece. A simple hole was cut for the tail to fit into, and initially, I was going to cut the same holes for the wings. However, I decided to cut a cross-like shape in the wing holes instead, to create a snugger fit for the wings and (hopefully) more support.

So far, plans seem to be working out. I still need to devise my method for constructing the head, though I have a rough idea. My only concerns are time, and I've already become well aware that this project will require a lot of out-of-class time. Perhaps a wasp was a tad ambitious, but why do the project at all if it doesn't stretch you as an artist? I remember Prof. Davenport saying that the goal of this class was to make at least one amazing thing. I want to approach all my work as if it's destined to become that amazing thing.

Thinking INSIDE the box...

Support Your Local Cinder-Block

So, you want me to support a cinder-block with just newspaper and some glue?

I have to admit I was a bit concerned at first, as I both tried to remember if I'd heard this joke before or had accidentally managed to land in some kind of engineering class. However, after it's initial shock, my brain kicked back into gear and began chugging out ideas.

I knew I would need a strong foundation, which would mean I'd have to find a way to make a normally flimsy material rigid. My first idea was to use the glue to coat the paper in a papier mache fashion. Unfortunately, it seems that having masking tape is a rather key aspect of the whole process.

Scrapping this idea, I thought instead of somehow folding or rolling the paper to reinforce it and make it thicker, and thus stronger. After scrapping several folding attempts rather quickly, I found that rolling tubes of newspaper was the best approach. To make it the most stable, I rolled tubes within tubes, and ended up with a very sturdy column.

If I had the project to do over again, I wouldn't change a thing, though I would be able to make the column taller with more time.