Words.

I don't know how many remember me mentioning this video once in class, but I thought I'd post it now for ya'll to check out.

[See Words video here!]

Besides being quite clever and interesting, I think it's a good demonstration of what is truly necessary in a video work, and what you really don't need. (i.e., You don't need to spell everything out for a viewer.)

Our brain is wired to make connections. That's how it works. I'm in a class right now called Creativity and Problem Solving, and our textbook ("Thinkertoys," which I will freely confess that I actually like, so go ahead, slap that "nerdy academic" label on me...) lists a bunch of exercises developed to help you solve problems creatively. (Appropriate for such a class, eh?) One exercise is called "Brutethink" and is concentrated on creating new ideas by forcing yourself to make connections between two seemingly random ideas or objects. (It's kind of hard to explain, you see. However, I am more than willing to discuss it, seeing as how I love the book. Come find me.)
Anyway, in that chapter, Michalko writes, "The human brain cannot deliberately concentrate on two separate objects or ideas without eventually forming a connection between them. No two inputs can remain separate in your mind no matter how remote they are from each other."
(Time out. Our God is so cool. He totally did that on purpose. Time in.)

That's why a video like this one can work. As soon as we see an image of the word "play" and then a sword fight on stage, our minds do not think "sword fight," we think "play!" We make the connection on our own. (Virtual high-fives, all around.)

Another good example of this is in the one documentary we watched in class last week, which featured a son interviewing his father about their family's history. (I don't remember the name of it now... my deepest apologies.) Throughout the film, the audio remained constant, an interview between a father and son, but the pictures shown (a boxing match, a tree, a crowd of photographers...) were completely different from the conversation. When a picture of the boxing match was shown, the two men were not discussing boxing, but the audience was able to make the connection between the verbal fight they were hearing between the men and the physical fight on the screen. It was an interesting way to convey a message to your viewer. I think it could be a creative little sumthin' sumthin' to keep your back pocket as we start working on our next projects, too.

So enjoy the video. Watch it more than once. Listen to the sound effects, the music. Note the crazy variety in locations and shots. And make the connections, find the "words," on your own.

Happy Weekend-ing!

P.S. If you liked "Words," you might also like Moments. (Note: there are a couple graphic clips in that one... like blood... Kinda caught me off guard the first time. Just be ready.) :)

Reading Assignment : 2 [Audio]

I cannot imagine being deaf.
I've tried to, several times, and even learned a ton of American Sign Language when I was younger to communicate with a few friends that are deaf.
But life without sound? I can't get there.

Funny thing is, as much as I have worked with video in the past, I really don't have any experience with microphones. Microphones and I aren't really friends. Basically, after all the video that I shoot, I delete the audio entirely and add in something else instead (a song, a separate dialogue, etc.) because lining up the sound in each shot has been fairly difficult in the past. That being said, I think that this latest reading assignment is just what I need, a how-to-manual for folks like me who have avoided all mike use in the past. Perfect!

To be honest, I felt like some of the material covered in this reading was too advanced for me to follow, or something I would rather be figuring out with the microphones and equipment at hand. However, I think much of it will be valuable in the future, once it is known what we have available in the lab and what we do with it. I understand how this information is key for future projects.

A few ideas or tidbits that I will jostle around in my head:
1. A "wild track" of sounds that you can record on the scene to use as a common soundtrack through scene cuts and editing. It's something I never thought of before, and I can definitely see how this would be useful.
2.  The plethora of problems associated with relying solely on the camera mike... issues of distance, moving subjects, surroundings, etc. Quality of sound is only enhanced with the true microphone. (Obviously camera mikes lie.)
3. Preparations before actually shooting are invaluable. Thinking ahead to anticipate the unexpected will most likely save a lot of time and frustration in the editing process.
4. Appropriate and inappropriate uses for music/sound effects that are entirely post-production. There's pro's and con's to 'em all, and a lot of factors to think about.

I think that just about does it for me. Tune in next week for Reading Assignment : 3. And before that, a new sweet post about something... new and sweet... :)

Reading Assignment : 1 [Video vs. Film]

Well. This John Belton fellow is pretty opinionated, ain't he?!

After reading the article "Looking through Video," it's pretty clear that Belton doesn't think video can measure up to film, and that the emergence of video has impacted cinema more negatively than positively.

I think his main points are plausible; there can be huge differences in quality, capability, and experience. However, I do think that video (as in videotape and television) has advanced greatly since the time when Belton wrote this article. The way film is used is very different than the way video is used. Yes, critic, I hear you. "Don't they both record images/sounds? Aren't they both primarily making movies?" (And first of all, I don't even know how to define "movie" because before reading this article I interchanged "film" and "video" from time to time, which, apparently, might send me to a Filming School Principal's office.) Primarily, however, the purpose for film is to make feature movies... 'cinema'... grand elaborate sequences of scenes, complete with soundtracks and popcorn munchin' heads. The process is going to be more physical because the time constraints allow it, the editing is a huge part of this. Digital video, on the other hand, is compared to television broadcasts. Obviously, in these instances, the time constraints allow little time for editing, and efficiency overrules effectiveness. Television editing is going to be much different than film editing, as much of it is done during the recording process. Newscasts especially. If video allows this type of immediacy, a return on a short time period, this is definitely going to be choice for those that need efficiency, a news broadcaster, a sitcom producer that's expected to have another hour episode each week.

I don't think video is necessarily a threat to film. Film is continually changing, yes, and the cleaner and safer technology becomes the more it will be used within the film-making process, but I believe the two will remain separate for quite some time yet. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy both.

Revealing the Sacred

Check it out now. (... the funk soul brother...)

I finally started this blog!! (Can I get a 'What! What!')

Here it is, ya'll. Amy Bart's official Digital Video 1 blog. I'm going to do my best to respond to class assignments, post videos/links, and fill the minds of every reader with... great video/film related... stuff. Yep. 

I apologize to those who waited many sleepless nights for me to finally respond to the first readings... (basically just Matt...) and I promise to get to them right after this. HOWEVER, I recently just read an interesting article, and thought it'd be worth a thought or two. 

Relevant Mag. Ever heard of it? You should have. Especially if you're a Roberts student, because this magazine is pretty much the staple of any young Christian adult who's interested in music, culture, God, and/or life. Plus it's super funny. And also they interview crazy awesome people, like Jon Foreman.

Cameron Strang, who founded the magazine and who's twitter you can follow here, traditionally writes the "First Word" in each issue of the magazine. In the latest, his article was entitled "Finding God in Unexpected Places" and discussed what some Christians view as the uncrossable line between sacred and secular art. Cameron disagreed, saying, "All true art- even secular- eventually reveals the sacred." Whoa. Back up, and read that sentence again. It's a big one. 

It immediately reminded me of our class discussion about faith and art, and how art can/should be offensive, how we bring God into our art, etc. Basically the same topic that is brought up in every art class at Roberts at some point, in some way. It's a big deal. I am a Christian art student, and those two labels don't necessarily want to be friends. Somewhere along the way, the church lost touch with the artists of the era, and suddenly Christians and artists started giving each other the hairy eyeball. 

But, is it just me, or are these two things, artistic expression and our sacred God, are they... related??

God did, after all, create... everything. 

That's what Cameron is saying here, in this article. "True art taps into the spiritual realm. When artists are being authentic, they reflect the truest expression of who they are - either revealing aspects of their weakness or reflecting the heart of their Creator." We are made in the image of God. So anything we make, be it good or bad, will reflect him in some way or form. It's an interesting point, and definitely something to consider as we embark on this artistic journey of digital video this semester. 

For more Relevant goodness, check our their website. (WARNING: You will be sucked in and swallowed by several incredibly interesting articles, videos, and blogs, before spit back out into reality, and time will not wait for you.) I couldn't find the full article online that I was just talking about, but if you're super interested, the B.T. Golisano Library does subscribe to Relevant (as they should) and you can go there to check it out. Page 10. 

Check back for more thoughts about the readings!