Update I
After shooting some clips of my hands to experiment with in premier pro I have decided to change my idea a little. I was inspired by a kaleidoscopic video of someone walking through the streets. The interesting shapes and patterns that were on the screen really grabbed my attention and I have decided to abandon the first person view for this approach instead. I will still be shooting hands but I will be shooting them a little more abstract now.
Videos with Hands
These are some of the videos that I've been looking at for inspiration on how I could shoot hands. I found vimeo was a much more helpful and creative video database than site like youtube.
Hands of bresson
http://vimeo.com/98484833
This was a very interesting look into how hands can really say a lot about what is going with a person. Bresson really focuses on hands in his films and this video really shows the imapct they have.
Street Hands Project
http://vimeo.com/59755897
Hands can be used as very powerful symbols, there are some interesting gestures created for this street art movement.
Harper Collins
http://vimeo.com/51609270
I liked the simple minimalistic style and colours of this Harper Collins ad.
Hands
http://vimeo.com/37639703
I liked the fluid motions created in this video. Very simple and elegant.
Hands on
http://vimeo.com/98417189
This is a very clever music video the utilises a bird eye view of instruments while hands enter and leave playing each one.
Hands of bresson
http://vimeo.com/98484833
This was a very interesting look into how hands can really say a lot about what is going with a person. Bresson really focuses on hands in his films and this video really shows the imapct they have.
Street Hands Project
http://vimeo.com/59755897
Hands can be used as very powerful symbols, there are some interesting gestures created for this street art movement.
Harper Collins
http://vimeo.com/51609270
I liked the simple minimalistic style and colours of this Harper Collins ad.
Hands
http://vimeo.com/37639703
I liked the fluid motions created in this video. Very simple and elegant.
Hands on
http://vimeo.com/98417189
This is a very clever music video the utilises a bird eye view of instruments while hands enter and leave playing each one.
Met Museum: Hands
This was an insightful look into some of the meanings that hand gestures have represented in art. I will definitely consider that symbolism of what gestures and shape I shoot.
www.metmuseum.org/connections/hands#/Complete/
www.metmuseum.org/connections/hands#/Complete/
Honda Hands
I thought this was a very clever ad from Honda. I liked the first person perspective and use of hands in similar way to Shin Young's paintings.
Proposal
I've been thinking lately about shooting a video about hands. Hands are used to communicate and create which is why I thought they could make a intersesting subject matter. You can often tell alot about a person from their hands and this is something I'm exploring.
Shin Young is an artist who has created a series of first person point of view paintings on newspaper depicting her hands doing various activities. My idea is to film my hands from a similar perspective in various gestures.
Music & Soundtrack
The audio and soundtrack for this project cant be anything we don't have the licensing for, so we've been given the option to work with music students to produce our soundtrack.
Rather than work with someone I don't know I've decided to ask my someone I know who has just finished getting a degree in music production to help me with the soundtrack.
He currently produces music under the moniker of 'nkata' and has sent me some tracks he made.
I was after something subtle and quite slow that wouldn't take too much attention away from the video but would instead supplement the movements. Theses are the tracks I'm considering.
Rather than work with someone I don't know I've decided to ask my someone I know who has just finished getting a degree in music production to help me with the soundtrack.
He currently produces music under the moniker of 'nkata' and has sent me some tracks he made.
I was after something subtle and quite slow that wouldn't take too much attention away from the video but would instead supplement the movements. Theses are the tracks I'm considering.
Adobe Premiere Pro
Starting a New Project
When starting a new project you will need to input a small amount of information depending on what kind of device you used to capture footage with. You can also decide where you want your project to be saved.
File Handling / Organising
To keep everything organised, I placed video clips, audio and stills in different folders when importing. This meant it was easy to keep track of everything when editing.
Workspace
Tools Panel
A) Selection Tool
The standard tool for selecting clips, menu items, and other objects in the user interface. It’s generally a good practice to select the Selection Tool as soon as you are done using any of the other, more specialized, tools.
B) Ripple Edit Tool
Select this tool to trim the In or Out point of a clip in a Timeline. The Ripple Edit Tool closes gaps caused by the edit and preserves all edits to the left or right of the trimmed clip.
C) Rate Stretch Tool
Select this tool to shorten a clip in a Timeline by speeding up its playback, or to lengthen it by slowing it down. The Rate Stretch Tool changes speed and duration, but leaves the In and Out points of the clip unchanged.
D) Slip Tool
Select this tool to simultaneously change the In and Out points of a clip in a Timeline, while keeping the time span between them constant. For example, if you have trimmed a 10-second clip to 5 seconds in a Timeline, you can use the Slip Tool to determine which 5 seconds of the clip appear in the Timeline.
E) Pen Tool
Select this tool to set or select keyframes, or to adjust connector lines in a Timeline. Drag a connector line vertically to adjust it. Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) on a connector line to set a keyframe. Shift-click noncontiguous keyframes to select them. Drag a marquee over contiguous keyframes to select them.
F) Hand Tool
Select this tool to move the viewing area of a Timeline to the right or left. Drag left or right anywhere in the viewing area.
G) Track Selection Tool
Select this tool to select all the clips to the right of the cursor in a sequence. To select a clip and all clips to the right in its own track, click the clip. To select a clip and all clips to its right in all tracks, Shift-click the clip. Pressing Shift changes the Track Selection Tool into the Multi-track Selection Tool.
H) Rolling Edit Tool
Select this tool to roll the edit point between two clips in a Timeline. The Rolling Edit Tool trims the In point of one and the Out point of the other, while leaving the combined duration of the two clips unchanged.
I) Razor Tool
Select this tool to make one or more incisions in clips in a Timeline. Click a point in a clip to split it at that precise location. To split clips in all tracks at that location, Shift-click the spot in any of the clips.
J) Slide Tool
Select this tool to move a clip to the left or right in a Timeline while simultaneously trimming the two clips that surround it. The combined duration of the three clips, and the location of the group in the Timeline, remain unchanged.
k) Zoom Tool
Select this tool to zoom in or out in a Timeline viewing area. Click in the viewing area to zoom in by one increment. Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) to zoom out by one increment.
Project Panel
The project panel is where you can keep track of everything you have imported. You can organise things into diferent folders and read important file information.
Source / Program Monitor
The source and program monitor panels look very similar but have different jobs.
The Source Monitor plays back individual clips. In the Source Monitor, you prepare clips that you want to add to the timeline panel. You set In points and Out points, and specify the clip’s source tracks (audio or video). You can also insert clip markers and add clips to a sequence in a Timeline panel.
The Program Monitor plays back the sequence of clips that you are assembling. It’s your view of the clips in the timeline panel.
Media / Effects Browser
In this panel you can search through various effects to add to your clips. These effects can be configured on the source monitor panel.
A few useful effects are the:
-Three-Way Colour Corrector
This allows you to control the colour balance of your footage aswell as the levels. I use this frequently to make sure the colours and tones in my film look good.
-RGB Curves
This is a very usefull effect for colour grading or colour balancing video footage. By switching to the waveform view on the program monitor you can use the rgb curves to get the best exposure and colour out of your clip.
-Warp stabiliser
This is a new feature of Premier Pro CS6 whcih allows you to stabilise your footage without having to open after effects. I use this to smooth over shaky footage although it can have some unwated warping effects.
Timeline Panel
This is where you can order your clips and audio which are outputted into the program monitor. You can use the tools mentioned above to help you order and cut your sequence..
When starting a new project you will need to input a small amount of information depending on what kind of device you used to capture footage with. You can also decide where you want your project to be saved.
File Handling / Organising
To keep everything organised, I placed video clips, audio and stills in different folders when importing. This meant it was easy to keep track of everything when editing.
Workspace
The standard tool for selecting clips, menu items, and other objects in the user interface. It’s generally a good practice to select the Selection Tool as soon as you are done using any of the other, more specialized, tools.
B) Ripple Edit Tool
Select this tool to trim the In or Out point of a clip in a Timeline. The Ripple Edit Tool closes gaps caused by the edit and preserves all edits to the left or right of the trimmed clip.
C) Rate Stretch Tool
Select this tool to shorten a clip in a Timeline by speeding up its playback, or to lengthen it by slowing it down. The Rate Stretch Tool changes speed and duration, but leaves the In and Out points of the clip unchanged.
D) Slip Tool
Select this tool to simultaneously change the In and Out points of a clip in a Timeline, while keeping the time span between them constant. For example, if you have trimmed a 10-second clip to 5 seconds in a Timeline, you can use the Slip Tool to determine which 5 seconds of the clip appear in the Timeline.
E) Pen Tool
Select this tool to set or select keyframes, or to adjust connector lines in a Timeline. Drag a connector line vertically to adjust it. Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) on a connector line to set a keyframe. Shift-click noncontiguous keyframes to select them. Drag a marquee over contiguous keyframes to select them.
F) Hand Tool
Select this tool to move the viewing area of a Timeline to the right or left. Drag left or right anywhere in the viewing area.
G) Track Selection Tool
Select this tool to select all the clips to the right of the cursor in a sequence. To select a clip and all clips to the right in its own track, click the clip. To select a clip and all clips to its right in all tracks, Shift-click the clip. Pressing Shift changes the Track Selection Tool into the Multi-track Selection Tool.
H) Rolling Edit Tool
Select this tool to roll the edit point between two clips in a Timeline. The Rolling Edit Tool trims the In point of one and the Out point of the other, while leaving the combined duration of the two clips unchanged.
I) Razor Tool
Select this tool to make one or more incisions in clips in a Timeline. Click a point in a clip to split it at that precise location. To split clips in all tracks at that location, Shift-click the spot in any of the clips.
J) Slide Tool
Select this tool to move a clip to the left or right in a Timeline while simultaneously trimming the two clips that surround it. The combined duration of the three clips, and the location of the group in the Timeline, remain unchanged.
k) Zoom Tool
Select this tool to zoom in or out in a Timeline viewing area. Click in the viewing area to zoom in by one increment. Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) to zoom out by one increment.
Project Panel
The project panel is where you can keep track of everything you have imported. You can organise things into diferent folders and read important file information.
Source / Program Monitor
The source and program monitor panels look very similar but have different jobs.
The Source Monitor plays back individual clips. In the Source Monitor, you prepare clips that you want to add to the timeline panel. You set In points and Out points, and specify the clip’s source tracks (audio or video). You can also insert clip markers and add clips to a sequence in a Timeline panel.
The Program Monitor plays back the sequence of clips that you are assembling. It’s your view of the clips in the timeline panel.
Media / Effects Browser
In this panel you can search through various effects to add to your clips. These effects can be configured on the source monitor panel.
A few useful effects are the:
-Three-Way Colour Corrector
This allows you to control the colour balance of your footage aswell as the levels. I use this frequently to make sure the colours and tones in my film look good.
-RGB Curves
This is a very usefull effect for colour grading or colour balancing video footage. By switching to the waveform view on the program monitor you can use the rgb curves to get the best exposure and colour out of your clip.
-Warp stabiliser
This is a new feature of Premier Pro CS6 whcih allows you to stabilise your footage without having to open after effects. I use this to smooth over shaky footage although it can have some unwated warping effects.
Timeline Panel
This is where you can order your clips and audio which are outputted into the program monitor. You can use the tools mentioned above to help you order and cut your sequence..
Romain Gavras
Romain Gavras is a french director who has two videos that grabbed my interest; 'Stress' and 'I Believe'.
I BELIEVE
This video was shot for 'Simian Mobile Disco' and is set in Romania. It documents the people of what appears to be a small destitute village in a series of group vide
STRESS
This short video was shot for french electro artist 'Justice' and follows a gang youths as they roam the french projects and subways causing trouble. The video is set to a very heavy thumping soundtrack and is full of energy and aggression.
What I like about the video is the how the energy and agression of the music is matched by the video.
I BELIEVE
This video was shot for 'Simian Mobile Disco' and is set in Romania. It documents the people of what appears to be a small destitute village in a series of group vide
STRESS
This short video was shot for french electro artist 'Justice' and follows a gang youths as they roam the french projects and subways causing trouble. The video is set to a very heavy thumping soundtrack and is full of energy and aggression.
What I like about the video is the how the energy and agression of the music is matched by the video.
Cinemagraphs
For this project I've been considering using cinemagraphs instead of video. A cinemagraph is a still photographs in which a minor and repeated movement occurs giving the illusion that the viewer is watching a video.
As you can see its more than a photograph but not quite a video.
Even though there is movement, they seem very still and silent which is what I like about the cinemagraph.
Even though there is movement, they seem very still and silent which is what I like about the cinemagraph.
Filming Techniques: Shot Composition I
close up
The close up and extreme close up allows you to concentrate the audience's attention on a tiny detail or on small objects. Using an extreme close up to frame a small object or detail instantly generates the expectation that what is being shown is important.
medium close up
These shots usually include a character from the shoulders up to the head. This shot is meant to showcase the face of the subject, letting the viewer see small nuances of behaviour and emotion.
medium shot / medium long shot
Medium shots usually show one or more characters from the waist up while still including some surrounding area. medium long shots are similar but from the knees up. These shots allow to viewer to watch the body language of the subject or character while still getting some of the facial nuances of behaviour and emotion.
There is also the long shot which include the subject in their entirety alnog with a large portion of their surroundings. This shot concentrates on the body and what it reveals. they are also often placed at the beginning of scenes to let the viewer know where the action will be happening.
over the shoulder shot
Theses shot are typically used when an exchange between two characters takes place or when a character is looking at something. The inclusion of the characters back in this shot creates depth in the frame by adding a foreground layer.
establishing shot
The establishing shot is usually an exterior shot that showcases the location where the scene or action will be taking place. Although these shots are usually placed at the beginning of the shot to contextualise the action, they can also be placed at the end of scenes, providing revealing or unexpected context.
Research: Books
"If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't reading enough"
-Todd Papageorge, Yale professor and photographer
In this module we've been asked to create a piece of work that is relevant by relating our work to a key debate in contemporary photography. To help me with this I decided to take out some books from the library, some were recommended by our tutor and others were books which I thought would be useful for this project.
The Filmmaker's Eye - Gustavo Mercado
This is a very useful book which goes into great detail on how to compose shots for film and video. It contains the different types of shots you see in films and offers advice on when to use these shots.
Basic Critical Theory for Photographer - Ashley la Grange
This book goes over key debates in photography and covers numerous critical theory texts such as Sontags' On Photography and Barthes' Camera Lucida.
Film Art: an introduction - Bordwell / Thompson
Film Art is an introduction to film studies, covering everything from film art and style to the history of film. I found the film style chapter to be very usefull as it discussed things like cinematography, editing and sound.
Art Photography Now - Susan Bright
This is a book which I already own but decided to look through as a starting point for this project. It looks at many contemporary photographers in differnt genres of photography.
Photography - Bull
"Being a photographer is not just about taking a picture, but knowing why you are taking it"
- Diane Dufour, Bureau Chief, Magnum
Filming Techniques: Principals of Composition
Aspect Ratio
The ratio between the width and height of the frame differes depending on shooting format. The most common aspect ratios are:
2.39:1
1.85:1
1.66:1
1.78:1
1.33:1
It is important to know the aspect ration you will be shooting and the ratio at which you will be exhibiting at to ensure that the composition choices you make will be preserved.
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds also apllies to film and video. By dividing the frame into thirds along its width and height, sweet spots are created at the intersections, providing a guide for the placement of important compositional elements.
Hitchcock's Rule
The Hitchcock rule states that the size of an object in the frame should be directly realted to its importance in the story at that moment. This is an amzingly simple rule that makes sense.
The ratio between the width and height of the frame differes depending on shooting format. The most common aspect ratios are:
2.39:1
1.85:1
1.66:1
1.78:1
1.33:1
It is important to know the aspect ration you will be shooting and the ratio at which you will be exhibiting at to ensure that the composition choices you make will be preserved.
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds also apllies to film and video. By dividing the frame into thirds along its width and height, sweet spots are created at the intersections, providing a guide for the placement of important compositional elements.
Hitchcock's Rule
The Hitchcock rule states that the size of an object in the frame should be directly realted to its importance in the story at that moment. This is an amzingly simple rule that makes sense.
Filming Equipment
Cameras
There are many differnt cameras you can use to shoot video with, but for this module I plan on using a dslr with filming capabilities.
I think a dslr would be the best option as they offer decent control and have interchangeable lenses to suit your filming needs. However they do aslo have limitations as you cant keep filming for long periods of time and the live view function tends to drain the camera battery quickly.
lenses
One of the benefits of using a dslr to film with is the fact you can change the lenses depending on what type of shot you want to achieve and what type of light is available.
Fast lenses are good for shooting a shallow depth of field and when in low light situations
Stabilisation
It is important to keep the camera stable when shooting video to create a high quality professional looking film.
Tripod
tripods for filming usually have specialised heads which allow for smooth tilting motions.
Steadicam
Steadicams are devices which use a counter-weight and a gimble to keep the camera perfectly upright when balanced correctly. This allows for very smooth footage almost as if the camera was floating.
Dolly
A dolly is a specialised piece of filming equipment which is used to create smooth camera motions. They are like tripods on wheels and can also be placed on to tracks to control the movement.
Holding the Camera
Holding a dslr for filming is slightly different from the way you hold it when taking photos as you look at the back screen. A good idea is to place the strap around your neck and extend your arms with the camera forward
audio
Although many dslrs come with a built in mic, they are are not very good and often pick up unwanted noise from operating the camera. To get passed this it might be useful to use some king of external mic or recorder.
Software
When it comes to editing and putting your final film together there are a few programs which can come in handy.
Adobe Premier pro - for editing, colour correting and finalising your film
Adobe After effects - Special effects and title screens
Adobe Audition - audio and soundtrack editing
Adobe Photoshop - stills editing
There are many differnt cameras you can use to shoot video with, but for this module I plan on using a dslr with filming capabilities.
I think a dslr would be the best option as they offer decent control and have interchangeable lenses to suit your filming needs. However they do aslo have limitations as you cant keep filming for long periods of time and the live view function tends to drain the camera battery quickly.
lenses
One of the benefits of using a dslr to film with is the fact you can change the lenses depending on what type of shot you want to achieve and what type of light is available.
Fast lenses are good for shooting a shallow depth of field and when in low light situations
Stabilisation
It is important to keep the camera stable when shooting video to create a high quality professional looking film.
Tripod
tripods for filming usually have specialised heads which allow for smooth tilting motions.
Steadicam
Steadicams are devices which use a counter-weight and a gimble to keep the camera perfectly upright when balanced correctly. This allows for very smooth footage almost as if the camera was floating.
A dolly is a specialised piece of filming equipment which is used to create smooth camera motions. They are like tripods on wheels and can also be placed on to tracks to control the movement.
Holding the Camera
Holding a dslr for filming is slightly different from the way you hold it when taking photos as you look at the back screen. A good idea is to place the strap around your neck and extend your arms with the camera forward
audio
Although many dslrs come with a built in mic, they are are not very good and often pick up unwanted noise from operating the camera. To get passed this it might be useful to use some king of external mic or recorder.
Software
When it comes to editing and putting your final film together there are a few programs which can come in handy.
Adobe Premier pro - for editing, colour correting and finalising your film
Adobe After effects - Special effects and title screens
Adobe Audition - audio and soundtrack editing
Adobe Photoshop - stills editing
Initial Ideas
I have a few ideas for videos I would like to shoot, however for this project I have been asked to create my piece with the theme of 'point of view' and to relate it to current issues and debates in photography.
point of view:-
a particular attitude or way of considering a matter.
the position from which something or someone is observed.
In our module briefing we were introduced to a few artist who had worked with video. One of them was Nicolas Provost who created a short video made up of stock footage from Las Vegas. The way he cut the film and the soundtrack he used created a feeling of suspense and tension. What I liked about his work was the way he used Hollywood film pastiches that we are used to seeing, to create a very uncanny film, when in reality nothing was actually happening.
This is something I would like to use or explore more during this project. Audio can have a huge impact on the way we perceive things.
point of view:-
a particular attitude or way of considering a matter.
the position from which something or someone is observed.
In our module briefing we were introduced to a few artist who had worked with video. One of them was Nicolas Provost who created a short video made up of stock footage from Las Vegas. The way he cut the film and the soundtrack he used created a feeling of suspense and tension. What I liked about his work was the way he used Hollywood film pastiches that we are used to seeing, to create a very uncanny film, when in reality nothing was actually happening.
This is something I would like to use or explore more during this project. Audio can have a huge impact on the way we perceive things.
Brief: Advanced Photographic Practice
For this brief I will be producing a time based piece that consists of a series of stills or moving image with a soundtrack.
The theme for the work is 'point of view'.
The theme for the work is 'point of view'.
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