Hello! My name is Chris and I am a student studying at the University of Greenwich. My course of interest is Digital Arts Practice, and I have been set an assignment that will run its course over the academic year 2017 / 2018. This will be the production of a project of my choosing, where I will conceptualise and propose my project to my supervisors, followed by carrying out the necessary steps to complete it the best way I can! In this blog you will find the process of my project from the initial thought and idea, to the finished product. Please do take time to read it and I hope you find yourselves fulfilled with whatever you find!
Bio
I wanted to write a little bit more about myself in this section. I felt that this will be a useful way to break the ice and provide an insight into the ideas for my project. As I mentioned before, my name is Chris, I am 23 years old and I am studying Digital Arts Practice at the university of Greenwich. To the average reader, the name of this course may sound unfamiliar, in fact only up until recently did I gain a well grounded level of understanding as to what it is that I am actually studying. In simple terms Digital art is a converted piece, where actual physical art has been taken and transformed into digital format. For example you may be walking down an alley way and on the wall you see a series of graffiti physically sprayed unto the wall. Once you have taken a photograph with your camera (Depending on whether it uses analogue film or digital memory), the photograph itself will become a form of digital art. So to practice digital art means to experiment with technologies to create pieces of digital art. I usually tell those who ask me to elaborate that I am doing media studies since that is the closest thing to the subject that actually makes sense. However, after understanding what it actually is I find myself embarrassed that I have been ludicrously defining it up until the final year of my course. I decided to study this course because I have been fascinated with the production of film and tv. Unfortunately I was rather blinkered to the prospectus of the University and did not realise that film and tv was a stand alone degree program. On the other hand this assisted me in realising that my fascination was not purely based on those two factors, as I have also been deeply fascinated with the creation of music, games, animations and pictures. The origin of this passion however, stems from the study of the mind and how human beings create and interact with these elements of media. As my passion grew, I attempted to retain myself from focusing on sole aspects of the mind and the media. however I could not help but concern myself with a few scenarios such as: The expanse of mobile phone technology and how it may be affecting personality, how the growing world of social media may be creating an infinite series of complications in the mind and so on. Now of course I am merely creating these issues out of pure speculation, however when it comes to my personal life and how I have developed alongside the advances of technology, I cannot help but wonder what is really going on in todays technological society. I consider myself to be highly extroverted, It has taken me a fascinatingly long while to come to that conclusion but here I am. The confusion in figuring this out came from the fact that in the world of today I am not so keen on spending time with others or being the loudest person in the group. I feel like this is strongly related to the fact that the energy I absorb from ‘living in the moment’ no longer satisfies nor does it outweigh the disadvantages of being an extrovert. Now of course this could be as a result of an infinite number of variables, however one which I will suspect is part of that list is this growing notion of technology and social media. As a result of these changes whatever the cause may be, I have developed a taste for creating representations of myself, that is in ways where I can still absorb the same level of energy as before. I do so by rapping, which is something I have always been passionate about from a young age. I feel that the art is a specific way of representing yourself in a form that is ‘Larger than life’ where you exaggerate yourself in such a way that the listener can almost feel what is going on in your mind. Of course nowadays music is all online so even if I was only keen on my peers to listen, I would have to represent myself on the media, which is interesting because it is in this instance where I seem to gain the energy I desire. I consider myself fortunate and feel rather grateful that I have been given an opportunity to explore a subject that I have such a deep interest for, however I also realise that my ambitions can lead me to create over complicated theories and expectations of myself. I therefore wish to use this platform as a means for humble beginnings, that is where I begin to question the mere possibility of representing the mind through digital media. What I have written thus far is a compilation of different ideas that will be filtered through a rigorous academic discipline, which will finalise the question that will be proposed not only to my course leaders, but also my class peers, other university students, friends and family. What this means in my eyes is that whatever the answer to whatever question I propose, the mere idea of releasing the final result of this process holds potential in influencing the minds of many groups and individuals around me. This is frightening not only for logical reasons, but personal reasons also. I must remind myself however that this is an academic course, I therefore write informally in this section to give myself what may be the only opportunity to explain my theoretical and methodological process from a passionate point of view. On the other hand, I also use this section to create ease of access and understanding for any individual who will indulge in observing a longitudinal process of creative practice. With all that being said I would like to let you know that I am greatly inspired that you would follow me along this journey and welcome you to my final year project:
In this section I try to explain the concept and idea for my project. As mentioned in the introduction and biography of this blog, my idea of the project requires that it aims directly at an issue in which the project itself tries to solve. The initial process for doing this proved to be a challenge, on the basis that there were a complexity of issues that I wished for my project to express, which were difficult to make sense of. The main issue which will be explained briefly, is to do with a personal account that inspired me to follow up with the production of a music this issue concerned an immense fear that I had for facing my academics due to how ineffective I was with intellectual thought and writing. This issue stemmed to a variety of subsequent issues, mainly the question that posed why people are forced to do things that they are not capable of doing, and how the forcing of one actions ridicules oneself to grow spite within and towards themselves.
Further to this Inspiration to rap and record a video I decided to pragmatically pace my way towards developing the experience that I required to work with the mediums I will need to manipulate. Using a series of images and sound recordings I created a slide show that demonstrated the process of my project idea, delivering it from the landscapes of initial thought to a digital representation of the issue I wished my project to tackle. This process rendered a twenty minute long description of what my concerns are for the contemporary society, as well as a vague idea of what I wished my final manipulated mediums to represent. Below is the video that was made to begin the self directed process of practice lead study, it is interesting to note how incoherent and uncertain the video sounded in the beginning, towards how the video sounded at the end. It is also interesting to compare this initial video, with the supervision meetings, as the confidence, assurance and understanding towards the issue that project is dealing with was established over a longitudinal period of time.
Inspiration
In the year 2013, NO.1 independent rapper in the world Tech N9ne released a rap single titled Fragile. This single received a variety of nominations to which would lead to its success in receiving a gold award. The song itself expresses fragility, more specifically the brittle confidence of an artist when being faced with criticism by the media. At the time in which this record was released I was in my second year of university incapable of completing my studies and during a three year struggle that consisted of consistent failure, I wrote an version to this track. The lyrics are written below:
Fragile
An unoriginal sound track adapted by Made Eze
Intro
Tell him again!
T-Tell him again!
T-Tell him a – Tell him a –
Tell him a – Tell him again(X2)
Verse One
Chris I know that you’re busy but do me a favour
Hold on a minute stop what you’re doing
Give me a break and take a second?
That hole in my stomach is beginning to spread
Again i’m getting devoured by the empty presence
Waking up everyday looking at happiness in other lives
And I swear that my heart is growing jealous!
Im begging you please I don’t want to die
but if I continue to cry I feel my spirit will crack!
Stop!
Didn’t you know you’re awake
In a state that you have always slept in?
Didn’t you know you’re awake
In a state that was already predestined?
Perhaps you’re a victim of your own self neglection?
how can that possibly be?
Show me the way explain!
Now hold on a second!
In your brain a message you beckon
Bounce it on a reflection of yourself
You’re talking to yourself.
I get lonely at times that cannot be helped
You’re a repetitive failure, to success i’m a stranger.
There you go again!
Chris where is the exit out of my head?
Open the door take a walk and make some friends!
Brain frazzled in a room alone
Im feeling low i’m feeling…
Verse Two
In a room alone closed door
Darkness on the window
Glaring at myself!
Im beginning to recognise the number of times
I sat to revise my cup on the side
With Jackie on ice and to my surprise
Im racking my brain for half of the night
Telling myself I just need to pass i’m gonna be fine!
Suddenly an epidemic envelopes
My mind my inner being loses confidence
Becoming shy if only people knew how hard
I try to hurdle these stages sometimes!
I wanna stand to my feet, run to the door
Find cover under my bed, over the sheets
As i’m turning the handle i’m feeling defeat
The laugh in between screams of these
Demons wont allow me to leave!
Tampering with my psychology,
Dark sprits are sarcastically mocking me!
Christopher Eze will you ever attain your degree?!
Are you unable to see how much
You’ve done the little achieved?!
Give up, give up please keep telling yourself
Again and again to put in your best
You will succeed
(Within your dreams!)
But in your eyes I can clearly see that
You’re a sheer shell soon to sell
Your soul you lose control and your
Defeat is palpable, impact crackles through
Your bones as you’re growing...
I felt that this would be suitable for the development of a project within the context of this course. I therefore submitted a proposal that described the issue of mind representation and how the importance of societies inability to conceptualise this needs to be expressed.
Feedback & Verdict
During the course of the first term, a class took place where feedback was given in context of the proposal forms. The structure and planning of my project was approved but the issue in question needed to be more accurate. After a series of follow up meetings with my supervisor, this requirement for accuracy was reached and the project was set in stone to ask the following question:
Music in its contemporary form, how can that be elevated to a serious means of engagement with the world?
This section covers the theoretical details behind the premise of my project. To place elements in a brief context, music is an important landscape that can be used as a means to engage audiences around communities, more importantly the world and its growing technological phenomena. It is interesting to note that despite the current exponential growth of technology, the notion of non representational mediums I.E sound / music, are still undermined and poorly interpreted today. Christopher Cox explains in his article that non representational mediums are misunderstood and theorised as though there are elements and apparatus that can be used to measure these mediums. However the truth as Cox explains it is that sound is non representational and human beings do not possess the capabilities to understand its measures, this is irrespective of whether every aspect of nature can be broken down to a mathematical unit or not.
Friedrich Nietzsche
& The Birth of Tragedy
Nietzsche's first writings expressed the systematic issue in todays society, that due to the compressing attitudes from historical theorists, some whom uphold the need for logic and reason above art and expression, have created what he describes as a tragic notion that art should not be expressed. One of the references in his article demonstrates the attitude that philosophical powerhouses have held over the years, such as Plato & Socrates, both of which suppress the human desire to use art to pave the way towards life and its meaning. The article continues to frown upon the notion of logic and reason, almost as though to suggest it is an unnatural or immoral method of using art to understand life and its purpose. By this he means that Art should not be reasoned with, or understood beneath the mechanisms of rationale, it should instead be glorified above the means of logic and rationale, due to its non representational nature. Definitively, Nietzsche's defines art in different forms, one in particular which is the Dionysiac art form, relating to the greek God Dionysus. This apparent nature of art is pure enough to influence the beholder to blind themselves of such beauty as it is a humbling and enlightening experience.
Arthur Schopenhauer & The World as Will
Schopenhauer unlike Nietzsche, was more concerned with the representation of the world through the capabilities that humans were created with. By these capabilities he refers to the abilities to recollect information as memories, the senses that one can use to gather an understanding about the world etc. Schopenhauer continues to suggest that the world is constructed from will, that is an insatiable desire to exist and ponder over its existence until a point of satisfaction is reached or that perhaps the cycle becomes so vicious to a point in which it obliterates its own self.
Interestingly, Schopenhauer makes a reference to the will in a similar fashion to in which I would like to represent my project. As mentioned in other areas of this blog, self representation has been a personal passion of mine for some time, which renders Schopenhauer a reasonable theorist to quote in this research, as my project will consist of elements that mostly deal with self representation.
Sigmund Freud
The Ego & The ID
Moving on from theoretical philosophy, Sigmund Freud is one of the most argued over psychologist in present day. The premise of this project renders this theorist a convenient one to mention, as the ID, Ego, Superego theory goes hand in hand with the development of self representation in my project. Like some early pioneers in psychology, Freud agrees that the mind holds great depth, one to such an extent that even in a subconscious state cannot be fully assessed or interpreted. He characterises these depths in three forms, of which are situated in different locations of the mind's landscape. The ego, that is what we would to ourselves as ourselves, is what we are at our core, driving the desires of both the mind and the body. This character is situated in our conscious mind, and holds partial control over the subconscious and unconscious landscape. The ID on the other hand is our selfish desire as human beings in the purest form, this character is often compared to that of a child or new born baby since the behaviour characteristics are similar. This character is situated deeper into the unconscious mind, a part that we as human beings have little to if no control over. Finally the SuperEgo, is sometimes referred to as this angelic species of divine ordinance, that denies itself of any self interest and sacrifices them for the greater good. This character holds presence across all the landscapes of the mind, including that that we as ego human beings cannot access.
Paul Sullivan & Remixology: Tracing the DUB Diaspora
This text is a historical account of the DUB culture in music. The purpose of this reference is to identify the geographical and historical point in which music was respected and shared across a wide range of communities. One of the elements that is still practiced today in non Western communities is the art dubbing, which involves the experimentation and sampling of music both old and new, to create a mixture of sounds. This practice is heavily valued in Reggae genres and also finds itself situated in modern rap genres such as hip hop and grime. In such extents this notion plays a part in allowing artists to share the prowess of music with the world, by enabling their works to be remixed in different ways to contribute to different soundscapes.
The Red Bull Culture Clash is perhaps one if not the greatest examples that can be used to exemplify the power in music, that is once a series of communities respect the art in its purest form and come together to be a part of it. The culture clash in simple terms is a mixture of sound groups from different countries around the world. Each sound group competes against the others to win the crowd over, all of which is done with the use of over a hundred records being played in a mix of different playlist styles. These sound groups include genres such as bashment, hiop hop, grime and garage / dancehall. One of the key elements that occur in this event however, is how throughout the duration of the clash the themes of cultures seep and overlap across the sound groups, which illustrates a clear picture towards how music should be engaged with.
Copyright Criminals Documentary
This documentary in conjunction with the red bull culture clash creates a clear outline for the issue that my project is attempting to deal with. In the music industry, a phenomena that is perhaps mostly common in Western society frowns upon the use of samples and remixes. This is because of copyright ownership and intellectual property laws that enable artists to sue anybody who uses their work to obtain a benefit. Earlier in this section the thoughts and ideas of Nietzsche suggested that attitudes as such are what are depriving the world of meaning and fulfilment, because the word and its ecosystem perhaps, is not designed to lay ownership over anything that is non representational. It is with this research and evidence therefore, that my project will deal with accordingly, by inspiring viewers and listeners to understand the undervalued prowess of music in its contemporary form.
This section covers the research that is required to realise the sound video aesthetics of my project. Since the nature entails a music video, it is perhaps deemed necessary to analyse some works that closely relate to the image and sound I have in mind. However, prior to any breakdown it should be noted that the following video analysis are evaluated under the categories of camera shots, lighting, editing and mise-en-scene. Although this does not entail the production of a short film, these area still contribute heavily to the succession of a music video project. What I wish to create or establish in this video, is a theme of self representation, an internal struggle that is taking place in the mind, between the Ego, ID & Superego.
Bruce Lee: Enter the Dragon
Although this not a music video as such, the powerful narrative in this scene between Bruce Lee and his demon serves well for an analysis and perhaps comparison with other examples of self representation. The question at this point is how is it possible to represent oneself? What kind of narrative is built around a series of characters that only form the existence of ones thoughts? What techniques can be used at ones disposal to exe cute these with a dramatic effect? The camera in this clip aims at the subjects back as he walks nearer to the space. The mise en scene on this occasion is what built the narrative well and successfully, because a great percentage of what can be seen in the shot works towards establishing the fact that Bruce is not fighting anybody. As Bruce walks further away from the camera, he nears a series of mirrors that are all facing him, this created an effect that cloned the subject unto a number of mirrors. The space in which Bruce was fighting with his demon were all remnants of his past memories, the dark scape that is created from the lack of lighting in this clip is what provides reason to suggest that this is an inner state of anxiety and uncertainty.
Guilty Conscience by Eminem ft. Dr. Dre
This is a classical record that represents consciousness in the form of a hip hop rap song. The uniqueness of this track and video, is that the conscious thoughts of each individual that is illustrated are not that of the individual but of the artists. It is also interesting to note how the situational narratives that are occur in the video are personal experiences of the artists. This depiction of self representation worked effectively for the type of theme that the record sets. Aesthetically however, the video cannot be compared to more recent examples of music videos because at the time of its release, technology was not as developed and the relationship between sound and video had yet to be grasped fully. The camerawork and editing is impressive considering the year in which this video was released. One of the elements that I wish to achieve in my project, is that similar to the Bruce Lee cli[, I.E using digital media to create a multiple representation of myself.
The Purge by Hopsin
The method of achieving this can sometimes take more time than for what it is actually worth, however when the technique is executed according to plan it can yield some powerful results. This example executed the shoulder and devil on your shoulder representation significantly well, however a consumer may believe that this is because of the shot that was established or the way in which it was edited in post production. The truth is that the editing and camera work of this video were not the the best, however because of the mise en scene the imagery remained powerful enough to hold embody the nature of the track. In this scene of the video you can see the artist in the middle of a dance floor, with president Trump on the right and Kim Jong Un on the left. These representations of opposing governments and personalities provide a deeper message behind in the visuals of the soundtrack. One final element that can be appraised within this example of music video art is the appropriation of The Purge, that is using the same style and texture from a movie to build a narrative.
Common Sense by J-HUS
In the opening segments of this title, the camera is panning with motion alongside a table. This was a shot that I experimented with in my mock music video to see If it is possible to represent myself up to three times in one camera shot. Further to this description, as the camera as gently moving across the table the subject continues to reappear next to himself performing different gestures and actions. That particular shot inspired me to build a storyboard that would enable something similar to happen in my practice, however this proved to be difficult due to the a shortage of resources. Nevertheless the style of the video is comical and once again the mise en scene delivers an effective combination of props and tools to elevate the soundscape of the audio track.
Brotherly Love
This example displays a method in which the four elements to producing a video work well together to emit a dramatic effect, regardless of the theme in which it is set in. In this example the subject plays both Mario and Luigi in this skit episode that darkens the usual upbeat and fun type of characters in the video games. As mentioned earlier the self representation technique that I wanted to achieve would require some level of experience given the nature of what needs to be established to achieve the desired shot. However this example provided me with a back up structure I can use to storyboard my narrative and music video to display a theme of self representation.
This section provides a display of several practices that needed to be in place before executing the digital, physical and technological aspect of the project. Prior to initialising any efforts towards generating files I came with a series of skills, however these skills needed to be retuned for the purpose of this project:
The skills I posses:
Improvising
Self portrait camera recording
Basic editing
Writing
Basic sound recording
Minor acting capabilities
Basic ICT
Basic knowledge of cameras and computer software
The ambition to create a project at first would have not required much more than these skills, on the other hand once a series of supervision meetings were established the bars were raised higher and a challenge had to be set in place to complete the project.
One of the first initial tasks that I had to do was learning how to lip sync. My skills in editing on premiere pro were minimal. Although I understood editing and post production process, my experience in building together a movie file was minimal. In this vide you will see how I am learning the process of synchronising audio with image.
Directing & Recording a Mock up Music Video
Although I have had minor experiences in the past with recording music videos I have not been in a situation where I have had to record one myself. I therefore set it up as a part of my proposal to record a mock up video that was recorded with no script, no writing and no storyboard. The purpose for this would have served in developing and understanding obvious the downfalls caused by poor pre production, then making those precautions in the near future. The soundtracks in this video were already recorded, however casting actors, providing locations and working with a production team that consists of only yourself proved to be difficult. After a series of exercises only a few camera shots could be recorded.
Part i
Using the skills I have in improvising and creating a scene, I used my hand held camera to test the camera shots that I had in mind. With a significant level understanding in media studies I knew I had to consider camera shots, lighting, mise-en-scene and editing prior to filming anything or being on set. As mentioned earlier I deliberately established this set up to learn a hands on experience of having no preparation prior to a video shoot. This increased my ability in improvising and dealing with issues that occur when no planning was established prior to the shoot.
Part ii
Part iii
Part iiii
An element in music video production that I have grasped from my analysis and observations of existing projects, is the difference between narrative / B roll footage, and abstract or performance footage. In this video I attempted to guide and direct a camera motion to give a fluid look and feel to the subject in the shot. The performance shots are more than often not stagnant, they continue to move around the scene in a dynamic fashion to match the energy of the subject and the music that plays in the background. I used a tripod on a dolly to direct the shot in question, an issue that could not be anticipated due to lack of planning was the floor in which the dolly was rolling on. The carpet rendered the camera footage shaky and although such an issue may be repairable in post production, it would still be noticeable to most of the viewers and listeners. With issues like this occurring through the production process, most of the yielded footage suffered technically unrepairable flaws.
Sample One
Sample Two
It is evident in these sample footage pieces that the errors during production would be too difficult to repair in post, the video as a result was scrapped. On the other hand this first hand experience with directing a music video did not go to a complete waste, the lighting that was established created a the type of setting that I imagined for the narrative of the project video. Furthermore, the mise-en-scene was improvised well considering the lack of planning. One of the skills I focused on during this process, was building a narrative using the appropriate camera shots, angling and mise-en-scene, because I have read that these elements are crucial towards creating an impactful video.
The dinner table scene for the mock up video shoot was primary for the purpose of narrative shots, ones that contain minimal movement and focus on a more personal aspect of the subject. Shooting for the performance recording however required more action and pacing style photography, which was planned to be executed with the use of a ronin stabiliser, unfortunately the weather conditions were too adverse for this plan to take action, however the video above explains the detail that was placed into the process of this execution.
Project Sound Track Recording
Due to the nature of my project output, the production process of the aversion to Fragile by Tech N9ne underwent a series of stages. The first stage was breaking down the instrumental of the track and numbering the instruments that can be heard in the mix. The tempo also needed to be identified, alongside the pace in which the drum kit is beating. After all of these elements were established on paper the track was reconstructed from scratch, firstly starting with the drum kit which was replaced by a heart beat. The steadiness of the heartbeat replacement represents a physical, calm and general state of being which remains consistent in the track. The cymbal sound in the original track is replaced with a faster heart beat, one which beats around the pace that is double that of the drum kick. This is to represent a mental state of stress and anxiety. The snare in the track was replaced with a natural crack like sound that was created with the use of finger tips staggeringly tapping unto a wooden surface, almost to represent a breaking bone. The rest of the instruments with filled with lyrical voice overs and back up instruments such as strings and choirs.
Project Sound Track Recording i
Project Sound Recording ii
Project Sound Recording 3
Project Sound Recording 4
Project Sound Recording 5
Project Sound Recording 6
Project Sound Recording 7
Project Sound Recording 8
Project Sound Recording 9
Project Sound Recording 10
Project Sound Recording 11
Project Sound Recording 12
Project Sound Recording 13
Producing an Intro / Outro Narrative
& Recording
Project Music Video
The pre-production process for the project video, as oppose to the mock up video was far more detailed in planning. The most important aspect of this was ensuring that all the elements that are recorded within the shot match the scene and overall message that the sound track is projecting. As mentioned earlier, during the sound production process the aim was to create a representation of personal atychiphobia (Fear of failure or defeat), which is matched with the colour of clothing that the subjects are wearing, alongside the mannerism in which the subject is moving, walking and talking in the video. This idea developed an extensive thought process that needed to be rehearsed on the day of recording, however due to circumstances bigger than my control, the planning and practice that I wished to establish in the video could not be followed through. A treatment, script and storyboard was to be produced in order to communicate with the co-director and production assistants, however a lack of skill in time management rendered this process not possible. In the demise of this however, the video was not halted from success, as the previous experience in recording a non planned video, gave me access to experience that proved itself useful in the process of recording the project video. The project did not proceed without planning, several mental photographs, scripts and storyboards were designed far before the production process of the video, for this project to seize functioning.
At the beginning of this section I mentioned the skills that I used to aid my way towards the final delivery of this project, these skills were as follows
Improvising
Self portrait camera recording
Basic editing
Writing
Basic sound recording
Minor acting capabilities
Basic ICT
Basic knowledge of cameras and computer software
After the process of self lead research and practice, I have managed to increase the perspective and extent within which my knowledge and experience goes, when placed in the context of digital media production. Asides from the skills above I also feel that I have been able to gain some knowledge and experience in sound and video production, as well as acting, performing, directing, camera operating and editing in post production. Finally, the concerns that I expressed initially about the inability of overcoming a challenge when it is introduced in the context of a project, were diminished by the confidence that I gained, once I could improve my hands on experience in the field of digital media production.
For the purpose of this project, the discussions and ideas that take place during the scholastic terms will be documented. This is for the purpose of providing the reader with an insight into the strands of concepts that will be developed, as well as giving a perspective towards how an idea for a project can change over a longitudinal period of time. The lectures and activities that take place throughout the academic year ensure the successful process and delivery for any project, it is therefore imperative that the details of what is discussed during these lectures are noted down. These lectures will also generate a consistent rule of thumb for the partaking of self lead research and practice, where applications from advisories given in lectures aid in the manifestation of the idea and project.
Week 1
Course introduction: Embarking on research lead
project
( 25 / 9 / 17 )
1.On this day, the class was
introduced into the course and we were given a book which contained various
examples of final year projects. Many of these dealt with issues within
ourselves and society, such as one titled ‘dream or nightmare?’ which exhibited
the idea of choice through a false lucid dream installation. Another example
titled ‘A life ever after’ questioned the existence of life after death through
an art installation that stimulates the human senses. Another example titled
‘Sounds like home’ was a series of sound compositions which immersed the
audience in an individuals perspective of what home sounds like. All three
examples impressed me in their unique way however, the latter is what opened my
mind to the opportunity that I could create an installation which gives my own
interpretation as to what the mind sounds and looks like from the perspective
of an audience. (Pictures of examples)
2.The class was taken through the
course outline, but the lecturer mainly focused on the variety of formats in which
our projects could be made. These included Imaging, sound, multi installation
media, performance / monologue, marketing, magazine and screenplay. I defined
my project at face value and judged that it would be a multi media installation
since I wish to work with sound and video. However after careful reflection I
realised that I want to perform, this does not necessarily mean that I will be
working across platforms but it does give reason to suggest that my project is
stems closely to other platforms. (Picture of methodologies list)
3.Finally the class was shown a few
examples of actual projects / videos. The one that inspired me the most was in
abstract a video about a person who was not the person the video described that
person to be. This augmented my sight in seeing how I can use my methodology to
get to the final result of my project.
Notes
1.I noted that my project needs to initially be
an idea which will develop into a question. The question then needs to be dealt
with through the creation of my project, however my project must have a
methodology in place which will then enable to me to strategise how I will walk
through its process. To put this into perspective, the strategy is the sail I
will set to be pushed by the question I.e the wind, which will guide me across
the course I have planned (Methodology) to get to my final destination, prior
to setting the sail.
2.I noted that I will have to ask
myself throughout the development of my course, if my project is indeed trying
to answer the question that I am asking.
3.I noted some things to consider such
as finance, and technicians.
4.I took note of an example the
lecturer gave, it was about a scene in which Bruce Lee in the film Enter the
Dragon, has to fight himself in a wall of mirrors.
Week 2
Project proposal & research ethics
( 2.10.17 )
1.On this day the lecturer introduced
the session by explaining what the fundamental basis of our projects is
supposed to be. This was done through the review of the videos that were shown
the previous week which enabled me to look further into the essence of this
course and what I should be able to ascertain from it. A new example group
project ‘Runway Magazine’ was used as a case study to explain the main aspects,
the individuals wanted to explore the uncovered areas or issues that existing
magazines have failed to do. However they were then faced with the fact that
they had to go through a learning process via lynda.com to create a magazine using
InDesign. They had a background discourse of film / TV and media communication
but no history of technological knowledge or practice when it came to creating
a magazine. This example allowed me to create a vision of what I may need to go
through in terms of acquiring a new skill. Another case study dealt with the
social issue of cat calling, through a variety of photography and marketing
installations which geared towards suggesting that women are not allowed on the
street. Focus was put on the process in which the student went through to get
to that final product I.Eexperiment,
research, questionnaires etc.
2.The class was then taken through a
description of the proposal form and what information to fill in each section. A.
Personal ID information e.g name, surname etc. Must include a valid and working
email address for the purpose of communication throughout the course of the
module. B. Project title can be given a name and a question can be put
in there but it is not necessary. C. Group / Solo / Collaborative
project, groups must submit independent proposals and outline their contribution,
similar to collaborative. D. Outline of proposal, a section to be used
as an opportunity to communicate clearly what it is that I intend to do, talk
about my idea and methodology first, then talk about my strategy. Also include
any practitioners who have inspired me. Use no more words than the recommended
amount. E. Medium form / platform, should indicate how you will work
across platforms if you wish to do so. F. Working with participants
means I will need to show that they have given consent and taken their health
and safety into consideration. Ticking yes to this box is a typical reason why
a form may be approved with adaptations or deferred. G. Working with
vulnerable participants requires filling in a form of ethics. H. Working
outside the Jurisdiction of the UK also requires an ethics form and procedure
will not be permitted until approval. I. Loan working or health and
safety policy should be referred to supervisor if unsure. J. Schedule of
activity is very important, here I must show exactly how I am going to grow
over the process of the year where I have to commit to 400 hours of independent
study.
3.Finally the class was introduced to
a representative of the departmental ethics committee who went over the number
of issues that could arise from a project. These included confidentiality, use
of personal date, duty of care, consent, personal safety and risk assessment.
Notes / Questions
1.I noted that projects can very in
nature in terms of where marks are lost, some can consist of good reports and
bad practice where as others could be the other way around. The student
responsible for ‘A life ever after’ was an exception where the loss of marks in
the report was not enough to declassify the overall succession of the practice.
2.I noted that this a project
management course, I will need to manage myself throughout the entire module
and the lecturers / supervisors are merely there to guide me through the
process.
3.I noted that I am to think of this
as an opportunity to explore a subject, but more specifically create a
portfolio that can be presentable to future practitioners or employers
Q. What was
the Runway magazine project question, how did the project deal with the
question?
A. It was
exploring a niche in the airline marketing, interested in where certain
provision was not made or not explored I.E waiting space. Existing magazines
only give the reader an idea of the destination but not the process of getting
there.
Q. Is it
imperative that your project answers a question or can it represent / expand on
a pre existing issue?
A.An example was given of a student
who's question was not well defined and therefore lost marks in the field where
the research / report part of the portfolio was concerned.
Q. Where did
the ‘Life ever after’ project lose marks in the overall process?
A.One of the elements in the marking
criteria is ‘Do you answer a clearly thought question’, failure to meet that
criteria means that you cannot get a 1st class mark in that aspect.
Q. How do we
ensure that we don't make the mistake of answering a question that is not well
thought out?
A.There will be some exercises that
will enable us to write research questions, but the key task in the beginning
of the process is writing a question.
Q. What is
the difference between a group project and a collaborative project?
A.A group project involves working
within a group, a collaborative project involves combining two individual
projects which working parallel with each other.
Q. To
clarify, Irrespective of whether participants are working in the foreground or
background of my project, I will need to file a form of ethics?
A.You will need to do a risk
assessment.
Week 3
Ideas workshops & Approaches to supervision
( 9 / 10 / 17 )
1.The class began with an overview of
the project proposal forms. The lecturer explained the importance of completing
and submitting this form, so as to attain assigned supervision in the following
weeks.
2.A task was set out designed to help
the class create questions from our ideas. The class was divided into pairs or
groups of three and each member interviewed one an other on their ideas. The
interviewee answered questions to describe their idea / project as accurately
as possible, while the interviewer summed up the idea with a title that befits
the description they have received from the interviewee. We were then given
sheets of paper and marker pens to write our titles and display them on a pin
board.An idea titled ‘Granula’ was given as an example for a project that
involves the study of noise, exemplifying how the title hints away at the
aspects of the project. Further ideas / questions emerged from the task such as
a) Chaos control, b) Angry add enrages student c) Get to
know grime d) Are you living in a dream world and e) The horror
in your dream. Subsequent to the task there was a discussion explaining how and
why these examples were captivating in their own way, therefore showing us how
to title and question our abstract ideas.
3.The class was then taken through the
supervision guide, in order to gain knowledge, information on how to approach
our projects and to ensure that we do not underestimate or overestimate the
level of work necessary for our projects. Our supervisors will be responsible
for: Making a clear definition of how many supervision meetings should take
place over a term period, where students should expect to receive advice,
support in access, resources and technical assistance and maintain the standard
of confidentiality and complaints procedures. Students will be required to
commit to meeting their supervisors, take responsibility in the direction of
their project and communicate on a professional basis with their supervisors
through the course of the academic year.
Notes / Questions
1.I noted that the proposal, ethics,
and risk assessment forms will all be included in the procedures section of
Moodle. This is useful information, to know where to access the forms necessary
to complete certain aspects of my project.
2.I noted that the use of grammar is
important when considering the definition of your project question.
3.I noted that the documentation
process is key to the project, this includes the elements that are discussed in
supervision meetings which will show the decisions that were taken during
periods of problem solving.
Q. In the
section where the form asks whether the project is group / Solo /
Collaborative, do you have to include a 150 / 200 word contribution if the
project is solo?
A.No.
Week 5
Research groups
( 23 / 10 / 17 )
1.The session introduced the space
within which our projects will be displayed for the final show. This space was
an open area with a series of walls, where several pieces of media can be
installed in a variety of ways. The lecturer introduced the session by
liberating the essence of this space and outlining requesting that students
begin to think of how their individual projects can be displayed.
2.The space was used to engage all
students in thinking about their projects within a group. This enabled all
students to engage with each other, as well as the space to discuss their ideas
to see if there were any similar or overlapping characteristics. Interestingly
one group focused on the idea of Perception, where the overall idea of
each project explores the relationship between the perceiver and the perceived.
Student A) Explores the idea of the mind and how the medium can be
directly accessible through music. Student B) Looks at the under
representation of Asians in western cinema. Student C) Explores a group
of individuals picture of what home looks like whenever it is imagined. Student
D) Examines the the effect that music has on crime. Student E) Looks
at the representation of grime in the media, and how it has crossed over to
politics. Student F) Looks as the immigration of Caribbeans in the UK
over the period of the 70’s and 90’s.
3.Students were asked to imagine
where, what and how their projects would be exhibited in a museum and by
illustrating it together with their peers. The perception group centred the
idea of home in the middle, so as to resemble a centre point where an observer
can always go back to. The remaining ideas were drawn around the home to create
a connection that links all of the projects together.
Notes
1.I noted that most students in the
perception group wished to use film as the main element of their project. This
may provide me a few insights into how I could implement their ideas into my
own.
2.During the period in which I was called
to speak to the lecturer about my proposal, I was informed that my idea needed
to be articulated effectively in order to get a final approval. I discussed and
explained how I would like to shift the focus of my project towards rap music
and its properties being able to access the hidden landscapes of the mind.
Week 6
Methodologies in Design
&
Creative Practice
( 31 / 10 / 17 )
1.The lecture introduced a set of
visual methods that were used in previous practices, all in which could be
applied by students on their research and project ideas. One example explored
psychogeography through the use of content analysis, the lecturer presented a
visual blueprint of a plan of how space was going to be analysed to see the
effects of space on a group of individuals. Another examples was by a group of
students who created a fake brand called ‘Timeless’, the brand was marketed in
a space and represented as a product in a shop so as to provoke conversations
amongst viewers. The topic of the brand involved the freezing of eggs to
preserve fertility.
2.Students were separated into four
groups and were given a discipline as a tool to explore the idea of
representation on a social media app. One group used Anthropology which is a
discipline that gathers data through the application of interviews. The group
used this method to look at the representation of the healthy living lifestyle
on instagram, and planned to display their findings as a lenticular display to
creates an interchanging image of healthy living.
3.A short presentation was given by
each group to explain how each discipline was used to research into their idea,
wether it be through interviews, questionnaires etc.
Notes
1.This lecture inspired me to think
creatively about how I can contribute to existing pieces of applied methods in
creative practice and what it is that I would like to communicate to my
audience through my project.
Week 7
Project Preparation
&
Management
( 6 / 11 / 17 )
1.This weeks class enabled individuals
to come together to discuss their projects in their allocated supervision
groups. These groups were lead by the supervisors that will monitor and manage
each individual project over the course of the academic year. One of the
supervisor groups was lead by Stephen Kennedy, an academic music practitioner
who provided equal opportunity to each individual to explain the premise of
their project. This synchronised the groups individual ideas into a single unit
of projects where theoretical practice and ideas were concerned. the session
with a brief introduction into his field of study and where technical assistant
can be applicable to each project.
2.The group consisted of X number of
students all of which had a variety of ideas, proposals and aesthetics for how
their project will be created: Student A wished to research into the
influence of Caribbean migration on the UK culture, which was planned to be
explored through the creation of a multidimensional magazine, I.E one that you
can physically walk through in a given space. Student B & C wished
to explore the theme of music and memory through the research of individual
stories and interpretation of peoples memories where sound and music is
concerned. These stories would be recreated and represented through a
compilation of videos and sound. Student D planned to conduct a series
of first person interviews to create a documentary, one which would explore the
subject of social change and how music influences political elections. Student
E will be producing a documentary that explores grime culture, which will
be consisting of artists, writers, presenters etc. In addition to this
documentary there will be an audio instrumental that embodies the origin of
grime. Student F & G wished to broaden the perspective of home
through the compilation of interviews, all of which will be grouped together to
create a cultural documentary. Student H wished to create a magazine
that uses eight categories to highlight the elements that influences upbringing.
Finally Student I wishes to make a music video that encompasses the
theory of sound and how in the form of rap art can almost transport the
listener to the event in which the artist is describing.
3.Following individual discussions the
group then made comments in regards to both theory and practice of independent
projects.
Notes
1.Following the end of this weeks
session I noted my supervisors availability to foresee the establishment of my
first supervision meeting.
2.I noted a text that I could potentially
refer to in my project, this text is titled “Noise” by Jacques Attali.
Week 8
Acoustics
&
Visual Space
( 13 / 11 / 17 )
1.This weeks class took place in the
Crit Pit, a space that enables students to exhibit their creative works through
the instalment of different technological mediums. The session was lead by
Stephen Kennedy who iterated the importance of the technical and fundamental
nodes that students must consider when proceeding towards the creation of their
projects. A student from the previous academic year was also present to display
her piece and answer questions as to how she achieved her result and what
technical difficulties she underwent during her process.
2.The class was then dismissed to roam
in the creative space where groups and individuals where free to idealise how
their works could be accomplished and exhibited within the space.
Notes
1.I made note of the environment and
space available for my project to take form. Initially I believed my final
output to be a simple music video made visible through a single projection or
TV, however subsequent to this session I began to think more profoundly about
how I can bring the premise of my project to life through the Crit Pit space.
Week 9
Methodologies & Design
In
Creative Practice
( 20/
11 / 17 )
1.Todays session required individuals
to prepare a presentation that expanded on project methodologies and design. In
conjunction to the first session on methodologies, the session analysed and
evaluated each method to outline advantages and disadvantages of research
practice. The class was lead by Miriam Sorentino & Audrey Samson, both well
seasoned supervisors who hold experience in research and practice, opened the
session by inviting students to stand and present their proposed methodologies.
2.Student A proposed a series of methodologies
to outline the underrepresentation of asians in western film, through the analysis
of film releases, and quantitative analysis. Student B proposed a research
style analysis that looks at the combination of sound, image and how they
impact psychologically on individuals.Student C explained
a strategy that aims to improve the standard of manners in ques through the
research and analysis of different groups at waiting lines. Student D presented an idea of
representation that invovles the elevation of ascention of emotion in music, through
the personal account of a negative experience.
Notes
1. One group in particular wished to explore the fields of psychology, through the provocation of minds using moving image (horror videos) and sound. This was interesting to note on the basis that the group intended to use Sigmund Freud's theories to research and experiment on groups feelings and emotions. This presentation developed into further discussions about psychology, to reserve any information that may prove useful to the development of my project.
2. After presenting and discussing my themes and ideas, I realised that my project is progressing in the opposite direction of where or how it is supposed to progress. During my presentation I noted that I had more information about my intentions, what I was going to create and how I will create it. What I struggled to communicate however, was the research nature of my project, and what question my project was intending to answer.
3. I encountered a student how underwent the same issue with their own project, to which we concluded that stripping down the question so it deals with one single subject will be helpful towards the development of our portfolio.
Questions
I asked the group of students dealing with human emotions if they had considered cross referencing their research model with one that contradicted Freud's theories. The group had not considered it, which gave them elements to explore, on the other hand asking this question enabled me to look further more into the efforts and ethics of other project ideas and give me more clarity towards how I will mould a question from the examples presented in the session.
Week 10
Preparations & Pointers for
project development
(27 / 11 / 17)
1. This week's class session joined supervision groups into discussion for the second time in the winter term. On this occasion the group discussed the stages in which their project is at, I.E research question, theoretical direction and overall vision and mapping. The session was brief due to the groups supervisor being unable to attend. However the discussion that did take hold during this session outlined that individuals often perceive to be far behind in terms of project development, on the other hand they are not as far as behind as they perceive.
Notes
It was interesting to note in this session how many students had changed their initial idea. It is interesting on the basis that I believe that whilst majority of the 1st term has lapsed, that an idea should be fresh and prominent in an individual or a group's mind. This however turned out to be untrue and it is from this point in the programme that I began to understand the process of a self directed process of study.
1. As mentioned by the class lecturer in previous classes it may be that the idea of a project changes direction, although I remained open to the idea that this is possible I never expected the thought process to arouse or invoke this change after a significant lapse of time.
2. Nevertheless I continued to flow towards the stream of my multimedia project idea, this is because after a fair chunk of thought and research the practice I wish to purse is clear in my mind. This is irrespective of whether my methodology is clear enough at this point to progress.
Week 12
Feedback & Evaluation
(11 / 12 / 17)
In this session the class looked at the progress of their project from their conceptions to their present stage. The lecturer provided the students with drawing utensils that would allow them to graphically illustrate how their project has progressed over the period of the first term. Some evaluation and feedback took place shortly after the illustrations were compiled together.
Notes
Looking at the dynamics of progression from an holistic point of view, it is interesting to note how each individual falls almost on the same side of the coin so far as progress is concerned. The illustrations that the lecturer got us to draw indicated the stages in which our projects were at, and whether these stages were achieved within the time period that was set. Students who had achieved and passed a stage would score higher on the chart whereas students who did not pass a stage would score lower on the chart. What was interesting to note was how the dynamics showed that although consistency is what delivers a certainly well planned idea for a project, most students were on the same page so far as project development is concerned. This is because where students would score high on the chart they would score low on the next stage, therefore putting them in line with those who did not pass the primary stage.
TERM TWO
Week 3
Preparing for Group Crits
( 29 / 1 / 18 )
In this session the lecturer introduced the idea of a crit presentation. Students would be required to discuss the aesthetics of their project within their supervision group and create a display that combines the ideas into one. Given the nature of the course, some students find themselves situated at a point in their project where it is difficult to action your ideas into a physical medium. This means that some students have to journey into a self lead process of acquiring the skill and information they need to deliver their intended project. Although the crit is more about communicating with other supervision group members, this presentation would allow students who are learning these skills to prepare and apply what they have learned so far into this display. The crit presentations would be held over the period of the next two weeks, where groups will be given enough time in each session to work on their presentations.
During this session, Mr Kennedy's group discussed their ideas at length and began to make ideas for the crit presentation. Student A is developing a model that looks into the impact of 90's media on the younger generation, Students B has been documenting a series of people to gather a take on the representation of home and what home is to different people. Student C looked at the themes of remixology and how sound can be manipulated to accentuate the values and opinions of its listeners. Students D look at the transition between reality and gaming, when combined with all the former ideas the supervision group is looking at a theme of self perception.
The group continued to discuss methods in which these ideas can be displayed, the group deemed it that the project idea of home is more pivotal than any other project, and that the theme should be centred around it.
Notes
I suggested the idea of a projection on a frame, this is because the frame represents the theme of photography, one which can be found typically in somebodies home when they display their family members in picture frames. The group agreed that they will use a picture frame and create a projection of mood boards, all of which will represent a different idea from each student / group.
Week 4 & 5
( 19 / 1 / 18 )
&
( 26 / 1 / 18 )
Presentation Crits
Notes
During the preparation of my groups crit display we encountered an unexpected number of issues which nearly meant that the group would not be able to present. I took this element on board because our crit display was not more than a week old, yet the issues that nearly ruined the display were surprisingly difficult to deal with. These issues involved fitting the projection according to the frame size and ensuring that the files can play both with video and audio combined.
With the notion of the crit presentation causing these issues, I began to make reservations for the possible outcome of my project should anything not go according to plan. Nevertheless the crit was successfully delivered and presented. One thing that surprised me was the power the image created when it was being displayed on a picture frame. When coupled with the slowness of the sound and transitions on screen, the feedback generated from this crit was positive. On the other hand I was informed that the images that were used for this presentation were generic, that if I wanted them to represent a theme that is more profound thatI would need to find meaning in a series of images that are more relatable with the artist him / herself.
Week 6
Approaches to Report Writing
( 19 / 2 / 18 )
In this session the class was introduced to the mid year report writing assignment. This would be where all the students will forward their project into a motion that is less likely to adapt or change. The lecturer spoke in detail about the assignment specifications, style, structure, word count etc.
Notes
Style: The report is not about an individual or third person perspective, the body of the essay is the project itself
Structure: Each section of the essay should contain an equal amount of presence, where no compensations are made to other sections
Referencing: Ensure that consistent referencing is used across the whole board of the essay, as well as the bibliography.
Week 7
Preparing for Exhibition Catalogue
( 19 / 3 / 18 )
In this session the class was taken through applying for equipment for the exhibition. A spreadsheet would be released in the following weeks would advise students to enter the details of the items they require for their projects to be realised. These details would need to be clear enough for the providers to understand, and students are to provide reservations for any items that may not be supplied by the establishment.
