Interaction Project..

We had our first seminar on the interactive side of the course today & was given our brief. For the next three weeks we'll be looking at ways to create an interactive three dimensional space on the web. I've brainstormed some ideas in my sketch pad, but to gain some more inspiration I have decided to look at some previous examples. In the seminar we looked at last years interactive groups work & also looked at some really successful websites which already have been used. I have realised that there is so much scope for designing these kinds of spaces, any idea can be used in such a way that can be expanded through development and planning.

Rule of Thirds

After Jools' lecture last week, we were asked to create a short film showing our understanding of the rule of thirds. In mine I have used an image which I took last year and added how I think the Rule of Thirds applies to it. Photographers use this rule to help to compose the image, it is believed to be one of the most famous rules of photography.



The Rule of Thirds can be the basis for well framed shot. When you apply the grid onto the photo, you can see where the best place to frame the image, it helps to produce nicely balanced photos which are in proportion.  If you place the point of interest of your image along the intesections or along the lines it composes the shot better, and creates an image which is naturally more aesthectically pleasing. In my video I have placed the tree trunk along the left side veritcal line, I have also used the top horizontal line as a gudidance for the top of the trees. By following this rule I think my image is composed better and is overall more attractive.

Quick Evaluation of First Edit

I have just completed my first edit of 'Robbing' Hoody', it has taken my a couple of days to complete, but I am fairly pleased with the outcome. I only have a limited amount of knowledge using Adobe Premier Pro CS5 and for this edit I transferred this knowledge to try and create the best possible result. What I discovered straight away was that although we had been filming over two days, I still did not feel we had enough footage. Whilst filming I learnt that it definitely is not as easy as I first anticipated, it takes a lot of team wok, cooperation and commitment to complete. Some of the shots we got we really effective, such as the POV shots from Robin Hood, but I wish we had captured even more footage like this so I had more to play around with once it came to editing.

Also I found it fairly tedious to continuously adjust the camera and set it up so that it was level and also the white levels were correct, some of the shots we got when this was not completed as well as it could have been, stood out. Now that I have completed the first edit, I do feel that we should have worked harder for some of the shots and really pushed ourselves- as the results can be endless.

Once I had remembered the basics of editing I did enjoy watching the short film come together. I had some difficulties with the sound, I found that there were long periods of silence where the background noise was not prominent enough, I felt that I needed to do something about this as it wasn't achieving the mysterious effect that I wanted. I searched online for some copy-right free music and found a few tracks, I used several, one for a siren sound effect, another for church bells and the last one was eerie music, which I feel helps to create an atmosphere. Looking back now, I know I could have easily recorded the church bells and sirens ourselves, this is something which I will definitely bare in mind for the future. I do feel that by adding the different sounds I have enhanced my piece slightly.

I was initially impressed with the footage I got from the interview scene of Zoe, however once looking back over it, I feel as though we should have definitely tried to have got better shots, with various angles. Also Deb pointed out that in some shots there was a grey notice board in it and that it diverts the eye from the actual important footage, this is something which I would reconsider shooting. It's small elements like this which can create the overall edit of the film to become and appear less professional.

One of the most obvious faults in the filming was underestimating the angle of the camera, I now know that it is very, very, very important to always ensure that the tripod is level. There is one particular shot in my edit which stands out dramatically because of the slight tilt, it makes the shot appear unprofessional. The same can be said about the light in some of the shots, this also needs to be carefully considered when filming next time.

I am really happy with the opening sequence, I felt that it was important to complete this sequence because it gives the audience on the setting. I editing into four establishing shots, which I feel all work very well together. I added in a video transition of a cross dissolve, which blends each image in really well. My personal favourite is the tram shot, it captures a sense of movement which I think is really effective.

I am generally pleased with my finished product, I think it depicts a good first edit. By creating this film I have learnt so much on the ethics of filming, so much more that what I already know. I am very happy with the storyline we chose as a group, I feel that it has a good structure to it and also uses the social and historical context of Nottingham. Hopefully I will get enough time this term to re-shoot and edit some of the footage once I have been able to develop my knowledge on Premier and that I have gained feedback from the group, friend, tutors and family. By gathering all that I have learnt together with feedback and new knowledge I am sure I will be able to create a knew improved edit.

First Edit of Robbin' Hoody

Here is my first edit of 'Robbin' Hoody', I hope to re-edit before the first term finishes so some feedback would be really great- good or bad :)

Filming..

This week has been really busy. Our group filmed Tues & Weds and we managed to complete by 4pm on Tues. I found that whilst on shoot it was a lot harder than first expected. I underestimated how difficult it was to adjust the camera to the natural lighting, and even by the smallest change of light (etc, the sun going behind the clouds) the shots were affected. Also I didn’t realise how every time the shot moved ,the tripod then had to be and readjusted to the ensure everything was level.

I got feedback from Deb today after I had completed my very rough first edit, she explained some things about sound and said that she would rather us to be enhancing and playing around with sounds that had been recorded than use a pre-recorded sound tracks. I have looked at some sound salready and downloaded a few tracks to experiment with. She also said how this edit was meant to demonstrate our learning process, so it was important to learn from what we had done, and what we could improve if we had the chance to refilm/re edit etc.

Decision on Story

After the seminar yesterday with Phil, our group got together & decided on a treatment for our film. We all pitched our ideas within our group of four & decided on Jacks idea of 'Robbing Hoodie'. This idea uses a pun on the infamous Robin Hood a symbol of Nottingham. We pitched our idea to rest of the group- last night I drew up some storyboards & created a list of shots which we could use. This has helped me understand what needs to be done when it comes to filming next week..

I've sent an email to the equipment store for, ready for filming next week!
.. Watch this space..

Context 1: Designer essay

After the seminar with Jools on Tuesday I've decided on the designer which I am going to research & base my essay around. After some thought I have decided that I will be using Jonathon Ive- the apple designer infamous for his contribution the apple.

Editing Practice

After doing some filming practice last week in a small group, we uploaded the files onto the arnold server. The arnold server enables us all to have network space where we can store files for the whole group to access.

We shot some really basic footage, but it was a great starter task for everyone to get to know one another. Also it helped us to familiarise ourselves with the cameras, capturing various shots and angles. I discovered that it wasn't as easy as first anticipated, and was a lot different to the cameras I had used at ALevel.

Today we had an intro to Premier Pro CS4, I have used this programme before but only on a basic level. We learnt how to make cuts, add effects, manage the sound, add on transitions and render onto a specific file type. I made a short edit of the footage we had captured, I learnt that I needed to concentrate more on what is in the frame, when filming so that when it is loaded onto Premier the shot is framed better. I think that basically the more you practice & play around with the software, the more familiar you will become! I plan to head into Waverly over the week and try to get some practice done...


Untitled from Zoe Stroud on Vimeo.

My Design Process

My most recent creative piece of work would be from my Art A Level course. Within the course we were set themes which we had to design and develop an idea to make a finished piece of art. As I had taken art throughout my years at school I understood what was expected of me in relation to the design process. I usually would begin my artistic development with research; I would start with one small idea and escalate it until I had several which all could be developed. I normally found the internet and books were the easiest way to find idea and artists who I could compare and contrast my work with. I always found that if I discovered an artist whose work motivated me, I could generally develop my own creative pieces much quicker and easier- pulling through the inspiration from that artist. Julie Baugnet is one of the artists which I found captivating and featured her work heavily in my research and development- see photo below (Serenade by Julie Baugnet).

The easiest way to test my ideas was to carry out feedback. I asked different questions and opinions from people who I worked with, family and friends. By having their input I was able to see which ideas worked better and which were more popular. Another way I would test out my various ideas was to develop each one further, so I could define which one I felt more comfortable designing and which ones generally worked better. By doing this I was able to distinguish which creative piece I wanted to pursue further and simultaneously constantly improving my work.

Generally, I do not often look at my previous work. But I understand that I am going to have to pull on my knowledge from previous practices, to help me move forward with the multimedia tasks that are set. After understanding that the Multimedia course at NTU is all about creativity, I now know I can use some of the techniques I have used in my Art course and translate them into various other Medias. Now I have thought about the processes I have carried out before, I am already starting to understand where these would fit into the course.

Moving Image Research: Where's the Money Ronnie!

In the Design Practice 1 lecture, Deborah told us about a short film by Shane Meadows which features interviewing effects which are similar to the ones will we need to be using in our task. I am very familar with Shane Meadows work due to the fact I studied him as one of my case studies in my Media coursework. I always find his work fasinating as he manages to capture such a raw cultural message in most of his films, for exmple: 'This is England'.

The design brief which has been set us is:  

Task - Design, produce and deliver a short 3 minute episode.

• Each student should research and develop and design two ideas to storyboard stage and

• pitch their ideas. Each student should document the process in their project file.

•  Each group should decide on one idea to produce into 3 minute character interview, intercut with a flashback scene, that gives their account of what happened to the shoes.
• Each student should edit the footage ( individual edits) into a short 3 minute film and upload it to Vimeo.com.
• This film should also be embedded into your online journal with a 500 words that explains your edit decisions, highlights any problems you solved during the edit and explains how these problems could have been avoided, earlier in the process.

Our moving image piece is to be based around a crime which has happened in a local park. Where's the Money Ronnie! Relates directly to this, with its theme of crime and the ways it displays the interview scenes. I thought this short film was really enchanting to watch because of its simplicity. The basic use of different camera angles and shots combined with each characters flashbacks, allows the viewer to unfold the story and follow it clearly. What I thought was really effective was the use of close up and extreme close up on the suspects face. By doing this the audience was able to understand the characters emotions clearly. The blasphemous language used shows an unrefined side to each characters persona, directly depicting a dramatic monologue.

Another technique used well was the hand held camera shots, during the flashbacks scenes. Shane Meadows used these shots to tell the story from the point of view of each suspect. Using the hand held camera invites the audience to feel like an active member of the story, actively moving along with the footage as it reveals different elements of the plot. This is definitely an idea which I plan to use in my own film.

The strong dialogue which runs throughout of the film acts as a narrative telling the story. As an audience we can hear the interviewees anger and emotion building as they talk, creating tension and apprehension. I want to look at ways which I can feature this skill into my own work. I think the black and white colour scheme works well because it contributes to the 'purity' of the film. I plan to experiment with different types of colours schemes to see which one will enhance my piece- using both black and white, and colour could also create a really interesting effect.

Researching this short film has already helped me to understand my task- it has also given me knowledge on how to begin to organise my ideas. I plan to look at another existing interview style clip (possibly from the Bill, or something similar) to expand my understanding and knowledge further...

First Lecture..

So, we had our first lecture today with Deborah, introducing Design Practice One- at first I thought we had a lot of work to do in such a short period of time (which worried me). After getting my head around it all, I began looking at developing my ideas for the moving image task, which made me feel much better. I thought it might be best to get stuck in now, as we only have three weeks to complete, produce and edit a short film featuring interviewing techniques.

Having done an ALevel in media, I kind of understand the processes involved in developing and researching a media based project- however it seems to be much more in depth this time..

I plan to have a look at a few videos from You Tube and some various interview style clips to understand camera angles and techniques. I'll post these once I've done a little bit more research!

Induction Task: 2

For our second induction task we were asked to make a 10 second animation using only whiteboards, pens and a Canon stills camera. The group was divided into smaller groups where we all began to brain storm ideas. Our groups animation is the one which depicts the house and the box being transformed into lips and a strawberry. We wanted to keep the idea simple so kept with a basic idea.

We took 120 different photographs to create an animation of around 10 seconds! I have never done anything like this before, so I found it really interesting to see the final results. All of the groups animations were really good and some quite amusing! I thought this was a great starter activity and enabled me to get to know some of the group better :)