NOTE:

Please disregard the dates published by the site on the following posts. They had been recorded in a hand-written journal for the last 6 weeks, and I am only just uploading them now...

Here is the final version of my ident clip!....

week 6

31/3/09

Today I have put my clip onto a dvd, I originally wanted to have my artists statement on the dvd also, but was told this isn't possible unless I did it with screen shots. Instead, I made a cover for the dvd case and typed up my statement to slide inside the back cover of the case. I think I like the presentation of the actual disc and case better than the contents of the dvd!

Undertaking the ident project has been a huge learning curve, mainly because I have never used any  filming equipment or film-editing software before. I guess I have to be pleased with the end result because of this. 

week 6

30/3/09

After the critical session on Friday the 28th, I realised there were changes I needed to make.

I had totally forgotten about adding audio to the clip, which I had intended to do.

It was also suggested that I play with the brightness and contrast of the background to try and eliminate some of the shadows. Also, I was encouraged to go back and be really precise with the editing and cutting to make sure the animation flowed really well.

Today I added sound to the clip - popping sound effects to correspond with the movement of the doll and a sort of whimsical/light-hearted tune in the background to tie it together. The popping sound effects also managed to create a more constant flow with the movement of the doll, as I didn't have time to change the editing and cutting. I tried really hard to change the brightness and contrast of the background, but due to a lack of program knowledge and time, I was unable to get it to look better. 

week 5

25/3/09

This week I have been editing my footage in preparation for the critical session on Friday.

I have cut the footage to fit inside 10 seconds. It looks alright, pretty basic though!  I kind of like the hand-made look to it though. I really enjoy sculpture and making 3D things (as you can see in the letters in the clip), so for it to have a hand-made, unpolished look sort of suits it I guess. However, it would be really good if I could spend more time getting to know Premier Pro, so I could improve the look of it. 

week 4:

16/3/09

Today I filmed my previous idea, with the letters of my name etc. I think it went pretty well. I couldn't manage to get the lighting exactly as I wanted it. I wanted a really white, bright light, but it came out a little yellow. Will see if I can change this in the editing. The following pictures are basically what I followed to create the animation....

week 4

15/3/09

I have an idea which might make my ident clip a little more interesting as an animation. Basically, it involves the doll unfolding, then my name (in letters hand made from polymer clay) coming out of the biggest doll. They will then go back inside the doll and the doll will then pack itself up. 

The pictures probably explain my idea better. 

Today I started editing my footage of the babushka doll. 

I ran into some problems. I don't have enough footage, as the roughly edited version only lasts 7 seconds or so. Its pretty slow and boring for a stop-motion animation too. I used the quicktime software, but I will have to go and re-shoot it with istop-motion and add something to it, to make it more entertaining and snappier (faster). Whatever I add to the clip should also be something relevant to me. I have been advised to aim for at least 100 frames in istop-motion, which is a hell of a lot more than what I currently have. 

week 2

5/3/09

I have decided I am coming up with ideas which are too complex. I have to remember that I don't know what it is going to be like to use the equipment etc, so I think the simpler the idea, the better in this case. I am going to go with a Babushka doll to represent the many sides/aspects of me, which basically can't be jammed in to a 10 second video clip. I will simply film (in a animation style) the doll unfolding, then folding up. I might zoom in for a close up of the dolls face for the final frame. I might speed it up, so i can have it unfolding and folding up several times and fade out to black at the end, to suggest this process could go on forever, like an identity is endless.  

Week 2

2/3/09

I scrapped the previous idea as I thought it was too literal and found it difficult to find enough objects which had some significance to me and were interesting. I didn't think it would be a cohesive piece. So I decided to think about things like "where have I been?, where am I going?, where am I now?" I guess this was in regard to various stages of my life. I thought of having a porcelain model of a house to depict "where have I been?". To me this would represent a physical, mental and emotional place I have been. The next section of the film I thought about using a book to symbolise being at uni, knowledge, learning and inspiration etc. I haven't thought of anything for the final stage yet. I realise I need something to tie it all together. I like the idea of the clip being a representation of time, as I believe it plays a part in defining an identity. This could be achieved through a quick flash of a pair of shoes, to symbolise a journey.

The following images and posts are from a hand written journal I have been keeping so far in e-media. The date of this posting is not the date they were created. There will be dates on them to indicate when they were created!

Week 1

25/2/09

Ideas for the ident project:

A series of frames where there is an action/object/image depicted for around 2 seconds. Each frame contains something different which says something about me....e.g. what I value, personal traits, experiences etc. It will be fast paced, with sound effects juxtaposed between the frames, e.g. 'thump, slap, rip, whistle, water trickle, pop'. Some frames are of moving images, some of still images. Maybe could be in black and white, with a couple of images in bright colour...maybe starting or ending with a frame in bold colour. I could use colour accents in the editing proccess? black and white with everything green highlighted? I will have to be careful not to make it too literal, in the objects I depict. I will need to find out if this is achievable, if it will be too difficult to edit or too time consuming for someone like me who has no idea how to use any of the equipment or editing software!

e.media

ident

To depict my identity in ten seconds, I chose to use a babushka doll. Its various layers represent the different sides of me. The handpainted floral detail on the dolls gives reference to my attention to detail and 'perfectionist' attitude. The letters of my name; millicent, are made from polymer clay which is a material I like using and have used for a while.

Initially I just wanted to have the doll unfold, then 'pack up'. However, this was insufficient as the footage didn't last long enough. I realised that in order to have a half-successful stop motion animation, I would need to add to the content of my clip and have more footage.
I re-filmed using i-stop motion which enabled me to film the various stages quickly and efficiently. I had more footage to play with and more choice when it came to editing.

From the critical session, there are a few things I would like to change. I need to add audio, perhaps some sound effects to correspond with each stage (popping noises?) or some sort of whimsical music to reflect the nature of the dolls and aspects of me.
I intend to play with the brightness/contrast of the clip in order to remove some of the shadows and to brighten and whiten the background. I would also like to do some more editing to make sure each stage is the same length in time to ensure a good sense of flow. This would also make adding audio easier and more appropriate.