October 21, 2014

CRITIQUE
We will do a thorough critique of your video cut up/mash up projects, which are due today. Your names will be selected at random to determine order. For this critique, your mini groups from last week will serve as critique facilitators. Because these select members of class have seen and discussed your work with you prior to today, they should make for excellent facilitators. Be sure to talk about the decisions and changes made to the work, and the progress your classmates have made.



Artist Research Assignments
Due: Beginning Nov 4. 
At the end of class, each student will be assigned a contemporary artist to research over the next two weeks. Beginning in two weeks, you will each be responsible for a 10-15 minute presentation about your contemporary artist. The presentation should include:

A brief biography
What their work is about
The cultural and historical context for their work
Why their work is important in this present cultural and historical context
An example of their work that you will present/screen for us and discuss. This example should be represented of their practice as a whole, and you should be able to talk about how it relates to that practice or career. Be prepared to lead a short class discussion about it.

As far as resources, you must turn in a bibliography with at least 5 sources, and at least one of them must be non-internet based (ie: a book or something that has been published in print, or a video or film you watch from the library's collection). Physically go to the library. Use library resources, like ArtStor and Grove Art, which you can access through the library.

Many of the artists (though not all) have Art 21 documentaries or features, which are wonderful resources. I highly encourage you to use this resource. It can count as one of your five sources.

If anybody is unhappy with their artist, please speak to me as soon as possible and we will find you one that you can become excited about spending some time with.

Uploading Videos to Vimeo and Blogspot

1. Export file from Adobe Premiere Pro to Vimeo Specs: H.264, choose appropriate Vimeo Preset

2. Sign Up: https://vimeo.com/ (You will only need to do this once. After this, you will just log in).

3. Upload your Video. Follow the prompts and wait. 

4. Once upload is complete, go into settings. Under "Privacy," make your video available to be embedded.

5. Once your video loads, click on the "share" icon in the upper right hand corner of your video.

6. This window will pop up. Select and copy (command + c) the "Embed" code. 

6. Begin a new post on blogger.

7. Select the "HTML" tab in the top left corner of the composer. Paste your code here.

8. Publish. CONGRATULATIONS!

October 14

In Class:

Discuss Montage
Screen Select Clips
In-progress critiques in small groups

Homework:
Complete your video for critique next week. Your video must be finished, exported, uploaded to vimeo, and embedded or linked on your blog. Plan ahead and be prepared.


__________________
Montage References:
Hitchcock on Montage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruoPT9JeYHA

SOVIET MONTAGE

A Dialectical Approach to Filmmaking

Metric: Measured number of frames, regardless of action in shot (mechanical):

example: Scene from Eisenstein's October

http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T112/EditingIllustrations02.htm

Rythmic: cutting for continuity (aesthetic, narrative)

example: Eisenstein's Odessa Steps Sequence, Battleship Potemkin, 1925

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps-v-kZzfec

Tonal: taps into the emotional quality of the shots to create a complex emotional landscape

Overtonal/Associational: combination of all of the above, moving towards abstraction to illicit emotional reactions

example: from Pudovkin's Mother, 1926

http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T112/EditingIllustrations05.htm

Intellectual: when shots combined, viewer forms intellectual meaning

example: Eisenstein, Strike, 1925

http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T112/EditingIllustrations06StrikeBig.htm

Apocalypse Now,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWtc01BlqM

Man With a Movie Camera, Dziga Vertov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z97Pa0ICpn8

SURREALIST MONTAGE

Metropolis, Fritz Lang, 1927

Maria's dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0D4fHieW8o

Moloch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPNaaogT8fs

Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali,Un Chien Andalou, 1929,

https://vimeo.com/18540575

Maya Deren, Meshes of the Afternoon, 1943

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSY0TA-ttMA (watch silent)

Vera Chytilova, Daisies (Sedmikrásky), 1966

https://vimeo.com/63689570

examples: opening credits, 53:30, 60:00, 65:00

ART VIDEO

Tracey Moffatt, OTHER, 2009

Dara Birnbaum, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION WONDER WOMAN, 1978-79

Bill Viola, Anthem, 1983

POP CULTURE

Team America: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU9Uwhjlog8&feature=youtu.be

Forrest Gump: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgnJ8GpsBG8

Ferris Beuler's Day Off: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubpRcZNJAnE

Snatch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mezD2j-R2Y

Footloose: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8XGmZ8HDIU

Trainspotting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Naf_WiEb9Qs

Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHMD_EqM61I

Clueless: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJQPpD4EN00

Tuesday October 7, 2014

Today we will spend time in class reconnecting to the videos, readings, and references from the past few weeks. We will review Download Helper and Adobe Premiere Pro. We will also have an opportunity to screen your homework cut-ups, and talk about your in-progress work. See the plan below:

IN CLASS:
SCREENINGS:
Screen segment from Sonic Outlaws
Read/review William Burroughs, “The Cut Up Method”, listen to Burroughs audio clip
Review selections from Elisa Kreisinger, popculturepirate.com 

DEMO:
Review Download Helper (see prior post or in class handout)
Review Premiere: The Basics (see handouts for basics)

HOMEWORK:

1) If you haven't already, export your homework cut-ups (based on the 30 second transcription) as H.264, to the appropriate Vimeo preset (probably SD Vimeo 29.97. If is is HD, use HD Vimeo 720p 29.97). Upload the videos to Vimeo and post to your blog. If you don't already have a vimeo account, sign up for one here.

2) Begin working on your final project, due for critiques beginning on October 21th. Your final project will consist of a cut-up/ mash-up made from 2-5 sources (with no more than 2 video sources). It should run between 3-5 minutes in length. It must be a video edited in Adobe Premiere Pro. 

Your final project should land somewhere between the references we looked at in class, and your own unique vision and perspective. Your final project must have a clear message or intent. This method of working is best applied to critiquing or radically altering something's meaning, so start there. For example, "I really dislike this well-known politician and wanted to make it sound like he was paranoid about the apocalypse," or "I wanted to make this person protesting gay marriage sound like they wanted to get gay married," or "I think advertising has been brain washing us since the 1950s and I want to point that out," or "Reality tv is trying to kill us, and here is proof," or "I wanted to mash up this serious film noir starring Humphrey Bogart with this goofy b-horror movie about giant teenagers to see if I could make a new movie about civic responsibility." Use your humor, style, and critical lenses. 

For next week, I want you to work your 5 sources. If you want to change what they are, do it. For next week, you must have three different, working sequences in your project file. You should have one main sequence, and two experimental sequences. Think of these experimental sequences as magical places where absolutely anything goes and nothing makes sense. GO WILD. ABANDON ALL LOGIC. Try all the filters and effects. 

Next week in class, we will do more in-progress screenings, and have some time to discuss things one-on one, and some work time. 

GENERAL NOTES: Be bold and experimental. You should choose things that you don't like, disagree with, wish were different, or want to change. Do not choose your favorite things, something you like very much, or something to which you feel close affection. There is much more potential to radically change something to which you have a bit of distance or distain. Consider using old (historical) footage. Speeches and talking heads are good places to start. Don't limit yourself here, gather options. But do not choose movie trailers. Do not choose something that you agree with or respect, unless you want to try to radically alter the message. This method is best applied to things which you want to point out how messed up, inherently broken, or already fractured things are. Remember: FORM IS FUNCTION. 

You may find it useful to plan your video before you make it, or not. Try out different methods of working and see what works for you. This is also why I want you to have multiple sequences, to try out different styles of editing. Be prepared to talk about your different working methods in critique. 

Some very helpful resources:

Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/movies.  HIGHLY SUGGEST using the internet archive to find your source material. It is free and you can very easily download from the hundreds of thousands of moving image files on there. I recommend checking out the "Ephemeral Films" or the "cultural and academic films" sections. 

Download Helper: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/. Download helper is a plug-in for the firefox browser that will help you appropriate video and audio from you-tube like sites. See the previous post for more info. 

Notes on Using Download Helper

Download download helper, a free firefox add-on, to help download videos from the web to edit educational and creative (not for profit) content. You have to use it in firefox. Download here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/

You can also use other programs or methods to acquire your content if you prefer. Always try looking for "official" videos, or sources that you recognize (UBU Web, Internet Archive, NASA, libraries, the government, arts institutions, archives, etc). These organizations will often go to great pains to make sure the highest possible quality is available, and often for free. Take advantage of these archives, as they will often have the best quality versions available. 

With digital files, you always want use the highest quality video file you can find. Quality is the most important thing, because while you can always degrade files, you can't upgrade them. (You can't make an SD file HD, but you can the other way around.) You want the largest possible dimensions, which will translate into a larger image and file size. Always get stereo audio if you can. All of the file sizes will likely not be available for each file. 

Using Download Helper:

First, open firefox and go to youtube or other, similar site. Then, identify the "download helper" icon to the right of the url bar (where you see/type in the website address). It is a red, yellow, and blue glob. It will be animated when there is a file you can download. Then, click on the little down triangle next to the glob. It will tell you what file options you have. You will hover over the one you want, and select download. Be sure to save it in your class folder so you know where it is. 

First, try for a .mp4 or a .mov (which is apple specific) file. If possible, try to get something that is 4k, 1080p, or 720p. 

On youtube, your most common .mp4 files will be listed like this (in descending order of quality/file size):

[HQ 38] or 4k           (4096 x 3072), stereo

[HQ 37] or 1080p     (1920 x 1080), stereo

[HQ 22] or 720p       (1280 x 720), stereo

[HQ 84]                    (960 x 720), stereo

[HQ 85]                    (720 x 540), stereo

[HQ 82]                    (480 x 360), stereo

[HQ 18] or Medium  (360 x 270), stereo

[HQ 83]                    (360 x 240), stereo

you can also use FLV files:

[HQ 35] or 480p      (854 x 480), stereo

[HQ 34] or 360p      (640 x 360), stereo

[HQ 6]                     (360 x 270), mono

[HQ 5]                     (320 x 240), mono

Notice here the video size (in parentheses). Always get the highest quality you can. You can always use Adobe Media Encoder (included with your CC download) to convert files when you need to, but it is best to start with the highest quality. It is also important to note that in Premiere, you cannot use different file types in the same sequence. They must be the same, or else you will run into problems. We will talk more about what this means in the program.