Evaluation (CM)

PHVP 3412 Creative Professional Practice

Hannah Thorpe

P0925888X

06/01/2014

Converging Media Assignment: Evaluation

The aim was to create a multi-media, audio-visual piece. To use the combination of still images in video format, including our own soundtrack. I chose to create a fictional piece through the medium of photo-narrative. The story I aimed to create would follow a young, mistreated mannequin, alone in the streets. My intention was to draw in the audience with a strange tale, whilst leading them to connect and sympathise with the characters and the world they live in. The story ought to give some resolution, but in this unfair world I wanted to keep to some realism – that suffering and loneliness is a forever-continual event. So the story may finish off for some characters, but it continues for others in a circle.

My inspiration drew from an existing photo narrative, Cardboard Box Head, created by Richard Ventielcke. I knew, when choosing to create a fictional piece, that I wanted to go at it from a bizarre angle, so naturally I thought back to this video I have previously seen. Much of his work focuses on the use of shadows, light and night photography –this I incorporated into my own work, focusing on the light setting the mood. In terms of framing and planning shots, much of my work is inspired from current cinematic mechanisms – of which prove especially helpful when immersing with the character. One example being, capturing lower shots at the same height as the mannequin, so the audience is at the same view point, leading to empathy.

What I learnt from creating this piece was that creating multi-media work requires much more planning – planning the story, specific shots, lighting and mood - and in doing such speeds along the creative process. For the most part, I stuck to my shooting schedule, leaving myself plenty of time in the editing process to think over pacing. Of which, is another very important component to narrative video-making. Storyline is the backbone to any plot, and if one leads nowhere, has a weak resolution or follows weak or unrealistic characters – the viewers attention is soon lost. 

I feel very pleased with the outcome, feeling especially successful with character empathy and plot, creating an effective looping storyline towards the end of the piece. In terms of fulfilling the brief, I also feel pleased with the result. The chosen audio, rather than duplicate the imagery, compliments the visuals as well as the very pacing of the video. The soundtrack holds a steady rhythm with 3:4 timing, yet the smooth hypnotic vocals keeps the music mellow and slurred – complimenting this surreal story of re-animated mannequins. However, I did find difficultly in effectively inputting my own recorded audio, without it overpowering the soundtrack. After trying to layer purely just externally recorded sounds without the music, although creating an effective eerie soundtrack it still felt lacking in pace or rhythm that an actual music piece would give. I decided to compromise in keeping the music soundtrack and adding in small sound-bites instead, to keep to the brief of including recorded sound. However, I personally feel the video is better without additional sound-bites, the audio being too ‘messy’ which draws too much attention away from the narrative.

If I were to re-do a project similar to this, I would take focus and challenge myself into recording more original audio pieces. Although I do not specialise in the creation of soundtracks, especially using digital software, I feel it is more so becoming a necessity to diversify our skills as image and video makers, becoming more self-reliant and employable. 

Equipment used (CM)

Camera: Canon 60D
Lenses: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM     Canon EF 17-85mm f4.0-5.6 IS USM
Tripod
Sound recording: Zoom H4N

Editing process & software (CM)

Image editing software: CS6 Photoshop

Video editing software: Final Cut X

A simple video editing software that enables quick drag-and-drop usage. Once images were selected and ordered to suit a pace, they were editing to a timeframe and simple cross-dissolves were used to smooth the cuts between frames (besides selected quick-cut sequences). 

Subtle/small use of Ken-Burns to compliment cross-dissolves and dreary-like/dream-like music. 

Once the soundtracks were dropped into place, audio effects can be dropped over to change audio to suit the video's needs. In my case, I used a simple echo over vocals in one soundtrack.

Testing other audio pieces/soundtracks (CM)

Although wanting to include some exterior audio to develop the video, I wanted to keep it simple as to not overly complicate the existing soundtrack. I recorded exterior sounds of passers-by in the street or cars driving past, or general ambient 'street-life' sounds to add to the scenery the images are shot in.

However adding these soundbites into the video, on top of the soundtrack, it felt too messy. The quiet sections/gaps within the soundtrack was filled in and it took away any sense of loss/loneliness/suspense. So I decided to try and take out the soundtrack altogether and use only ambient sound to see what effect  it would create (without editing the images' sequence/rhythm at the time).

(Without drone)

This edit is including street ambience of a preacher with drone to fill in the silence (of which there was too much of, I felt, without a drone). The shouting of the preacher adds definite drama, and creates a different feel, and almost different angle of the story altogether, a religious tangent to this strange world we are brought into in this video. A subtle echo was edited into the vocal to space out silence. I feel it ends well, finishing off the last photograph with a loud shout by the preacher, cutting to credits/black screen.

(With drone)

Forgive the OTT reverb at the moment, it must've put it in as a preset somehow (???) whilst it was exporting! Will edit this out at next chance.  

This edit includes a simple recording of road-side ambience, to add significance to being passed by over and over, ignored/left behind. A drone is again added in to fill in, what felt like, too much silence. The feel is much much eerier, with almost all the narrative/feel left to be told by the images. However, it lacks rhythm and pace.

Pacing (CM)

Pace and Rhythm

The importance of pace within a narrative is essential. Setting a pace through a soundtrack is a tool I used, as so the visual imagery and audio both compliment each other. 

Images 1-3: Introduce the character.

Images 4-9: Starting to show the everyday struggles of character

Images 10-16: Showing more plot complications, looking for help/food/love but not prevailing.

Images 17-19: Slight change in plot, baby mannequin finds a doll companion yet still searches for something.

Images 20-26: Finally stumbling across someone of its 'kin', the baby mannequin finds it yet leaves the doll behind.

Image 27: A closing image of the two mannequins together holding hands.

Image 28: After the slight pause, we are next taken into the world of the small doll, when the story takes a full circle back to the beginning but with a different character. This image acts as a cliffhanger. 

Continued shooting (CM)

This sequence of images was set up on a static tripod to achieve the effect that the viewer is sitting in place with the character, with different passers-by in each frame. The effect is that time passes by while nothing changes for the mannequin, still no one stops for him. A slower shutter speed was used for reasons two-fold: Gives the illusion (blurred figures) of time passing by, and it was necessary for exposure. 

The dimly lit walkway sets the saddening scene, with street lights highlighting our character.

I was wanting to add in a frame using a bus-stop, with the advertisement lightbox to light up the mannequin, however it proved unsuccessful. The light draws way too much attention to the advertisement and not enough to the mannequin, so our focus is lost.

This was another unplanned shot, but I stumbled across the idea when walking past this phone box. The mannequin is too short to call for anyone, so its attempts are futile and our sympathies grow for this character. The lighting also suits it well, again with contrasting shadows and moody street lighting. 

Continued shooting (CM)

These images were retouched due to yellow/orange street lights. After resetting the White Balance, this problem was quickly fixed. 

Not wanting to change the location of these last images, it was hard to gain balance within the frame with the street lights in the background. I found a middle ground by lowering the shot, some lights are still left in frame but the lights draw much less attention than in previous attempts. 

This last image was most difficult to capture, attempting to stand each wired mannequin on their own (on a slope), proved challenging. To achieve the shot in the end, two photographs were taken with someone holding them up, one photograph with them on the left and another with them on the right. After simply layering the shots and editing out the assistant, resulted with the above picture. 

Draft presentation (CM)

At this point in the project I'm still deciding upon the soundtrack. I want creepy, yet solemn and mellow. Overall it's a conceptual piece, so the audio needs to compliment this - especially as the audio is a major part marked within this mixed-media piece. The piece of music I used in this video was pre-made, and included no other audio at this stage. Although needing more the response was positive and comments suggested the audio need no addition - so this has put me in a puzzling position! To fill the brief, it needs to change (adding in my own recorded sound), but it can't be overcomplicated. It's a challenge to create effective sound to a fictional piece, when I am not studying to become an audio/sound engineer, whilst the majority of projects for this brief chosen are documental. 

Audio and licensing (CM)

Gypsy Shoegazer - Kevin Macleod
http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=shoegazer

This piece of music was chosen, suiting the mood of my images perfectly. A mixture of eerie, mellow, sombre whilst the vocals assist with some sense of personification to the visual 'strange' world. 

It has an effective start with simple intro whilst with each bar the layering of instruments/vocals heightens. A soft guitar instrumental in the centre of the piece sets apart sections of the story and the rhythm of the photographs are edited to this middle section. After this the instruments start to layer once more on top of the vocals reaching a peak until silence. The music continues after a pause for a few more bars at the end of the video.

I cut out a number of bars in the music piece, due to the song originally being 4mins 20, being slightly longer than anticipated and the personal opinion of too much repetition in the song, potentially becoming tedious over the duration of the video. Cutting the music was simple due to no major variations in the piece, and it made the video overall shorter and sweeter.

The song is in 3:4 timing at 120BPM as Allegro (fairly fast). A fairly snappy rhythm being in 3 timing, is paired with a continual (sort of) 'sluggish' loop of guitar which compliment each other well. The (sort of) 'sluggish' vocals do this also. 
Instruments: Percussion, voice, guitar, trombone.



To be able to distribute this piece, credit needs to be given. 

Gypsy Shoegazer Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Initial mini draft (CM)

A practice with my first shots taken and a soundtrack I may possibly use, personally found it (the music) quite fitting with a dreary atmosphere yet some structural beat.

I will definitely be keeping the Osseoperception introduction, it makes an intriguing hook to the video and fits in well with the small set of starter credits, cutting to a strange silence before the video begins. The phenomenon of osseoperception fits in amazingly well with the theme of mis-treated mannequins with missing limbs - a great find, just what I was looking for! Eerie, strange, links in well and it connects us (and the story) to the characters. 

The use of Ken-Burns is still something to work on. After asking my tutor she suggested not to use it at all, so I shall likely take most of them away. But I still feel some very subtle use of it may help smooth down the cross-dissolving process between images. 

I also need to work on tightening up the cuts between images, making sure they definitely cross over to the soundtrack.

Audio Search (CM)

http://freemusicarchive.org

A great website for music available to download. Access for publishable use will need to be checked by the curators.

There are a number of genres which I believe may work well with the images I've taken so far. 

• Spoken/voice
• Old antique phonograph style
• Ominous soundscapes

It's considered that effective audio will compliment the visuals, rather than duplicate it. 

Starting shots (CM)

An initial shoot with the mannequin, to test for the right aesthetic and light. 

All images were shot at night in the city centre for the 'urban' theme. 

This doll is about a toddlers age, but I have access to another mannequin of about 7-10 years-old, if necessary. This younger mannequin is less bendy than first thought to be, but still able to use. One of it's leg wires had already been snapped, but I should be able to work around it. If not, the other doll is a back-up. 

The lighting is moody, with no extra lights used but the street lights. This leads to high contrast between darkened/shadowed corners to spotlighted areas, highlighting the mannequin and moving the viewers focus to what is in spotlight. 

Long exposures were necessary for the darkened images to be exposed properly, but it also led to the blurring of passers-by. This however, adds positively to the story, by complimenting the fact that this mannequin is continually being ignored/passed by.

Unfortunately some street lights give off an awful yellow/orange light, so these will need retouching in editing.

It's important to photograph multiple angles for narratives, needing to show multiple perspectives as any film/video would.

This was an unplanned shot, but I just stumbled across a lost wellington boot on the floor and it looked to fit the mannequin well. It helps to strengthen the story that the lost mannequin is looking for something. 

A thought that came into play whilst shooting is to have a video shot of one scene. The camera will be on a slider, moving slowly. I want to be able to show the entirety of a scene by having the realistic audio with it, and thought it would be an effective 'interval' of sorts, going from the standard video audio to the silent hum of cars driving past in the distance, or echoes of people walking past in an underpass. I'll give it a go on my next trip out.