Project 4

Critique of Project 2

Moving Pictures
This is a little out of order, but i never got around to critiquing this project. I really enjoyed making this piece although it was ridiculously time consuming. It is a look at the evolution of film through running and chase scenes, some of the most exciting moments in films. I choose a clip from one movie from every year from 1920 to 1981.
One question addressed in the critique of this project was the quality of the clips. Since they came from youtube and most were of early film i didn't have much of a selection. Once i started getting clips from every year i couldn't skip a year just because i could not find a clip in higher quality. That became really frustrating.
Another issue raised was the fact that it was not quite clear that this presented sequential clips. I think that is because people expect the change from black and white film to color to just occur in one time period when that is just not the case. Films were made in both black and white and color for many years, even today the occasional black and white film still appears if it suits the subject.
The other issue addressed was my choice of ending. One factor was that i simple ran out of time, but i have actually come to like the ending. I think it is fitting to end with one of the most recognizable and quintessential running scenes in film history. If i had to change it i would continue up until the present year but then it could just keep going and going so ill stick to what i have.

Critique of Project 3

A Small Goal

One question addressed in my project was what sound to put to it. I decided it would be best simply to have someone read the poem over the piece. The piece is pretty simple, as is its interpretation of the poem so i decided to keep it simple. I added a version of Brahms lullaby in the backround because i thought it fit the quite simplicity of the piece.
The second question addressed in my project was basically what it was about. It was unfinished so it couldn't be critiqued or understood fully. I think the poem illustrates what's going on pretty well. It's a very simply concept and interpretation. It has no deep meaning its just a doll moving to a more comfortable location. A simple goal just like in the poem. 

Project 3

Project 3 Poem

On such a night, or such a night
Emily Dickinson

146

On such a night, or such a night,
Would anybody care
If such a little figure
Slipped quiet from its chair—

So quiet—Oh how quiet,
That nobody might know
But that the little figure
Rocked softer—to and fro—

On such a dawn, or such a dawn—
Would anybody sigh
That such a little figure
Too sound asleep did lie

For Chanticleer to wake it—
Or stirring house below—
Or giddy bird in orchard—
Or early task to do?

There was a little figure plump
For every little knoll—
Busy needles, and spools of thread—
And trudging feet from school—

Playmates, and holidays, and nuts—
And visions vast and small—
Strange that the feet so precious charged
Should reach so small a goal!

Project 2

Critique of Project 1

Clue
To make this piece more compelling i could continue to add images and text which made the video more story like. There would not necessarily have to have an outcome, i do like the idea that the ending is unknown like the game which i was illustrating, but it could be more detailed in the scenarios which lead to the man on the floor. There could be more text to help illustrate what had happened and more sound to accompany the images and enhance the mood.

I think what was successful in my video was the images themselves. I was happy with how the they turned out, the light and color was what i was going for. The border worked as well, it flowed with the mood of the piece. I also found the increasing speed of images to be successful i thought the circular pattern which the final images made was an interesting effect that visually drew in the viewer.

I used sound to set a mood and period in the beginning of the piece. I used a record which was old and dated to add to the feeling that this was something taking place in the past. It was meant to have a vintage feel similar to the images. I thought the broken record was a useful tool to illustrate not only the repetitive nature of the game but also the mystery of something which is not quite right.

I started to edit the piece using the images. I arranged them in an order which worked to tell the story and then cut them to the amount of time which they were to be shown. I then added the text which i thought would help to understand the subject. I edited the text to move in the way i wanted and then added the sound. Since I'm terrible with sound i thought it would be best to have the images in place first and work off of that. I edited the initial sound to fade in and out and repeat where i zoomed in on the first image of the man on the floor. I think the sound was key in relating the time period in which this was supposed to take place. It also was useful in creating suspense.

In watching my piece without sound i found that it could have had continuing record play throughout the piece which sped up in some way to add to the anticipation. It might have been interesting if it was cut off at the end when the final image appears and fades out. Dialog could also have been used as a means of illustrating the different characters and adding that element of story. More sounds of the different weapons might also have been effective in creating different scenarios.