Monday, August 31, 2009

Week Two's inspiration: music videos (albeit a little late)

I've been thinking a lot about music videos and the ones that have inspired me.

Here are my favorites (at least today's list):



This video is directed by Spike Jonze. At first viewing, it seems not that visually compelling (as compared with other images I've posted here), but in terms of form it is really clever and thought provoking to me. Spike was really pushing back on 90's video form. He had the artists memorize their lyrics backward, shot the video then reversed the film in post... so it looks like the world is tripping... the balls fly up the stairs, etc... Here's Fatlip talking about it on QD3's show "Rewind," which goes behind the scenes of classic hip-hop videos.

Here is another blog entry about how that video was shot.

And, I also found this treatment for the video:




This video is directed by Mark Romanek. What is most striking to me, is the lighting and camera work. The camera movement sets the mood and the tone of the piece, perfectly communicating the song's themes. The lighting, primarily a source mounted on top
of the camera, gives us an eery spotlight, focusing us on the subject. Just attach a small light on top of the camera and go! (well, it's almost that easy!)


This directed by Sanji. Obviously this is an effect heavy video. Normally, I am not such huge fan of over the top visual fx but the world is a turntable... love it. Make NYC a record... we are all spinning, moving, groovin... I really miss Lauryn Hill.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

first entry for inspired :: what i like (and what i don't like so much)

What I :


D-Nice has the most amazing eye. Certainly I am taken by the use of a shallow depth of field, common in many of his photos and videos --- it really makes you look deeply at the subject. The focus on the subject (big like Questo or small like a wild flower) really draws me in.  




This video blog, by photographer Daniel Liss is exceptional. His pieces are short, simple (usually shot with a small DV camera, edited, text added, voice over and music) but magical. There is something about the mood, tone, and style --- I love the way he handles framing, composition, light, color, and pacing (mostly in editing). It's been my goal to produce a video per week... this blog inspires me to (finally) meet that goal. Fingers crossed!


Lauren's Girl Culture is a book that I use in many of the Women's Studies classes that I've taught. Her documentary photos really capture the essence of girlhood. I usually show the photographs with the audio + photo slideshows like this.  Recently visiting her homepage to discover that she now includes audio interviews with the photographs she displays on her site made me happy. She is very much a documentarian. She did make a documentary that was way to heavy (and the structure and pacing was off for me), but I love her work nonetheless.




Erin is an amazing photographer with a brilliant eye for framing and composition. I was blessed to work with Erin when I worked for a print magazine. We traveled through Chile and Argentina together. My favorite work by Erin is her personal work (though her commerical stuff is really fun), specifically the series she's done on teen moms in Brooklyn.



What I don't :

David LaChapelle   <---- just look for yourself... see what you think!


Intro Post : Who? What? Why? Where? When?

Who :: I hold a Ph.d. (Feminist Studies), an M.A. (Women's Studies), an M.F.A. (Film Directing), and a B.A. (Film Production). I am a freshly appointed Assistant Professor teaching media production at a University in the south.

What :: This is a blog companion to my creative journal (a very small, pocket sized green moleskin like one pictured at right, just green, which is my latest favorite color).

Why :: I've asked my Video Production students to keep visual journals for creative inventory and inspiration. They have the option to keep a book, binder, blog or any combination of the above. At the end of the term (December 2009), they have to write a 2-3 page reflection that is their artist statement as a visual storyteller (primarily concerned with camera and lighting).
 
As their Professor, I feel that I should be doing what it is I ask of them, particularly since I feel this assignment is a good way to develop your vision as a media maker, archive things that inspire you, and a way for the rest of the crew (our class) to get know more about you (and your aesthetic inclinations).

Where :: Southern U.S.A. (This is the first time I'm living down south. It is really beautiful here.)

When :: This blog will have weekly entries running late August through December 2009.

Here's me filming with my Sony Vx1000
 (yes this was a few years ago!) 
in Vina del Mar, Chile with a local B-boy

Hope you enjoy and feel inspired too!

Best,
Dr. R