Work and quality

The concept behind the conditions project has always been about productivity first. I spent a long, long time on a short film I made last year, and while I'm proud of the result, I also recognised that there were limitations to the work /output ratio. While I developed many good skills, I had to ask: was it worth all that time?
So now I've moved on to the conditions project, and I have to say that this approach has proven to be very satisfying. I've explored interesting conceptual idea's and developed good work flow practices. Getting something done each week is immensely rewarding. It means that I don't obsess over unchangeable details. It means that my concept and approach is clearly defined and executed (to a certain extent).
To quote the A-team:
"I love it when a plan comes together"

But then there are some weeks where it doesn't come together either.
This is one of those weeks.
The concept this week is of a gallery space. But neither the space, nor the way I've chosen to shoot and edit it have proven to be that interesting. The space is too sparse. The vimeo user clips clips that I'm 'exhibiting' are great in themselves, but I've just not been able to use them well.
While I still will release something tomorrow... Well I apologize in advance

mixing it up

This weeks piece is going to have actual edits in it.
I'm a little afraid of this.
The truth is I'm doing that because the formal idea of the week has not panned out like I wanted.
Oh well, that's why I'm calling it experimental.

work and play

How much is enough?
How far is far?

The progress this week is slow. Stilted. I've been spending a lot of time doing other things. I feel the need to press on. But I'm also running out of time.


The formal idea this week is the same as last week. More video phasing. I feel like there is a lot that can be done here, so I'm pushing on. The major change is in the environment: kind of a gallery space. I'm using other peoples work (with there kind permission) as part of an exhibition space. The emphasis, as always is on the abstract.

moving on

A few days ago one of the Vimeo users, Leo Bridle said some really nice things about Ep 8. I was pretty stocked about the comments in themselves, but then I went and checked out his works and was in turn really impressed. He is very talented. Check out his stuff. Its really nice when somebody so talented likes what you are doing.
As for me, the challenge is to move again.
This week is going to be a gallery space.

I've composed some music (but I still need to tinker with that)
Next design the space.
Then animate...

Is core the new X?

After a few years of nomenclature silliness where 'X' was slapped onto nearly everything it seems that we have a new contender in our midst's... 'core'.
'Core' is smart and sexy, and if you smack it in and around enough doubling concepts then you are in business.
this silliness doesn't stop me wanting one of those new core 2 duo iMacs but it still kinda dumb.

Interlinked

Ep9 has just been picked up by the nice people at The Daily Reel for their daily 'top ten' list. Its a good thing.

CC Ep 9

This weeks project experiments with phasing This concept is inspired by Steve Reich’s musical experiments in the late 70’s with tape loops playing at different speeds. In this case the camera’s positions synch in and out with each other.
This also marks the final week for the ‘agitator motif’ as the primary focus of the animation. Saying goodbye to an old friend…

early finish

quick turn around this week. Almost done

cheating

all apologies to the guitarists in the world. This weeks music uses a sampler...
It does sound pretty though (if a little too clean...)

the good new is that the music is done now. And I'm just about about to get stuck into the video. This week is the final week for the agitator motif and I'm planing to use a bunch of techniques developed in the past month.
Things to do:
basic motif animation (and render)
Basic 3D comp: use 4 cameras attached to different rotation points (and render each camera)
Put together the four different renders (in shifting panels)
then the final render...
It seems like a lot, but its not really.

what goes up

I just had to put this in. 106 Balloons taking off into afternoon sky. So nice.

Ep 8 is up and running

This week is a little simpler than I originally planned. The music is also simpler (and hopefully more accessible.
Cheers.

Same old same old

nothing major to report.
Music is done
video is in progress.

just stuff getting done.

have some other things on my mind this week...

its probably the sugar

after ice-cream cookie sandwidges for dinner I found myself stirring around 4 am with an idea for this weeks video. I was Kind of inspired by a short film I saw last week by the Eames brothers where the perspective shifts constantly by the power of ten.
The idea is that the clip gets progressively more complex (more layers of particles) as it progresses until finally it breaks the computer...
Overlaid over this will be a bunch of silly comments in text boxes.

moving on

dream landscape.
Difficult images.
consequences...

This weeks clip is going to involve turning the 'agitator motif' into some kind of particle array.
cut and swirl
All against a stark white background.

As per usual, I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to achieve this.
Something to do with duplicating layers, and then 'cutting in to them'...
Sounds a little violent.

all clicks, all cuts, all the time

Ep. 7 is up on You tube.
A full day early...
Now I can take Sunday off.

Clicks and Cuts

This weeks project is more minimal than last time: but also shorter.
The music consists of syncopated clicks interspersed with a an alternating burst of white noise (my fave type of noise....)
The video uses the same design element as last time, with the agitators and the lights timed to the music. I've created two rhythmic sound tracks that I'm going to use to trigger the editing. If all goes well I'll be further utilizing this technique for a larger project in a few weeks.

good light

Why is it so hard to remember.
When I find myself getting down.
find a procedure
and stick to it
things to done
order out of chaos

drift and focus

Sometimes after working on a project I find it hard to refocus. There was a certain amount of energy applied to getting the Ep. 6 on the 'air' so to speak. For this reason, this weeks podcast will be far more minimal.
there is work being done, but its far quieter...
simplified.
shorter...

Up on the web...

Up on U Tube... finally
Its probably the best way to see it at the moment.
Enjoy.

This is it

Here it is:

Contorted Conditions Video Podcast

(or)

http://a.andymill.googlepages.com/ContortedConditionsweek6Videopodcast.wmv

Its a windows media file only for the time being.
Latter I will add a quicktime

Cheers...

render time

Render time is the killer.
I left 6 'takes' rendering yesterday before I went to work, and only 1 worked out.
Not only do they take 6 hours each to render, but with the high quality settings I had it on, I soon ran out of disk space...
Oh well, such is the art form...
In this case one will be enough.
I think the principle of the project, to complete the music and video in one week should be adhered to.
And while I did have all sorts of idea's about automating the editing by using the sound waves, those ideas can wait for another day, another project.
Time to move on.
Last phase, then is to render the project to a small enough file for download.
And, of course to upload it.
stay tuned...

time crunch

Above is a screen shot from the animation in progress.
Its quite a mess at the moment, and while I might just be able to have something put together by tomorrow night, it will definitely be not as 'considered' as I originally planed.
Ah, but that's what you get for taking on such ambitious endeavours like this.
My plan its to set a number of camera's going from different angles
add more lights and tie the lights to different sound waves
and then Set a render cue going before I go to work.
Big ask...
I'd better get cracking...

getting past the faking it stage

Last night I completed and rendered the 2D element of the video.
Of course, having got this far, I've come to the next step and realized that I don't really have a clear idea about what that next step is.
I didn't have much of a clue at all beyond some 'concepts'.
So of course I go back to the drawing board.
badly drawn images on page...
concepts built on concepts...

so below is the new plan:


Cool, ain't it?