FA333 - Intro to Digital Media 2 - Time Based Media

Reminder - Button Code for changing scenes

2008-12-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

put this code in your "actions" layer on the keyframe the button appears

function onIntroClick(evt:MouseEvent):void {
gotoAndStop(1, "Scene 2");
}

instancename.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, onIntroClick);

If you want to add multiple buttons to the same scene, or you get an error that says something like "duplicate function", then you need to change the function name of each button to something different. The function name in the above code "onIntroClick" which is an arbitrary name, you can change it to whatever as long as it has a name. The easist way to do this is change the second button in your movie to "onIntroclick2" in the function name, and on the second line where flash calls the function. For example,

function onIntroClick(evt:MouseEvent):void {
gotoAndStop(1, "Scene 2");
}

instancename.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, onIntroClick);

function onIntroClick2(evt:MouseEvent):void {
gotoAndStop(1, "Scene 2");
}

instancename.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, onIntroClick2);

function onIntroClick3(evt:MouseEvent):void {
gotoAndStop(1, "Scene 2");
}

instancename.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, onIntroClick3);

Last week of school

2008-12-08T16:43:00.001-08:00

Remember the project is due Friday emailed to me in the .swf format, or in my mailbox on disc in the office.

There is no critique and no class on Friday, so you can turn it in anytime before midnight on Friday the 12th.

I will try to keep the lab open everyday, but i can't promise anything unless you personally let me know when you'd like to come in. Monday and Wednesday class are workdays.

Billy's Balloon

2008-12-03T14:30:00.002-08:00

Bovine Vendetta

2008-12-03T14:30:00.001-08:00

This tripped out film features voiceover from one of the most insane men on earth, Charles Manson. Take this crazy ride created by one of the animation community_s regulars.

how to write code basics

2008-12-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

There are various characteristics of the movie clip that you can modify. For example, when it's selected there are values you can change in the Property inspector, like its x coordinate, or its width, or various color adjustments like changing its alpha (transparency), or applying a drop-shadow filter to it. Other Flash tools let you make more changes, like using the Free Transform tool to rotate the rectangle. All of these things that you can do to modify a movie clip symbol in the Flash authoring environment are also things you can do in ActionScript by changing the pieces of data that are all put together into a single bundle called a MovieClip object.
In ActionScript object-oriented programming, there are three types of characteristics that any class can include:
• Properties
• Methods
• Events

Properties
A property represents one of the pieces of data that are bundled together in an object. A song object might have properties named artist and title; the MovieClip class has properties like rotation, x, width, and alpha. You work with properties like individual variables--in fact, you might think of properties as simply the "child" variables contained in an object.
Here are some examples of ActionScript code that uses properties. This line of code moves the MovieClip named square to the x coordinate 100 pixels:
square.x = 100;
This code uses the rotation property to make the square MovieClip rotate to match the rotation of the triangle MovieClip:
square.rotation = triangle.rotation;
This code alters the horizontal scale of the square MovieClip so that it's one-and-a-half times wider than it used to be:
square.scaleX = 1.5;
Notice the common structure: you use a variable (square, triangle) as the name of the object, followed by a period (.) and then the name of the property (x, rotation, scaleX). The period, known as the dot operator, is used to indicate that you're accessing one of the child elements of an object. The whole structure together, "variable name-dot-property name," is used like a single variable, as a name for a single value in the computer's memory.

Methods
A method is an action that can be performed by an object. For example, if you've made a movie clip symbol in Flash with several keyframes and animation on its timeline, that movie clip can play, or stop, or be instructed to move the playhead to a particular frame.
This code instructs the MovieClip named shortFilm to start playing:
shortFilm.play();
This line makes the MovieClip named shortFilm stop playing (the playhead stops in place, like pausing a video):
shortFilm.stop();
This code makes a MovieClip named shortFilm move its playhead to Frame 1 and stop playing (like rewinding a video):
shortFilm.gotoAndStop(1);

Events
We've described a computer program as a series of instructions that the computer carries out step-by-step. Some simple computer programs consist of nothing more than that--a few steps which the computer carries out, at which point the program ends. However, ActionScript programs are designed to keep running, waiting for user input or other things to happen. Events are the mechanism that determines which instructions the computer carries out and when.
In essence, events are things that happen that ActionScript is aware of and can respond to. Many events are related to user interaction--like a user clicking a button, or pressing a key on the keyboard--but there are also other types of events. For example, if you use ActionScript to load an external image, there is an event that can let you know when the image has finished loading. In essence, when an ActionScript program is running, Adobe Flash Player just sits and waits for certain things to happen, and when those things happen, it runs the specific ActionScript code that you've specified for those events.

No class on Friday the 5th

2008-12-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Due to medical reasons that I can assure you I'd rather not have, I cannot be here on Friday but will be available over email if you need to send me any specefic problems. The lab will be open for work time.

Interview Yourself

2008-11-19T14:19:00.000-08:00

Interview Yourself

For this inclass assignment, due Friday (the 21st) by the end of the day emailed to me, you will write a minimum 100 word interview to yourself. Performing this task will factor into your final grade. The final product will create a good sketch to work with when planning your narrative, although the specifics of the narrative itself need not be fleshed out yet.

Yourself being the character you are thinking of describing as your main character in the flash narrative. use this as an oppurtunity to think see yourself from another perspective. The final written piece could easily be the the final piece, but it doesnt have to be.

Think about these things

What kind of questions would this "person" respond to.
Is this person an extension of yourself, does it feel different at all.
where does the interviewer take place.

Flash Madlibs

2008-11-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

Flash Madlibs

example of assigning a variable to input text, then using dynamic text to call upon the variable.

Flash Perfection

2008-11-19T12:12:00.000-08:00

Flash Perfection.com

this might have the most up to date tutorials online and is the best. The website itself is kind of slow to load and contains a lot of junk, but other than that its good

more web/flash art

2008-11-19T11:54:00.000-08:00

ADAWEB

some ofthis stuff puzzles even me

Project 6 Keeping it "real"

2008-11-19T00:20:00.000-08:00

Create another version of yourself (for example: a fantasy self, an exaggerated self, or a future self). Illustrate a narrative in Flash that uses this constructed idea of self as it's main focus.

As such your idea for the narrative and your ability to draw in the viewers interest with Flash will be a major component of your grade, along with technical concerns.

The point of your narrative should unfold gradually, but it does not have to be linear, and can take many different forms.

must include 5 different scenes.

What/When do I turn in?

By the end of the day of Friday December 12, you will email me a published .swf file, or have it in my mailbox on disc. I will be available for personal critiques/help during the last week on Monday the 8th and Wed. the 10th if desired.

Personal Interview (in class assignment from wednesday the 19th) is due by the end of the day Friday the 21st via email (cpireland@gmail.com) or in my mailbox. Completion of this will factor in to your grade.

Points to Consider:

Myspace and Facebook allow us to create personalized web pages that basically look the same and get about as personal as what's on our ipod and status reports about what we had for breakfast. Identity is a construct. You could wake up today and dress differently, talk to different people, listen to different music, and the world wouldn't end. This is a chance for some to do that, but maybe more accurately this is a chance for you to "blow up" some small aspect of your personality and make it more intense. Because identity is a construct even the most honest attempt to recreate it can be considered a creation of the author.

You will be graded on concept as well as executions. Only working projects with a spirited and/or unique perspective of "self" will get an "A".

Narrative sites to investigate

2008-11-18T23:45:00.000-08:00

Net Art Narratives:

Radiohead

Matthew Ritchie: The Hard Way
Darcey Steinke: Blindspot
Tina Laporta: Distance
David Blair: Waxweb
Annette Weintraub: Sampling Broadway
Yael Kanarek: World of Awe
Giselle Beiguelman: <content = no cache>
Talan Memmott: Works
Qrime
Caitlin Fisher: Waves of Girls
Mark Amerika: GRAMMATRON
Bobby Rabyd: Sunshine 69
Olia Lialina: My boyfriend came back from the war!
Kinya Hinada: Mumbleboy
Mouchette: Mouchette
Sabina Daley: The Kiss
Jackie Goss: Modern Keller
Geoff Ryman: 253
Whitehouse: Cub

Sites that feature Digital Narrative:

No Class on Friday

2008-11-18T22:28:00.000-08:00

Enjoy your thanksgiving break! However, if you need any extra help or want to go over any big ideas I will be in the lab.

Flash Group Crit

2008-11-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

Cut and Paste these questions to an email, fill them and send them to each member of your group.

What is the artist trying to communicate or describe? Does it merit repeat viewings?

Does the navigation feel intuitave? or is it confusing? why does/doesn't work?

What could the artist revise to have a more successful composition, flow, pacing?

Given more time to work on this project, what would you like to see more of?

Code for buttons to go to websites

2008-11-18T00:17:00.000-08:00

Paste this code into your actions layer, and change the instance name and the URL to go to the webpage you desire, make sure to leave in the http:// though.

instancename.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandler);
function mouseDownHandler(event:MouseEvent):void {
navigateToURL(new URLRequest("http://www.fa333.blogspot.com/"));
}

More than two buttons on the same frame

2008-11-18T00:11:00.000-08:00

to have more than two buttons in the same frame, you might have to rename the Event Handler as such, notice "mouseDownHandler1" and "mouseDownHandler2".

stop();
instancename.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandler1);
function mouseDownHandler1(event:MouseEvent):void {
gotoAndStop(5);
}

instancename.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandler2);
function mouseDownHandler2(event:MouseEvent):void {
gotoAndStop(10);
}

Monday is workday

2008-11-17T01:51:00.000-08:00

Remember your projects are due as a published .swf on Wednesday at the beginning of class. Let me know if you want to go over anything.

Code for moving to different scenes REVISED

2008-11-16T11:46:00.000-08:00

Flash examples

2008-11-14T14:46:00.001-08:00

More Flash examples that you can use.

Code for interactive masks

2008-11-14T14:42:00.001-08:00

By default, when you assign an object to be the mask of another object, that object (the mask) loses its interactivity. For example, a sprite with a click event associated with it will recieve those events when not a mask but will not be able to once it becomes a mask.

If you want an object acting as a mask to be interactive, assign its buttonMode property to be true.

ActionScript Code:

maskInstance.buttonMode = true;

Adobe Exchange

2008-11-14T12:23:00.001-08:00

Site to Download extensions for Flash, feel free to let me know if you want any on the lab computers

Curtis Randolph

2008-11-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

a collection of Flash movies that maybe used for inspiration. goofy but in a smart way.

Code for Mouse hide, custom mouse pointer

2008-11-12T14:34:00.000-08:00

I said lets make a custom mouse cursor. That implies that it replaces the mouse. So we need to hide the mouse, add the code Mouse.hide(); to the 1st line in the actions panel.

Mouse.hide();

Custom Mouse Pointer

1. Create a movie clip to use as a custom pointer, and place an instance of the clip on the Stage.
2. Select the movie clip instance on the Stage.
3. In the Property inspector, type cursor_mc in the Instance Name text box.
4. Select Frame 1 of the actions layer, and type the following code in the Actions panel after the Mouse.hide code:

function onMove (motion:MouseEvent):void {

instance_name.x = mouseX;
instance_name.y = mouseY;
};
stage.addEventListener (MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE, onMove);

Buttons still function when you use a custom mouse pointer. It's a good idea to put the custom pointer on the top layer of the timeline so that, as you move the mouse in the SWF file, the custom pointer appears in front of buttons and other objects in other layers. Also, the tip of a custom pointer is the registration point of the movie clip you're using as the custom pointer. Therefore, if you want a certain part of the movie clip to act as the tip of the pointer, set the registration point coordinates of the clip to be that point.

Project 5 due Wednesday the 19th

2008-11-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

I'm pushing the project back to Wednesday becuase I am nice guy and I have been a little under the weather.

monday monday

2008-11-10T14:44:00.001-08:00

MOnday is going to be a workday on the next upcoming project, those who need to catch up are advised to use this time wisely. Also you should know what you are doing for the next project at this point and should begin.

Wednesday we will have a large demo on advanced shape tweening, masks, and video.

Working with JPegs and Gifs

2008-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

The JPG (or JPEG) format is used for images with lots of colours, while the GIF format is better for logos and line art that have fewer colours. JPGs and GIFs are the two most common image files found on the web, and can be opened in all web browsers.

JPGs

JPG images are better at holding more colour information when they are being saved.

This means that shading and subtle colour changes look better if you save them as JPGs.

JPGs are most commonly used for photographs as they can hold information about the thousands of different colours in a photo without making the file size too big.

To do this they use a 'lossey' form of compression. This means that some of the picture information is 'thrown away' but if it's done right this shouldn't be noticeable to the naked eye.

GIFs

GIFs are better at saving images with sharp lines as they don't throw away any of the picture information.

They are usually used with text, logos, buttons, lines, and other images that have been created on a computer.

They are not very good for photographs or pictures with delicate shading as they can't hold information about more than 256 different colours.

GIFs are also used with images that have a transparent background, and with simple animations - JPGs cannot do transparent backgrounds or animations at all.

reviews from last week

2008-11-10T14:38:00.001-08:00

A little review from last week

Basic Flash Skills and Concepts
Basic Animation and Tweening

More interesting flash sites

2008-11-10T14:36:00.001-08:00

Here are some inspiring Flash pieces:

Narratives:
THE PERFECT ARTISTIC WEB SITE by Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries. This is a good example of using text as a narrative device instead of images and shapes. See more of this artists' works here: http://www.yhchang.com/
Nosepilot - I've never sat through this whole thing, but there is really good animation to be marvelled by.

Games:
Antiwargame - by Futurefarmers

The Intruder - by Natalie Bookchin

Interactive and other:
Tetrasomia - by Stephen Vitiello
"Dishonest Dubya" Lying Action Figure
Modern Living
Selflesh Gardens

404_Found_and_lost - while this piece by Eric Natzke is not interactive, he does have many that are. Check out his portfolio of Flash work.

Basic Animator Code

2008-11-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

play();

Begins the animation.

stop();

Stops the animation.

end();

Stops the animation and Flash Player goes immediately to the last frame in the animation sequence.

nextFrame();

Advances Flash Player to the next frame in the animation sequence.

pause();

Pauses the animation until you call the resume() method.

resume();

Resumes the animation after it has been paused by the pause() method.

rewind();

Sets Flash Player to the first frame of the animation.

Code for basic buttons

2008-11-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

So far nothing really happens when we click on our new button. Before we address the script involved, we should be good Flash programmers and give our button an “instance name.” Single click on the button (Be sure you are in the Scene 1 timeline and not the myButton timeline!) and look at the Properties panel.

The button currently has no , so we should give it one for it to be properly referenced from within our code. Let’s give it the instance name "instancename" to reflect its purpose. Now we need to write a function to produce an outcome of a mouse click. To do this, click on Frame 1 of Layer 1, and open the Actions panel either by choosing it from the Windows menu or by hitting the F9 key on your keyboard. (The panel should say “Actions – Frame” at the top. If it doesn’t, you need to click on Frame 1 of Layer 1 again.) Type the following lines of code into this panel:

function onIntroClick(evt:MouseEvent):void {
gotoAndPlay(2);
}

instancename.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, onIntroClick);

// where it says MOUSE_OVER, you may also try CLICK, DOUBLE_CLICK, MOUSE_DOWN, MOUSE_UP, MOUSE_MOVE, MOUSE_OUT, MOUSE_OVER, MOUSE_WHEEL, ROLL_OUT, ROLL_OVER

// you may also try where it says gotoAndPlay, you may write gotoAndStop

Code for stopping the animation

2008-11-05T11:46:00.000-08:00

In a Flash movie, ActionScript can be placed in keyframes on the timeline, on movie clips, inside movie clips (on movie clip’s own timeline) and on buttons. ActionScript cannot be placed inside a button!

Press F9 (ALT+F9 on a Mac) or choose Window > Actions and the Actions panel will appear. On top of the window, Actions - Frame should be written, indicating that you are entering the code in a keyframe. Click inside the area for code writing (the right side of the Actions panel) and type

stop();

Close the Actions panel. You should see a small letter “a” inside the frame 15 on the actions layer of your timeline. That is Flash’s way of indicating that some ActionScript code is to be found on that frame.

Test your movie (Control > Test Movie) and you should see it stop right in the middle of animation. Close the movie test window. Now, there is no way of making the animation continue, unless we place something in our movie that will make it possible (or delete the ActionScript we just entered, which we don’t want to do). So, let’s place a button in our movie that will enable us to start the animation again.

Watercolor park by Qubo Gas

2008-11-04T22:14:00.000-08:00

Watercolor Park

Qubo Gas (Laura Henno, Jean-François Ablézot, Morgan Dimnet) is a French collective of artists active since 2000. Their practice, involving works on paper, collages, video installations, digital animations and frescos, primarily focuses on drawing, its techniques and its history.

Watercouleur Park is an interactive graphic composition made of layers of drawings. The order in which the drawn landscapes appear is random. The vegetation contained in each of the landscapes is also a random element. There are 14 landscapes in total, drawn dynamically from an updatable database of drawings.

The Art of Sleep

2008-11-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

'The Art of Sleep' (2006) is a commissioned piece from YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES for Tate Online, created to coincide with the opening of the Frieze Art Fair in London. 'The Art of Sleep' is a digital work which lasts 18 minutes 30 seconds and employs the artists' "usual mix of animated black and white typography, jazzy music and humour" to explore "the international contemporary art market from the artists' perspectiv

Requim for a Dream

2008-11-04T19:53:00.001-08:00

Site from the movie about drug addiction

Larry Carlson

2008-11-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

Larry Carlson

Surrealist stuff

Animator vs Animation

2008-11-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

Animator vs Animation by Alan Becker

In Class Assignment

2008-11-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

In class today we will begin basic Flash tutorials, so for you have some materials to work with Ive set up this little random Flash assignment. You won't be graded but you will be working on these in class if you want credit for being there.

Search images on Google and find the first (or second if you must) image under the following search terms and use it in your project. This is your "internet identity"

1. your last name
2. the name of the town you were born
3. the name of your elementary school
4. the last name of your first love
5. the name of the street you grew up on
6. the name of your favorite pet

Good site for Flash examples on the web

2008-11-03T11:48:00.001-08:00

Favorite web site awards

Hungry Suitcase

2008-11-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Hungry Suitcase - a good example of a flash interactive environment, but maybe not a good example of a site that has any real purpose.

what is flash?

2008-11-02T22:44:00.001-08:00

Adobe Flash (previously called Shockwave Flash and Macromedia Flash) is a set of multimedia software created by Macromedia and currently developed and distributed by Adobe Systems. Since its introduction in 1996, Flash has become a popular method for adding animation and interactivity to web pages; Flash is commonly used to create animation, advertisements, and various web page components, to integrate video into web pages, and more recently, to develop rich Internet applications.

Flash can manipulate vector and raster graphics and supports bi-directional streaming of audio and video. It contains a scripting language called ActionScript. Several software products, systems, and devices are able to create or display Flash content, including Adobe Flash Player, which is available for most common web browsers, some mobile phones and other electronic devices (using Flash Lite). The Adobe Flash Professional multimedia authoring program is used to create content for the Adobe Engagement Platform, such as web applications, games and movies, and content for mobile phones and other embedded devices.

Files in the SWF format, traditionally called "ShockWave Flash" movies, "Flash movies" or "Flash games", usually have a .swf file extension and may be an object of a web page, strictly "played" in a standalone Flash Player, or incorporated into a Projector, a self-executing Flash movie (with the .exe extension in Microsoft Windows). Flash Video (FLV) files have a .flv file extension and are either used from within .swf files or played through a flv aware player, such as VLC, or QuickTime and Windows Media Player with external codecs added.

Mask

2008-11-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

Palin as President

2008-11-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Palin as President, a good example of a clickable environment done in Flash

Flash Interface Intro

2008-11-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

Intro to Flash Interface from Atomic Learning

Project 5 Flash Yourself

2008-11-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

For the first flash project, we will create a room or site that encourages the viewers exploration through a space. How the viewer navigates through this space or site must consider the user's navigation, but also an overall theme or concept. That statement can be personal or political, but you will be graded on your ability to use the medium in a creative way that communicates your idea. The content is up to you and as well as the format: narrative, interactive, game-like, etc. Your main goal is to make an artwork about a subject you are personal invested in that uses Flash.

What/When do I turn in?

On wednesday, November 19th, you will turn in a published .swf file to me and we will view them on the projector.

The Flash piece should incorporate at least 3 of the animation features we have learned. This includes:

* buttons
* shape tweening
* motion tweening
* movies, objects, symbols
* masking
* sound

Points to Consider

Many of you know flash from the animated stories, graphics, interactive games and puzzles made by it on the web and many artists are using it as their artistic medium of choice. Some criticisms of it among those concerned with "Art" are that many artworks made using Flash end up with a similar aesthetic (flat, cartoony, silly) and that they deliver too much "flash" at the expense of any content. Can you prove them wrong?

You will be graded on concept as well as executions. Only working projects with honest, well invested, and communicated ideas will get an “A”.

BFF Inc.

2008-10-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

FUCK

2008-10-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

2008-10-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

bounce

2008-10-31T15:04:00.001-07:00

Time Lapsing Away

2008-10-31T11:14:00.001-07:00

Tree

2008-10-31T09:20:00.001-07:00

RAGE

2008-10-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Red

2008-10-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

Attack

2008-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

STRESS

2008-10-30T15:30:00.001-07:00

Kevin's double feature

2008-10-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

Sanity

2008-10-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

family-memory of NY trip

2008-10-30T01:31:00.000-07:00

Wet

2008-10-30T00:38:00.001-07:00

War

2008-10-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

Abduction

2008-10-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

Project 4

2008-10-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

remember to upload videos to the web, and turn them in on dvd, just like last time. Both of these formats are due to me by the time crit begins Friday, Oct. 31.

How do I rip DVDs into Final Cut? Using Handbrake/MPEG streamclip

2008-10-21T00:09:00.001-07:00

To rip the DVD we will use HandBrake, a GPL'd multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 converter.

HandBrake is not a ripper/converter. It converts video, it does not rip it byte by byte to your hard drive. It does not crack the latest copy protection schemes hatched by the studios. It converts video from DVD (MPEG-2) to MPEG-4.

HandBrake is not everything for everyone for every need. For instance, Final Cut does not support the importing of mp4 files. You will have to convert your files from .mp4 to .dv or Quicktime .mov using MPEG streamclip.

The reason for the double conversion is the MPEG format. It's not a format that can be edited natively very easily. It's kinda hard to explain, but basically, these type of video files can't just be cut wherever you want them to be....they don't actually record full frames of video (they record one frame, then record changes to that frame over the next few seconds)...therefore, you don' the have full frames to cut on when editing.

How to download Youtube files (.flv files)

2008-10-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

Easier but possibly longer version

Go to ConvertTube and paste the whole url (web site name) of the youtube video. Use quicktime, hit the button, wait for it to process, then hit download to save to desktop.

Quicker but more complicated version

It's simple to download .flv files using a browser like Safari.
Visit the page and initiate the page load by clicking Play on the video.
Open the Safari Activity window (window - activities on the upper toolbar)when the file starts its download and double click on the page element that has "get video" in its name (usually near the top of the list and large file size).
Open your Downloads folder and control - click on this get video.flv then "Open With..." and choose QuickTime Pro.
QuickTime Pro can now open and export these Flash Video files.
Slect the whole video and export as a Quicktime Movie (Final Cut cannot open a .flv on its own)

Jan Svankmajer "the dimensions of dialogue"

2008-10-20T14:08:00.001-07:00

Stan Brakhage - Mothlight

2008-10-20T14:04:00.001-07:00

Some special effects

2008-10-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

Stop Motion Tutorials

The Blur effect from COPS and most rap videos from the early 90's

The Pleasantville effect, mixing black and white and color

Ghost effect

Duplicate a person in the same frame

Various In Camera effects, the site is for photo, but many of the same ideas go along with video.

More video tutorials can be found at Videomaker.com

Pipilotti Rist - I Want To See How You See (2003)

2008-10-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

A great use of chroma keying, but in a way that is a little nontraditional.

delirouispink

2008-10-20T12:31:00.001-07:00

Created at the University of Texas at Austin, this unique black and white film is an experiment with Xerox machine animation.

How to fold up a green screen

2008-10-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

Great source for old movie clips and public service announcements

2008-10-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Prelinger Archives

Doug Aitken, Musical Performance from the opening of "Sleepwalkers"

2008-10-15T15:01:00.001-07:00

Clip from the Doug Aitken musical performance at his opening of "Sleepwalkers" at the Museum of Modern Art last spring. This very similar to the Interiors piece which I have posted above this one. I don't have a video of that piece, but this is a good example of thinking outside of explicit narrative and working on the layers of sound.

Sleepwalkers Doug Aiken

2008-10-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Link to Interview

Interiors, Doug Aitken

2008-10-15T14:58:00.001-07:00

Four scenes cycle across three screens in Doug Aitken’s mesmerizing video installation, interiors. Individual actors wander through a range of stark landscapes and interiors: industrial lands, a helicopter factory, a locker room, an auction hall. For the most part alone, these figures prepare for various activities. A young woman suits up to play handball; a Japanese auctioneer warms up his voice. Suddenly, their unrelated activities intersect in a strange,
intense piece of music composed for tap dancer, auctioneer, handball player, and rapper (OutKast’s Andre Benjamin). Just as the viewer is drawn into the song, it collapses, restarts, and dissolves. Built of mysterious yet recognizable elements, Aitken’s installation achieves a surprising, stunning synthesis. As a document, it captures a broad, inclusive picture of modern life through an accumulation of moments.

Ritual

2008-10-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

A student work I found on Youtube by Zachary Boyce

Christian Marclay "Telephones"

2008-10-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

Omer Fast - Fun With CNN

2008-10-15T13:24:00.001-07:00

Omer Fast link to news article

CNN Concatenated, an example of cut and pasting montaged news segments

Here is a link to the video

What is Non Narrative?

2008-10-15T13:08:00.005-07:00

Try to avoid linearity, does the video communicate the same way if a viewer misses the first ten seconds, 20 seconds, or watches it backwards?

What if you viewer could choice of multiple ways to read or to look at your work, like a painting.

Consider mood and message more than plot

Wikipedia article on experimental film

Some verbs to ponder

2008-10-15T12:59:00.001-07:00

Verb List, by Sculptor Richard Serra (1967-1968)

Above is list of verbs that can be considered if you found yourself without an idea to approach a particular project.

Project 4 - Word

2008-10-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

You must think up a title to your piece, based off a single word. This word can be broken down to it's basic concepts, or a personal interpretation. Routine, Discovery, Home, Nostalgia, are just a few nouns I can think of, although you can use verbs or any other form of word. Use these or other terms as departure points, try to be metaphoric in relation to them rather then literal, but do use them as a starting point for developing the conceptual aspects of the piece.

Design a short non-narrative film about that word without converting it religiously, and by using styles or motifs such as, but not limited to, patterns, and repetition, motif. You may use found footage. No groups, though.

The piece must be at least one minute long.

Audio

In this work you can use audio, but you cannot use music, any audio you use must be ambient sounds or found sounds they can be structured along with the visual components of the work and share in common aspects of the rhythm of the piece. If your found footage has music, then it must be edited and changed enough to make it your own and to suit the piece.

What do I turn in? two part assignment

Writing Assignment due Wednesday the 22nd of October.

Write a 100 word (or plus) statement about what word you have choosen and what it means to you. Be as visually and emotionally as descriptive as possible, as these ideas can be translatted visually into the work.

Remember that this is a non narrative assignment, so you can't not have a linear plot. No scenes where something happens that directly lead to another. You are going to have to rely more on strong visuals and pacing than dialogue that tells you what is happening.

Create list of what scenes and or visual elements you think would best visually show your concept (tell the “story,” although I am feign to use the word story as I don’t want you to end up with a traditional narrative).

Develop a shot list that is extensive and will allow you to get more then you might actually need.

Video Assignment due Friday October 31.

You will turn in a DVD copy of the movie as well as a web based version posted on the class website.

Items to consider

determine how you can break it up into pieces that can still visually deliver the concept and the narrative yet do so through a rhythmic patterning of the elements of time; forward and reverse, fast and slow frame rate, time-lapse, freeze frame and stutter step and so forth.

Restructure the work to have a poetic phrasing: word, line and stanza

Try to set the work up so visually it feels like we are seeing groupings of poetic lines that have a rhyming pattern set into stanzas

create a montage of separate elements that come together as a whole

think of the kind of message that you already have interest in but may not have already articulated

No class on Friday

2008-10-14T18:26:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder there is no class on Friday, and there is no equipment check out due to BFA certification day. There are no Fine Arts classes.

Dream Sequence

2008-10-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

Followed

2008-10-13T14:46:00.001-07:00

Grading Points

2008-10-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

1. technical sophistication, quality (technical and conceptual)
2. conceptual, do you communicate your idea effectively
3. timeliness is the project turned in on time and in the correct format(s), were there any issues with camera checkout
4. potential, development of personal style, improvement from progress checks to critiques, and overall improvement throughout the semester

Are you hungry?

2008-10-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

F is For Fate By John Dominick

2008-10-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

Political nightmare by Peter and Blake

2008-10-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

Open lab Monday till 1

2008-10-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

In case you need to, the lab will be open on Monday from 9 to 1, so you can use that time to make any finishing touches or export your movies for class today.

Frosted and Confused (Jordan Story, Jayme Harris, Rob Larsen)

2008-10-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Nighttime (by Kris Totev)

2008-10-12T19:13:00.001-07:00

Loma Prieta - Nathalie Owen

2008-10-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day (Chris HJ Lee)

2008-10-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

2008-10-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

Eat, Work, Sleep, Play (Adam Siebenaler)

2008-10-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

just a note about sound

2008-10-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

I just finnished grading project 2, and I must say that everything was pretty good visually with your projects, but do not ignore the sound. It is 50 percent of the piece. Make sure you don't have any sharp cuts unless used on purpose. Make sure to edit out unwanted sounds, and in some cases make sure to use on everyshot.

I'll email out those grades probably tonight.

Wednesday's class

2008-10-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Wednesdays class will be a work day, unless you want me to review anything.

I will still take attendance, so I expect to see you there with stuff to work on, and if you wan't to shoot during class that is fine but you must let me know in person or over email.

If you weren't in class on Monday you will need to go over with me the process of exporting video properly for the web and for dvd.

Otherwise that is it, good luck on your projects.

Items to consider when exporting web ready files

2008-10-06T14:44:00.001-07:00

These are the main factors that dictate file sizes for video.

1. Frame Size, the dimensions (width x heigth in pixels).

average video: 720 x 480 or larger
web ready video: 160 x 120, 320 x240

2. Frame Rate, the amount of still images appearing in each second of your video.

average television show or dvd: 29.97 frames per second
web ready video: can go as low as 15 fps, but it really starts to show under that

3. Bit Depth, or image quality, the resolution of each frame (codecs).

average video: no compression, or mpeg2
web ready video: h.264 and sorrenson are high quality image codecs

4. Audio Compression, the format of your audio.

average video or dvd: ac3 audio, mp3 or wav. Aiff comes from CDs.
web ready video: mpeg-4 audio

Idvd

2008-10-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to Apple's Idvd page, which has tutorials and information on DVD burning.

Export Quicktime movie for DVD, or try Export Quicktime Movie Conversion for bestDVD/web

2008-10-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

Export QuickTime Movie: Choose this to export a broadcast-quality, full-resolution,
compressed QuickTime file for DVD, CD-ROM (if less than 3-4 minutes), or file sharing.

Export Using QuickTime Conversion: Choose this to export
• A broadcast-quality, full resolution, uncompressed QuickTime file (best quality, HUGE size)
• A still image or numbered image sequence
• A highly compressed QuickTime file for CD-ROM, multimedia, or web use
• Audio only

Lighting Tips

2008-10-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a good site for some DIY tips on lighting.

Wanna make better images? Light only what you need

2008-10-03T12:43:00.000-07:00