Reflection Post

In terms of modularity, each video in our project is a separate story with different music representing diverse moods, for example, system is more lively and upbeat. It may suggest a happy story. Each video make sense individually. Although there is no narrative in our video, which is merely a collection of Melbourne city life from day to night. However, those 6 videos can still form and function together. They are connected and used as an test of aural Kuleshov effect. In response to variability, there is no order in terms of our project, except for the first one with the original background sound. The other 6 videos with various music are displayed underneath the SNU (original one), which will be chosen and watched by the user randomly and unpredictably. Hence, when every time the order of viewing is changed, there is a interaction taking place. Also, the corresponding feelings generated from it is varied based on each individual. 

Through the making of online screen production with Korsakow, I found out that media does not necessarily have to be linear, it can also be parts and fragments. Each fragment can still have a narrative, be gathered and linked together and formed a meaning. Also, media production with modularity and variability features,  creates and enables interaction with the user or audience. There is a possibility for the user to pause, think and re watch every individual fragment, subsequently to connect and make their own interpretations about the meanings of those parts as a whole, which is unusual in traditional forms of media, such as film and television. Although our video has only 1 live, it cannot be re watch, through the different combinations of the viewing orders of our project, various interpretations about the effects that music has on the video will be made.

(screenshot of our project)

Moreover, there are some short-comes and improvements that we can make regarding our project. First, the consistence of video content. It can be seen that some of shots in our video are more artistic and visually attractive, such as the fountain shot. The others are more normal and unaesthetic, for instance, cars shots and pedestrians walking shots. There is no overall identical style in our video. Two types of shots do not blend and fit into each other. Thus, it will be better if we can use consistent shots style in our next project and capture more unique Melbourne style shots.

(screenshot from our powerpoint)

Also, the coverage of video content is too narrow. We did not end up with filming the swimming pool as we are not allowed. What is more, we did not have the cafe shot as it does not fit the constrain ‘line’, which is what the problem comes from. Because we are limited in that constrain, we filmed too many car shots and walking shots at day and night. As a result, our video content looks reduplicative and uninteresting. To solve this, we consider to create a narrative in our next project for capturing various aspects of Melbourne instead of just cars and pedestrians.

(Cars)

(Walking)

Last, several interfaces and keywords can be created.

Finally, there is a question about online media production associated with the software Korsakow that is how can we know and get the user’s responds or feelings about the project we made since one of the purposes of creating such an project is for the audience’s interaction and interpretation.

Project Work Post

HOW DOES YOUR CITY MAKE YOU FEEL?

Development Post #4

According to Matt Soar (2014), there are several functions that Korsakow enables. 

• Firstly, spatial screens. Korsakow enables multiple screens. It also allows the combination of video and still images. They can be displayed on a screen at the same time. 
• In our project, we have 5 videos with different genre of music and 1 video with original sound. Korsakow enables 6 videos shown on the screen at the same time with pictures as thumbnails. Hence, the viewers can click any one that they like to watch.

• Secondly, intimate, crafted and small-scale work. Korsakow is fragmented. In Korsakow, the user becomes the editor and centre of the work, which emphasis on experiences. 
• As our project consists of 6 independent and individual videos, the fragmentation of Korsakow enables the display of 6 videos, instead of only 1 video made up of 6. Also, there is no order in terms of those 6 videos, the viewer can click whatever they like at first, are able to pause and think about the effects that the music brings to the video, subsequently, move on to the next video. 

• Thirdly, multilinear narrative. Korsakow enables multiple linear storylines and multiple perceptions.
• The 6 videos in our project can be conceived as 6 different stories due to different feelings and moods resulted from the various background sound. Every viewer has their own understandings of those stories and relevant atmospheres.

• Lastly, algorithmic editing. There is no fixed part in Korsakow. It is connected by tagging, in and out key words. 
• Our project in Korsakow will be linked by using the same key word, however, every video has only 1 live. The order of video will be determined by the user, which will generate a whole new story each time. 

• Reference List
• Soar M. (2014) Making (with) the Korsakow System. In: Nash K., Hight C., Summerhayes C. (eds) New Documentary Ecologies. Palgrave Macmillan, London

Development Post #3

• Experienced a Korsakow project about Paris, which is a collection of Paris daily life.

• Watched a film called, The Man with the Movie Camera, which an artistic documentary follows a city in Soviet Union throughout the day.

• Received feedback from the tutor about setting up a constraint, capturing and composing the city in a different way.

• Got feedback from the other group about using different colours for thumbnails, since we are using the same video.

In response to Korsakow project about Paris and the film The Man with the Movie Camera,  we decided to film how people live and experience in their daily lives in Melbourne City from day to night, instead of filming in a tourist view. There are some possible shots that we may include, such as swimming pools, cafe, park, tram, train and pedestrian. We will try to avoid filming those famous tourist attractions, for instance, RMIT, State Library and Flinders Station, and show up the original lifestyle of Melbourne people. We will attempt to approach the city in a one minute montage format, notice the city in a different way, observe and exhibit how things move through the city. 

Moreover, we set up the ‘line’ as our video pattern and constraint. There will be visually visible line and spiritual formed line in the video.

In addition to that, we will select a shot from our video and apply different filters as thumbnails. The various filters may represent different mood of music behind it, for example, the fresh and light filter represents the countryside music. Alternatively, we may use subtle colours, such as, red, blue and yellow, to ‘differentiate’ our video. Based on that, we might consider to colour grading each video to different colours for matching the thumbnails and creating more variation between our videos.  What is more, each of our video will only has 1 live, which enables the user’s experience of every different pieces of music. Also, that fact that we use the same video will be less noticeable to some extent. 

Development Post #2

After discussing with group member with the help of the tutor, our group fleshed out the idea of our project.

The collection of  video fragments in our project responds to the idea/question of  how does music/sound change audiences’ interpretation of a neutral video, or what is the effect of combing different genre/era music with the same content video. The project consists of 2 videos with the same content (with one silent and the other one with natural sound of recorded image) and 6 pieces music.

In detail,

the content of the video is to make a montage of the city of Melbourne, trying to capture as many different parts of the city as possible, such as parks, inner city, shops, cafes etc. It is similar to an excerpt from Marker’s Sunless on Criterion Collection shown on class last week, which is a free-form travelogue in Japan.

(Screenshots of Marker’s Sunless on Criterion Collection)

However, instead of doing a voiceover relating to the video content, we decided to explore the relationship of sound and visual using music, which is considered as a musical version of Kuleshov effect test in a way.

The purpose of this is to see the effects produced by their different combination.

Here is a list of potential genre/era of music:

(Screenshot of group messenger sent by group member Darcy)

However, it will be narrowed down depending on what is achievable in the next couple of weeks.

Our project also enables interactivity. It is stated that “Even in interactive formats, although the user may choose how he or she navigates and orders video segments” (Dovey & Rose, 2012). Our project allows the audience to choose and combine the different music with the same video to produce their own interoperation, and discover effects. It relates to the statement of Dovey & Rose (2012) in a musical way.

Development Post #1

Our project work inspired by my group member’s previous work, called What Gives us Inspiration? – Collaborative Playlist.

It is a collaborative work that explores how creators respond when given the exact same piece of music, and what our own experiences bring to our media creation.

(Screenshots from What Gives us Inspiration? – Collaborative Playlist)

Also, we experienced and discussed a project called Balloons of Bhutan, which is one of Jonathan Harris’s projects. It is an interview based project that coherently responds to a same theme, happiness. There are some constraints in this project, such as the same amount of interviewing duration and question, same bright and colour highlighted photo editing, and same art forms, etc.

(Screenshots from  Balloons of Bhutan)

It is interactive as we can click on the interface to discover the story whoever that we like to know.

(Screenshots from  Balloons of Bhutan)

Also, it responds to modularity of online screen media because of that there are different perspectives from different people. It is not one person’s opinion and there is no overreaching narrative about happy. Each interview/story can be viewed independently, but also form the same narrative/theme about happy as a whole.

Gathering all these information, we determined to set up our project theme to be music, to be specific, Jazz. We will make 6 1min non-lieanr videos in respond to a same piece of Jazz music, or different parts of a same piece of music. The video content will be different scenes or occasions that relates to the music, such as reading a book at home, listening to Jazz in a Jazz club. The video format is considered as better than photographs because it is more more visually attractive. The body movements and gestures with music can be seen clearer on video. The purpose of this is to discover what kind of mood does Jazz music create, is it always the same? Also, what Jazz can do in regard to visual as a music genre.

However, the decision is not finalised, it might be changed in the later group discussion.