The Divine Comedy – Mona

Who is the practitioner? Who made the work?

This work is published on the Museum of Old and New Art’s Instagram IGTV. It is unclear who the specific practitioners are other than made by MONA which is a gallery known for being abstract and experimental located in Tasmania.

What is the video about? Who is the interviewee or participant? What are they discussing?

Within the video artist Alfredo Jaar talks about The Divine Comedy, his permanent new artwork at Mona. He speaks about the definition of inferno with modern focus on the emergency crisis of the planet. He speaks how his work gives insight into he world in the next 10-12 years of we do not react to this crisis. Speaking abut life and death and the reaction to nature the video takes a dramatic and intense journey ending on the conversation of the essence of life.

Briefly talk about the form of the video.

It interested me that the aspect ratio of this video is similar to that you might see on youtube, where most commonly instagram is portrait this is vertical. However, this allows for a dramatic and more professional aesthetic qualities to be achieved. The entire start and near to the end of the video is edited to be black and red. With direct correlation to the content of the video this enhances the dramatic nature and creates an almost demon like intensity to the video. This is supported by the use of music which is heat following and allows the slowly spoken words to have meaning and the timing is precise. The use of close ups maintains the mystery for the artwork itself as well as creating a slight sense of confusion. The lighting invites silhouettes to be the main source of movement which again reales to mystery. The camera is often in slight motion with the likely use of a gimbal and tripod. the edits are professional with use of a a program such a premier pro being possible.

What makes this work experimental? How is it different? Think about the content and form, and the methods used to make it?

This work is experimental as it remains an informative documentary at heart but is presented like an experimental horror film. Evoking emotions of fear and with mystery at its core. For an informative video about an artist and their work mystery at the core is rather unheard of. The abstract camera angles and lighting as well as edits and red colour scheme also contribute to the experimental qualities and overall create an experimental work. The unseen artist is also unusual for interview base content these techniques are however effective and striking.

Video Sketch 

Week three video sketch – This link will take you to my instagram profile, please then click the highlight “Irene Interview” to view the instagram story

Week three video sketch – access to entire IGTV video if there is an issue finding the story. 

Reflection

Describe how you made the work?

I decided to create a video to be posted on Instagrams story / highlight option. This is a different technical approach as well as one that engages with viewers in a different way than on an instagram feed or IGTV video. The story can be saved into a highlight and viewed as many times as desired and is permanent on my profile. Making the story into a highlight allows the same interaction with viewers as an Instagram story. However, does not disappear after 24 hours. To create this goal I firstly contacted my desired interviewee – Irene and designated a time that suited both of us to meet. We decided to both create Instagram story interviews and that the easiest way to do this would be to send written questions and get the other to answer them filming portrait in their own time. This allowed for slightly more refined content as the interviewee was able to vaguely plan what they wanted to say in response to the questions provided and use as many takes of the footage to answer as desired. As some of my previous content had gone off topic easily this was attractive to me.

Irene sent me her videos and I imported them into Final Cut Pro to do some minor edits. I cut and trimmed the videos to emphasise points I engaged listening to and made the video shorter as a whole. I also decided to add in media as overlays to the raw footage in hope to create a more visually engaging product. I did so by screen recording scrolling on  David Attenborough’s Instagram as well as viewing the spoken about video in order to create a visual for the content being discussed by Irene. I added onscreen text of her name to give credit.

I then posted the video on my Instagram story and added it to a highlight.

With trying a different approach technically, what issues did you face?

I faced quite a few technical difficulties with this new form. The first was the exporting of the correct aspect ratio to fill the entire phone screen as what is necessary to be viewed in a story. I cropped the video a number of times and the framing of Irene in the screen is not perfect as a result. The second major technical issue I faced was discovering that Instagram does not like to upload long format stories. Through trial and error and some research I discovered that you can only upload 60 seconds of footage at a time – they are then automatically split into 15 second sections for the viewer to skip back and forth. Basically, you cross your fingers that these 15 second sections upload in order. To combat this I converted my 2 minute and 23 second interview into three seperate videos to then upload one after the other. This worked and they uploaded in order which I was very happy about.

What worked well?

I think that although having cut away to B roll and other media overlay is not common in Instagram stories it is one of my most visually engaging interviews as a result. I think it allows for focus to be held for longer and also blends the cuts I made together to they are smoother than otherwise would be. I also like my experimentation with the platform of Instagram itself. I think Irene and my idea of using Instagram stories is interesting a way I myself like to consume content. It also allows for a more casual video to be presented in an expected place as majority of stores are raw footage and include mistakes and casual conversation. Therefore, I think that the video suited where it was uploaded.

What could you have done better?

Although I know this is only a video sketch they editing is very poor. I would have liked to include more footage of Irene, a better camera angle, lighting and quality to name a few things. Working online is always a bit odd and these things are ones I have to combat yet i didn’t. So I could have improved by taking more effort and time in the editing stage. I think the video would also be better if it was shorter – I think there is a reason Instagram only allows 60 second uploads on stories and this is to maintain longer viewing of content. I personally like a quick and fast paced video on most social platforms and in this style I think that would have had a better outcome overall.

Video Sketch 

Week two video sketch – interview with Cassie

Reflection

Describe how you made the work?

I spoke to Cassie in person about possible technical approaches and we both concluded to try an audio based interview. Learning from last week I decided to send in written questions and asked for answers to be in full sentences. Cassie then emailed me her voice recordings and I uploaded them into editing software. I trimmed the answers and cut some unnecessary sentences and pauses but struggled to do so while maintaining flow. So I was more lenient with this than I had originally planned. As the post was for Instagram I desired to include some visual aspects. I asked Cassie to send me a picture of herself and I famed this with slow moving blobs in the background to have slight movement which as a viewer, helps me to focus on the audio content.

With trying a different approach technically, what issues did you face?

We struggled in the beginning with choosing the best way to record our voices. We discussed videoing with a black screen, voice memos or a similar recording app. In the end we trialed voice memos. The issue here was with how to send them to each other. The way we were contacting was via Facebook messenger and when sent on here we couldn’t download them to then edit and use. We combatted this issue through emailing the memos to each other and downloading them through google chrome. The format was then changed when I imported them into my editing software which worried me at first but ended up being suitable and workable. I then was unable to upload the file straight on to Instagram from my laptop. Therefore, I then sent my final edited now video to my phone via airdrop to maintain the best quality to then upload to my instagram on IGTV as it exceeded the feeds limit of 60 seconds.

What worked well?

I liked the use of audio I think that is was something different for the platform. I also like how the conversation wasn’t clunky and confusing as a result of Cassie being the only speaker and the content was refined as Cassie was able to write out and read her answers to the questions. I think it was good to have movement behind the picture of Cassie as it created something to focus on visually.

What could you have done better?

In hind sight I could have done a zoom / voice call and recorded it and had a more free flowing conversation which would lead to different paths and would have been overall more relatable and likely more engaging as the voiced would have had more diversity and tone and expression. I also think I could have added edited b roll/ images relating to the content Cassie was speaking about as it was easy to loose focus in a purely audio environment. I think this would have had a better and more engaging outcome.

Video Sketch 

Link to week one interview with Jack (Instagram Live)

Reflection

Describe how you made the work?

I first organised a time when Jack and I could meet and take time to do our interviews, I prepared some questions although didn’t end up following many of them. During research and exploration of the Platform I decided to try for the first time to do a live interview using Instagram Live. To access this feature I went through the add story and then flicked through until Live was highlighted. I then invited Jack into the live through creating a room and inviting his Instagram to join. the screen then slit into two halves allowing both Jack and myself to be seen.  As it is an Instagram live video we decided to make the content and interactions causal and natural, allowing the conversation to be diverted and changed off topic. The interview itself was a but awkward at the star, waiting for Jack to join and the slight wifi issues we faced. However, once joined and we figured out our connectivity issues the interview went well. As a live interview I uploaded it straight to IGTV. However, after watching the video back I decided to trim the beginning and end to avoid the awkward start and clunky end from being in the rewatched version available in IGTV. I then reuploaded it without any further edits and wrote a title.

With trying a different approach technically, what issues did you face?

I have previously viewed/ joined Instagram Lives before but had never done or been in one myself. So the technical approach was nearly entirely new to me. The issue of connection created some blurry / choppy sections where words are cut out resulting in some conversation being hard to follow. Other than the clunky start and end the feature was intuitive to use and if others were able to view it live the comment section would have been interesting to experiment with. As a live there is no option for adding visuals or text overlays which does pose as a possible lack of engagement but as the form inherently does not allow for this I think viewers expect this therefore it still works.

What worked well?

Asa result of the casual and pure conversation, being unplanned and allowing flow and change, not being stuck to a single topic or narrative I find it to feel relatively natural, especially jacks words. I was really happy with where he took the conversation and he created an interesting and relatable narrative through speaking about coffee spilling and made it more personal. I also liked the form of the video, I was nervous about not being able to edit at all and felt exposed and a bit stuck. However, as a live video inherently is all these qualities and others have the same awkward starts and issues it is expected by the viewer and I think it actually works well in creating a comfortable and causal viewing experience.

What could you have done better?

This interview was my first time using Instagram Live. I think this is rather clear my inexperience with the technical aspects. I should have experimented with using the feature before my planned meeting with Jack so then the clunky start and my need to go and trim the video would have been avoided. We figured it out for Jacks interviewing of me and I wish I had done this experimentation prior to mine. The video would have likely been better flowing as a result. I also find myself quite rigid as an interviewer and I sound unnatural and a bit like a news presenter – I liked working with Jack as I learnt from his relaxed speech that it is more comfortable to watch. As a result of this I would like to trial cutting out my questions to make the focus on the person being interviewed.