Today’s studio was a self-directed feedback session in which we could share ideas with the class or show any progress on either the portfolio or project 4 for comments and feedback. Since receiving thorough feedback last Friday which we were going to implement into filming project 4 on Wednesday, we didn’t have a whole to share in regards to project 4. In general, Errol and I felt quite prepared for our presentation on Friday and although the success of Wednesday will determine this more accurately, we had drafted our work to Seth and the class on multiple occasions tot he point that it was clear in our head, enabling the video production stage and presentation writing to occur quickly.

So in regards to today’s feedback session, fortunately I had actually started working on the portfolio over the weekend and used the time during today’s studio to ask Seth questions about that. He helped clarify a few questions I had about the structuring of the portfolio and I will attempt to get a draft in before the final submission next week. On top of that, we planned how we would collate a highlight video of each student’s prototype for the Media Exhibition in week 14. Since producing a class highlight reel is mine and Errol’s contribution to the preparation for the Exhibition, we decided using dropbox would probably be the most viable way of collecting everyone’s material. We would use Seth’s less restricted dropbox account and do a test this week to indicate whether it would work for our purposes.

Errol and I have been anticipating today’s studio because it was a pivotal point for the continuation of our intentions for Project 4. Previous feedback receieved about the progression of our Project was hard to obtain due to our intentions being difficult to explain verbally. It seemed visuals and drafted work was vital for communicating our Project for relevant feedback. Evident from previous blog posts, we had prepared a wide array of rapid prototypes to demonstrate our pathway toward the Prototype, as well as a draft of the Prototype video itself. We presented this material to our teacher during today’s studio for much anticipated feedback about whether we were on track with our progress.

The help of visual examples for our explanation was extremely useful and seemed to communicate our ideas clearly to our teacher. The feedback provided was positive and we were reassured that we were heading on the right track toward a hybrid form of online video practice (‘skate video’ in Snapchat) and that our intentions for creating a collaborative tool could be very interesting.

Suggestions that were made include:

Putting the rapid prototypes in the Prototype video itself to show how they were a useful exploration toward the prototype.

Explain how Snapchat itself works very briefly in order to contextualise the project and make sure it is understandable to a participatory, as well as non-participatory audience. Moreover, people who use and do not use Snapchat.

Use wire diagrams and schematics to illustrate how the online tool would function in regards to a network.

Finally, the narration would have to be very thorough in explaining the motivation for particular notions in terms of relevancy to online video practice and innovation.

From today’s studio, I learnt the importance of providing imagery and drafted examples of projects in order to effectively communicate ideas for feedback.

Below is a first draft of our Prototype video. Whilst the shots used and editing techniques are very rough, it helps demonstrate our intentions for how the video will be structured.

Upon reviewing this it is obvious that the shots of the users filming skate video at the beginning of the video need to each be filmed in different locations, involving different people in order to emphasise the collaborative functionality of the hybrid form of online video practice. In addition, narration will be vital to explain the concepts that have been explored and how the online video practice functions. Finally, due to the end point of our project being a hybrid form of ‘skate video’ in Snapchat, this hybrid video itself actually has to be created and should be part of the Prototype video.

Today Errol and I filmed all of the sketch/rapid prototype shots in order to explore: how to make good ‘skate video’ in Snapchat.

Duration

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, the duration had to be atleast 1.0 second and anywhere up to 10 seconds.

Angle

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, a low angle is preferred.

Camera Acknowledgement

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, the camera should not be acknowledged.

Camera Movement

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, the camera should either track the subject or pan, a static camera is less preferred.

Distance

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, the camera had to be within at least 5 metres of the subject.

Lines vs. Jump Cuts

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, jump cuts are preferred, which utilise the sequencing of Snapchat.

Fisheye

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, a fisheye lens can definitely be used if available.

Multiple Angles

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, multiple angles are a great effect.

Music

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, music makes a great addition if it can be included.

Cinematography

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, the aesthetic appeal of well-shot skate video is transferable to the mobile application.

Narrative Connection

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, a narrative connection is not necessary.

Perspective

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, the perspective can be either third or first person.

Juxtaposition

We found that in order to make good skate video in Snapchat, juxtapositions are unlikely to produce an enhancing effect.

This exploration was extremely useful in developing our understanding of Snapchat and also indicating how our implementation of skate video will function through use of Snapchat. Furthermore, these findings will assist us to develop guidelines of curation for the development of our online video service.

Below is a storyboard for the Prototype video itself. From this you can see what we pan to film and how all of our material will be compiled together in order to produce a ‘pitch’ like video that promotes our new Snapchat tool to potential new clients and customers. Today we filmed some of these shots so that a draft can be put together for Friday’s studio.

This is a diagram to demonstrate how our Snapchat tool would function. This helps explain our ideas for the prototype in relation to the recording, organisation and distribution of ‘skate video’ among the network of Snapchat users. Furthering our ideas for organising content into categories which could be displayed to the target audience periodically each day (therefore maximising Snapchat’s 24 hour loop affordance), we thought that each day of the week could also be associated with a particular category. This would set an expectation for the audience member in an attempt to further engage the audience with continuous re-visits to the media.

Today Errol and I planned our rapid prototyping process where we would explore: how to make good ‘skate video’ in Snapchat. To do this, we drew from previous projects, our own ‘skate video’ practice, as well as new brainstormed ideas to develop a list of ways to film ‘skate video’ within Snapchat (see list on left side of image). In addition, we envisioned the final prototype in order to produce a shot list for the prototype/pitch video. We wanted to make as much stuff as possible in order to present our ideas visually to the class this Friday for more concrete feedback about whether this is a suitable approach. This is because we found it difficult to explain our intentions in previous studios without the help of visuals and examples.

This blog post also helps highlight the way in which we have been working on the project by making lists, etc.

After experimenting with the production of ‘skate video’ within Snapchat (videos coming soon) and presenting our ideas to the class during today’s studio, we noticed that the majority of techniques used for the capture of skate video in a linear fashion, were transferable over to skate video within Snapchat.

Which raises question about what it might be that is interesting about Snapchat? Being such a popular application, why are users attracted to it?

Upon brainstorming these questions, we realised the importance of Snapchat videos being distributed only among a private network and only viewable either once, or for a maximum of 24 hours. Due to the fact that you are often only sharing content with close friends through the use of Snapchat, this encourages the user to capture more personal content, or at least material that is relevant to their life. In addition, the fact that the material is only available for a maximum of 24 hours removes a level of expectation regarding quality. Instead, users are encouraged to produce more disposable content. This, in combination with the material being shared among a private network encourages the user to capture momentary material; aspects of each users 24 hour day that is interesting and not necessarily worthy of saving.

In regards to ‘skate video’, the use of Snapchat redefines the video practice as material is more likely to be comprised of more casual and disposable instances of skateboarding, such as easier tricks. As well as capture of spontaneous instances, such as travel between skate locations and ‘mucking around’. Otherwise, if the content in the Snapchat video is similar to high production, serious, linear skate video production, then the action is likely to be recorded separately on a DSLR (or similar) camera as well, so that it can be saved for later admiration. This the  entails the likelihood for cameras and/or a production crew to be visible within the Snapchat video. This is another important factor to consider when creating the guidelines for the content curation.

To visualise what the project looks like, it now stands as a video similar to:

A collection of sketches (or rather rapid prototypes) that explore how to make effective ‘skate video’ within Snapchat in a variety of different ways. This will be used to explore what stylistic aspects of skate video can be implemented within Snapchat in order to create an effective hybrid of narrative/non-narrative form. Furthering the project in relation to our probe, these discoveries will be used to define the guidelines for curation and organisation of user submitted material. This will help relate the prototype itself, being a concept for an online tool that doesn’t exist, to the aims of this studio. The prototype itself will be almost an advertisement for the online tool, something that could be used to pitch the idea to a client, such as Snapchat. This would be made up of multiple shots of users video capturing skateboarding; screenshots of the users sharing the footage with a ‘mother’ Snapchat user/database (similar to Snapchat’s ‘Our Story’; shots of an office-like setup, where curation would take place; screenshots of certain content getting curated in regards to the decided guidelines; a first-person perspective of the tool as the user accepts/views the collection of videos, structured by different days.

The final part of the prototype video would present all of the highlights from the project process in order to appear to advertise the tool for the interest of a potential client such as Snapchat, as well as to a network of potential customers/users.

We spent today’s studio clarifying the requirements for both the portfolio essay and the prototype report.

In regards to the prototype report, it is to be a formal document with references and clear evidence to explain an idea that comes from the probe. I will need to reference the given readings for the studio and refer to theory to explain my understanding of key concepts in relation to the studio. However since it is also practice-based experiment, emphasis needs to be placed upon how the theory relates to what I have made. It also seems important to be transparent, meaning there is no need to hide anything in an effort to claim the prototype is more effective or more developed than it really is. Instead, being still an experimental prototype, it will be useful to be honest about potential problems or room for improvement that was encountered. Most importantly, the report needs to continuously reiterate the probe in relation to the discoveries that were made.

The portfolio on the other hand can be a less formally written document, most suitably presented via a blog post so that reference to other blog posts can be made as much as possible. Also, the use of imagery will be useful to help communicate our group’s progress. This is a reflective process to communicate how my practice has changed or how I have improved during this studio. Again, transparency is an important factor.

Also, during this studio we prepared for the exhibition in week 14. This will entail our studio as a class presenting what we have been working on this semester and explaining our discoveries. As a group, we came up with the idea that to make our presentation more engaging, we would encourage the audience to interact withe the content of our presentation using online tools and services such as a Twitter feed to generate questions about the presentation, a Snapchat story to capture the highlights of the presentation, possibly a live stream to give alternate perspectives of the presentation, maybe someone generating vines throughout the presentation, etc. I think this is a great idea because it not only draws from the tools and services used throughout the studio itself and therefore closely addresses the studio, but also helps contextualise the work that was completed in an creative and engaging manner.

We distributed tasks among the class in preparation for the exhibition, in which Errol and I volunteered to create a highlight reel, visual aid that would loop in the background of the presentation. This would be made up of a selected 2 minutes of each group’s prototype placed in a sequence. This demonstrates the importance of being organised in communication with the other groups in order to collect and compile all of the content before the exhibition.

During today’s studio we were encouraged to begin to think about how we could start making stuff as soon as possible in the hope that visual, rather than conceptual reflection would move the project along, whilst clarifying how the prototype might take shape. Areas/ideas to explore what aspects of ‘skate video’ can be altered and in what ways, within Snapchat in order to produce effective ‘skate video’:

1. Is a shorter or longer duration more effective? What is the minimum and maximum most effective duration within the limitations of Snapchat?

2. Is filming from a low angle or high angle more effective?

3. What effect does music have and is it important?

4. How might transitions be constructed within Snapchat ‘story’ and how effective are they?

5. Is a static or tracking shot more effective?

6. Is a first person or third person perspective more effective?

7. What juxtapositions are effective?

8. Is a long shot or close up more effective?

9. How important is a narrative relationship between images?

10. Is a double angle effective?

These are just some of the ideas that will be used to infer our exploration toward a prototype. These and more discoveries can be used to develop a criteria for the curation of collaborative skate video within Snapchat. Furthermore, as well in reference to notions of quality and effectiveness, we developed ideas for how content may be organised through the curation process into groups. Group/category ideas include:

1. Type of trick

2. Location

3. Stacks

4. People form particular sponsors/company (e.g. Nike, Vans, Thrasher, etc)?

In addition to these ideas, Errol and I considered the possibility for each category to be distributed on one particular day of the week. This would create an expectation for the viewer in reference to the available content that day.

Interestingly, I couldn’t help but consider whether organisation by groups is particularly important for the exploration of our probe/project. Is it possibly more about seeing what hybrid form is produced naturally through the process of producing skate video within Snapchat and the organisational structure that is formed in the absence of curation. Moreover, is it what the natural structuring within Snapchat does to the narrative/non-narrative form that creates effective ‘skate video’ in Snapchat, or at least an effective hybrid form?