Today Errol and I spent a good part of the day hacking out the brainstorming phase of project 4. We tried to break the process down as suggested by the class during feedback, rather than jump too quickly toward notions of technology and online tools specifically. As indicated in previous blog posts, we saw the importance of focussing on firstly theorising: what makes effective skate video in general?
This reminded me of our previous explorations, particularly during project 2. Where we analysed a variety of elements that contribute toward the form of skate video. Reflecting on previous discoveries, I was reminded that:
-A third person perspective is more effective for skate video
-Not acknowledging the camera is more effective for skate video
-Jump cuts create an appealing aesthetic
-Juxtaposition is important
-Music contributes toward the non-narrative aesthetic
-Linearity can be manipulated depending on the desired effect
To take these discoveries toward the development of the intended prototype, it is also important to consider the constraints of Snapchat.
Constraints:
-10 second duration limit
-Disjointed relationship between content
-Viewable for 24 hours only
-Mobile only
-Raw (no post production editing)
During this brainstorming process, Errol and I considered forgetting about notions of user collaboration in the interest of keeping it simple. Instead we could potentially focus on purely exploring how to make effective skate video using Snapchat. This would most likely appear in the form of an attempted recreation of linear skate video within Snapchat. That would result in a disjointed, deconstructed skate video which might technically work, however I don’t think this embraces Snapchat as an online service to closely address the aims of the studio. Therefore, considering the constraints of Snapchat, primarily the application’s 24 hour display slot, I was returned to notions of collaboration in the interest of embracing Snapchats constraints in order to present skate video most effectively in direct relation to the online service. By users having the ability to upload all of their content to a particular Snapchat user/database, which could then be curated and organised into categories. This way, a new category could be made available to users within each group, each and every day via the Snapchat story. This would excite viewers to keep regular involvement with the prototype, as well as create a new realm for skate video to function within, as an example of online video practice. In reference to exploring an alteration of narrative/non-narrative form, the narrative linearity is completely removed from skate video during this process, as the material is not ordered by correlations with time or any chronology.
I am looking forward to the Friday studio so we can clarify whether we are on the right track with project 4. We filmed a draft version of this concept so that we can present the idea during the Friday studio.
Questions for Friday:
- Is skate video within Snapchat – the hybrid form?
- Do we address the case study specifically in this prototype or just mention how our ideas developed from the case study to the project?