The whole class was introduced to Korsakow, an interactive non-linear database software. This program is mainly used to produce documentaries, experimental and fictional narrative projects. Within the group, we discussed how algorithmic editing is possible in Korsakow because it allows us to link small [clips] together through using the “in” and “out” keywords section, but there’s no fixed path even if we link clips together. To differentiate the in and out keywords, “in” refers to how the SNU [smallest narrative unit] is described while the “out” refers to the software’s computer-based decisions of what the next SNU will be.

 

“Korsakow documentaries can be considered as affective tools for thought, as poetic miniatures zooming into the very small details of everyday life in a contemplative way”

(Weihl 2016)

The above quote that I took from the reading made me realise that deciding on a topic for the group project doesn’t have to be grand, sometimes, having a small-scale narrative work can be develop in many ways and it’s enough to question what the viewers know and think. Being minimalist over being dramatic. Viewers are unconsciously challenged to view the project in a different perspective because of the content and the pattern that the author made is simple.

Making an interactive project responding to Modularity, media elements that are put together into larger-scale project but manage to maintain their individual identities (Manovich 2001), and Variability, making different versions for the viewers to choose so they can experience different things based on their decisions, is quite easy once my group members and I decided on a theme and content that we want to explore.

After so many revisions and narrowing the topic of our project, my group members and I came up with the idea of showing what Friday in Melbourne looks like based on each of our perspectives. We split the group in to two teams [City: Steff & Yee Nok and Suburb: Kelly & Isabel] to show the unique side of Melbourne. To emphasise this idea, we decided to add a few more elements in our project to make it more interactive;

1.) incorporating the idea of Spatial Montage by showing multiple screens on the interface of our Korsakow project containing the videos of city and suburb in different times

2.) inspired by Kuleshov’s effect

 

While doing this work, some of the constraints that the group face were;

1.) filming in different places and times [8 AM, 10 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM, 8 PM, 10 PM, 12 AM] to highlight the contrast of the city and suburb

2.) frame rate: 50 – 120 fps & frame size: 1080p

3.) the overall videos must be 36 with a duration of .10 sec

4.) camera movements vary depending on the filming location

 

The progress of our work and the feedback that we got from our teacher and our classmates will be on my next blog.