June 19, 2019: Famous Convo Reflection

Famous Convo Work Reflection: 

I have learned that reenacting a famous performance is more difficult than it may seem. I struggled to mouth the words Vito Acconci did in his work titled “Theme Song” due to the nature of his words. At the start, I thought it may be simple to ramble about deducting the viewer but as I was recording footage, I found it rather difficult to come up with unsettling phrases as he did. 

If given the chance to film the famous convo project once again, I would change the following:

• I would adjust lighting in the room better so that I’d have to do less color correction throughout the film. 
• I would consider different color lighting to enhance the footage itself. If I were to have used dim white lighting, the audience would clearly be able to see the makeup and gore. 
• I would adjust volume of music slightly to make sure that it is not as overbearing, as I would need the audience to hear what I have to say. 
• I would change the positioning of my body to mimic that of Vito Acconci’s. I feel as though I was too centered in the footage and not laying down on my side as he did. 

June 18, 2019: Famous Convo Piece

“Theme Song” (1973 Part I by Vito Acconci re-enacted by Victoria Padilla

June 17, 2019: Rough Draft Reflection

Rough Draft Reflection:

For Project 4, I would alter my rough draft in the following ways:

• I would adjust the audio so that the sounds of nature and splatting of paint on the canvas are more apparent. 
• I would attempt to crop the video footage so that it is completely proportional. I feel as though it looks a bit slanted and that is due to the fact that it was wrapped around a tree branch above me. 
• I would consider adjusting the speed of the clip so that it stays within the range of 3-5 minutes. The video is 11 minutes as it is and if it is sped up correctly, it will appear to be a time lapse. 

June 18, 2019: Splash of Grief

Splash of Grief

Victoria Padilla (b.1999)

Splash of Grief, 2019

Film

Artist Statement 

Grief is dealt with differently as it varies from person to person. Though there are stages which have been defined as part of the grieving process, there is no specific order for this. D.A.B.D.A symbolizes the stages of grief and allow us to better understand what a person may be going through when grieving. Denial, acceptance, bargaining, depression, and anger are the stages that we may experience when grieving. It is not unlikely to go back and forth between these stages when facing grief. 

“Splash of Grief” is a performance piece where I am expressive of how the grieving process has impacted me over the years. By using the colors purple, red, blue, black and green in my work, I am using color symbolism to define each stage. Throughout the duration of the video, I can be seen going back and forth in between different stages as one does not follow a particular order through the grieving process. 

 April of 2016, my mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer which had spread from her breasts, to her spine and within her chest. 363 days later, she lost her battle to cancer after fighting as hard as she could. My younger brother who was 9 years of age at the time while I was 17 years of age had to grow up much sooner than expected. We were orphaned and left to grieve without the love and care of the only person in our lives that had tried her best to support us. 

At the end of the Spring semester of this year, my uncle fell comatose and I fled town the moment I was informed. I spent a week along side of him with his eldest son and doing so opened up a lot of old wounds and memories I thought I suppressed well enough up to that point. Being at his bedside, talking to him and trying to bring him back reminded me of the emotions I felt when my mother was at the point of no return and the feeling was too familiar. After his passing, it was difficult to fully understand how inexplicable incidents happen as quick and as unwarranted as they do. 

Since my mother’s initial diagnosis in April of 2016 up to present day, I have struggled to shake the feeling of grief on a daily basis. I am convinced that it will not go away, but I know I will learn how to manage the emotions and thoughts that come along with the grieving process in due time. “Splash of Grief” was a therapeutic method to help channel the emotions and thoughts I have suppressed for quite some time. I feel as though expression through therapeutic methods are helpful, as they help you acknowledge and reflect on what is often times suppressed. 

June 13, 2019: Brainstorming for Project 4

For Project 4, I would like to do action painting. I have a few separate locations I am deciding between. I would like to create the work in an open space, preferably an open field where a mess can be made. I was deciding between Kanapaha Park, University Garden at UF, or the sunroom in the townhome I live in. Though it would be convenient to work from home, it would be best to not make a mess. I hope to express myself through action painting and hope to create a work that eludes to mental health or grief in some way, shape or form. I am unsure as to how I will come to a decision. I am leaning more towards working in nature if the weather permits it.

 

June 13. 2019: Famous Work

For this assignment, I chose to reenact Vito Acconci - Theme Song (1973). I changed my appearance and mouthed the same words Vito Acconci did, while smoking a cigar in lieu of a cigarette. Originally, I was going to make it so that my face would be peeling off,  however, once I started doing my make up I thought it might be creepier to reenact if it were as something I really dislike. From a young age, I’ve always disliked clowns. For this piece, I chose to do my make up as a clown and gazed into the lens to make the viewer uncomfortable. Reenacting the piece alone was a bit discomforting but I managed to get through it. Below are some images of my take on Vito Acconci’s Theme Song.

June 12, 2018: Critique Reflection

Throughout critique, the commentary I received was overall helpful and would lead me in the right direction for a further iteration of the film. If I were to create a further iteration of this film, I would make the following changes: 

• I would make sure that the point of view of the viewer is first person. In some shots, the camera is angled slightly upward and makes it seem as if the video is being taken from above versus straight ahead. 
• I would overlay audio better and make sure that the audio is logical and consistent in terms of where it is placed. 
• I would try to crop scenes better than I did in this iteration of the film. There were instances where the screen had to be zoomed in to avoid capturing a foot that sneaked into the frame and I had to crop it in a way that cropped every angle versus the bottom panel. To avoid this, I would try to better learn the software to avoid inconsistency in my frames. 
• I may be more considerate of the viewer and omit sounds if they are not necessary. The morning sickness scene sounds disgusting and makes the persons nausea seem real. 

June 12, 2019: Project 3

Artist Statement

Oh Baby” is a film which attempts to portray what life after restrictions on abortion can lead to. Roe vs. Wade was enacted in 1973 and the Supreme courts decision at the time stood by women making their decision on abortion along side of their doctors. In present day America, we are facing potential bans and restrictions on the reproductive rights of women. One example of a restriction on the termination of pregnancy is the introduction of the heartbeat bill, which is said to revoke the rights of women to have a legal abortion five to six weeks into their pregnancy. At this time in most pregnancies, women are unaware that they are with child. It is unjust to revoke safe, legal forms of abortion for women. There are several cases where abortion is not permitted, even if the woman was raped and forced to conceive. If legal abortions are no longer an option, women will be forced to seek detrimental alternatives. 

Abortion is a right that should not be stripped away from women. Abortion is their decision to make based on the circumstances of their pregnancy. It is our right to decide when it is our time to become a parent. More often than not, pregnancy is unwarranted and it can be more harmful to conceive rather than search for an alternative. Throughout the film, I have included symptoms a women may experience, as well as an alternative method of abortion if it becomes illegal to terminate a pregnancy. 

Oh Baby

June 12: 2019: PBS Video Survey

Narrator statement with accompanying visual that is problematic:

At the start of the PBS Video Survey, the narrator states that performance art violates their fourth wall and traps the viewer in witnessing performance art in a gallery setting. As the video goes on, the narrator talks about performance art in a manner that makes performance art seem problematic in the sense that this form of art engulfs the spectator without their consent. Though performance art differs from that of typical mediums displayed in a gallery, it is a from of art that takes place on the same plane as the audience. Surrealist artist Antonin Artaud is responsible for the development of the theater of cruelty which proposes a direct communication between the spectator and the spectacle. The theatre of cruelty could be viewed as a form of performance art where it is unwarranted and the viewer is left with no option but to witness the art before them.

June 11, 2019: Project 3 Rough Draft

Oh Baby Rough Draft

June 11, 2019: Rough Draft Reflection

Based on the feed back I received today, I would say that I should work on following:

• I have to pay more attention to restraints of the project. There is one scene in my stop motion film where I pan my living room and it is not within the 6 foot by 6 foot rule. 
• I would like to add better transitions if possible. There is one scene where I pan up and away and it does not seem Lesley blend in and I am not sure how to make it so that the camera does not pan abruptly.
• I would like to do a better job of handling audio in the film. I think I should adjust the volume in the first clip and make sure that the clips that follow are at the same volume unless emphasis on a statement is necessary. 
• I’d like to edit my film with adobe after effects (I have never used it) and see if there is anything on the program that may enhance my film. 

June 6,2019: Storyboard

June 5, 2019: Reflection on Un Chien Andalou

• What story or narrative do you think the filmmakers are trying to impart? Is there more than one story?
•  I believe that the filmmakers are trying to create a narrative in an elusive manner. At the start of the film, a man and woman are introduced and it seems as though there is tension present in the room. When the woman is hesitant to become involved with the man, either sexually or romantically, he chases after her in the room. As he is chasing her, he becomes attacked to piano slabs and donkeys. Once she exits the room, she is in company of another gentleman. 

• Describe a couple of the symbols / motifs used -- what do you think they mean?
• Cloud covering moon transitioning into the eye slit: This scene appears to be symbolic of sexual tension and submission of the woman to the man’s actions. 
• The piano slabs and donkey attached to the angered man: The purpose of this motif was to shock and nauseate the audience. 
• Ants on hand: The use of ants are a common theme in the works of Salvador Dali. It is said that he dreamt of it and turned it into an important symbol in his art. In this scene, it seems to represent the sensation of pins and needles. 
• How do the filmmakers communicate the passage of time (briefly describe a specific scene and the strategies used)?
• The scene of the cloud covering the moon transitioning into the slitting of the woman’s eye with a razor blade communicate the passage of time. Specifically, the clouds bisecting the moon in a single take portray the passage of time. 

June 4, 2019: Brainstorming for Project 3

For Project 3, I would like to record most of my scenes in the bathroom mirror, as it is in a 6 ft by 6 ft space. I want to show the person waking up from what seems to be a dream and have them wander to the bathroom. I want to try using special fx make up to make it so that when the person washes their face, they end up peeling off parts of their face (which would happen with the use of liquid latex). I believe that from the bedroom scene to the bathroom scene, there will be adequate footage. The timeline would be the person waking up, walking downstairs, looking into the mirror, starting their morning routine and ending the video with the peeling of their facial features. I do not have experience  with latex or special fx make up, so there is a risk for failure but I want to create an eerie scene for this video.

June 3, 2019: Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

In a comic, does each frame represent a single moment in time? Why or why not? What about in film/video?

In a comic, each frame can be representative of a timeless moment within a singular panel. McCloud states that we have been conditioned by photography to perceive single images as a still moment, however this differs greatly in the world of comics. Each panel in a comic strip has the ability to encompass the reader to understand timeless scenes, motion and the overall progression of multiple frames in a single panel. 

In a comic, time and space are “one and the same.” How so? Contrast these strategies with how artists represent space and time in film and video. How do artists represent space in moving image? How do we know the space is larger?

In a comic, time and space can vary based on the authors intent. Time and space can become timeless and without boundaries based on the illustration the comic artist includes. The artist can show motion, or lengthen the panel itself to signify a change in time and space. In film and video, time and space can be understood differently due to the media being captured in frames. This leads to change in still images and allows the artist to capture a singular moment in a sequence. Artists can represent space in moving images through their use of motion in an illustration. They can exaggerate movement in the foreground of an illustration  to portray the amount of space a character may be traveling through within a singular panel. 

How can an artist elicit a feeling of claustrophobia on film or video?

An artist can elicit a feeling of claustrophobia by limiting the amount of space available to shoot footage. If the scene appears to be in a tight space, it is simple to make the viewer feel the discomfort of feeing immersed into an enclosed space. The following videos include examples of enclosed spaces that may lead the viewer to feel claustrophobic: 

https://youtu.be/vb4kfUti8XA
P.T (Silent Hill) is a playable teaser released by film director Guillermo del Toro along side of Hideo Kojima who is notorious for his development of games, including but not limited to the Metal Gear Solid series. P.T has a setting that remains constant and exposes the player to a limited space which can become anxiety inducing and lead to sensations of claustrophobia. Could you imagine venturing back and forth along a hallway with no end?

https://youtu.be/kQgJ4whE7pM
Resident Evil 7 is a game which I had much trouble playing through augmented virtual reality. The game itself is immersive to begin with but even more so when the player experiences full immersion into the game. In this scene, the gentleman is seen swimming through murky, dirty water in a tight corridor flooded an inclusive of dead, decomposing bodies.

June 3, 2019: Critique Reflection

If I were to make adjustments in a further iteration of my project, I would try to solve more issues that arose throughout my soundscape in due time. Though I added fading in and out of audio clips to every single clip, the overall effect of panning audio I placed onto my audio clips resulted in the audience not being able to recognize the fading in and out. However, I chose to keep the panning of the audio for the overall effect in lieu of having the audio fade in and out adequately. I found the panning audio effect to be pleasant and essential in what I wanted the audience to perceive. 

I have learned that there are decisions to be made when working on projects and more often than not, they are decisions that can make or break how well received the project will be. Though I chose panning over consistency in fades, I feel as though I achieved what I wanted with this piece.