https://youtu.be/svV0MKndGwY
Credits:
Mya Stewart
Leanne Lim
Jaidyn Attard
Greta Egan
Material Choreographies
Abstract Machinations at RMIT
https://youtu.be/svV0MKndGwY
Credits:
Mya Stewart
Leanne Lim
Jaidyn Attard
Greta Egan
I really love the comparison shots to each of your activities – it shows the difference in everyone’s lifestyle (hint hint, we went with the same approach ahaha) and movements. What really struck me was that you actually didn’t put in any music – essentially, you were all doing the same thing, but to your own beat. The background noises helped elevate that sense of ‘sound’ for the brief, though it was difficult to see the relationship of how ‘body and sound’ was evident. The ‘making-tea’ shots was actually my favourite part because you all had different methods, cups/mugs etc. that emphasised the mundane-ness and difference in each other. Really great piece y’all ✨
Hey guys!
First off the lack of music was strong, and gave a greater focus on the activities themselves being performed rather than trying to provide atmosphere and tone. This meant the differences between the activities being performed came through much more strongly, and made me guess who was performing which task.
The subtle differences within each activity – the speed it was completed in and the techniques used was also effective. Some shots suddenly cut to black while others lingered, still completing the task; highlighting not just the human body’s potential for delicacy but also efficiency. Nice work!
I really like the parallels and comparisons drawn between the way the different people perform simple everyday tasks. Like others have said, the lack of music was an interesting choice and one that I think helped to keep the focus on the activities on screen. The background noises also helped to convey that sense of ‘mundane’. I think it would have been interesting if you guys had explored the way in which other parts of the body (besides hands) move in mundane ways too, like feet walking or torsos stretching. Overall, really nice work.
The exploration of everyday, mundane objects and tasks combined with tight, focused physical movements this requires is an interesting choice for a dance film. It certainly challenges me as a viewer to categorise it as such, however, there is an underlying rhythm achieved with editing that affords a contemplation of a ‘dance-like’ interaction, a relationship with mundane that isn’t static, but has a definitive physical quality.
A pen ‘dancing’ across the page, a teabag ‘dancing’ into a cup….spoons, forks and noodles…are the objects the subject or the physical, human interaction/movements that is proposed as the dance?
Color palette is wonderfully executed as well as the narrative quality of the film – there’s an emotive quality of loneliness whilst watching the film as the shots are tight, somewhat ‘oppressive’. Well done!
Like others have mentioned, I enjoyed the lack of music present in this film. It really allowed me to immerse myself in the actions taking place, also helped by those parts where multiple people were on screen, as my attention was always focused on different stimuli. I think Darvey put it best when she said “you were doing the same thing, but to your own beat”. While it would be interesting to redo this with music, I’m not sure if it would take something away from the experience or not. For something you call ‘mundane’ it was quite engaging. Brilliant work!
Well-done Mya, Leanna, Jaidyn and Greta. The compositional matching was extremely satisfying to watch. Something I really enjoyed was the audio, I have a good friend who makes music just from field recordings, and this video reminded me of something he would put together. There was something quite melodic and rhythmic to the sound -also ending with silence was perfect, really gave me a chance to stop and take it all in.
The Japanese writing and then English writing towards the start established nicely as a video exploring comparative stories or imagery and then to go from there into the split-screen, I felt was very tasteful. There certainly is a dance in mundane life, and I feel inspired (truthfully) to enjoy or focus more on simple acts such as tying your shoe.
This piece is just sooo satisfying to watch! The way you ended the piece was my favourite part, with each panel disappearing one by one it really left me with a sense of completion. so perfect end! I would have loved to see a little more of this editing throughout the rest of the video. The split screen works so well for its purpose during the first half of the video but feel like it slightly looses its impact towards the end..
however, still a great job guys!
This piece is so satisfying to watch, I loved it!
my favourite part is the ending where each of the panels disappeared one by one. It really gave me a sense of completion to the video!
The only very slight criticism I would say would be I would look for a little more of the endings like editing through out the rest of the video. The shots are all great and the side by side works so well in the beginning. It just becomes a little ‘mundane’ you could say hahah towards the end as we get used to it. But like I said, only minor!
Overall, awesome job guys!
I loveeee this so much, it really makes poetry of ‘mundane’ everyday tasks. I really like all of the side by side and compariative shots – these really highlight the similar yet such different forms of ‘mundance dance.’ I do agree with daisy how it does get a little predicatable but i think it totally works also with the vibe of the piece. I also really like how you chose to colour the piece, very cohesive with the vibe of it all
Instantly captures the attention with the sound and image not quite matching. It is an immediate ‘opening’ or space made for the audience, it asks them to ‘lean in’. Once it moves into a kind of chronology that is familiar, and which we ‘know’, it gets less interesting. We start to know what to expect, we don’t need to ‘lean in’, in quite the same way. Perhaps it would be worthwhile thinking about how you can give that kind of exciting ‘space’ for the audience in the rest of the work. What ‘more’ is there to glean other than what is obvious?
Laura’s comments on ‘dance’ is how I like to play with the word ‘choreography’. How does this start to ‘re-write’ or revise how we read the work? Titles can often do this work for us–revising how we relate to the apparently ‘mundane’. How else can you frame the ‘mundane’ so that it elevates it, or transfigures it?
the sound of the writing not matching with the actual pen really adds a texture that is able to enhance the idea of movement. You focus on each to subtly distinguish their differences. As the clips become side by side it does not seem as though the movement has been changed all that much. As they move in unison, combined with the multiple layers of sound, they move as though they one object moving in a full frame. It still feels like a close up composed of multiple framings. For a lot of those side by side ones I really thought the compositions of each frame was well thought out. Each contrasting shot was decorated perfectly through the use of opposite contrasting tones (eg light vs dark frame, black vs white frame). The colour palette of the piece remains relatively consistent which gives it a new softer textural element that compliments the music. great job.
I liked that the focus of this was on the actual movements/activities that were being displayed. It made it more enticing. Normally I prefer sound to be a huge factor but for this, I think your choices ended up heightening the end result. I think the atmosphere of this piece was strong and inviting, and your choice of shots highlighted what the whole focus was; the human body. Amazing work!
I always love simplicity within films and the fact that no background music was used enhanced the mundane nature of each image. I loved the comparisons of each image and the use of split screen to draw on those comparisons. I liked that you were able to make somewhat of a dance piece without any traditional dancing in it, the flow of movements just lent itself to dancing.
I think something great that it is done with this piece is the binding of different actions that are almost identical. You’re forcing the viewer to notice the small differences and try find to more specific points of difference. Like how with the windows; pretty much everything is the same except for the outdoors so I focus more on the differences there and start proposing different ideas. One shows the rooftop of a house and one shows trees. Is it trying to juxtapose human construction and nature? Or the washing of the dishes, one with an empty sink and the other completely full. What’s being said there?
Really good piece guys well done.
I really enjoyed this concept – the repetition and exploration of these ‘mundane’ dances eas very quiet and thoughtful, and I really loved the way you edited it to compare different ways of doing the same thing: we aren’t told where to look or what to think, merely shown a series of images and left to consider it as we will. Very well-shot too!