MONDAY
18/7/2016
Today was our first class for this studio, so it was a run-of-the-mill getting-to-know-classmates scenario. A lovely girl called Ariani and I were paired together for an introduction task. In this task we had to discuss with one another facts about ourselves and what we were doing in our course etc. and then introduce one another to the rest of the class. We learnt a lot of basic knowledge about each other. Where we were from, where we lived, what we liked about media and what drew us to media studies. Good to break the ice, no matter how mundane the process may seem – they always seem to spark up conversations. For instance, when someone began talking about how their partner was into Pokemon Go and our tutor asked whether anyone else played, almost everyone put their hand up. Ridiculous! I’ve tried to play it, but I find it boring – plus, the battery life on my phone is shocking.
Our tutor, Louise Turley, told us a bit about the associations she’s previously had in the arts and the media realm, including working for ABC. Very interesting to see how much she has accomplished and definitely gave me a sense of enlightenment of what can be achieved when you’re really passionate about what you do. We spoke about Artist Run Initiatives (ARIs) which is “any project run by artists, including sound or visual artists, to present their own and others’ projects. They might approximate a traditional art gallery space in appearance or function, or they may take a markedly different approach, limited only by the artist’s understanding of the term” (Wikipedia). We’ve been asked to find out what some ARIs in Melbourne are that we can visit in our own time, and we’re going to Gertrude Contemporary for Wednesday’s class to see the current exhibition about “the internet age” called ‘Antiques Roadshow’.
As well as forming initial association with class members and Louise, we were asked to consider three goals we want to accomplish over the course of this semester’s class. I had a little bit of trouble trying to accumulate these as I tend to take things as they come – in almost all aspects of my life. This is perhaps a mechanism I have to avoid letting myself down, who knows! However, I have thought of a few which I have good feelings about – because I already have a good feeling about this class!
- Consider appropriate aesthetics when filmmaking and editing
- Gain better editing skills by spending time in the edit suites trialling Premiere Pro’s tools and effects etc.
- Get out of my comfort zone more in consideration of the entire filmmaking process (networking, researching through physical exploration / gallery visits, testing my technical abilities etc.)
I feel that these goals are achievable and I have chosen them specifically for the content which the course will hold – creating artist profiles!
WEDNESDAY
20/7/2016
Today was great, our class ventured to Gertrude Contemporary where we saw the Octopus 16 show called Antiques Roadshow. There was a lot going on in this particular gallery space, so it was pretty difficult to concentrate on one particular piece at a time. I felt that it did not need as many pieces of art showing at the one time as it had. I felt like possibly it was the sound works which were overlapping one another which was the main problem for me in terms of trying to focus on the works appropriately.
The exhibit focused on the “internet age” which we live in. It had some older works which presented features of previous technological advancements as well as some video works which were recent but explored previous internet fads. My favourite piece was the sculpture/installation artwork which was a scent diffuser that emulates the smell of a new MacBook Pro. Crazy that people actually have the ability and technology to create this kind of work.
This was another favourite. I’m not entirely sure why, I think I just liked that it was created when webcam features such as the ones featured, were just being introduced – and now, we have apps such as Snapchat which you can get on your smartphone which harbour an array of new decorative filters as well as newfound, face-enhancing filters. So this piece stood out to me as it jolted some kind of nostalgia as well as acting as a trigger to realising how much creative technology has advanced.
Here’s this week’s studio video update: