Author: lauraovergaard

The Capitol // Assignment 3

In this production report I am going to elaborate the process of making the film for our final project and my thoughts about it. I will explain this week by week.

Before week 9
The process of making this film had already begun when we worked on assignment 2, which we made to be a teaser for this project. We had already established to contact to Ghita Loebenstein, who Is the Creative Producer of the Capitol, and knew she was willing to do an interview.

Week 9
In week nine we finalized the date for the interview with Ghita through email and brainstormed ideas for questions and how the video should turn out. We focused the questions on the Capitols role in Melbourne, the collaboration with ACMI, what events that will be held in the Capitol and what they hope the partnership will mean. Ghita asked us to make five questions and send them to her in advance, so we also did that in this week. We also talked to Kristy from ACMI but unfortunately, she was out of the country and thereby unable to participate in an interview.

Week 10
In week ten we conducted the interview with Ghita and was pleasantly surprised that we were able to do it inside the theatre. There was however a lot of background noise due to the construction workers which was a challenge. The lightning in the theatre was also a bit dark. After recording the interview, we started the editing process. At this early stage our biggest focus was to minimize the background noise and brighten the footage. This we succeeded with to some point by deleting the sound recording from the cameras microphone and only utilizing the audio from the lapel microphone. We also found a feature in Premier Pro that could light up the footage to a satisfying level. After figuring this crucial detail out, we started the editing process. We also found a no copyright song to use for the video. Furthermore, this week we had a lot of contact with ACMI via mail to find the right person and time to do the interview and ended up making an appointment with Alison McCormack, who is head of Commercial and Visitor Services and has been highly involved in the partnership with Capitol. After this we made the questions for Alison from ACMI and they were quite similar to the ones we asked Ghita about. By doing this we hoped that it would make it easier to make a coherent film in terms of what they say. In regard to oral history I believe that Ghita was very good at telling the general story about the theatre and which role it plays in the Melbournian culture.

Week 11
In week eleven we contacted Darren from the Capitol to hear if we could film the interview with Alison here, and luckily it was possible. For the interview with Alison we rented a light and did the interview in the salon of the capitol. Looking back, we should have brought a light to the interview with Ghita, but unfortunately, we were under the impression that we could not rent a light. The interview with Alison went quite well and the background noise was much lower this time. We also did some editing this week. We researched on how to make a good intro for the film and cut out the best parts of the interview that we are using in the final film. We also spent a lot of time deciding on the editing and composition of the film so we had a clear idea and just needed to fill in the different pieces of the footage. Alison was a bit more personal in her interview than Ghita was which means that we got a different type of oral history from Alison because she told a story about her father’s relationship with the Capitol.

Week 12
In week twelve we finished the editing of the film. This was a long process and we had some trouble with the sound which we spend a lot of time trying to improve. We ended up with a film that I think has a lot of potential content-wise but the sound is unfortunately not optimal. What I mean by this is that I actually found that Ghita and Alison gave some really interesting interviews and makes me sad that some of them are a bit interrupted by noise. After finishing we submitted the video to YouTube.
I have learned a lot about oral history in the past twelve weeks and what I think is especially important is that it a story can be different from person to person. Furthermore, I have gained a lot of knowledge on how to conduct interviews and edit films and I have to admit it is more difficult than it looks.

 

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsNlMV3fLLw&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2L1KHhS0oZ862muya2MZUiiSv-Ced94DcqenqGHNSo07zlyH3c9YEDtkw 

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#11b Instagram video

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
I recorded the video on my iPhone 6 and I did not use flash or zoom. Before posting on Instagram I edited the length of the video in the iMovie app, because there was about 10 seconds before the doors started to open. I tried filming both from outside and inside the elevator, but I found the film from inside was the best. I did not find the sound relevant, so it muted the video. The square format on Instagram has the constraint, that crops my video so you cannot see the whole door.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
I used this video out of the two because the door was more centralized in the frame and the camera was held steadier in this video. As the video was shot in Carlton, I added this as the location. I added a caption, an emoji and a hashtag.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?
Besides Instagram I also posted the video in my Stellar portfolio as well as on Tumblr. On Stellar it was not possible to have a caption, but I kept the same caption on Tumblr.

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#11a Instagram photo

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
To shoot the photo I used my iPhone 6’s normal photo format and I did not use zoom or flash. Before posting it I brightened the photo in Instagram’s own editing tools. I also used the editing features in Instagram to straighten the photo so that the door looks straight. The photo was posted in its original rectangular format to Instagram and a constraint here is that when you see the feed on my profile the photo will be square which can make the photo look weirdly cropped.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
I shoot three photos off which two were a bit blurry so therefore I picked this one. When posting it I added the location where the photo was recorded (Carlton). I wrote a caption and used yellow colors for the emojis to match the door.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?
The photo was posted on Tumblr and Stellar through apps on my phone. On Tumblr I was able to keep the same caption and hashtag. On Stellar it was posted on my portfolio of doors, which constrained me to not write a caption or hashtag.

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#10b Instagram Video

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
The video was recorded on my iPhone 6 using the normal format and no zoom or flash. I did not edit the video before posting it to Instagram. I shot the video in one recording due to the fact that there was a lot of people around and I found it a bit embarrassing filming there. I muted the audio as I did not find it relevant.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
As mentioned before I only recorded one video. I added ‘Melbourne’ as location before posting it. My caption supposed to be funny and relatable to those who often grocery shop in the late afternoon where every other Melbournian also seems to be grocery shopping. My video is short (only 3 seconds) and I it repeats on Instagram sort of like a gif.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?
I posted the video on the 9gag app which I did because the apps has funny videos and posts. I also posted video on Stellar as a part of my portfolio there. I used the same caption on 9gag as on Instagram but deleted the hashtag. Here, the video format is to repeat so it looks a bit like a gif.

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#10a Instagram Photo

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
I shoot the photo on my iPhone 6 using the normal photo format and no zoom or flash. I edited the photo on Instagram before posting it to make it brighter as it was taken in a dark light. It was a constraint that the light was a bit dark outside and it did not help using the flash. I posted the photo in its original rectangular format to Instagram and the constraint here is when you see the feed on my profile the photo will be square which can make the photo look weird.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
When recording the photo I took four photos and I picked the one where the door was centered in the middle of the photo and at a direct angle. I added the location (Fitzroy) to the Instagram post. My caption refers to the fact that I the door is for a clothing store and I was shopping when I recorded the photo.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?
I posted the photo on Jodel and a photographer’s app called Stellar. Both I did through apps on my phone. On Stellar it is posted into my portfolio of doors, so I am constrained to not write a caption or hashtag. On Jodel I kept the same caption but no hashtag. On Jodel I experienced that the photo “disappears” after about a day due to new posts and it is not easy to find old posts.

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#9b Instagram video

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
For the video I used my iPhone 6’s rear facing camera not using any flash. I recorded two short videos which I assembled to one video using the iMovie App. When shooting a video on your iPhone, it is a constraint that there is only one format to choose (whereas you can take a square or rectangular photo). Therefore, it does not fit entirely perfect into Instagram’s square shape. When filming I moved closer instead of zooming in to achieve the best quality possible. I muted the video on Instagram.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
I had thought about how I wanted the video to be recorded so it only took one shot to get it right. The video has a caption, an emoji and a hashtag. I did not add the location because I didn’t find it relevant for this video.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?
Aside from Instagram I have posted the video on Stellar as a part of my portfolio there. I also posted it on the 9gag app which is an app I found because I was looking for a place for funny videos. I kept the same caption as on Instagram but deleted the emoji and hashtag. Here, the video format is to repeat the video and thereby it turned into a (very long) gif.

Link to post: https://www.instagram.com/p/BxXKN-fl76Q/

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#9a Instagram photo

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
I used my iPhone 6’s rear facing camera to author the photo. Shooting the photograph, I stood close to the beach booth so I did not have to zoom in and thereby I got the best picture quality as possible. I was aware I had to have some space in the top and bottom of the photo, because I used the normal rectangular photo size (the iPhone standard) that does not fit into Instagram’s square sized frame. I used a filter to brighten the photo before publishing it. There was some constraints in the process of authoring the photo on my iPhone. One is the quality that is good, but not as good as a professional camera. Another is the shape of the photo which is does not match Instagram’s settings.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?
I recorded several images before deciding on one. I took pictures of five different beach booths and decided on this one due to various reasons: it was in my opinion the aesthetically best-looking door, the image was better framed than the others I shoot and the light was best in this image. I put in a caption, emojis and a hashtag for the photo and then I added the location. The reason why I added the location was that it was a public place and perhaps others would like to know where it is.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?
Besides Instagram I also posted the photo on a free photographer’s app called Stellar. This is an app where you can make your own personal portfolio and I figured it would be a good place to gather my photos in an aesthetically pleasing way. So far I have added five photos and videos. The constraint here is that you cannot write a caption for each photo – only for the whole album. I also posted the photo on the app Jodel where it can be upvoted, downvoted and commented on by anonymous users. Here you are restrained to only write a short caption which mine was. On Jodel I deleted the emojis and hashtag as I found they were not commonly used.

Link to post: https://www.instagram.com/p/BxUoflphG1Y/

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#8 Networked video

Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?The practitioners I have chosen are the two American artist Josie Keefe and Phyllis Ma who calls themselves “Lazy mom” and have the Instagram @lazy together. They have been practicing together on Instagram since 2014. They do mostly stop-motion videos that they post as gifs on Instagram where they have 65,3K followers. They use the Instagram to make short versions of their artwork to tease for upcoming exhibitions.

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?) The caption for the Instagram video is “maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s…butter. 🤔🍞”. It was published on February 12th 2017. Link to the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BQX-ZpwDV9K/

How was the video authored?
The video was authored with professional equipment and using a model who puts butter on her foot and inserts it into a sandal made out of bread. It is a simple one-shot video. They use music from an artist called aaaahchugg.

How was the photo or video published?
The short video was published on the @lazy instagram account, however it is a teaser for a longer video that can be found on their website and in different art exhibitions.

How was the video distributed?
The video was distributed to @lazy’s 65k followers, but the video has more than 3,75 million views which shows that many people visits their profile but does not necessarily follow it. I noticed that many people have tagged other people in the comment section which can explain some of the many viewings. Also the videos that Lazy mom does are often absurd and have a special and very recognizable esthetical look which can attract more viewings.

 

Reference

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/29/t-magazine/food-as-art.html

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The Capitol // Assignment 2

My initial idea for this assignment was to make an oral history project that focused on the evolvement of the capitol theatre. The video project should outline the differences that are being made to the theatre and the way it is used. I found it interesting to look at the differences between the usage of the theatre in the 1900´s time and how it is to be used after the relaunch. I quickly found out that this project was a little too extensive for just a one-minute video because it would need at least two interviews. I also had trouble finding the people to interview. Therefore, I decided to do a simpler project together with Claudia. We both found the cooperation with ACMI to be very interesting and a good match so we decided to go with this idea instead.

The first thing we did after coming up with our new idea was to contact different people with the intention of interviewing them. This was unfortunately not possible within the given timeframe. The good news was that we will hopefully be able to conduct the interviews for the next assignment. That is why we decided to do a sort of trailer video that leads up to the big project. I find the collaboration between ACMI and the Capitol to be interesting because it utilises the Capitols new potential after relaunching. It is also fascinating to see what the two partners hope to get out of the collaboration and how they can benefit each other. By using the Capitol theatre ACMI inserts a great part of the Melbourne media history into their work and I think this will benefit them a lot. I also believe that the Capitol benefits from this collaboration by drawing attention to itself and showing off the new ways it can be used. Because the Capitol is more than just a theatre.

When we realised that we were not able to do the interviews in time for the assignment due date, we decided that at least we needed to use our own footage. We had a little bit of video footage from around Melbourne city and the Capitol that we shot in previous classes and in addition to that we rented a camera and did a small timelapse in front of the Capitol and ACMI. The reason for doing a timelapse was that we figured it would be a great background for inserting pictures onto. In my opinion a timelapse is more exiting to look at compared to a still picture. Furthermore, we were constrained to do footage outside of the Capitol as we did not have access inside of it. The first thing we did was to do a brainstorm on how to do the trailer video. We decided on using as much of our own footage as possible and to do a voice-over. We decided to do two timelapses and quickly rented some equipment so that we could film while the weather was good. Next, we sat down to discuss what to say in the voiceover. The first half is a quick historic recap of the Capitol’s history and the other half introduces the collaboration with ACMI. We tried to record the sound in a room with as little background noise as possible which I think we managed okay. The next step was to find the photos for the video. Luckily, we had access to several photos that shows the Capitol in the olden days. We also found a recording of an organ playing that we used as background sound throughout the video. We chose this because we know there used to be a great organ in the Capitol theatre. When we got to the editing process we tried to make the video visually appealing by choosing different methods of composing the videos and images.

What I learned from the process of creating a short one-minute video was that it is both a short and a long amount of time. Footage-wise there has to be quite a lot of material so that the video does not become boring to look at. I find that we do have the amount of footage needed but not much more. This meaning it would have been difficult making a longer video. What I think we managed to do was to have a lot of different types of footage in the video so hopefully it is interesting to look at. Also, we tried to do different types of compositions of the video and photo material in the video to make it appealing for the eye to look at. In terms of the voice-over I found that one minute is not a very long time and it was difficult to make a manuscript that fit the time. I would have liked if we could say more in that time because in my opinion it was a bit shallow. But then again that is the meaning with a trailer, so it might be sufficient to do that job.

To sum up I have learned a lot in the process of doing this assignment and I am looking forward to doing a longer and more in-depth project.

 

 

Word count: 864

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#7 Networked Photography


© @kimkardashian

Who is the practitioner and when were they practicing?
The practitioner is Kim Kardashian and her Instagram account is @kimkardashian. Kardashian is an American reality star, socialite and beauty company owner who is one of the most popular people on Instagram where she has 134 million followers. She has been using the platform since February 2012.

With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced?
The photo was highly likely taken in Kardashians home around the time of the publishment. This is not something that can be known with 100 per cent certainty.

How was the photo authored and published?
The photo was taken with an iPhone X Max (which you can see in the photo). We do not know a lot about the editing process, so it is possible that is had been edited in apps or in a photo editing programme on a computer. The authoring of the photo is affected by the fact that it is an ad for Flat Tummy Tea. This means that there are certain protocols that Kardashian has to follow e.g. that she has to clearly show the products as well as her “flat tummy”. The photo was published on her Instagram @kimkardashian most likely from the same phone that she took it from. The entry barriers are very low when taking and publishing the photo from the same phone using an app like Instagram.

How was the photo distributed?
The photo was distributed through Instagram where @flattummyco reposted the photo on their account on January 4th. I have not been able to locate the photo in other places.

 

References

@kimkardashian, Flat tummy tea ad (January 2. 2019) [Instagram post], visited on 17/4 2019 on https://www.instagram.com/p/BsJsNcOnFDP/

Shaw, G. (August 2. 2018). Take a look at the very first Instagram 34 of your favorite celebrities posted [online article], visited on 17/4 2019 on https://www.thisisinsider.com/celebrities-first-instagram-posts-2018-7

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