Tom, Torika and I’s major project Korsakow film, ‘Celebrate’ is linked below.

http://www.themediastudents.net/im1/2014/milidoninatalie.taylortorika.lewistom/Milidoni_Taylor_Lewis_Celebrations.html

You can read about our film here: major project essay

The feedback we received from our second and more improved prototype was great. The class enjoyed the interface design and background image, especially that the edges blur out into the surrounding black. Jasmine said that the background image in the circular shape made it appear to be a balloon or a bubble of fun and celebration which adds to the theme of our film.

The class said that our balanced background and interface was more engaging, however they would like to see more vibrant and colourful clips as many of our current clips are dark. Jasmine also asked us why we had included vision of a hummer and Crown casino, and we explained our three different clusters and that we will include more everyday celebrations to add to that particular cluster so that the pattern becomes clear rather than having just a couple of clips that appear random.

The chosen text thread was received well, however there was a consensus to move it from below the thumbnails to above the main frame so that it doesn’t distract the eye from the main clip playing. Another suggestion was to add more lyrics from a different song to add more ambiguity; this was also something that we discussed as a group as there aren’t enough lines of lyric in the song for 60 clips.

26/5/14

What each of us did in our meeting on Monday:

Tom – put film prototype together and include more clips.

Torika – Song lyric suggestions and added more clips.

Me – Song lyric suggestions chosen for text thread, worked on 1st draft of the essay and discusses keywords and clusters.

Plan going forward:

Another meeting on Monday 2nd June to add more clips (hopefully final). All of us will add.

I will have another draft of the essay done.

Choose another lyric to add to the project to add more depth and so that there is enough of a text thread for 60 clips.

Tom or Torika will edit the clips so that the volume levels are consistent.

This week’s reading discusses database documentaries by using modern examples and describing them in detail. The authors discuss the spatial montage and the power of juxtaposition as has been discussed in previous readings aswell.

One of the most interesting points for me was the discussion of the ‘Are You Happy?’ project. This question was posed in various cultural contexts, getting quite personal answers as well as universal responses. What is really interesting about this project is the inclusion of the twitter feed alongside the video, juxtaposing between the cosy feel of the video and the jarring twitter feed. When Jasmine suggested that we include a text thread for our major project, this project came to my mind. I will endeavour to research different poems, or even twitter threads about celebration to see what we as a group like and find interesting.

Another interesting project was the one focusing on how people feel. I found it really interesting as it has long been so difficult for researchers and scientists to find evidence of how people really feel as they usually don’t reveal their true feelings. This project gave an interesting insight into the true feelings of people and is something I will use as an inspiration.

Tom, Torika and I presented our prototype for our K-film around celebration in today’s tute. It was received well, and we were fortunate that the other students and Jasmine were all willing to give us some great advice and feedback.

The clips varied in sound volume levels, which is something we need to fix and normalize across all of the clips. We were also given the advice to include more colourful and saturated clips to bring some variety and vibrancy to them. Our theme of celebration seemed to come across clearly to the audience which was good to see.

Another suggestion was to include a colourful or interesting background to our interface, so that it isn’t just black as it doesn’t support the theme of the film. Jasmine gave us some great suggestions, including creating an ambiguous text thread to link the clips together. She also suggested that we include more intimate and personal celebrations, showing more subjective views of celebrations rather than general celebratory events you would expect and that we included. She also suggested using stock footage of colourful Indian celebrations and of other cultures that we would find difficult to film on our own.

1. If you could sum up everything you feel we should have learned this semester in one sentence, what would you say?
2. What is the motivation for viewers/users to seek out interactive documentaries (idocs) or apps like “Mappiness” as opposed to trawling through the “sea of data” to view regular documentaries?
3. In these types of interactive documentaries, do the same rules around ethics apply for filmmakers as they do in traditional documentary?
4. Although video content on the web has opened doors for documentary filmmakers will it ever receive the same amount of coverage and praise as traditional documentary films?

Minutes:

• Showed our clips to the class and received feedback.
• Clusters in terms of cultural, formal, informal celebrations – suggestion by Jasmine.
• Clusters in terms of pacing.
• Gant chart.
• Working prototype by next tute – meet on Thursday.
• Clean and neat interface.
• Saturated images.
• Jasmine suggested keeping sound from clips.
• Unnoticeable ambient sound connecting clips over dialogue.
• Home-video style filming – potential partial framing.
• Variation of clips.

1. Can you explain what temporal relations and micro and macro views mean in relation to K-films?
2. How do the movies mentioned (The Matrix, etc) support/reflect database logic?
3. The reading talks about databases in K-films working on relational knowledge and as such you can replicate narrative film techniques like flashbacks and montage. However is this disregarding the K-film intention of the non-narrative?

This week’s reading by Will Luers discusses the concept of database narratives. It refers to how computer databases of sending and retrieving information can be used in conveying a narrative. Unlike linear narratives in both fiction and non-fiction types that rely on revealing information in a sequential order and giving the audience a sense of journey, the database narrative relies on spatial relations in order to hold the audience’s attention.

Luers says that “narrative emerges as an effect of navigation,” which in Korsakow films refers to how viewers choose which video they want to watch next, and how they create links between the patterns that emerge. His belief that “narration of the database is through the interface; its design, entry points, absences, spatial complexity and simultaneity” is quite an interesting point as it emphasizes the importance of the interface. This is something I didn’t really prioritize that much in terms of analyzing or creating a K-film, rather I have been more focused on the content and patterns created. Luers places a lot of importance on the interface, which is something I will now take into more careful consideration.

Questions from the reading:

“The temporal relations of events, that which plot works to structure as linear narrative, is just one of many structural relations available in a database narrative.” Can you please explain what temporal relations are present in K-films?

“A plotted interface provides micro and macro views, but also limits and delays access to those views.” How important is thinking about micro and macro views in Korsakow films?

Luers discusses how plotting the interface results in the narrative; does this mean that if we follow this method a narrative can be formed by using Korsakow, that does make sense?

Looped clips.
interface question mark, person holding balloon.
first clip of red balloon like interface image.
red question ‘where do you want to go?’ next to two small thumbnails.
ambient sound from clips no music.
thumbnails just images – move to left of main frame after first opening clip.
some staged clips.
most clips involve movement.

The K-film ‘Forgotten Details’ focuses on the things we take for granted and no longer question, for example; why are windows rectangular? It’s interesting and quirky, with most of the video clips having some movement involved.

The interface is interesting as it includes a black background with red images of a question mark, person holding a balloon with accompanying red text per image. The opening clip is of a red balloon floating through the air, matching the background image. The accompanying text ‘where do you want to go?’ present next to the two preview thumbnails leads nicely into the film, prompting the audience to click through to their choice of thumbnail while also making sense in terms of the clip shown.

The clips are looped, giving the sense that the images we have taken for granted constantly occur, while the matching text attempts to break that chain, making us stop and think about what we are actually watching.

The film does achieve what it sets out, however it could be improved with an overlaying soundtrack rather than just the ambient sounds heard. This would prevent it from seeming like a sketch film and make it a more complete work. The small thumbnails are also distracting as they are hard to see and are not in proportion to the main frame and large images in the background image. Some of the clips seem staged which does detract from the experience of observing objects and things that we don’t look at closely in our everyday life.

Overall, the film uses interesting use of colour and text to bring the authors’ argument to life.