Author Archives: yechengyin

Small Things Assignment 1: Initiative Post

When it comes to other forms of video making, the aims of the studio reminds me of when my friends and I made videos for our high school. There is usually not a lot of preparation time for shooting and editing, and there would constantly be restraints in both lengthwise and style of the final video. Of course, these videos were less critiqued by peers and teachers, but are limited by our abilities. Looking back at these videos, I am constantly reminded of the joy video making brings to people when they view them. Seeing my school joying my videos is a great feeling, this effect is something that I wish to replicate in my future filmmaking. In a similar way, Yoko Taro, a Japanese video game director and writer, views the emotion elicited by his games to be the most important aspect. The strong emotions one feels after playing his games is the reason why he is one of my favourite icons in the gaming industry right now.

I am really interested in creating videos on YouTube but more specifically gaining an audience. While it is said that anyone can upload on YouTube, not everyone can gain an audience whilst doing so. Recently, more and more YouTubers are becoming mainstream in the real world through their efforts online. When it comes to short-form video production like what we are experimenting in this studio, I am reminded of sketch comedy channels. Last year, Superwog, an Australian comedy channel, released their first TV series on both YouTube and ABC. It is interesting to see how they moved from short 3-4 minutes comedy sketch videos to today with full TV-length episodes while maintaining the same style of comedy they are known for.

Another creator I’m constantly inspired by is Anthony Fantano, the host of TheNeedleDrop channel. He mainly does music reviews and shorter discussion pieces on music industry news. Whilst the production value of his videos are often similar, usually featuring him sitting against a wall with a green screen used to insert album covers, it is his work ethic I am inspired by. He posts reviews daily on his main channel and also discussion videos on his personal channel, all the while engaging with fans on social media and highlighting fan creations. Fantano often makes fun of himself through the memes he shares on social media, such as his decision to give a popular album a 6 out of 10. I believe that online videos are the future and learning how to manage an online presence through video creation is a valuable asset to have today.

One of my favourite films I watched in 2018 was Whiplash, which to my surprise was based on a short film of the same name. The 18-minute short film won an award at Sundance 2013, which attracted investors to produce a full-length movie. The short film had a smaller scope; set in a medium-sized music room and the corridor outside and the cast is reduced. The way a short film executed well could lead to a full-length movie inspires me as it demonstrates how smaller efforts can eventually become something greater.

Small Things Assignment 1: Reflection 2

Lenny and Van before reshoot (no dialogue)

Lenny and Van reshoot

Our own Lenny and van video which we were given the script of the scene was perhaps the most educational of the exercises we have done so far. Previously, we were given the footage to edit, and through it, most of us identified issues we want to avoid ourselves, such as ending the recording so soon after the director calls cut. In this exercise, we realised just how much forethought had to go into the whole process. On our first shoot, there were shots that were either similarly framed, incorrectly directed or were missed. We only noticed this while looking through the footage in Premiere after the shoot. In our reshoot, other issues also occurred where we did not set up the camera properly. Therefore we ended up with a different exposure setting from the first shoot and audio levels were too low. I believe this is a good learning experience, most of the things I would not have picked up on unless we were the ones filming, directing and editing the scene ourselves.

Small Things Assignment 1: Reflection 1

30 Seconds Homework

For our very first homework, we were tasked with making a simple 30 seconds video where we perform a mundane and boring task. Although the task seems manageable, upon taking out my camera and tripod, I was immediately overwhelmed with the near infinite amount of options in framing the shot. Whether I should do a birdseye view or from a high angle shooting downwards. In addition, there were no limitations with editing, therefore the number of shots required as well as the pacing of the shots had to be determined. For this task, I decided it would be easier for me to film more footage than needed and trimming them as needed in editing to reach 30 seconds limit. However, this had the result of making the selection process when assembling the clips more difficult. With around 3 minutes of footage, I had to either not use clips or shorten them.

Small Things Assignment 1: Goals and Desires

Coming into this studio, I wanted to complete more project compared to my previous studio. In working with smaller projects, I believed they are less about the final result but the skills and competencies that I pick up along the way. I began learning about video editing in year seven, starting with Sony Vegas, working with footage that was not filmed by me or in video games. I find myself lacking experience in the filming aspect of production. Therefore, I am looking forward to solidifying core filmmaking principles. I also wish to rediscover my passion for video production in my spare time. Ever since joining the course, I began to use the classes as an outlet for my works. But in doing so, I began to ignore my other creative pursuits, such as making videos with friends and podcasting. I find it harder and harder to resume a video script or plan, opening Premiere Pro for anything other than for school purposes seem like a chore. Thus, I hope through frequent and yet brief usage of post-production programs, I can overcome my equivalent of a writer’s block.

 

I think Small Things is a studio in which I can explore unfamiliar concepts and techniques without having the commitment to stick to them for weeks for an assignment. I am fine with being guided by restraints since most projects in the real world will also be confined with restraints in some way or another. In fact, for me, it is more interesting to work within these constraints as they often allow one to think outside the box and find new ways to push the boundaries. As I’ve learned from the first two weeks of class, the iterative way of learning can have its positives. Making multiple versions of a sequence may seem trivial at first but doing so really does push one to explore new options. Far too often I’ve made videos with only one sequence. This makes me feel unwilling to change the order of events and a mistake can potentially ruin the rest of the sequence. And so, through the iterative method of learning and smaller projects, Small Things ought to be a vessel for students to alter their familiar ways of making media.

Entangled Media Assessment 4: Reflection

Our artefact is a combination of real-life and digital objects. The dinner table decorated with food and Halloween props implies fear that comes with eating. The skeleton, which was later replaced with a witch, seated on one end of the table represents the rejection of eating, hence the plates are empty. There are speakers underneath the table which plays an audio file of choking, chewing and other sounds are made to make the participant uncomfortable. Also, a video is projected onto the wall, this is done to complete the set of a dining room and immerse the visitors in the work. All of this is done to illustrate how one with an eating disorder experiences eating at the dinner table. We want the visitors to be a part of the set instead of just viewing it at a distance, thus we invite them to take a seat at the table and look around the table, and perhaps take a few photos of the set.

In this piece, we attempted to incorporate multiple types of media as well as a physical set into one coherent artefact. My idea of superstition and fear is seen more clearly in this project with the Halloween themed decorations, it “[threads its] own path through the meshwork” and stumbles upon the idea of body image, resulting in “knots in a tissue of knots” (Ingold 2011). This can be seen also in blurring the line between the physical space and digital media.

 

The main considerations for the media we used were regarding the method of presenting in a physical space. For example, when making the video which is meant to be projected onto the wall, I had to study the angle and perspective which looks the most natural, I also chose a photo-video composite so that the loop of the video is seamless. Without a prior visit to the exhibition space, these restrictions would not have been taken into account. Similarly, the audio file which plays underneath the table was spaced out and placed on a loop, this way, two minutes turned into ten minutes.

In our previous assignment, we used Instagram as a platform to discuss the issue of eating disorders. I was inspired by the recent trend of ‘Instagram museums’ where people pay more attention to the art installations because they could take photos of themselves in the set. As such, the idea of building a ‘photo-worthy’ set and encouraging visitors to take photos of it and post it with our hashtag reinforces our last assignment. The dinner table, as well as the projected background, is made to invite visitors to become part of the set. While seated, they are then free to engage with the pieces of media we have placed in that space.

In contrast to previous assignment, we spent more time envisioning what the set looks like and the ways we want to engage the visitors. The preparations for the set were done without any issues. Since we sought to use equipment that was readily available at the exhibition space like tables and chairs. At one point, we changed our ideas from a more empty table to one filled with Halloween decorations. This is due to Halloween coming up and that more Halloween decorations were available to us.

In this exhibition, we were able to get a lot of attention from people coming in, since the decorations of the table were intriguing to most visitors. The card game was able to hint to the idea of our artefact since it was not explicitly explained in our set. Although the intention was for the visitors to take a seat at one end of the table since the cards were scattered around the table, most visitors did not sit down, instead chose it engaged with it from the front so they can take a look over the set as a whole and read the cards. The video which played in the background also did not feel as natural as part of the set, it would be better if the scene was at night. Furthermore, the lighting in the room made it difficult to make convey the darker tone of our exhibit. The exhibition space did not have the option to make our section of the room dim. In the future, a better examination of the lighting capabilities is recommended.

The most immediate question that arose from the exhibition is how to get people to fully engage with the work as we intended. Although we had a sign instructing people to take a seat, not many people did, and I believe there are many factors for this. One of which is the fear of the unknown, since people did not know what to expect after sitting down and thus chose to either look at our table from the front or to pass it entirely. We also need to take into account of the kind of mood people are in, since some did not want to be immersed in the work for which they know nothing about. It would seem that a better way of introducing someone to the work would ameliorate this, such as the use of a blurb next to the work detailing and explaining what it is. Also, I would like to learn about the ways to tackle topics which would be considered confronting to some people. When presenting a topic like eating disorders, a degree of care is needed, perhaps in the form of a warning. For this artefact, our topic of eating disorders are not immediately evident, it is coated by our Halloween decorations, audio and video. As such, when we explained the intentions of our artefact, some people were surprised by it. I believe that placing a warning near the artefact or in the blurb would help. Without being told explicitly or reading the cards we had on the table, most people would not discern the topic at hand. In future work, we need to consider more ways to convey our idea to the visitors in case they did not engage with the work as we intended. Another inquiry I had was the issue of cohesion within this artefact. Since this was a group assignment, and each member had their own tasks to do, it was required to create an artefact that felt unified. One of the issues was in terms of sound, the witch doll can be turned on and makes a sound when activated by sound. This in term clashes with the audio file being played underneath the table. In the end, we decided to turn off the doll to accentuate the audio file. In the future, I wish to experiment with the features of each prop and its purpose in the set as a whole.

At the Eavesdropping exhibition, space is filled with different art installations that are scattered across the rooms not just along the walls. There are always artworks filling up empty parts of the exhibition. With our artefact, we required a wall as a background for our set. The wall is also used as a way to instruct them on how to engage with our work. Their way to guide the visitors is through a blurb next to every piece detailing the title, the creators, the nature of the work and a description. Since we did not have this, it led to some confusion as to the nature of our artefact and what it is about. Going by purely the instruction of “take a seat” and a hashtag seems insufficient for visitors to engage with the work as we intended.
In terms of movement inside the exhibition space, at the Eavesdropping exhibition, there is not a guided direction. After entering the floor, the visitors are given the option to explore different rooms. In a similar way, in our exhibition, there were not a forced direction visitors are forced to take, they are free to move around the space as they wish. However, there are subtle trends I noticed in terms of the movement people tend to have in our space. After entering, visitors tend to notice our artefact first and observes it, following that they then view the rest of the art pieces. This is due to our set being directly visible from the entrance, it was not hidden behind a pillar, and was fairly well lit.
Another aspect I noticed at the Eavesdropping exhibition was the crossover of sound there. Since the rooms were open, there is sound travel from one of the screening rooms. As a result of that, the art pieces nearest to that which requires sound offers headphones to isolate the sound travel. With our exhibition, there is not much crossover in terms of sound. Apart from our audio that plays, other group’s artefact either had no audio component or had headphones installed. Other crossovers in the form of themes were not apparent, apart from being placed between two other art pieces which utilise water as a central theme.
Lastly, one of the art pieces featured at the Eavesdropping exhibition was a collection of earpieces attached to the wall which plays an audio. The way the creator of that work builds the audio into space informs our placement of the Bluetooth speaker being hidden underneath the table. This simulates sounds coming from the witch doll.

My ideas of entanglement after completing the first reading was that nothing exists in isolation, an organism is just a part of a larger meshwork, and as it progresses, it contributes to the overall idea. My first small project attempts to grasp this idea within a single blog post. Texts, photos, videos and drawings were placed on the page, hoping to fulfil the use of at least two types of media forms. Looking back at that blog post now, while it achieved its purpose, the different media types are able to stand on its own, connected by the text to form a journal of my thought process. As such, in my second assignment, I attempted to combine all types of media into a single video, attempting to create cohesion in the project. As I later reflected, I recall myself not being challenged by the task, this is due to me using a familiar process of creation. In attempting to make sense of the mess that is superstitions, I find myself reverting to accustomed methods. Law discusses this in his piece that in order “to think about the messes of reality” we must “teach ourselves to think, to practice, to relate, and to know in new ways (Law, 2004, p.1).” However, it is the third and fourth assignment which altered my idea of entanglement the most. As the members gather and our ideas clash, we were able to see how our ideas from each other came together. The format we took was that of an Instagram page, and each member was tasked to create 3 smaller pieces of media. It was during that time when the reading on digital storytelling was given to us, giving insight to the idea of “microcontent” (Alexander, 2011, p.30). During this assignment, I ventured to create a motion graphic animation as well a poster. Although the various pieces of media exist in separate tabs and panels, they work together to achieve our aim. And that’s when I realised the change in my approach: instead of trying to entangle different media form in order to communicate my ideas, we entangled our ideas and used media as a vehicle to convey it. Coming into this semester, I assumed that we would be incorporating different types of media forms (and we did), but I understood that the ideas can equally be entangled to form a more complex and intricate concept.

 

List of References:

Alexander, B (2011) “The Next Wave of Digital Storytelling Platforms.” The New Digital Storytelling: Creative Narratives with New Media. ABC-CLIO, LLC: 29–43.

Ingold, T (2011) ‘Rethinking the animate, reanimating thought’, Being Alive: Essays on movement, knowledge and description Routlege: London, New York, pp.67-75.

Law, J (2004) After method: Mess in social science research Routledge: Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon pp.1-2.

Entangled Media Assessment 3: Reflection

The project is in the form of an Instagram profile. From the username, the bio and the posts, we aim to explore the topic of eating disorders and its relationship to social media. We sought to examine the link between fear and food for people suffering from eating disorders, for whom the lines between the two are somewhat blurred. The page is best viewed on a mobile device in a 3×3 grid or in a linear scroll fashion.

The creation of this project was quite methodical. There was a clear division of tasks and duties for each member, the nature of posts on Instagram meant we could each create a couple and then put them together in the end. The nature of this group project meant that several ideas clash together to form a more complex issue. Much like Ingold’s idea of entanglement, my idea of superstitions and fear “[threads its] own path through the meshwork” and stumbles upon the idea of body image, resulting in “knots in a tissue of knots” (Ingold 2011). In addition, the separation of the project in several smaller pieces of media artefacts leads into Alexander’s idea on microcontent which he defines as content that is “easier to produce and consume”, can be “reused in multiple ways and places” (2011, p.30 ). Through this, there is a sense of cohesion and a product that is greater than the sum of its parts.

There were 2 major affordances with the media that could be created for this project; the limitation of the Instagram profile and of the platform. Since Instagram presents the media artefacts in a 3×3 grid initially, we had to consider the structure of each post in an interesting manner. I took inspirations from Instagram profiles that utilise grid designs such as @the_oa, @pantone, @ellesenparlens. By using the 3×3 grid, they were able to create a scrollable feed akin to a puzzle, as well using a key colour that is present in every post. Consider the grid system, we picked mostly black, white and red posts to be in a ‘+’ pattern, whilst more colourful media works are stationed in the four corners. Furthermore, certain affordances of Instagram content meant that gif formats are not accepted and thus had to be converted into a video. Also, Instagram prefers that all media are square shaped, as such the media that we created attempts to follow this rule. The plus symbol places emphasis on the centre video, encouraging the viewer to look at the centre video which serves as a warning for people suffering from eating disorders.

The Instagram layout worked out as I hoped, in the future, I would want to expand on the grid so that there are more panels vertically, enabling different types of grid designs. One of the gripes I had with the final product is a lack of customisation available from Instagram. There really were not a lot of options available for us to modify apart from the profile picture, the bio and the posts themselves. Next time, it would be beneficial to have more elements on the page be customisable in order to better represent our ideas.

During the making of this project, a query I had was the effect of the media, in general, had on body image. From my research on the effect of media exposure on body image for women, I found a few points of interest to explore next time. According to a study conducted in 2008, it is suggested that “exposure to media images that depict the thin-ideal body is indeed linked to women’s dissatisfaction with their own bodies” (Grabe, Ward & Hyde 2008). However, in a newer study, this view is contradicted. “…only peer competition… predicted negative outcomes” associated with body image (Ferguson, Munoz, Garza & Galindo 2013). The idea of peer competition and its related effects is worth investigating in future projects.

 

List of references:

Alexander, B (2011) “The Next Wave of Digital Storytelling Platforms.” The New Digital Storytelling: Creative Narratives with New Media. ABC-CLIO, LLC: 29–43.

Ferguson C, Munoz M, Garza A & Galindo M 2013, “Concurrent and Prospective Analyses of Peer, Television and Social Media Influences on Body Dissatisfaction, Eating Disorder Symptoms and Life Satisfaction in Adolescent Girls”, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol.43, pp.1-14.

Grabe S, Ward L. M & Hyde J. S. 2008, “The Role of the Media in Body Image Concerns Among Women: A Meta-Analysis of Experimental and Correlational Studies”, Psychological Bulletin, vol.134, no. 3, pp.460-476.


Ingold, T (2011) ‘Rethinking the animate, reanimating thought’, Being Alive: Essays on movement, knowledge and description Routlege: London, New York, pp.67-75.