Conceptual brief: ‘Finding space and time for contemplation during Covid-19’.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDjaZoDDl3Z/?hl=en

To respond to the conceptual brief, my focus for this post is how stopping for 1 minute allows us to be present in time to contemplate the current pandemic. Last week, I said that I would like to attempt to author a video using one of Instagram’s third-party apps, to further explore the relationship the platform has with its partner apps to co-create for Instagram. For my third video post I have chosen to use Boomerang as the app I will explore. I also said I would challenge myself by producing some work within Instagram’s square format. I would like to combine the two to create something unique for my account this week.

All images and/or screenshots used below are my own and were taken during the production of my work.

How did you author the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?

To author the video, I first recorded this clip of the rain outside our window (41s) using my iPhone 6s back camera. While recording I sat quite close to the window to minimise reflections from the light in the room. I also moved closer to capture the rain droplets splashing on the ground. Although I authored the video outside of the Instagram app, I had the square format in mind which influenced the way I recorded- I made sure the most action was happening in the centre of the frame. I filmed one continuous shot and stayed quite still so the focus was on the movement of the water. I only needed a single shot as I was quite happy with how it turned out. I then brought it into the Boomerang app to create a 12-second loop, which muted the audio of the video.

With my finished boomerang, I decided I wanted to create more visual interest with the square format before uploading it to Instagram. I imported the video into Premiere Rush and selected the 1:1 scale. I imported a white square frame graphic to overlay which would complement the video’s framing. Finally, I exported using the 4k match frame rate preset for the highest resolution to upload to Instagram.

I chose to leave the default ‘cover’ frame to be the front picture of the video, as most of the video looks similar. During the authoring process, something that was unique was having to keep the finished edit in mind while framing my initial shot. If I were to do this again, I could have used the Instagram camera to shoot my video, however, shooting outside of the app gave me the freedom to change my mind and be creative with editing.

How did you publish the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?

While publishing, I kept auto-play for my video on as the default which allowed the boomerang to loop continuously. My intention was for the movement of the rain to imitate drawing and exhaling a breath of air. As I was writing my caption I had the conceptual brief in mind and aimed to instruct on how to use the video to be still. As with previous posts I included hashtags to distribute the content further (#selfreminder, #deepbreathing) which each had quite a large number of posts in them.

Concerning the course prompt, “How do the affordances of Instagram affect the way video content is authored?”, over the past three weeks I have been using the affordances of Instagram to create consistent branding and account aesthetic. I have been experimenting more with the story features, including stickers for questions, polls, music, and graphics. Posting while having a colour scheme in mind, and adding story highlight cover photos and a profile image has also helped to create a consistent image and voice through captions. By continuing to tag and follow accounts I have gained quite a few followers- at the time of writing this post I have 38 followers. I am excited to see how this account grows as well as how I can continue to use the platform to connect with similar accounts.

Provide the name of the practitioner, the title of the work, the date when it was made, and a link to the work. 

Beau B. Frank is an artist and photographer. This untitled work was published on March 7, 2018.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgAzGH-ABqR/

Provide some context on the video by summarising the content, the context of publication, and the audience it targets. 

This particular work by Beau B. Frank is a time-lapse process video of an ocean painting, uploaded to his Instagram account, @beaubfrank in 2018. Beau routinely uploads videos and images of his artwork to his Instagram which has a 104k following. His content mainly targets artists, art fans, and art collectors. Beau also operates his practice through his website and YouTube account.

How was the video made technically? 

While authoring the video, Beau has used a tripod and camera to record in the landscape orientation and has set up each shot in the room so that the painting and his process are visible within the frame. During post-production, jump cuts have been edited into the video to skip past some of the painting processes. He has also sped up some parts of the video to create a time-lapse effect. Beau has added title overlays with his name and website at the beginning and end of the video, and lo-fi music to give it a relaxing atmosphere. The work was uploaded to Instagram in the 1.91:1 aspect ratio which accommodates the landscape format. Before publishing he typed out his caption in order to share the significance behind his art process with his following.

What similarities and differences can you make with other forms of time-based media?  

This Instagram process video follows conventions very similar to YouTube-style vlogs. The lo-fi hip-hop music in the background and footage of watching him drink his tea while painting feels casual and familiar to the viewer when combined with the high-quality resolution of the video. Having the title overlay of his name at the beginning of the video is also similar to YouTubers’ introductions. Beau additionally uploads his work to YouTube so it makes sense he has chosen to edit in this style.

The form of time-lapse video used in this instance to showcase artwork is reminiscent of Old-school art tutorials on YouTube and Vimeo, where creators would upload behind the scenes footage of their work. A pioneer of this style would be the YouTuber Mark Crilley and who earned his popularity by showing videos of sped up artwork and tutorials. Timelapses have especially blown up on Instagram’s explore page in the form of DIY videos and craft content (5-minute crafts for example). Unlike a regular tutorial, there is often no speaking and an accompaniment of music. This differentiates itself from a Podcast/audio-based format as time-lapses very much rely on visuals to demonstrate artistic processes.

What is innovative about this video? 

In class, we discussed the meaning of innovation and its connotations. When describing innovation, the terms ‘useful’, ‘creative’, ‘resourceful’ came up as well as ‘exploring new mediums, materials, and techniques’. All of these ideas relate to the notion of building something unique upon existing work. In the context of Instagram, Beau’s time-lapse video is innovative as it distinguishes itself from the ‘DIY/5 minute crafts’ side of video practice through the professional way his work is filmed. The interesting subject matter (the talent he displays through his artwork), combined with his high production video style of filming is pleasing to the viewer. He is adept at his craft and gets candid about his experience through his caption. What struck me is the length of the caption, which goes into depth about his struggles and artistic drive. This adds meaning to the video and his authenticity as a person as he establishes a relationship with the viewer.