3 examples of video interviews with artists on Instagram

Example 1:

• Title of the work: Popel Coumou – A Paper Perspective
• Who published it: Torch Gallery
• Who made it: Torch Gallery

Example 2:

• Title of the work: Liminal Works by ALO
• Who published it: Torch Gallery
• Who made it: Torch Gallery

Example 3:

• Title of the work: Lee Kun-Yong
• Who published it: Torch Gallery
• Who made it: Torch Gallery

MY FAVOURITE: Lee Kun-Yong

Content

• What is the video about?  

The video is an interview about the works of the Korean performance artist Lee Kun-Yong, particularly how he created them and the meanings behind the works exhibited in Pace Gallery.

• What is the context?  

The video is filmed in Lee’s studio in Korea and also the exhibition in Hong Kong.

• Who is the interviewee or participant?  

The interviewee is the artist Lee Kun-Yong, whose as stated on Pace Gallery’s website, practice spans performance, sculpture, installation, and video.

• What are they discussing?  

The video discusses Lee’s artwork medium and colours of choice, their meanings and the origin of his interest in performance art.

Production – recording

• What is the production value of the work (is it recorded low-fi or high-fi?)

Pace Gallery has its own in-house production team which indicates that the video was directed and filmed professionally. The image and audio quality reflect the high-quality technical equipment used for filming and recording.

• What is the production value/budget behind the work?

The production budget for this work could have been high. Besides the equipment, the team may have spent quite a lot of budget on travelling as the artist is based in Korea, the exhibition is in Hong Kong, and the majority of staff live in New York or London. There is also a possibility that the gallery had commissioned a team in Asia to produce the video to reduce travelling time.

• Is it highly choreographed/constructed or more of a verité style?

I could tell that this work is highly and neatly choreographed right from the unique and interesting opening. The video is packed with information but still very engaging.

• How is the interview recorded in relation to the set-up with the camera, lighting, framing, the recording of audio etc?

Judging by the quality and background of the A-roll interview, I reckon the interview was recorded in Lee’s studio using professional cameras, audio and lighting equipment. The framing adheres to the rule of thirds which make the viewing experience pleasant and help the audience focus better.

Post-production – editing

• What is the structure of the work in relation to the use of A-roll interview and B-roll overlay material?

The structure of the work is a combination between A-roll interview and B-roll overlay material. The overlay material is more prevalent in the video, taking the role of supporting and explaining the audio of the interview. As the video’s purpose is to promote Lee’s exhibition, showcasing more of his work process and artworks instead of the A-roll interview material have made the video more visually appealing to the audience. Personally, I would structure my interview video similarly as I enjoy seeing the artists immersing in the art-making process and their works.

• How are transitions or other visual effects used in the edit?

The video consists mostly of straight cuts and occasional dissolve video transitions. The simple transitions and the choice to not use visual effects have helped keep the video’s minimal style consistent and keep the audience undistracted.

• How is audio used in the edit and to convey the narrative?

The audio is perhaps taken from the A-roll interview footage. Combined with the B-roll overlay material, the message of the video is efficiently and smoothly conveyed. As Lee is talking throughout the video, the mellow background music helps the audience focus on him.

• How are titles and text used in the work to convey the narrative?

The title of the video is straightforward, indicating the video is purely about one artist and not a part of any series. The subtitles play a huge role in delivering the meaning of the video to a more global group of audience. While the font and size of the subtitles are legible, the colour is not ideal as there are a lot of scenes with a white background which then made the subtitles almost invisible. I believe sans serif fonts are the optimal choice for text in social media videos and subtitles as they look classy and are easy to read, whereas serif fonts should be used for the title at most.

Analyze the Instagram publication

• Was the video work designed and recorded in the first instance for primary publication on Instagram?

Since this is a landscape video with a ratio of 16:9, it could have not been created with Instagram as the primary publication but rather the secondary publication.

• Or does the video work have another primary publication social video platform?

The video was uploaded first on Pace Gallery’s YouTube and then uploaded on Instagram a few days later. This information supported the assumption that Instagram is not the gallery’s main social media platform for this particular video.

• If the work has been adapted from another primary publication source (e.g. YouTube), how has it been adapted or altered for publication on Instagram?

The work uploaded on Instagram and YouTube is identical.

• What Instagram micro-platform is the video published on? (e.g. feed, story, reels etc.) How has the micro-platform affected the design of the work? (e.g. format horizontal, vertical, and square)

The work is posted horizontally on Instagram’s feed. The micro-platform did not affect the quality or design of the work.

• Is the video part of a series of videos on the art gallery’s profile/account? How has the chosen Instagram micro-platform and the design of that platform influenced the design of the video (as a one-off or part of a series)?  

The video is not a part of the series on the gallery’s account. While some videos on the gallery’s YouTube also feature individual artists, the only similarity they share with Lee’s video is the font of the title and the subtitles. Those videos are also uploaded on YouTube first and then later posted on Instagram without being altered.