Category Archives: Online Video Experiments

Project Two – Makeup Tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1864RS_YhBY

This video, rather then elaborating on a specific scene in “The Katering Show” I’ve taken the concept and created a sketch after it. The webseries concentrates on “how to cook” and deconstructs cooking shows and gives it a exaggerated and funny element. In this video, my friend attempts a “how to makeup” video, however she incorporates the comedic elements that are present in “The Katering Show”. She gradually becomes more and more dramatic and just like in “The Katering Show” where the two girls aren’t able to really cook, the make up look she attempts does not turn for the better.

This sketch probably has the strongest narrative as it shows the sequence of my friend from before until afterwards. This video also engages with audience members the most due to the voiceover provided that interacts and speaks directly to whoever is listening/watching. If I was to complete this video sketch again I would change the video setting due to the fact that there is quite a bit of noise in the background as well as the colour contrast.

Project Two – Wine Sketch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdUrjQmTeQs

This sketch is different from my previous ones in the way that it includes some dialogue. This video consisted of my friends drinking on my couch, this works with the scene from “Food Porn” when Mclennen drinks due to her suggested life problems. The humour in this scene is derived from the fact that my friends keeps saying “top me up” and just laughing over random topics. My friend, Monika, her expressions seem the most hilarious in this video and really makes the audience laugh with her voice and actions.

This video was really spontaneous and I had to go through a lot of raw footage before choosing which shots I wanted to include. I was also planning on removing the background music and talking however I found that it added to the comical effect.

The overall scene reflects the one from “The Katering Show” as it shows the other two girls sitting on the couch and drinking as well, I wanted to emphasise the humour and oddly charming atmosphere that this scene incorporates.

Project Two – Cupcake Construction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuWtnF67x4Q

This is a simplified version of one of my previous sketches which was too heavily edited and needed it’s length cut down to a shorter version. In the episode we’ve chosen as the case study (“Food Porn”) one of the girls attempts to construct a cupcake with materials that aren’t usually in a cupcake, or edible for that matter. I decorated this cupcake with icing, pompoms, ribbons, glitter, and a styrofoam cone. This sketch derives humour from the fact that normal ingredients aren’t used in this video and therefore looks a lot more “decorated” however no normal person would be able to create this type of cupcake at home.

The music was from iMovie and is royalty free so there aren’t any copyright issues, and the overall filming of this sketch was a little difficult due to the fact that I had to decorate the cupcake whilst the camera was between me and the actual cupcake.

This scene is shot in the way where normal “food porn” pictures on instagram are posted with, such as a white background that is used so that the cupcake stands out and viewers are not distracted from anything with his background.

This shot itself I believe fits well into the concept that is provided in our case study, they girls use the same concepts such as a white background and having the scene be shot from the front. Overall I think that the music and the simplicity of this sketch fits well into our concepts.

Reflection Task

Issue: Filming sketches and what ideas I wanted to present
Reporting – I found that this week during the filming of my sketches I was struggling to provide myself with the ideas and the videos I wanted to produce. Apart from the lack of ideas I was also lost on how to record the ones I had. I haven’t been able to produce work to the quality that I find satisfactory, nor have I been able to develop any new ideas based upon this assignments or anything else.

Relating – I feel like I do have writers block which often happens when I’ve been in a position where I haven’t had a chance to rest or sit down to think about issues. My ideas often come to me when I’m daydreaming of just doing something mindless which I haven’t had a time for, this is probably causing me to lack motivation and inspiration.

Reasoning – Because I’ve be rather busy with working and attempting my studies I’ve probably neglected to fuel my creatively and passion. By trying too hard to do well I’ve been inadvertently disrupting my though processes and the way I create ideas in the first place. My exhaustion is impeding the way and manner in which I produce my work and assignments.

Reconstructing – The main issue I believe here is the concept of time, I’ve been forgetting or leaving things to the last minute and as a result I don’t have opportunities to reflect and grow from other visuals/productions. I believe that I should start attempting to watch more online videos/artworks/media and giving myself a time set to do so.

Project Two – Tap Sketch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agZwvBQW9CY

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGSaT61AXxo

In both this sketches I was following some of the scenes from “The Katering Show” where there are long shots of kitchen appliances that are used for a comedic effect. Since both these sketches follow such a similar theme I thought that I would just group them together in a single post. During the first sketch of the tap I had to add in an sound effect due to the fact that there was a lot of background noise, whereas for the second video of the kettle I didn’t have to add in any effects. The Tap was also filmed at night with artificial lighting whereas the Kettle sketch was with natural lighting, after looking at the two I do prefer the natural lighting. These two videos have non-narrative structures and are purely there for the interpretation of the viewer as comical or not.

I feel as if the content might be a little more funny or enjoyable if it was to be slightly longer in length, have a scene before and after it or even if some background music was added in. However these two videos do follow the concepts from “The Katering Show” where these long and boring scenes are added in as a satirical effect to laugh at other cooking shows, where scenes like these are present.

Project Two – Concept Statement

Our group (Troy and I) has chosen the online video example “Food Porn” from “The Katering Show”. If we contextualise this work/project in relation to the studio activities so far (the mindmapping and personal case studies) it would be placed in the genre of satirical online video practice. We will produce a number of sketches which analyse the narrative/non-narrative form of this online video practice. Each of these sketches will focus on different aspects of the work/project as a way to understand how it has been made and how relations have been formed between shots to create a narrative/non-narrative structure.

Ideas:
1. Running Water + Kettle Boiling – The show itself is made so that it laughs and ridicules other cooking programs, adding in long shots of cooking or running water to the point where it’s comical.

2.The Final Food Shot – Similar to idea no.1 during the final scenes after a plate is produced there is often many shots showing off the food and the way it looks, this is done with many close up scenes and pans.

3. Cupcake Construction – in this particular episode we see the two girls decorating the cupcake with numerous objects that are not actually suppose to be in the cupcake. I attempted to create a similar video of that scene.

5. “Booze Revooze” – Reviewing alcohol like in the episode (similar to idea 3)

6. Wine Drinking

7. Random Conversation – mimcking the types of conversations they have in “The Katering Show”

8. Makeup Tutorial – Similar to the cooking, however instead of food I was thinking of doing a makeup tutorial that is going to be completely hilarious and over the top.

 

Project Two – Initial Feedback

After completing my first two sketches and presenting them in class we received some feedback on the sketches we’ve done so far. To Troy’s video’s and reflection click here. The main issue we encountered was fitting out sketches into our concept statement, which we still needed to complete. Due to the fact that we haven’t completed it yet we attempted to string our sketches together into a single concept, however Troy and I soon realised that we had to change some of our sketches to fit the criteria. Apart from the fact that both the web series we used in the first project were so different, and we were making sketches based upon the themes of the series rather then the actual video concepts that were being used.

After talking it through with Troy we both decided to choose one video from “The Katering Show” series which was “Food Porn” and to go forward on that. Most of our sketches could be salvaged under this case study and all I had to do was simplify my current two (I was told there was too much post-production and the time was too long).

 

Project Brief One – Marking Criteria “The Katering Show”

1.Characters/Host
I love the dynamic between both Kate’s in the series. One is passive with a dark and moody sense of humor while the other has a more innocent persona and is often left clueless. Despite the differences between the two characters they still have an common love throughout the series; alcohol. 4/5

2.Script/Humour
The writing throughout the show are both done by McLennen and McCartney, and the humour is so that it’s clever and witty rather than being a blatantly obvious joke. This series focuses on subtly making you gape and chuckle rather then bringing in the big laughs. Both comedians focus on making the audience laugh at them and the topics they are talking through mannerism and words that should be spoke behind the scenes making it feel as if we’re prying into some dirty secret that the produces don’t want us knowing. 4.5/5

3.Cinematography
The cinematography in this web series is relatively straight forward, both Kates are usually positioned next to each other and the camera faces them directly. Apart from some visually stimulating, up-close shots that most cooking programs have and some oddly long shots of water running you’re getting your typical TV Home Show cinematography. 2.5/5

4.Setting
Usually set within a kitchen or some sorts, unless you’re watching the first episode, then the ending is set “in a gutter”. 2/5

5.Realism
I wouldn’t say this show is unrealistic, in fact, it cuts all the crap from fancy cooking and lifestyle shows you normally see and instead replaces it with normal everyday people like us who think wine all tastes the same and that we enjoy the consumption of sugar on a day to day basis. I especially love the sarcastic remarks McCartney usually inputs into the show because she literally takes words out of my mouth. 3.5/5

6.Narrative
Unfortunately, not much to a storyline, this web series concentrates on a more ‘slice-of-life” style of narrative. 1/5 

7.Introduction
The Katering Show’s introduction includes the animation of a colon spitting out food -there is literally no way else to say it-. You don’t initially notice it… until some points it out. 1.5/5

8.Accessibility
After being funded the show was placed on Youtube and so I would say that accessibility is rather high, almost anyone with an internet connection can watch the whole web show. There isn’t a fee or any form of downloading needed to view “The Katering Show”. 5/5

9.Unique
You do see a lot of satirical shows out there, but since the invention of Youtube more and more people have been professional directing and distributing their content online these days. The show itself isn’t unique in the sense that it’s genre would be easily found. I found it unique because it has it’s own qwerkiness. 3.5/5

10.Experimental
Overall is this web series really shines in the comedic and satirical theme that underlines its episodes. In terms of the actual show itself the producers don’t really attempt to try something new in the way it looks or feels. However the way they deconstruct the food industry is something refreshingly new and innovative. Despite the series looking like a typical foodie dream show, it is in the value and the undertone where it really captures the experimental side of things. 3/5

Overal Average Score: 3.05/5

“It’s just a funny little joke about food culture”

Project Brief One – Characters

Kate McLennan
Known as the “Intolerable Foodie” who seems cheerful on screen but has a passive and rather pessimistic side to herself.

On her website bio:
“Kate has appeared in thirteen Melbourne International Comedy Festivals and has performed stand-up comedy throughout Australia and in the UK, US, Hong Kong and Singapore. Most recently Kate toured to India with the Melbourne Comedy Festival where she hosted the Roadshow and RAW Comedy Competition. Kate often works as an MC at comedy nights, family festivals and fundraising events.”

In the series she often makes creepy comments here and there about her life or what she’s dealing with. Often mentioning the fact that she does not know if she wants children or not and her main goal throughout the show is to create food substitutions for McCartney. Despite being rather cheery and overall good natured she is shown to have an angry and aggressive side when she does not get her dose of sugar or if she drinks excessively.

Kate McCartney
Is the “Food Intolerant” she is rather blunt and airy and most of the time seems rather comfortable in her weirdness – she reminds me a lot like Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter… If HP had been a satirical cooking show-.

Bio:
“Her work as a comedy performer and writer has featured in Channel 7 HSV’s Big Bite and Hamish and Andy. She has also appeared in Kath and Kim, The 2011 short film Everyman and the 2012 Hit ABC sci-fi series Outland.”

McCartney’s character, unlike her partner doesn’t really care too much for cooking or food, in fact she probably would live off vodka and alcohol if she really wanted to. The only real episode where she shows slight interest is in the “Food Porn” episode where she doesn’t really have to cook. Ultimately, I feel as though I am staring into a future version of myself when I look at McCartney, who “is predominantly nocturnal and her talons can rip a mouse in half.”