Final Post

Well, here we are. We made it to the end (thank God). Three and a bit months later and I've produced an artwork that I'm finally happy with =) I ended up re-editing my snap-shot film. I cut down the time by another 30sec, bringing it to about 1.5min. This allowed the shots to move at a faster pace, so the audience wouldn't loose interest. I'm just hoping they can still keep up lol. I also decided not to use the old, projector-like effect, as I found the loss of quality too much. This was another reason as to why I'm not going to present it on You Tube. I'm going to try and keep as much quality as possible and present it on DVD, using the iDVD application to burn. I'm also going to hand in a CD with some of the shots on it, as well as printing up some of the shots, which if I must say, came out looking really good - very professional. Overall, I've had a heap of fun dressing up and creating a world of my very own. I believe that I have captured that creepy and playful feel, that has entertained an audience very successfully. Hopefully Jenna and the Offset Team agree.

Here is my movie. Enjoy!

WEEK 10

This week I constructed my film. It didn't turn out exactly as I'd hoped - 70% of it I love and 30% of it I would have done differently. But I guess it's all just a learning process. Plus, I've never actually worked with any type of snapshot or animation film before. This experience has really got me to appreciate just how much time and effort goes into artworks like this... I ended up choosing a creepy, carnival-like piece of music, which I found through the creative commons website. I also decided to place an old style-like effect on my snap-shots - making them look old and projector-like. I think this particular effect works with the creepy world I was going for. It also plays to the advantage, that not all my shots were of a good quality anyway. But once I placed the film on You Tube the quality seemed to be even worse.. So I'm going to have to have another think about what I want to do? Maybe I'll go back to placing it on a DVD, using the iDVD program. I'm also feeling like the film is a little bit too long. It runs for about 2min, and I'm hoping to cut that back to about a min and 30sec. Just so the audience doesn't get too bored, as it is very repetitive. I think I'm going to have another crack at editing the entire film again. GGGrrrr... so confused and so much to do. Wish me luck =)
Here is the link to my film, A Doll Me, which I think needs to be re-worked:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJAOlBzh6sk

WEEK 9

Hi all. The end is near, with only three weeks to go! Rush, rush, rush! Today we looked at some interesting video art. Not all my taste, but some were really amazing. I'm starting to learn that you need a lot of patience and commitment when it comes to video art. Therefore I am slowly starting to appreciate it. One of the artworks that captured my attention was I'm not the girl who misses out on much by pipilotti rist. What can I say? It was very out there! Massive statements on the female body and how it's portrayed in the media. Both her topic and style interested me. At times it was even a bit funny LOL. Here is the link to her work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsC8FKNE8fg
My own video is still coming along. I've now finished editing all my shots and have decided to change applications. I will now be constructing my piece in Windows Movie Maker, not iMovie. I think this is a much simpler program that will save on time and allow me to work on it at home. I've still got to get a move on with choosing some music! Oh no! Rush, rush, rush!
Here are some more of my edited shots for you to view. Enjoy and speak to you soon =)

Week 8

Hello, hello! Long time, no speak. Over the past 2 weeks, I have purchased all the last minute things needed before the shoot. That includes; a blonde wig, cards, plants, fake flowers and cakes. Unfortunately, on the day of the shoot, it was extremely windy, and we were unable to shoot outside :-( And I have no free-time to re-scedual, so as I've said before, 'the show must go on!' All went well though. I had lots of fun dressing up & playing the part. We spent hours setting up, taking shots, waiting for the battery to recharge, then re-doing shots. It was a long process. I was reasonably happy with the results - considering that not everything turned out my way. Here are a couple of the shots taken - both original and edited. This is probably one of my favourite shots. I really feel Blythe's creepy eyes engage with the audience. I also feel that I have accomplished creating a creepy, cute and playful world, that I am very happy with. My only downfall is the quality of my shots - some turned out a little blurry =) Next steps are; more Photoshop editing, arranging it all in iMovie and choosing the music to fit my film ???
Today in class we also looked at video art. One of the interesting pieces that I found, titled Three by Three, was created by Margeaux Walter. I related this piece to the Braidy-bunch straight away LOL. I like the idea of different characters in their own worlds. Here's the link: http://www.videoartworld.com/beta/video_421.html

WeeK 7

Time is ticken, & I'm feeling the pressure to try and get it all done. Thank God I just found out that we have two weeks off - always helps. Next lesson I will be presenting the work that I've completed, to the class - just a tad nervous.
I've recently purchased an outfit for Blythe, which is going to look so cute! Here it is: (black dress & striped socks)
So now, all I have left on my props/everything list is; a blonde wig, yummy cakes, plants, & a new memory-card.
This week I completed a written-storyboard of my snap-shot video. Each dot-point equals to one photo. All up, I need to take approximately 60 shots! These are the first 3 dot-points on my written-storyboard (to give you an idea):
- Face-on, close-up of Blythe's face
- Move out to close-up of Blythe's body (sitting on white, wrought-iron chair)
- Move out to full-view of scene with Blythe & the woman sitting on each chair, facing forwards
I also had a bit of a muck-around with my camera - taking shots of Blythe with a tea-pot. I had to be very careful about the settings I chose on my cam, because there was a lot of exposure and reflection. I chose to use no flash and an anti-shake setting. This is the original and edited shot. I know that I need to be careful of my edited picz looking too 'Photoshopped'. But I think I've done ok. I like the high use of contrast, brightness, & vibrancy - it gives it that child's-play feel that I am going for. Finally, I wouldn't mind getting some tips on how I can get the best quality out of my photos. Is there a setting? or something in Photoshop that I can use?
See you in 2 weeks =]

Week Six

Hi all. I'm back from holiz - one week just isn't enough. Today the first of the presentations began, and I was reminded that I need to get a-move-on with my work. I feel as though I've come to a stand-still, and I really need to get cracking! We also learnt how to use a WACOM (pen & pad). I found this to be very annoying and difficult to pick-up, as I've never used one before. But I gave it a go, and it did get a little easier. This is my kindergarten-attempt at using the WACOM in Corel Painter (left).

Unfortunately I was ripped-off with my Blythe doll, eBay purchase. But don't worry, I'm currently on a plan to take-down this cheat. Anyway, I had to purchase another Blythe doll, who is just as cute & creepy, and arrived in less than a week. Here she is (right). She will be getting a knew outfit - lucky thing! I'm also not 100% sure if my friend Sarah will be able to play the role of the young woman in my film. But either way, the show must go on, and I can easily take her place (with a wig lol). Next, I plan to start drawing-up a storyboard, tracking-down more props and searching for free-music. Till then, catch Xx

WeEk 5

Hi. This week was all about collage, which I discovered actually comes from the French word coller; meaning, to paste or glue. Anyway, after being shown how to use the different tools in Photoshop, I got stuck straight into making a collage of my very own. I started out with theses three images from Google Image:










Then, decided to edit and overlap, to come up with this pretty picture:
I had fun creating this piece, and I am very happy with the end result (for the time-frame it was completed in). I like that the background is soft, and that Blythe (Alice) is much brighter and bolder. I think it works well =)
Bi Bi xx
PS. Handed in assessment one and was able to get-a-hold of a silver tea-pot.

WeEk 4

Hello. This week we took a look at photography & using Photoshop - which is always fun. I took some shots of a fake plant & decided to practice & play with the light, contrast & brightness of the artwork. This is the sort of bright and playful style I am going for in my final piece.
We also looked at the artist Gregory Crewdson, whose work I found very interesting. I like the way he presents his artwork to be eerie & almost fake, like a film set with stiff, manikin-like characters. His works remind me of the film, House of Wax. Again, his work relates to my final piece, as I'm wanting the young woman in my film to be stiff & doll-like.
http://artblart.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/photographer-gregory-crewdson-to-present-artists-talk-sponsored-by-the-photography-society-of-the-nelson-atkins-museum-of-art-kansas-city/

Also this week, I found an artist who had combined the Blythe doll that I am using with the Alice in Wonderland style that I am going for. She goes by the name, Blonde Blythe. This is her work.... http://blondeblythe.tripod.com/id39.html


P.S - I'm still waiting for my Blythe doll to arrive and I'm also searching for a really cool tea-party set. Till next blog. XxX

WeEk ThReE: PaRt TwO

Yay! She's mine! All mine! I finally scored myself an awesome Blythe doll online. She's sooo cute and yet, still fabulously creepy. I can't wait till she arrives on my door-step =] And as usual, the bidding online was very intense - I only beat my competitor by a couple of cents - a real adrenaline rush, lol. Well this is her (left), all pretty & perfect.

After watching the newly released Alice in Wonderland, I'm feeling very inspired by Burton's new dark-take on the story. I'm really into the black n' white striped leggings and tea-parties. And you know what's funny? I heard that this story was originally based on a girl who took drugs and began seeing all these weird things. Well, It does kinda fit lol.

http://browngrrrl.wordpress.com/2009/05/

Before I go, I'd like to introduce to you all, my friend Sarah (left). Sarah will hopefully be playing the part of the young woman in my film.

Be back next week :]

WeEk ThReE !

Boy have I got lots to talk about! Today in class, we looked at phone-art and even attempted to create our own works. I tried making a spiral-text-poem, titled Stolen & Still. But when it came to sending it to my phone, things didn't really work out =[ I did, however, find a really cool phone video series, Roaming Sweets on the Portable Worlds site. The videos are titled, Sweet Seat, Sweet Suite, & Walled Garden by Anita Bacic & Natalie Woodlock. These pieces relate really well with the style of work that I'm wanting to produce, as the artists have used dolls & created a very playful world =] It is so cute! Check it out!
http://portableworlds.anat.org.au/artists/anita-bacic-natalie-woodlock.php

Roaming Sweets is a series of three stop-motion animations created on a mobile phone to be viewed on a mobile phone, delivered as episodes in the life of Luli the doll. Roaming Sweets is a sweet-meet between new digital technologies and the cult of the handmade. Crochet, icing, sweets, cake and cardboard are materials used in each animation. Flowers come alive when Luli walks past and her furniture dances when she’s not looking. The animations capture an enchanting, miniature child-like world full of magic and marvel made ready for connections in a new mini high-tech world.

As for my final piece, I've been doing a lot of research on Blythe dolls, to use in my movie. Blythe was created in the 70's, but didn't really take-off, as parents found her to creepy looking for their kids to play with. But she's back, more popular than ever! Very cute & creepy! I'm currently hunting down a Blythe doll on eBay. Wish me luck.

http://www.thisisblythe.com/
I want my work to convey that girls and young women today are programmed from a young age to be pretty & perfect - nothing less! I am going to achieve this by capturing a young woman copying everything her perfect, little Blythe doll does. The woman will also look doll-like, & it will be set in a very Alice-in-Wonderland-like tea-party. This is going to be a snap-shot film. One that I am very excited about! XxX

WEek TwO

And it's straight into week 2 (even on a public holiday).
This week we are looking at TEXT and artists such as, Barbara Kruger. We also started our very first lesson on using the Adobe Illustrator - manipulating text etc.
I have now begun to think about what it is that I would like to create for my art-works. What is my art about? What programs will I use? How will I present it?
At first I was thinking of something with fashion - something dark - almost death-like. From there my thoughts have transitioned (thanks to Google Image) into wanting to do something using DOLLS (cute & creepy). Still a dark-fashioned-like theme, looking into concepts of young women not being real, but plastic in their thoughts of their own image ????? I think I'll be focusing on video ?

WeEk OnE !

Hi all, my name is Alysha & this is officially my very first post for the subject, intro to digital art. This week we checked out the website, RhiZoMe.




http://www.rhizome.org/





Not only is there a large number of contemporary visuals to look at, but a huge amount of information on up-comming events & exhibitions along with written works and articles on the art pieces. The class was also shown a cool little vocab of art-terms from conceptual to abstract, and animation to postmodern. This is certainly something I'll be referring back to.
The artwork (right), Twin Cities (2009), is by Nathaniel Stern & Jessica Meuninck-Ganger. And it to, was found on the Rhizome site.
I have chosen to dissplay this particular piece, because I find the soft, feminine colours mixed with dark shades (very mysterious), a good way of presenting to you all, what I feel and who I am.
Therefore, this semester I wish to achieve, along with a HD lol, nothing more than to make very bold but beautiful statements within my work.