Author: alexandriakackerman1

After Critique Video

 

 

Critical Thoughts:

 

  1. Briefly discuss the successful elements of your work (both in form and content). What parts are working well? (You can base these thoughts on the feedback received at the critique)

 

I think the successful parts of my project was my overall message and my content of videos that I used to display that. I think I gathered the right videos that helped my message get across that we all have failures and hard times in life but we have to gather the motivation inside of us and we can accomplish anything. I feel like the effects I chose really brought my idea across too, like the blur effect, black and white images, fading in and out, and warping.

 

  1. Briefly discuss the elements that could be better in your work. List the things you need to improve/fix/change/work on to improve the work? (You can base these thoughts on the feedback received at the critique)

 

Overall there are still areas that I think I could improve on. I know during the critique I was told it would be a good idea to add more chaos and struggle, which I feel like I did do that I tried my best to add more of that at the beginning where I wanted to show the struggle, but I know there can always be more. The yellow line scenes I was told I could take out, but I kept them because I thought it added to the chaos, but I feel like I could have done more with them to make them blend a little better. I also tried to add more of the boy surfing scene through out the video by placing the scene where he is actually surfing a little later on in the video when it starts showing the successes, but I think with this it would have been cool if I could have found a way to add the little boy somehow from the beginning to the end of the video showing his progress, but right now there just wasn’t enough footage of him to do that.

Before Critique Video

My video can be found on YouTube.

Concept:

 

  1. Concepts> In 100 words/4 sentences, tell us how the video additions changed/added meaning or layers to your audio remix? Did you simply “describe” the audio with video or do you feel that your video choices added depth? Simply, did you do a TRUE remix of simply mash up “things” that existed in your audio remix?

 

I believe I did a true remix, because I think adding the video added more meaning and value than just the song did. With the song it was really just about trying to find your motivation and put it into action, and now with the video I think you can now see all the voices that are telling and pushing us to think all these things but with all of it being pushed on us its hard and can get confusing but we have to get past all the voices and find it in ourselves to accomplish and push through to what we want to achieve, and by the ending it shows that when we do that we we can accomplish anything.

 

Video/After Effects Form:

 

  1. How did you construct/compose/structure all the parts of your video? In other words, how did you synch you video to your audio? What was the over all “vibe” you were going for?

 

I tried to compile videos at the beginning that made it very confusing and stressful with hearing all these voices being thrown at you, but then it becomes videos about people who had their set of failures but managed to push past and find their own motivation to become huge successes, and then I complied videos that shows what happens when we do that ourselves we can accomplish great lengths.

 

  1. Following up on the above, what EDITING PACE/TIMING/STRATAGIES did you apply when considering the over all “vibe” of your audio remix?

 

I considered a fairly fast pace throughout the video because I feel like with the overall theme being motivation it wouldn’t make sense to be a slow pace.

 

  1. Briefly, where and how (and to what effect conceptually or formally) did you apply COLOR CORRECTIONS? How did you manipulate or change video clips or pictures? Choose 2-3 clips or generally where you used theses to discuss.

 

I applied color corrections to multiple parts for a lot of the people talking that went along with the audio I used curves and created color contrast. I used black and white a few times on the little’s boys seen to make it seem like the past.

 

  1. Briefly, where (and why, to what “effect”?) did you apply After Effects EFFECTS & PRESETS and filters? Or> If you used mostly “raw” (i.e. unchanged or modified) video or pictures, give us a good reason why you did not “manipulate” with the video clips?

 

I used animation effects to a few texts to add a pace to them as well, and the blur effect to the first image to add a confused feeling for the start of it. Some videos I did not manipulate because I felt by manipulating the ones that are left raw it would change their meaning too much, for the ones I left raw it is because I felt that the video already gave meaning to the video as a whole without being manipulated.

 

 

Audio Song Project

Both my 1st and final drafts of my audio piece can be found on my SoundCloud-

 

 

Before the Critique:

Concept:

 

  1. Synopsis> In at least 100 words/four or more sentences, what is your work about/dealing with/trying to say or do? Explain the content/narrative/idea.

 

I was trying to go for a very motivational, pick me up song for this audio piece. So I looked for speeches that were based on believing in yourself and not giving up. I wanted there to be more than just one voice to it to show that there are many people out there that believe in you and I felt that having those multiple

Voices really gave off the idea of power and that’s what it need to be motivational to people. I felt like having a lot going on and really building up the song along the way gives the viewers a chance to feel the strength in the speeches.

 

GarageBand Essentials:

 

  1. Briefly, how did you use/apply a software instrument* (*required) and an audio sound you recorded yourself* (*required) in your work? And to what end/effect?

 

For this I actually used my own voice in the piece, I recorded myself saying a speech and then added effects to it so you would not be able to tell it was me.

 

  1. Where and how (and to what effect conceptually or formally) did you apply plug in’s/effect filters? How did you manipulate or change loops/sounds? Choose 2-3 to discuss.

 

I applied an effect/plug in to some of my main beats in the background like the MistyAll and the Default for each of them I added a plug in that made them blend together more, because they were not that similar in the ways I wanted them to be without the effects. I tried to go with effects that made these two mush together better.

 

 

 

 

Audio Form:

 

  1. What audio structure/outline/layout did you use? Or better, how did you construct/compose all the parts of your audio? Remember “Pop music” formulas?

 

I did a build up overtime, so it starts up slower and eventually speeds up and then just breaks off at the end. I was trying to go for a powerful ending.

 

  1. Briefly, how did you try to create/apply audio “space.” Yes, this can be interpreted as creating a 3-dimensional space. Ex. How sound space is used in a movie theater.

 

I tried to make some parts louder at some point and then quieter in others si the music wasn’t coming at you at all times all at once, I feel like the created the space the viewer needed to breath.

 

  1. Briefly, where/how did you apply/use The Holy Trinity (apply “other” religions if needed**) of Audio; 1. high end, 2. mid range and 3. low end/bass sounds and audio 4. textures?

 

For the high end I used an upbeat piano that you pretty much hear throughout the entire thing, mid range I used beats like maracas and a tambourine to give the song a steady beat, and for the low end I used things like a rumble beat, and misty all.

 

After the Critique:

Critical Thoughts:

 

  1. Briefly discuss the successful elements of your work (both in form and content). What parts are working well? (You can base these thoughts on the feedback received at the critique)

 

I think my overall idea and concept of the piece worked well, and the idea of having more than just one speech in it.

 

  1. Briefly discuss the elements that could be better in your work. List the things you need to improve/fix/change/work on to improve the work? (You can base these thoughts on the feedback received at the critique)

 

I could have done better with my sound the voices sounded muffled and were hard to understand so I needed to o back through and make them more clear. Which I think I did by not having multiple different voices talk at once anymore I zoned them in and out at different times. I also had little music to it which I went back and added more sounds and beats to the song which hopefully makes it sound better.

 

  1. Bonus points!> Discuss any additional research you did beyond the classroom. Provide us links if possible and a very brief response to each.

 

http://thegaragebandguide.com/how-to-mix-vocals-in-garageband-part-1 I really liked this guide because it helped me better understand how to use compressors and make the voices sound better.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELs6PfVn0zo I also used this video because tis reminders of what we talked about in class so it was nice to be able to go back and listen on how to do things again.

 

Culture Jam

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The New Killer Dark Tanning Oil culture jam is the one I am critiquing.

a). There were multiple photoshop techniques used in this work. I used the warp tool, eraser, cloning tool, text, and the magic wand as some of them. I watched tutorials on how to manipulate use the cloning tool and how to manipulate text. This was probably my best culture jam, because it had the most meaning behind it. The craftsmanship behind this I feel was done well.

b). For this piece I started out with the main image, which would be everything except for the skeleton. I worked out what I need to do with that by rewarding and adjusting all the text. Then I took the skeleton image and put it on top of the first. That took a lot of warping the image and blurring it to make it blend with the original. I also painted around a little to distinguish the girl more.

c). The main concept of the idea was to address that tanning is bad for your skin. The guys in the picture are still happy and intrigued by what they see now, but what they don’t see is how it will hurt that person in the long run. This is why nothing shows on the outside of her body and only the skeleton on the inside. Right now there are no effects but maybe a sunburn, but that will definitly change in the future. This is where I got the title form because this could result in a deathly disease later on.

d). I feel the space in this picture is used well, there is not too much to where the reader is overwhelmed but yet enough to get the point across. The color scheme is kinda dull there is a bright aspect to it, but that wasn’t the point of it. The texture isn’t very sharp the original image was not the best quality. I did my best throughout the rest of the image to match the quality of the original image. Those were the main visual elements I saw in this piece of work.

e). I feel what I could have done more of to make this more successful was done more to show the effects of tanning. All I show now is the skeleton and I feel like I could have done more besides that to really portray that theme. Another thing I felt like I could have done was create something to go in the bottom right corner. That part I left the same and I think it might take away from the piece. Also I feel that the skeleton could have been intigrated a little better.

f). Additional research I did was watch videos to better understand what I was doing for each piece. Also if it involved a movie I watched that part of the movie to see if I could take the text actually said and just change it to fit my piece better.