Non-Linear Community
Project Description
Develop a vignette or vignettes that features a non-linear narrative and whose message is based on a vision of community. Interpret the word community, use one or all of these words in some way in each video: community, association, center, company, district, nation, neighborhood, people, public, society, state, colony, community.
Step 1: Research and Brainstorm
I began this project by looking up the definitions of some of the words listed in the project description. The main definition that resonated with me was the one for community that described it as “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” This definition made me think of the senior painting class, both in its physical existence witin the studio and the relationships that have been formed amongst its members. The idea of a neighborhood and community also made me think of how painting class have changed because of COVID. WE use to be able to interact with eachother so much more, and now the class doesn’t come together except for midtrerm and final crits over zoom.
For my video, I wanted to focus on a specific group of senior painters; my closest friends. When we got sent home last semester, we made a group chat called PAINTING PANDEMIC as a way to try to stay connected and bring some of the studio atmosphere home. This video is dedicated to them.
Step 2: Collect Footage
I decided that I wanted to make a grid of short videos of each preson workin gin their studios. The grid and boxes related to the zoom format we all have grown way too familiar with, and the physical individual studio space each painter has.
I started by collecting footage of each person working. The only thing I asked them to do was walk into their studio for me. After that they just continued to work on whatever they needed to. Next, I created a short vignette of each person working, shifting the point of view throughout each by zooming in and moving around the studio.
Step 3: Tweak Idea
After finishing the short clips I organized them into a grid with a black background.
From here, I didn't really know where to go. I still liked my idea of representing this group of people in my life, but it felt kind of flat. After brainstorming some more, I decided I wanted an element that would illustrate the mixing of the different personalities and talents in this group. This also gave me the chance to add a more physical element to the video, so I decided to film myself mixing watercolors.
Each color represents a person in the group. I had took the colors from a project I did last semester, in which I sent colored blocks to people that had impacted me. The blocks were colored specifically for each person and also had a note explaining the color and why I choose it for them. Each of the people in the Painting Pandemic group had received a block, and therefore a color, through this project.
Step 4: Collect more Footage
Next, I filmed myself mixing the watercolors. I started by creating rectangles of water to add pigment into so that there would be more movement in the colors. Beginning with red, then blue, and then yellow, I added each primary color to rectangles that would needed, so that the group of colors were built up together.
After the individual colors were mixed, I dragged my brush through them allowing them to mix with oneanother.
Step 5: Assemble
I placed the grid of rectangles on top the watercolor footage, this time making them white so you could see the watercolors through them.
Each persons video began as color was placed in their rectangle, like bringing life to their studio and waking it up. The individual videos were all different lengths, so once one would end it would loop back to the beginning.
Step 6: Final Check-in
At this point, the video still didn’t feel fully resolved to me. My professor agreed and suggested adding a scale shift so the viewer could enter into and be introduced to each individual artist and studio.
Step 7: Adding More Layers
I agreed with my professor’s suggestion and added another layer to the video by zooming in on the studios as the person entered. I did this by saving the first version (rectangles and watercolor) and literally caling up the video in Premiere until one video was video. This was placed under the original size of the watercolor and rectangle video. By doing this, I was able to add another scale and more movement and color to the piece.
After adding the scale shifts, it still felt like somthing was missing to me. I decided to add in pictures of the person’s work to show what they were potentially working on in the video. It also showed more of the individuality of each artist.
Step 8: Audio
Lastly, I needed to add sound. From the beginning I knew I wanted to have birds singing. My roommate and I walk, Cailyn (top left rectangle), often walk back from the studio together at the end of the day. On our way back, there’s this one tree that we pass that is always full of birds chirping. It’s always the same tree, and we always wondered why they picked that one. The birds in the tree remind me of my painting class and how we all somehow ended up in this spot and this community together sharing ideas with one another.
I also added some sounds of city traffic, because Boston, and audio of myself writing down each color I had chosen for each of my friends.
Step 9: Final Video
