Micro-Project I: Video Double

By: Randall Packer |

Photo on 1-12-15 at 6.05 AM

Video Double:  Using Photo Booth (or similar Webcam video software), create a one minute video of yourself that constructs your “artistic alter ego:” the artist you want/choose/aspire to be! Choose a location that you find best expresses this constructed sense of identity: studio, campus, apartment, park, café, garden, etc. Do not write a script or edit your piece, although you can shoot more than one take, picking the best one. Be sure you are in the video, though it doesn’t need to be a traditional headshot. Consider any ambient noise, background movement, etc. to be part of the composition and the setting. Be sure you are close to the camera if you intend to speak, so the sound is clear and audible.

If you are using Photo Booth, feel free to apply any effects that enhance the articulation of your video double. You might want to situate yourself, for example, in a saturated space, if you feel your artistic identity is connected to media alteration, the “glitched” image, or some form of comment on the immersive nature of our contemporary media experience.

The goal of the project is to spontaneously and improvisationally create a sense of an imaginary double in video form. The project asks the following questions: How can video be used to alter identity? How might video be used to conceal identity? How do the objects that surround you contribute to your sense of identity? When the video double is completed, upload it to your Vimeo account and embed it in a blog post on your WordPress site by copying the link, and give the post a title. Include a short text description (one or two sentences) as a “caption” for the video, that concisely or enigmatically or poetically describes who you are (or imagine yourself to be) in your video double.

Example projects by Nasir Bin Abdul:

and Diana Toh:

Instructions:

  • Setup a Vimeo account if you don’t have one already.
  • Shoot the video from the Photo Booth app on your laptop and upload to your Vimeo account (see the Vimeo section in Media Integration of the OSS User Manual for additional instructions)
  • Use Photo Booth effects freely or not at all, your choice
  • Give your video a name and description in Vimeo
  • Access the video in Vimeo and copy the video URL by clicking on the “Share” button
  • ​Create a new post in WordPress and paste the URL address to the video along with a brief description as mentioned above (see Creating a Post in the OSS User Manual for additional instructions).
  • IMPORTANT: Use the category “Micro-Project” that we created in class and assign the category to your post
  • Create a still image from your video and use as your featured image. To create a still, you can enlarge your video full screen, find a frame you like, wait until the control bar disappears and then take a screenshot (Shift-Command-3 on the Mac). If you have difficulty with this we can review in class.
  • Check the home page of the Class Site and make sure your post has appeared.
  • Leave a comment on another post.
  • Congratulations! We will discuss our Video Doubles next week in class.

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