Random Ramblings
Due to time limitations for FYP, I had to limit myself to 2-3 hours per piece inclusive of practice sketches.
Aim: A personalized take on documentation of adm journey.
Methodology: Video was passed through max msp that applies changes to colour and mirror image axis depending on threshold level of sound.
The use of random factors for the changes was meant to be correlated to the randomness of consequences after each change/decision made.
Repetition is a tool used a lot in this work to emphasize the feeling of lack of change during my journey. Footage, transitions and effects were repeated. One flaw, as pointed out by guest critics would be the lack of variety in footage.
The hard knocking sounds were meant to represent the external influences that resulted in a change of views/routes of choice. Another flaw pointed out was that the changes in colour were too bright, and the knocking sounds were too loud. While it was controlled by random factors, it would have been better to limit the random values to a range in order to not distort/destroy the image. Loud sounds should have been normalized as well. Threshold levels for the changes could have been better adjusted with more time. There might be a better way to distort the images without creating too much of a kaleidoscopic effect.
Results: It was hard to translate the thoughts and feelings intended due to lack of control over the medium. Not creating a setting either through titles or some other form to inform viewers of what they’re viewing was also a flaw.
It’s my first time seeing Cemetery of Splendours, and I must say I’m kind of surprised, not really in a good way though. It’s very different from run-of-the-mill Hollywood style films, but at the same time it’s too different to embrace. It could be because I’m watching it without subs, so the lack of understanding of context adds to the difficulty in appreciating this work.
The slow pacing of the film, along with the static feel of the camera creates a very lethargic mood. At some moments, there are long shots of footage that just seem unnecessary to the story-telling, such as of the soldiers sleeping, or the man taking a dump in the forest. There are other moments of strange behaviour, around 59 mins where people consecutively walked up to a stone bench, sat down, and then got up and left. The pacing and camera work feels a lot more suited for a documentary than a movie. The lack of camera movement led to moments of meditative immersion, but at other times, slight annoyance and frustration when there’s interaction between people or objects and the focus clearly wasn’t on the interaction.
There’s also a strange cut to some random footage that I later learnt was for the audience to sing to the national anthem. While it’s understandable that the Thai are very conscious and respectful when it comes to their country, to have random scenes inserted for real-life out of the screen situations is something very alien to me. It was disruptive and broke the meditative flow which it seemed to be aiming for.
The sounds were very much on the low/subtle side which results in large periods of relative silence. Personally it’s too quiet and there’s not enough motion through interaction of actors/objects or camera movement to spark an interest of maintain my full attention.
Week 4 Tonal design
Week 5-6 Trees
Week 7-8 Old masters (Joseph Zbuvich)
Week 9-10 Evening setting
Due to time constraints for FYP, most pieces are stopped within roughly 2 hours.
Earlier pieces from Week 2-3 have already been submitted hard copy.
Was kinda bogged down by some family matters. I had taken these long ago but didn’t have the time to post it.
This series of photos are meant to illustrate my journey in ADM to a certain extent I used 2 sheets of acrylic, 1 clear, another cracked and taped, to use as a filter for my images.
1) Taken with a clear acrylic. I tried to capture a “junction”, or entrance path of some sorts, to symbolize the start of my ADM journey because I had no art background prior to joining ADM.
2) Taken with the cracked acrylic filter. During my first year, the first major “crack” was in my Foundation 3D class. I won’t say much apart from the fact that I was given a task impossible to complete, and both me and my team mate gave up entirely because negotiations with the tutor was going nowhere.
3) Taken with the cracked acrylic filter. So after not clearing my Foundation 3D, I wasn’t allowed to progress onto year 2. Which was to be honest, was really depressing. The blurred lights and smokey effect from the cracks and tape turned out really well for this image. I tried to go for a gloomy horror film kind of effect. It’s not that close, but I think it captures the gist of it.
4) This is literally symbolizing when my journey got really shaken up. It took a while for the fact that I’ll be graduating alone once again (not with my original class) to sink in. Having lost a close friend that led to depression in my junior college days, I took time off and graduated a year later. Nothing was more painful than watching one of my closest buddies graduate after nearly a year of no contact. Realizing that I’ll be experiencing the same thing again hit me hard.
5) These next 4 images are supposed to represent my view when I was down in the dumps and attempting suicide. The solitary star felt somehow apt as a self-representation. Had there been more clouds, this shot would have been much more on point. The lack of sparkle from the star, and the grains in the photo are similar to what I saw when I was nearly passing out from attempting suicide with inert gases.
6-8) After failing suicide by inert gases, I attempted to jump off a window ledge. I remained in ADM to take these photos because it was not only the source of my stress, but also the place that’s anchoring me and pulled me back on track. The lack of focus into a clearer focus of the immediate view in front of me represents not just my mood but also my logical self, who decided to give up on suicide, but even then I couldn’t see any thing or any future past it whether I had gone ahead or not.
9) I tried to make the cracks more obvious but not too overpowering while keeping the view blurred using more tape on the acrylic sheet. This image is symbolic of my recovery process. I took nearly 2 semesters off to take a breather and tried to fumble my way around, looking for a potential path in life to walk along.
10) As I near the end of my ADM journey, and after the help I’ve been receiving, I have a slightly clearer image of how I intent to progress after graduation. One reason for taking a shot of the fountain was that it was where one of the more memorable game events took place during the Freshman Orientation Games. There were other spots in ADM that I really liked, but chose this one because it was near the “entrance/exit” stairs to ADM. As I leave, reminiscing about the past and taking what I’ve learnt with me…
00:00 Ball and Bat
00:34 Newspaper Chopping (Sped up 0.5x)
01:34 Balloon Chopper
02:06 Non-newtonian (sped up 2.5x)
03:14 Coffee Footbath
09:31 Ice Punching Bag
10:25 Burnt Canvas (sped up 2.5x)
18:14 House of Cards (sped up 2.5x)
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These are some experimental videos I took to try out weird and nonsensical ways of relieving negativity. This set of videos focused more on the venting aspect. There were other videos I wanted to do but my props either didn’t arrive or didn’t work so I’m looking into other ways of doing those.
I know it’s really late and I’m sorry for the absence from presentation and delay, but I hope to get some feedback.
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Ball and Bat (00:00)
Clip of me trying to hit balls flying towards me. I plan to redo this in a more exaggerated manner. The balls signify the problems we face in life, and overall how we can try really hard, but things are still going to hit us.
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Newspaper Chopper (00:34)
Video of me using a chopper to deal with and try to violently go through “problems in life” haphazardly. The newspapers are used in place of study notes, and are supposed to symbolize the piling up of assignments and readings from bad habits such as procrastination. The chopping action is to symbolize brute force and ineffective methods that I end up using, which could have been avoided if I didn’t procrastinate. Also, the chopper used is still blunt from insufficient sharpening which also signifies how lack of preparation just makes things impossible no matter how much effort is used.
I intend to do a different iteration of this, with a properly sharpened knife, to slice away at stacks of paper. I’m also thinking of doing one iteration with a blunt and sharp chopper attached to a hydraulic press in some way and see if it cuts through the paper stacks, or if the blade breaks.
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Balloon Chopper (01:34)
Video of me using a chopper to deal with and try to violently go through “problems in life” haphazardly. The bursting loud sounds signify the rebound from not dealing with problems in a planned and timely manner. I intend to do a reiteration of maybe water balloons or something that will actually produce feedback that dirties/hurts me in some way.
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Non-newtonian (02:06)
Me using a bat to hit a non-newtonian fluid made of cornstarch. Large forces applied makes it solid, and slow gentle force makes the fluid behave like liquids.
The non-newtonian fluid represents the troubles/problems in life, and through the difference in motion shown, it’s to represent that most often, slow and steady is more effective than attempting to rush and make repeated haphazard attempts at solving the issues.
I intend to make another iteration, with various food colouring added, so as to show the differences in the time taken to mix the colours using both types of action.
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Coffee Footbath (03:14)
Personally I enjoy coffee a lot, and I like to try out different methods of brewing to get various flavour profiles and so on. It helps me relax. Baths are also another thing really enjoyable but unfortunately I don’t have access to one right now, so I’ll attempt a makeshift version soon.
If anything this felt really good, and if I could do this without worrying about making a mess, I’d love to do it with slightly better coffee to get more aroma.
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Ice Punching Bag (09:31)
I’ve always wanted to own a punching bag to vent my stress and anger, but never got around buying one. It seemed interesting to attempt to “cool down” while releasing frustration, but overall it hurt more than I expected, and I ended up with bruised knuckles.
As to what I can relate in terms of venting and destressing, is that doing it violently isn’t going to help. Rather it’ll make things worse. I’ve had times of binge eating as well and that just ended up making me feel horrible.
Maybe the next version I could try is have a cooling fever pads on, while hitting a punching bag (of maybe softer material).
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Burnt Canvas (10:25)
In this setup, there’s a canvas with matches placed standing up and lined to form words. I initially wanted to do a mockup of the degree audit page, but it was too time consuming to make the actual letters so I resorted to just simple squiggle lines. I then lined up fireworks to connect to these matches, and watched it burn after lighting the fireworks. This is partly representing how I have times when I just end up doing nothing during crunch times. Sometimes I’m overwhelmed, sometimes I don’t know where to start, and so on.
The canvas was supposed to represent the foundations of myself, while the matches represented the volatility of the future and how it can easily burn out of control. The burning process is also irreversible, much like how time/life is, so it serves as a reminder to me not to repeat the same mistakes.
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House of Cards (18:14)
I setup a house of cards, and the initial plan was to tear it down/destroy it as I’m nearing completion, but hindered by various factors. In the end, I was surprisingly hindered by the fact that the surface wasn’t flat, I had to do this outdoors (since I intended to set it on fire as well) so the wind was making it impossible to complete it. Finally I completely overlooked the fact that the cards were from an airline, and they were laced full of flame retardants which made it impossible to light on fire as well.
It’s a bit of a surprising result, but one conclusion I draw from it is it represents how a foundation doesn’t easily get destroyed. It may crumble a little after some time of not being active, but the parts that make up the foundation are there to stay. It’s also something relatable since I do feel that way. There are times when I can’t practice my calligraphy for several days or even weeks in a row, but even though it get’s shakey, the raw basics are not something that’s easily forgotten. To apply it on a more personal level, it reminds me that while I feel that I don’t have a niche skill, even after going through the various different modules in ADM, those little basic concepts and thought processes are there to stay and I’m really thankful for that.
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It would be nice to get some input on how I can approach the next set of videos.
Also, I need some advice on what kind of technical skill I can focus on and hone through the rest of my FYP. My biggest dilemma is not having a proper niche skill, so I really want to use the rest of the FYP to build on a skill that will fit into and benefit the final outcome for FYP show. Seeing that I’m working with videos, I thought of trying to work with and build up more video editing techniques or maybe some sound editing using the audio tracks only. Does anyone have suggestions on the kind of medium I could probably use as the main medium in my project?
The initial idea of just curating a installation isn’t going to benefit me much when it comes to job searching next time. Curating artworks isn’t really what I’m looking into doing in the future.
There are a couple more filmings I haven’t done as I was both busy with exam and side portfolio projects. I’ll get back to them soon and post within a week or two.
Here’s the link to the playlist of the unedited videos. There is one more of me doing knife sharpening that I didn’t include because it was a bit dry.
https://goo.gl/TkyFJS
I know it’s late, but just wanted to express my apologies to the faculty for not turning up at the previous presentation meeting. I wasn’t really in the right state of mind those few days and crumbled from the negativity I was inflicting onto myself. Sounds really ironic considering the theme of my project, but I was really conflicted and lost.
Once again, sorry for the late update and apology. I’m currently preparing for a paper due a few days time, so I’ll post a thorough detailed update on my project status then. I hope to be able to receive some feedback from the faculty and my fellow classmates then.
Description:
The project aims to let users reconnect with the analogue, mainly the form of writing. It aims to let them understand the meditative and reflective aspects of writing and the emotions that can be translated visually into words. If possible it would be perfect to also spark off their interest to improve their handwriting, or pick up the pen more often.
The space and setup should be visually large and spacious, or slightly overwhelming in a certain sense. Users will be guided through video and attempt to write using dip/brush pens. Through the entire process, this project will be only accommodating 1 (maybe 2 max – undecided) person.
Process:
Setup Requirements:
Setup #1:
Using a dome-like structure with projectors adjusted for distortions, users will be in the center of a room, where they will be going through the process and writing. A sensor will be detecting their hand motions and after which feedback will be given to them in the form of a replay. Should the replay function be difficult to implement, a simple laser pointer with motors attached will point out parts of the writing that was unstable.
Lighting will be kept warm, and together with the soft music and aromatherapy users should be encouraged into a meditative state without them knowing.
Setup #2:
The space will be a contained one, preferably soundproofed to a certain extent. Using a similar setup as TeamLab’s Crystal Universe, countless pieces of paper will be strung with nylon strings and secured at the roof and flooring so it doesn’t freely float around.
Words and phrases will be on those pieces of paper and they’ll come in various writing styles. These are to serve as a reference for users to see what kind of writing they might be interested to explore.
Similar to setup #1, at the center will be a desk with pens. Rather than a 360 projection like in setup #1, this version would most likely be just a normal 2D projection onto the front wall. Mirrors might be placed at the side walls to create more depth. This will need some testing and exploration.
(Since I wasn’t there for lecture, I’ll be responding purely on the SmartNation website)
Looking at the number of apps available regarding Smart Nation, I’d doubt it’ll go very far. Simply put, there are way too many apps. Granted, each one is meant to serve a different purpose and hence will require different layouts and designs. However I think it defeats the purpose of a “smart” system.
A smart system needs to be user oriented, versatile and easy to adapt. I’d propose the idea that (at the very least) apps for each particular type are consolidated into one. E.g. We have Beeline, MyTransport.sg for transport options. There are also redundancies like SGSecure. There is absolutely no need at all for a separate app, if majority of the apps listed are consolidated into one. If the apps were consolidated, there can be simple gestures or a button that enables reporting of potential security threats. And having that button accessible while in other apps is a great advantage because in the event of an actual emergency, every second counts. The time taken for a user to close an app, start up SGSecure, take a photo, and make a report could be drastically reduced. One way would be to simply take a photo, and upload it with the approximated GPS location of the user. While the user is still keying details about description and location of the potential threat, security personnel can check the image received and have a team head to the general direction of the scene while details are finalized.
In the recent years of design, the focus has mainly been on minimalism, or to design based on the job that needs to be done, and do it well without any “unnecessary clutter”. This holds true still, but in certain situations, things are starting to change. One example would be WeChat. It’s a messaging platform mainly used in China, and it has expanded by adding several features such as e-commerce in conjunction with social networking. People are able to pay bills, transfer money, make bookings etc without leaving that single app. The core principal is to have many lightweight “apps” within a bigger container app.
I believe that SmartNation SG should take some pointers from the WeChat example quoted. Having many apps consolidated also improves phone navigation so users don’t have to scroll through pages of apps. Consolidating the apps also takes some inspiration from game UIs. One of the most common criminals of game UI is for too much information to be displayed at any one time when it doesn’t even matter. Some games have addons created by fans that go through continuous testing to become streamlined. Similarly having so many pages of apps serves little purpose when they are all aimed at connecting Singapore with the Smart Nation concept.
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