Tag: Distortion

Life / Time 06

lifetime-2

Life / Time
1920 x 1080
Video on loop

Time progresses, and so do we. Being caught in the vicious cycle of life, we often fail to appreciate what is around us until they disappear. Time and life run parallel to one another, yet we can only focus on one at a time. Life / Time is a time for reflection, a reminder to live in the moment.

Life represents the flow of life, shown by a body of water in constant motion, which is occasionally interrupted by external movement. The sudden presence of a man represents volatility – how some things come into your life and leave when you least expect it. Time represents being caught in a fast-paced environment, shown by ever-changing blurred lights moving around the screen.

The duration of both videos were deliberately made to start and end at different timings. Life and Time run parallel to one another and may meet only at certain intervals. Time is shorter to literally show how time passes by quickly. Both videos were supposed to be played in a loop to show the cyclical nature of life and time.

The films were projected at two separate ends of the space, forcing viewers to turn their heads left and right in order to watch, and missing out footage of the other in the process. This experience emulates missing out in life or losing time if we focus too much on the other.

Life / Time 04

Time progresses, and so do we. Oftentimes, we do not appreciate what is around us until they disappear. We tend to forget to live in the moment, and only realise it when it is too late. This is meant for that moment of reflection, a reminder to pay attention to our surroundings.

Thought process:

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My final concept is to have two separate videos playing concurrently, with the projections overlaid, to represent the element of time and life running parallel to one another. With two projections going on at the same time, it limits the viewer to focus on only one projection but not the other, hence missing out on what is happening in the other.

Time will be represented by a running motion, to express how people are caught up in a fast-paced environment. Life will be represented by water, to express the flow of life and how it is something that is constantly moving. The video would ideally be looped, to express the idea of time and life as a cycle and how people will notice something different with every loop.

Life / Time 03

My initial idea was to film this refraction of water and light in a time lapse, that ends with the refraction disappearing. I wanted to show how we tend to not notice the things around us and only realise it when it is too late. However, I realised that it was impossible to control the timing of which the refraction appears and disappears, because it is entirely dependent on sunlight.

On the bus ride to NTU, I noticed that there were two different things going on through the window – the scenery on the exterior and the activities happening in the bus through the reflection. I realised that I could only focus on one thing at a time, missing out on one when I looked at the other. It gave me the idea of using dual projections for my project.

I chanced upon this video while attempting to research on projection overlay. I love how the out of focus effect masks our ability to recognise anything in the video, leaving it very open-ended and ambiguous.

I may strongly consider changing my concept to something related to duality and overlay, but I definitely have to further develop it. *excites*

Life / Time 01

Upon realising that the common theme for my first two projects deal with photo outcomes that have some form of effects that include distortion/manipulation/ambiguity, I was reminded of a music video concept that really blew me away. I was amazed by the use of distortion from first person perspective and how the effect imitates the fluidity of water.

This distortion is used throughout the entire video as a form of transition that flows with the storyline. It gets more heavily distorted as the video progresses, leaving the viewer in a state of curiosity at the end.

The concept behind the video is pretty interesting as well:

“blurs the boundaries between reality, sensation and perception. In the video we watch the visual manifestation that evokes what director Clemens Habicht calls, ‘the delicious euphoric pleasure that motivates the sort of mistakes that precede remorse.'” (http://www.wizz.fr/news/clemens-habicht-directs-flumes-never-be-like-you)

“After a breakup, the memories of your former lover can often feel otherworldly. They’re distorted and distant, like you’re not sure they actually happened. That disjointed reality is exactly what director Clemens Habicht tries to capture in Flume’s new video for his Kai-featuring single “Never Be Like You”. In the clip, Australian actors Sophie Lowe and Sam Reid swirl in the wavy memories of a romance freshly ended. Though the moments are romantic and tender, looking back on them from the point of being wounded isn’t the prettiest vantage point.” (http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/02/memories-are-wavy-in-flumes-video-for-never-be-like-you-watch/)

Distortion is used here as a representation of time and emotion in the situation. After sharing my concept with the class, Robert suggested that instead of distorting the video digitally, I could try using a medium that could distort the video (aka water). How can I use distortion as an expression of a situation? #thoughts