Working on the final, really got me interested in working with augmented reality. I am interested in manipulating a space, this could be a good form of storytelling. Almost like the ultimate dream space, making the imaginary real! I would like to use this to make a full length feature one day. I'm not sure what the plot would entail, or how it could be executed. Maybe it could be a action-response kind of thing, where I have a character living her ordinary life, but then somehow I can manage to show her inner thoughts as actions, via augmented reality. I don't know how though. And I'm not sure what aesthetic the film would take? It would be interesting to play with color......

I was kinda bummed out that our projections didn't work out for the final, but i think the overlays worked well with our concept. I'm not sure how we would go around reshooting the projection scenes, originally we wanted the projections so that the interactions between the characters appeared clearer, :(

For some reason shooting took a long time, and no matter how much we tried storyboarding, things didn't work out. It was frustrating, but we finished so thats that. If i were to revisit the project I would like to work with the projections, and the 2nd life footage. Also I didn't really focus on the advantaged of life in the virtual space. Aside from the comparisons we made for the narrative, we didn't go to much in depth with the appeal of each space was. Although i'm ok with the outcome the narrative can be a little more clear.

The possible StoryBoards

We changed our "script" numerous times this was the basic final structure for a portion of the video:

We got really good suggestions in class regarding our final proposal. I was really interested in one in particular, what I understood was: to attempt to question reality more in a way where the viewer isn't aware of which is the real the virtual or the imaginary. (Fight Club reference)

To do this, I think we could frame our main shot a little more with the theme in mind and this kind of augmented reality I want to explore.

SO, we could have the projection scene be the longest portion of the video. I was thinking we could very strategically set up the shot with the main character performing an activity (maybe playing the video game (so the song selection is more in context), or some kind of stationary performance, or maybe even dance, (point being how the character occupies that space) In that same shot off to the other side we can set up the dolls or whatever and have the avatar interacting with the objects. I think the avatar should have a voice, maybe even the dolls if we end up using them. The shot can start out on the character, pan to the avatar then come out to show both. So, we never actually know which is intended to be the "real" and we see distinct interaction between worlds, and how they affect each other.

Although this may deal with perception and how protocol between spaces change and are created.

On another note, to comment on the technical side, 2nd life, aside from being very time consuming, and somewhat of a frustrating drag, it too can be just as blah as reality, except I find I am more bored in 2nd life, so I find myself questioning what is life and why do I exist yet again!!

So I am abandoning the infomercial idea for now. Instead, I am working with Katy on the Final, and we are going a different route. We began with the idea of a music video and build from that. Katy suggested we use music from the silent hill soundtrack. I was drawn to one of the songs in particular because it gave me a type of nostalgia for childhood, but the other sounds incorporated in the song are kind of eerie, and I find myself forced to construct some type of narrative.

After talking with Tracy, I became very interested in the parallels between the real and the imaginary. Where does the virtual lie? So, I hope the project address these boundaries and how they and we exist in them.

Some thing we plan on using:

2nd life, porcelain dolls, and projections!!

For the final I was thinking about doing an infomercial type piece. I'm interested in doing it on Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal.

There are other techniques I want to incorporate into the project so I don't think the final product will be an infomercial.

I really want to connect with his satire, I find the ridiculousness of infomercials will aid in doing so. I hope I can make this a social commentary on current economic situations, since this is somewhat of a never ending ordeal (there seems to always be a place for poverty), it's something I'd like to address, specifically for the US. Although I feel that the US tends to exaggerate, because the poverty here isn't comparable to the poverty in 3rd world countries. I don't mean to be little the economic downfall of the US (as it also affects other countries), but I feel it's only more notable to Americans, because the majority of them are used to different lifestyles, and are in a sense spoiled. As far as resources go at least, they are readily available to us. I'm fascinated by the sense of moral and the institutions society places itself into--abides by.

3D kinda w/o computer programs, I guess you can't (unless your just looking at images) because you still need them to create the video. But this guy figured out a way to build a veiwer, pretty cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=xqmJVRaSImg

Although this is interesting, the things you can do are limited, (sounds familiar haha) but its cool to know that these kinds of things can be done

So, i'm actually taking physics 1c right now and coincidentally we covered light rays, reflection, refraction, and polarization the same week we started the DIY 3D. I was really interested in how polarizers work. How is it that they can filter out and absorb specific directional rays.

Also there was this cool video, interactive 3D, pretty awesome!

I ended up calling my video Ethology. The gist of it is supposed to read as follows:

Theme: “Humanity” is a concept developed by civilization, the reality is another.......

By means of comparison, present visual means that question humanity, provide a slightly comedic tone addressing the innately primitive human condition, mocking the "reality" of behavior.

Video Flow Includes: stills from short educational videos, adolescence(seen in Thirteen), adulthood (seen in reality TV footage, surveillance),extreme behaviors.

I was really interested in ways I could use surveillance, but after looking at the images and footage I captured I kinda lost interest...I liked the idea of it but not so much showcasing it......(just a side note, I just discovered how to record the computer screen so I tried it out with google maps, super cool!!!)

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2003/feature-articles/letter_london/

This letter by Chris Darke addressed the social, individual concerns of surveillance, as seen in films and other forms of media outputs. A kind of exploitation of surveillance questioning the projection of the gaze, who's watching you?? Living in fear, or a state of "phoney war" and the sense of a "panopticon-esque" society. He talks about a sort of infatuation with surveillance, as seen in reality TV, there has been this kind of fly on the wall approach to filmic strategy that emphasizes a "surrender" to media, almost embracing surveillance.

Surveillance

I'm not sure if these apps are real, but they are kind of amazing, and incredibly creepy. Surveillance is an interesting mode of monitoring and recording "live" feed.

Spy Cam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9wnR8n88CM&feature=related

I Cam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R32yjxzVd8

the aesthetic of surveillance video footage is very distinct.....I'm interested in this look, and and how its perceived by a viewer, what looks "real" or "frightening"