Assignment - Mixed Media (Video, Compositing, VFX)

The objectives of this assignment are to introduce video editing, combined with visual effects, compositing, stylized looks, manipulation, and animated elements for moving image workflows. The subject will be a human action or activity used as a vehicle to express larger ideas. Historically, the use of video as an artistic material will be discussed

Historical Background - Evolution of video manipulation

• The human figure performing various activities has been used by artists for years as a means to explore larger, universal truths.
• Through the beginnings of performance art, video has been used to document live actions by artists using themselves and their bodies as the subject matter of their art.
• Peformative videos supported and transitioned into video art pieces that continued to use the human form and human activities as their subject matter.
• Using the structure of film and animation (frame by frame images, played back at a constant rate to give the illusion of motion) artists are able to examine qualities of human activity in a way that can't be seen by the naked eye.
• The incorporation of digital editing and compositing (combining of visual elements from separate sources into a single image) into video art has allowed artists to further this idea in an infinite number of ways.

Process 1:

• Using a video camera, start by documenting an everyday human activity or action.
• Use the camera to collect shots of the activity from interesting points of view (or multiple points of view).
• SHOOT IN LANDSCAPE ORIENTATION
• For our definition, a human activity will involve at least one figure in the camera’s viewfinder carrying out a task or activity.
• Be sure to give yourself plenty of footage to work with. (When planning to working with keying or removing the background, shoot extra footage without the figure in the shot.)
• Working with Premiere Pro, capture your video digitally and edit your footage into usable segments.
• This is not a story, it's an objective exploration of a particular human activity
• You won't have a narrative, plot, or characters.
• Your "usable segments" in Premiere may begin to be altered (see below) or simply be individual segments of video that you will combine later in After Effects
• From Premiere Pro, render your segments as individual files for compositing in After Effects.
• With edited video segments, set-up a Composition(s) in After Effects and import your Quicktime segments.

Process 2:

Alter your video footage in at least 2 ways to reveal something unique about your activity. Alter the original video segments for the viewer to “see” the activity in a new way.

• edit through sequencing and timing
• overlay frame-by-frame footage (rotoscope)
• overlay hand-drawn frame-by-frame footage (rotoscope)
• alter the time
• alter the video through layering (combination of video, shapes, images, masks, mattes)
• alter the video through layering (blending modes)
• alter the video by compositing visual effects to specific areas of your footage (keying, rotoscoping, tracking, etc.)
• alter the video by adding or attaching animated shape layers, patterns or textures
• alter the format of the composition (multiple viewpoints at the same time, dyptich, tryptich, grid, etc)

Parameters:

• All orginial source footage (footage should be high quality)
• No internet images
• Alternative audio may be added to footage. NO SONGS OR MUSICAL SCORES ARE ALLOWED.
• MANIPULATIONS SHOULD BE CRAFTED FROM SCRATCH USING A COMBINATION OF EDITING, ANIMATION, COMPOSITING, VFX (VISUAL EFFECTS), AND NOT RELY ON PRESETS OR STOCK TEMPLATES.

Format:

• format: H264 (.mp4)
• size: HDV/HDTV 1080P (1920 x 1080 pixels - square pixels)
• landscape -OR- portrait orientation
• frame rate: 30
• video encoded as: H.264
• length: overall length should not be shorter than 30 seconds, but more is OK. Focus on refinement and polish

What to turn in:

• final movie file
• .aep file
• a sample of your video footage
• any other footage files included in the final movie (psd, jpg, textures, etc)
• Put all of the files in 1 folder
• Turn in the folder for grading.
• firstname_lastname_behavior
• Submit to the SOAD AD 442 Folder > Assignment 4 Drop

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation: