So the final part of filming, and also the most problems I have had so far, and it led to further considerations of instantaneous structures.
It was difficult to find anywhere, in terms of location, in the library that really worked. I am starting to realise it is about contrast in the background behind the figure, and some really nice spots we chose didn’t work because of the lack of siad contrast. Also the day while cold, which was a relief, as the day before had been the hottest ever, was moist, so the light level was low, which made the condensation not as visible, it was foggy. It was also moist the atmosphere, and realised the limits of the card templates, as they got damp quickly, and that affected the blowing too. I had to keep drying the template cards under a hand dryer. I moved back and forwards between four different locations.
In terms of instantaneous structure, it was good to have the camera person Jason, but I had asked him to bring lights etc, and we mucked aournd iwth these for an hour,and with reflectors, trying to make the condensation pop forwards, all to no avail, and I thought we were losing the instant nature of instantaneous structures. As before this consideration was given to the figure shape, but also it was quickly set up, and just happened on the closest window to hand. Now it was becoming more structured, taking longer to set up, also it was having more kit. I started to wonder about not using a tripod etc, to return it more to the Instantaneous structure.
Finally we set up in a corner, by the front door, which was more instantaneous, , but we also had to contend with a really slow sliding door that went back and forwards. It was very cramped, but it was high contrast, and meant the condensation could be seen. And it was marginal, in terms of its setting, not a main window. At the front, but off to one side.
In terms of participants, it was a bit stop start, we had a few at the beginning of the day, but then got a good number towards the end of the day, with us doing it ourselves while awaiting any participants. It got lots of interests, and was a good place to occur, I noticed people walking past, and then stopping and talking about it, from a distance, many others asked for an explanation, examined the templates without having a go, though the gave a similar reason of not having enough puff. But seeing the entry point as just partaking and investigating, I count the communication of the idea, s part of its role. Once more in terms of location I was back in a foyer entrance space, but it was the window i was interested in. It is interesting in terms of affordance, how with this work, it is really dictated by elemental features which means that the actual aesthetic is lowest, unless you count making the condensation figure come to the fore.
It was also freezing, so rather than participants doing six frames, I made it three or four at most, as felt a bit guilty making anyone stand outside and do it. We did manage to get through about 100 frames in all, I didn’t do the middle, as am happy with those, but did the being and end sections. The participants were interesting in how they approached it. They seemed very different from other locations, the people that are at the library. More conversational about the whole idea, and about what we were doing, and got into lots more conversations about art. I think though on the filming side, to fit with the instantaneous structures concept, the filming must also be light, mostly hand held if poss,w itha small camera. Using a bigger film camera etc, made it a bit heavy and laborious, and the set up overly complex losing some of the zest of instantaneous works. Though am starting to wonder am I too far out, like should an animation domination more of the frame, or can it be that size in a frame. I posted this to reddit, and people said it had to be bigger, though I’m not sure now, in art terms, if it is valued different to traditional animation, can it be small or just part of a wider frame. Structurally it is interesting to see this idea against the others, the greater level of choreographic ordering and orchestration.
Of all the kit jason bought, the best bit was the atmos motor, so it meant we had a big screen in which to compose the shot and this made a big difference, also it meant we could turn it to face us as we were doing the animation, so we too could see what it looked like in honor, and could help with the measuring out and placement of the frames, one after another. So here, I have found, that yes we are in corners and on the margins, but that I had an increase in the level of documentation equipment I was using, which slowed down the process, maybe even made some people feel uncomfortable to take part, so I thought it did perhaps push people away, more than when i was filming on my phone or a small DslR. But thankfully the sound recording is negligible. So think from here on in, will stay will smaller and more fluid documentation kit, in order to maintain the advantages of the instantaneous structures. I Have learn here, that in pursuit of greater visual quality, I Lost some of my other elements. Looking at it now, in terms of Folk Structures, it has a quality of the Dreamcatcher about it, I think. In the idea of catching and holding breath.
research 