PROJECT OPTION #1

Make a 1 Minute Art Video

What is Video Art?

"Using the concept of moving pictures, video art is a medium that can either accent other forms of art or stand by itself in installations at galleries. The designs use video presentations that can be combined with audio if that artist so desires. Although the concept of video art generally takes a similar form as television presentations or experimental film making, it is considered a distinct art form more aligned with painting and photography.

The first instances of video art came from developments into video technology during the 1960s and 1970s. As video production methods became more prominent and cost-effective, modern artists of the era began to utilize the medium in conjunction with other art exhibits. With the advancements in digital technology during the late 20th and early 21st century, video became much more prominent within galleries alongside traditional artworks. The medium moved from primarily using video tape to formats such as digital video disk and solid state hard drives.

The primary distinction between video art and cinema is the fact that it does not have to utilize the traditional aspects of film making such as a concrete narrative or plot line. Oftentimes, this art style simply uses imagery that does not contain any dialogue or actors whatsoever. Sometimes, it may include a repeated motion image used to represent a facet of the overall artistic piece. The largest distinction between video art and film is the concept of entertainment. Movies are generally designed to give the viewer some sort of emotional satisfaction, while video art may employ characteristics that widely vary depending on the intent of the artist."  - from WiseGeek

PROJECT:

Andy Warhol, Nam June Paik and a number of artists in the 60's not only took cinema, movies and the use of the latest video technologies as a form of inspiration, but also pursued the medium as means in which to experiment and play with new ways of making art. In the spirit of such experimental films and videos, you are to make a short, one minute long video. One Minute. No shorter. No longer. You, the artist, the director, are give full creative control. The video may be in black and white or in color, perhaps even both. With sound or completely silent. Scripted or improvised. Fictional or documentary. Narrative or abstract. Whatever style of movie you decide to make is completely up to you, it can even be animated if you so choose. You may shoot your video with any means you have access to whether that is an actual video camera, your cell phone, tablet, or even the webcam on your computer. Experiment and try new things. Make the video completely on your own or collaborate with others. The point being, that in the end, the final video must be YOUR concept that we are seeing. You must be able to express, explain and defend your artistic choices be it in technique, style and most importantly concept and content.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

Be original. Attempt to show us something that has some conceptual meaning. The world doesn't need another video of your dog or cat doing weird things. I do not need to see your walk/drive to school or class. Also, we do not need to see your morning -waking up ritual. Put some creative thought into your concept creation. Consider the medium and how you can use it in an interesting way. Think, will other people want to watch this and/or find it interesting visually, conceptually, etc.

You will not be graded on the quality of your camera work, editing ability, acting ability or any of these things. Your grade is dependent on showing the actual effort, thought and sincerity that went into the project.

If shooting video with a tablet or phone, take into consideration the orientation in which you are holding the camera. We are accustomed to watching videos in a horizontal/landscape format rather than a vertical/portrait format. Of course, altering this can be used as a conceptual means but be sure to know why you film the way you do.

[Note: If using music in your video, it may be wise to steer away from using copyrighted material; consider ambient sounds and/or music recorded by yourself or friends (with their permission of course). Look up "royalty free music" for possible options. Either way, in the end, the choice is yours.]

MATERIALS:

-Video Camera (this could even include the video option on your cell phone or even the webcam on your laptop of tablet)

-Editing Software (there are numerous free video editing software packages available these days for download. Most recent computers and laptops already have some form of video editing software, like Windows Live Movie Maker (for PC's) and iMovie (for MAC). A simple Google search will bring up many options and a simple tutorial search on YouTube will offer you basic instruction on how to use these programs. IF you need help with editing, feel free to work with a friend who knows how to do so, just as long as you oversee the actual process and make the final decisions.

PROCESS:

1- Come up with an idea. If it helps, write it down, draw a storyboard, make a script if need be. 

2- Shoot your video (and audio if adding audio). Videos may be shot in a single take or compiled and edited together from multiple shots. Do as many takes as you need to get the shot you desire. Video is cheap to record and easy to edit. 

3- Edit your video. If need be, work with a friend who knows how to edit. Edit your video to length. Create the story/image you want to present. Need help with a particular editing software, you can often find a vast array of video tutorials on Youtube. 

4- Bring in your video on a USB drive to class. Make sure you test that it will play from the USB drive before coming to class.

COLLABORATION:

Collaboration if perfectly fine. Feel free to work with friends or other classmates to help you create YOUR vision. Perhaps they help you film, edit or act in the project. All of that is fine as long as the project leader and concept it yours. BUT when collaborating with other classmates, everyone is REQUIRED to create their own UNIQUE project.

DUE DATE: The project is DUE exactly one week from the date it is assigned. That would mean that it is due at the beginning of our second class together.  

Videos Viewed in Class:

Martin Scorscese, The Big Shave, 1967

Chantal Akerman, Saute ma ville, 1968

Bas Jan Ader, Broken Fall (Organic), 1971

Christian Marclay, Telephones, 1995

Pipilotti Rist, Sip My Oceanl, 1996

Pipilotti Rist, Ever Is Over All, 1997

Bill Viola, The Quintet of the Astonished, 2000

Guy Ben-Ner, Mody Dick, 2000

Omer Fast, 5,000 Feet Is Best, 2011