The audio track is from an interview with Storm Thorgerson, the designer who did Dark Side of the Moon and many many other famous surreal looking album covers.
Enjoy.
Inspired from Alexandra Brittain on Vimeo.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Inspirational Kinetic Type - The Final Video
So here is my final video for the inspirational kinetic type brief. It's not kinetic type in the traditional sense but I think it works well in the context of what he's saying and the subject matter in general.
The audio track is from an interview with Storm Thorgerson, the designer who did Dark Side of the Moon and many many other famous surreal looking album covers.
Enjoy.
The audio track is from an interview with Storm Thorgerson, the designer who did Dark Side of the Moon and many many other famous surreal looking album covers.
Enjoy.
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Anthony Mccall: Vertical Works
So after our interactive drawing session a few of us headed to Anthony Mccall's latest work at the University of Westminster.
It was located within this underground warehouse and there were three streams of light coming from the ceiling. The light almost acted as a barrier and when you looked up you could see this weird smoke effect on the light. On the Floor they created really sharp lines of light.They were all constantly moving which made them even more interesting. For ages we just sat on the floor watching it move; it was kinda hypnotic.
This exhibition is definitely worth going to see and it was really inspiring to see how light could be used in different ways.
Oh and I'd never been to baker street tube station before so I got little sidetracked by all the Sherlock Holmes' on the walls.
It was located within this underground warehouse and there were three streams of light coming from the ceiling. The light almost acted as a barrier and when you looked up you could see this weird smoke effect on the light. On the Floor they created really sharp lines of light.They were all constantly moving which made them even more interesting. For ages we just sat on the floor watching it move; it was kinda hypnotic.
This exhibition is definitely worth going to see and it was really inspiring to see how light could be used in different ways.
Oh and I'd never been to baker street tube station before so I got little sidetracked by all the Sherlock Holmes' on the walls.
Interactive Drawing
So on Wednesday as part of our new languages brief we had an interactive drawing workshop. This was quite a fun little 50 minutes where a laptop with a graphics tablet was hooked up to a projector. One person would then draw using the tablet and another person would react to the drawing that was taking place. Games included playing tennis, running away from the deadly line and the drawer reacting to the other person's noises.
It did make me think about how you can use technology you already have in different ways.
It did make me think about how you can use technology you already have in different ways.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
New: Technology, Design and Language
New Brief: 'As time passes, new developments and forms combine to give us as designers the chance to define a new language, to take or invent a new form of experimental practice or design tool and develop a way for this to be used, received and understood by the public. You will be exploring a diverse range of of contemporary graphic design forms'
At first this brief sounded completely and utterly confusing. We were given an introduction session to this new brief where a recent graduate from our course spoke about his FMP where he had combined reading and music through the form of a book. Whilst you read the book you would complete an electrical circuit which in turn would make a sound.
We also looked at other artists such as United Visual Artists who have used the form of light in various ways such as combining it with live music shows to make a completely new experience.
So in essence the brief is about taking a process and reinventing it. So it's a bit like product design and a bit like interaction design and thinking about using new technology.
Pretty much a tough one.
We also got told about these arduino kits which react to the world and can produce a response from the information it receives.
I'm gonna have to have a further look into these and more work around this topic I think in order to get my head round it a bit better.
At first this brief sounded completely and utterly confusing. We were given an introduction session to this new brief where a recent graduate from our course spoke about his FMP where he had combined reading and music through the form of a book. Whilst you read the book you would complete an electrical circuit which in turn would make a sound.
We also looked at other artists such as United Visual Artists who have used the form of light in various ways such as combining it with live music shows to make a completely new experience.
So in essence the brief is about taking a process and reinventing it. So it's a bit like product design and a bit like interaction design and thinking about using new technology.
Pretty much a tough one.
We also got told about these arduino kits which react to the world and can produce a response from the information it receives.
I'm gonna have to have a further look into these and more work around this topic I think in order to get my head round it a bit better.
Sign Writing Workshop
So last Thursday we got the chance to do a sign writing workshop with a girl who graduated from Chelsea last year. For her FMP she had researched into the traditional art of sign writing and wanted to perfect her sign writing skills. In doing so she designed three new fonts which she could write herself.
She taught us the real basics of how to write one of her fonts and for our final part of the day we all had to write a word which had a similar meaning to beautiful or lovely.
It was a really fun day but I don't think I've concentrated that hard in a long long time. Drawing those lines was a lot harder than it looks.
She taught us the real basics of how to write one of her fonts and for our final part of the day we all had to write a word which had a similar meaning to beautiful or lovely.
It was a really fun day but I don't think I've concentrated that hard in a long long time. Drawing those lines was a lot harder than it looks.
Friday, 11 March 2011
Stanley Donwood
A couple of weeks ago I went to see the Stanley Donwood exhibition at the Outsider's Gallery.
It was really interesting since he's provided all the artwork for radiohead and it was nice to see some originals. At the exhibition there was this weird space where you could watch some of his visuals. It was so small you had to stoop into it but were given lovely armchairs in which you could recline and watch the work.
Here is a link to some nicer pictures of his work
http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/february/stanley-donwood-outsider-gallery
It was really interesting since he's provided all the artwork for radiohead and it was nice to see some originals. At the exhibition there was this weird space where you could watch some of his visuals. It was so small you had to stoop into it but were given lovely armchairs in which you could recline and watch the work.
Here is a link to some nicer pictures of his work
http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/february/stanley-donwood-outsider-gallery
Happy belated pancake day!
No matter what I say never let me become any kind of chef or food decorater.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Shostakovich in interview with Jonny Greenwood
So for the contextual studies part of course over the past few weeks we have been looking at modernism and postmodernism.
We have now been given an essay title of 'Who do you think you are talking to?'
The brief: You have to choose two famous or infamous, designers/artists/musicians/filmmakers/poets, or any producer or critic of culture from the last 150 years. One who would be regarded as a ‘Modernist’ and the other as a ‘Postmodernist’. You then have to set up a correspondence between yourself and these two cultural practioners. You ask them questions and they will reply to you AND also to each other. They will start a conversion between each other at your instigation.
This correspondence can be in any form or combination of forms you think is appropriate. It could consist of a series of letters or postcards with images of yours and their works attached to them in some way. You may want to set up a TV or radio interview with the three of you in a debating situation. This then might be in the form of a transcript in a magazine of the interview accompanied by images the interviewees wanted to show or describe. It might be a poster. It also could be made as a film or audio piece. You might want to do it via e-mail, MSN, Facebook, twitter or other social media that you feel would express your research into these people best.
I decided to go down the musician route as I thought it would be interesting to set up an audio interview between the two people showing samples of their music and having each other critique their own styles and explore about their music and the differences and similarities between them.
I have always been a fan of classical music but have never known overly much about it. So I started investigating composers from around the turn of the 20th century and decided to look deeper into Shostakovich's work. I then realised that it had been used in Eyes Wide Shut many many years after it was written.
Here is a couple of samples of his music.
For me he is very modern: his music, although rebelling greatly against the Soviet Union was very regimented and had obviously had been very influenced by very classical styles before it.
It's very interesting how his music was shaped by the culture that he was living in.
I then decided it would be interesting to choose Jonny Greenwood the lead guitarist form Radiohead who has also done solo works.
It is interesting just how may genres go into his work and how you compare the regimented form of Shostakovich's music to Jonny's varied approach using ambient noises with syncopated and off beat rhythms which create this whole new kind of genre.
It's interesting as well from a social point of view that Radiohead were one of the first bands to set up an online pay what you want approach to their album 'In Rainbows', which is very forward thinking in terms of the distribution of their album.
Here is some of Jonny's work:
This is a score for a film he wrote - interesting cause its classical yes so vastly different form shostakovich's work
And here is a song which he wrote about 90% of
And here he is playing the Ondes Martenot.
As for what the two would discuss with me. Some topics I have in mind for discussion are:
-instruments
what instruments are being used?...how are they being used?...how many are intended to be used?...what would shostakovich think of the concept of electronic instruments?
-influences
who influenced both the people?...jonny greenwood is influenced a lot by classical music are there hints of shostakovich's work in his?...shostakovich was influenced enormously by the culture of the time and the opression of the soviet union does this come forward in his work?
-purpose of the music the song
why did/do they make music?...there a point it is trying to get a cross or is it just an emotional expression?
-how is the music made
analogue/digital?
-who plays it
who is intended to play the music? and where? is there anybody in particular that is meant to listen to the music?
-what is going on that the time the music is being made
what is the culture of the time and how is that influencing the music?
-personalities of the individuals
much research needs to be done about the personalities of the individuals in order to get an interesting conversation going between the two people.
Videos of interest
We have now been given an essay title of 'Who do you think you are talking to?'
The brief: You have to choose two famous or infamous, designers/artists/musicians/filmmakers/poets, or any producer or critic of culture from the last 150 years. One who would be regarded as a ‘Modernist’ and the other as a ‘Postmodernist’. You then have to set up a correspondence between yourself and these two cultural practioners. You ask them questions and they will reply to you AND also to each other. They will start a conversion between each other at your instigation.
This correspondence can be in any form or combination of forms you think is appropriate. It could consist of a series of letters or postcards with images of yours and their works attached to them in some way. You may want to set up a TV or radio interview with the three of you in a debating situation. This then might be in the form of a transcript in a magazine of the interview accompanied by images the interviewees wanted to show or describe. It might be a poster. It also could be made as a film or audio piece. You might want to do it via e-mail, MSN, Facebook, twitter or other social media that you feel would express your research into these people best.
I decided to go down the musician route as I thought it would be interesting to set up an audio interview between the two people showing samples of their music and having each other critique their own styles and explore about their music and the differences and similarities between them.
I have always been a fan of classical music but have never known overly much about it. So I started investigating composers from around the turn of the 20th century and decided to look deeper into Shostakovich's work. I then realised that it had been used in Eyes Wide Shut many many years after it was written.
Here is a couple of samples of his music.
For me he is very modern: his music, although rebelling greatly against the Soviet Union was very regimented and had obviously had been very influenced by very classical styles before it.
It's very interesting how his music was shaped by the culture that he was living in.
I then decided it would be interesting to choose Jonny Greenwood the lead guitarist form Radiohead who has also done solo works.
It is interesting just how may genres go into his work and how you compare the regimented form of Shostakovich's music to Jonny's varied approach using ambient noises with syncopated and off beat rhythms which create this whole new kind of genre.
It's interesting as well from a social point of view that Radiohead were one of the first bands to set up an online pay what you want approach to their album 'In Rainbows', which is very forward thinking in terms of the distribution of their album.
Here is some of Jonny's work:
This is a score for a film he wrote - interesting cause its classical yes so vastly different form shostakovich's work
And here is a song which he wrote about 90% of
And here he is playing the Ondes Martenot.
As for what the two would discuss with me. Some topics I have in mind for discussion are:
-instruments
what instruments are being used?...how are they being used?...how many are intended to be used?...what would shostakovich think of the concept of electronic instruments?
-influences
who influenced both the people?...jonny greenwood is influenced a lot by classical music are there hints of shostakovich's work in his?...shostakovich was influenced enormously by the culture of the time and the opression of the soviet union does this come forward in his work?
-purpose of the music the song
why did/do they make music?...there a point it is trying to get a cross or is it just an emotional expression?
-how is the music made
analogue/digital?
-who plays it
who is intended to play the music? and where? is there anybody in particular that is meant to listen to the music?
-what is going on that the time the music is being made
what is the culture of the time and how is that influencing the music?
-personalities of the individuals
much research needs to be done about the personalities of the individuals in order to get an interesting conversation going between the two people.
Videos of interest
Monday, 7 March 2011
Inital Storyboard
So today we had a crit on our initial storyboard based on our chosen piece of audio.
I decided to go with the idea of using a vinyl as the main focus of the animation - all the action happening within a turning record.
I really liked the idea of the text turning and certain things happening becauseof this turning motion
For the storyboard I made one in illustrator but I wasn't sure whether it would look better using actual video of a vinyl turning.
I really liked the idea of the words hinting at a couple of Thorgerson's really famous album covers and so the words would form to make the famous Dark Side of the Moon album Cover.
However there are parts where he talks about different features you can find within his work such as things being pretty or odd and I think for the initial storyboard they were a bit too literal.
After the crit the feeling was that I should go for a more analogue route since Storm was famous for his very analogue work with no digital effects so video of a vinyl turning is a must rather than an illustration.
However it was also discussed that just using the vinyl is a little confining and so it might be nice to have other imagery such as getting an actualy prism or i thought it might be nice to film some footage inside some vinyl shops.
I'll need to have another think about this.So by next week we have to have our second storyboard but that will be playing with our audio track. We should have a frame pretty much for every second of the track.
I decided to go with the idea of using a vinyl as the main focus of the animation - all the action happening within a turning record.
I really liked the idea of the text turning and certain things happening becauseof this turning motion
For the storyboard I made one in illustrator but I wasn't sure whether it would look better using actual video of a vinyl turning.
I really liked the idea of the words hinting at a couple of Thorgerson's really famous album covers and so the words would form to make the famous Dark Side of the Moon album Cover.
However there are parts where he talks about different features you can find within his work such as things being pretty or odd and I think for the initial storyboard they were a bit too literal.
After the crit the feeling was that I should go for a more analogue route since Storm was famous for his very analogue work with no digital effects so video of a vinyl turning is a must rather than an illustration.
However it was also discussed that just using the vinyl is a little confining and so it might be nice to have other imagery such as getting an actualy prism or i thought it might be nice to film some footage inside some vinyl shops.
I'll need to have another think about this.So by next week we have to have our second storyboard but that will be playing with our audio track. We should have a frame pretty much for every second of the track.
Inspirational Kinetic Type
New Brief: to create a piece of kinetic typography using a piece of audio that you find inspiring. It is preferable to use creative practitioners or people with a creative background.
I began by feeling very excited about his project but then utterly daunted at the prospect of learning after effects - never having touched it.
Our first task though was to choose three possible audio tracks that we could use. I decided to try and find people within the music industry as I felt I would feel more excited as it is something I was interested in. After failing to find anything without music in the background or distorted by people like Grace Jones or Kate Bush, I found two clips; one by Storm Thorgerson the designer of the Dark Side of the Moon album cover and Thom Yorke the lead singer of Radiohead. I then found a fairly interesting piece by Tim Burton but I felt it really wasnt as exciting for me as the other two.
Here they are.
Storm Thorgerson by alexabrittain
Thom Yorke by alexabrittain
Tim Burton by alexabrittain
Inthe end I decided on the Storm Thorgerson one. I felt it had far more scope in the project in terms of creating visual imagery using the words he is saying. His words also resonated with me after seeing one of his shows last year and I was in awe at how he always sticks to very analogue techniques and the outcomes he produces because of it.
We also had to create visual research based on the three inspirational people and time the words for each audio track.
I began by feeling very excited about his project but then utterly daunted at the prospect of learning after effects - never having touched it.
Our first task though was to choose three possible audio tracks that we could use. I decided to try and find people within the music industry as I felt I would feel more excited as it is something I was interested in. After failing to find anything without music in the background or distorted by people like Grace Jones or Kate Bush, I found two clips; one by Storm Thorgerson the designer of the Dark Side of the Moon album cover and Thom Yorke the lead singer of Radiohead. I then found a fairly interesting piece by Tim Burton but I felt it really wasnt as exciting for me as the other two.
Here they are.
Storm Thorgerson by alexabrittain
Thom Yorke by alexabrittain
Tim Burton by alexabrittain
Inthe end I decided on the Storm Thorgerson one. I felt it had far more scope in the project in terms of creating visual imagery using the words he is saying. His words also resonated with me after seeing one of his shows last year and I was in awe at how he always sticks to very analogue techniques and the outcomes he produces because of it.
We also had to create visual research based on the three inspirational people and time the words for each audio track.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Elliott Erwitt at the Cochrane Theatre
On the 21st Feb I went to go see the iconic photographer Elliott Erwit be interviewed in the Cochrane Theatre. I have to admit I didnt know him too well before I heard about the show but when i started researching his work I recognised so many of his images I felt frustrated I hadn't known him more before now.
The show featured Erwitt being interviewed and talking through many of his images which were very subtly humurous. I felt the interviewer was really annoying and thought Erwitt knew it too and compensated very well for this; making jokes that the put the interviewer firmly back in his place.
Erwitt seems such an honest guy who really draws inspiration from everything around him and his views on photography in the digital age were also really interesting.
Afterwards he came out and signed stuff for people. However it was quite sad when this woman came up and said she worked with him at Magnum in the 60's and he had no recollection of her whatsoever, but then again I'm sure he's met so many people throughout his long life.
Overall it was a real inspiration to see this interview.
The show featured Erwitt being interviewed and talking through many of his images which were very subtly humurous. I felt the interviewer was really annoying and thought Erwitt knew it too and compensated very well for this; making jokes that the put the interviewer firmly back in his place.
Erwitt seems such an honest guy who really draws inspiration from everything around him and his views on photography in the digital age were also really interesting.
Afterwards he came out and signed stuff for people. However it was quite sad when this woman came up and said she worked with him at Magnum in the 60's and he had no recollection of her whatsoever, but then again I'm sure he's met so many people throughout his long life.
Overall it was a real inspiration to see this interview.
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