With my Picture House project completed and my newly acquired feedback, I began work on Altered States, the first stage 2 project. Firstly, I attended a presentation on the upcoming project and produced a list of everything I needed to know in order to make the crucial work for handing in.
I made a stop motion animated mind map and a GIF of a crime/thriller style mood board to get me thinking about all the concepts I might possibly use for this project. I made it so that I could investigate the various topics of Altered States. My Stop Motion Mind Map was created by taking 230 photos while drawing and arranging my thoughts. Instead of keeping the camera in one place, I chose to make it appear as if it was following the branches I created between each idea. I believe this succeeded as an idea, and the lack of stabilisation gives the stop motion an organised chaotic feel. I then used Splice and Premiere Rush to stitch all the frames together. As another form of experimentation, I created two contact sheets with selected photographs from my stop motion mind map so that I could more easily select preferred frames for future projects. I was able to increase my possibilities for this project by using the UCA Library. I used actual books from the library as well as digital materials to help me come up with ideas for themes and subjects for my work.
I learned how to use lengthy shutter speeds on a camera, over-head projector backgrounds, and digital projection images of scenery during a photography session. By making some abstract photos, I was able to investigate altered states. This workshop was fascinating because it provided me with several interesting project ideas.
After some in depth research I did about the concept of Altered States I started to explore the theme of exploring reality/living in the moment. I learned how to use lengthy shutter speeds on the camera, over-head projector backgrounds, and digital projection images of scenery during this photography session. By making some abstract photos, I was able to investigate altered states. This workshop was fascinating because it provided me with several interesting project ideas.
After some further analysis I decided to research 'The Matrix' and 'Interstellar' which are two films that I frequently relate to in my work. They are also widely recognised as having some of the best visual effects ever seen in film. I 3D sculpted Agent Smith's Glasses from the Matrix Trilogy to go along with my research. Using reference photographs of the characters’ glasses, I tried to make these as screen accurate as possible based on my contextual study. I ended up with four final renders, two of which had matrix coded lenses. I also modelled the blue and red pills from the movie and placed them in front of the glasses as an added feature.
In an InDesign workshop I put together a zine containing all the photographs from my altered states project thus far. This session really enhanced my InDesign skills and presented me with a fantastic way to display my pictures. Abstract shapes can symbolise inanimate or actual objects, making ink blots an effective piece of media to display varying states. To get a smudged/duplicate appearance on paper, I used pots of ink to place spots around the paper, then folded the page in two. I loved the aesthetic of my ink blots and so I did further research into artists who create similar pieces.
I used acetate projections and large-format printing to present my favourite pieces that I created for Part 1 of the Altered States project. Acetate sheets are clear and flexible, making them ideal for projecting images into an overhead projector. To play around with transparency, I placed some of the photos ontop of each other to blend them together.
So that I could collect all my ideas for the second half of Altered States I made a mood sheet. I included images from films, artists, photographers, and other media that have affected my approach to this project. I decided my final piece would be a short film with visual effects that convey the themes in these images.
So that I was fully prepared to start filming at the beginning of 2022; I produced a storyboard with all the sequences needed in order to create my short film. I made symbol to identify the position of the camera so that I know where to film from as well as determining what scenes I prefer to integrate visual effects to post filming. The aims of my film were to investigate a transcendence into a distorted reality, comparable to The Matrix and Interstellar. The title of my film, Reflections, is meant to symbolise a divide in reality. The plot involves my character facing off against his alter ego. I managed to get all my filming done in a day, making sure that I had multiple versions of the same shots to use as clean plates. An obstacle that I was unable to cross was tracking the VFX assets smoothly through the footage, which is something I would like to improve in my future work.
Given that this was my first time working with VFX, I'm really pleased with how the film turned out. Now that I've explored using different visual effects, I can continue to develop my capabilities and make them more realistic.
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