A Few Considerations

Hi artists,

1) Don't think of video as any different than your art. The mistake most artists make when they are new to video is throwing out all those composition, color and photography tricks you've spent so many years developing. You should be able to stop your animation or video on any frame and have it compete with any photograph you've ever taken.

2) Most of you are graduating in the next year or so. This is the time (or past the time if you're graduating this semester) when the goal is to transition from making "student work" to making "professional work". If you think your competition--you know: those artists who want the opportunities you will be applying for in a HANDFUL OF MONTHS--is content keeping it at the student level (even though they're students like you) than you're going to have a surprise. It's MUCH better to fail at making pro level work than succeed with student level work.

3) You are in charge of the scale/ambition of your work. I don't care what scale you choose, although the more ambitious you are, the more ambitious opportunities you'll be able to successfully pursue in the future. However, I do care that you NAIL the scale you choose. For example, if you have profoundly limited time, money, etc than bring in a 2 frame animation that just flicks back and forth like a subtly moving photograph--and where you NAIL THE COMPOSITION, COLOR, ACTING, LIGHTING, ETC. Increase your scale depending on your interest and ambition. The scale is flexible, the quality should not be.

4) If it's hard to do, it will need many tries to get it right (if your luck is like my luck). Meg and I spend a whole day, and usually 20-30 takes to get one 2 minute take that's usable.

5) Please bring to class a quicktime movie that's ready for presentation. What this means in most cases is 5 seconds of black in the beginning, 10 seconds of black at the end (and more if you have dramatically fading music--always depend on watching it over and over until you get the timing right. Some artists like intro logos and text, others prefer not: it's up to you. The sequence of presentation is like the frame around a painting.

6) Worried about what your doing and want a second opinion? Great. You should all get to this point. USE THIS BLOG! Export your project to a quicktime format from the FCP timeline. Create a You Tube account (super easy). Upload your quicktime to your new You Tube Channel (super easy--just go to the site and surf the options--fifth graders do it) and then post your work here for us all to comment on.

7) If you are freaking out, don't know how to get started, are scared about if what you're doing is good enough or are having a hard time getting past the planning stage, here's my best advise: JUST START WORKING. Grab a camera (any quality level), get in the car (and grab some friends if you like), go some place interesting, and just start having fun. Here's a great trick: buy your friends a nice meal. This is easily worth the $30-$50. When you take care of your talent then they will take care of you.

8) Lastly, if you're scared, confused or nervous than THIS IS IDEAL. Making art IS scary. Don't think for a second that Meg and I are not in the same boat. I get nervous with every project and frustrated trying to figure them out. THIS IS NORMAL. The reason I teach my classes in the way I do is I want you all to experience these emotions and learn how to move past the fear. The fear will always be there. Becoming an artist is not about learning to NOT be afraid, it's about learning to MOVE FORWARD even though you're scared stiff.

With experience and knowledge this gets easier, but if you continue to improve the fear will remain. I would argue the absence of fear probably means the absence of creative growth.