Monday, February 22, 2010
Haiti Exhibition is THIS Wednesday at 4 [sorry: I had wrong date before]
Rock on DM students.
BTW: the president will be at the exhibition at the library at 4 for a press photo shoot. Anybody have the free time (the more participants the better we look)?
BTW: the president will be at the exhibition at the library at 4 for a press photo shoot. Anybody have the free time (the more participants the better we look)?
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
dancers wanted.
i'm thinking that i might want to shoot a dance sequence. does anybody know any dancers?
Monday, February 8, 2010
Welcome to 2010
I've changed the name from dmrwu09 to dmrwu (so that I don't have to change it every year). Happy new year.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Hi You all
Please do a course assessment for me: it lets me know how to get better (and if you say good stuff I get a bonus).
Further: please email me any ideas on how I can be a better teacher or how your course could be better. The more feedback I get, the more I can avoid being a jerk and make sure I don't miss the big ideas.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
MAC ADAPTER
Does anyone have a mac adapter I could use for the show? (The little white bit that lets you use that awkward plug with the pins and the 2 screws) I promise to take good care of it and tell it bedtime stories and make it eat its vegetables. If no one has one for tomorrow, I could just buy one, but I'd REALLY love to set it up when we install everything to know that it'll work... Thanks in advance!
Oh one more thing:
MWM has requested that we all park in their lot BEHIND THE GALLERY (not the lot we previously parked in).
AND THEN WALK AROUND THE BUILDING TO THEIR FRONT DOOR (Instead of using their much more practical rear entrance). They are recording an album tomorrow and are trying to reduce sound levels.
Machines With Magnets
Machines With Magnets is this Friday at 7 (ending at 9).
Here's the plan:
1) We're installing this Thursday from 12-2. Please bring EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO INSTALL (nails, screws, podiums, projector mounts, hardware, etc).
2) Please bring SOMETHING TO DRINK (and if my memory is correct Taylor is bringing cups--anyone else want to bring cups too?).
3) The show will be from 7-9. We will take down the show at 9 that night.
refreshment
hey guys
just a thought since we did not talk about this again yesterday but i think we should still all bring refreshment to the show. im talking about how we all agreed it best to each bring like a bottle of wine or something instead of hiring the bartender. just a thought and a reminder. if we all bring something there will be more to go around for everyone that shows up to the show.
good luck with the pieces!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
superawesomeanimation
matt told m to look this up and it is SO COOOOOOOOL! I just felt the need to share.
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