NATURES TEST CARD VERSION 1 AND CRIT

Following on from my experiments and issues in moving forward enough to have much different to show in my Siblings piece (due to family commitments and their ill health) I have been working on the really early stages of my Natures Test card piece at home in and around the Siblings piece.

I have been researching around the idea a lot (see earlier post on this) and this is a rough demo version and culmination of these points. I explored doing it in After Effects but my skill level was not quite there yet but is developing. The easiest way to do a demo was in Premiere pro which really gives not much other than an idea for how the piece might work and a flavour of it. There are a few issues with the piece which I have listed below.

• The found photo images are Ok but a little Athena poster looking and too obvious.
• Movement is needed on the images to bring them to life need filmed footage to create life.
• Make more of the soundtrack. Only uses one soundtrack use lots more layers of sound to bring the piece to life.
• Avoid the obvious. Is it still too safe. Go even more abstract.
• Animals given very little character see sound above for how sound could improve this.
• narrative structure not really working and need to theme it. A day, passage of time, predator hunt etc.
• Larger scale images becoming smaller. Skyscapes, seascapes or landscapes to replace grey under the grid?

The piece was used at a critique of the work we have been developing so far to my MA peers and tutor and after the initial surprise as it is quite a move away from the siblings piece I received the following feedback.

• Think more about the relationship between sound, narrative and image.
• Saturate the image so it uses lots of different images to bombard the viewer.
• Possibly too busy with the grid
• The test card being used as a grid was lost on some of the audience even affirming the colour and nature link.
• Possibly try and project onto natural history film images.
• Think about sound working with the image more in parallel and/or contrapuntally with the images to add another dimension.
• More selective over images they are a little too obvious.
• Either make it more complex OR pare it right back.

All of this feedback was useful and moving forward I will consider it all especially the following areas.

• Make it more complex with the grid and images.
• More movement in the frames.
• Greater use and manipulation of sound.
• Build in narrative and themes. Day, chapters, events etc.
• Less obvious images to be used and a greater variety.
• Make it busier and a more aural and visual bombardment.
• Definitely add more large scale images in the background.