GW: BIG CRIT & FEEDBACK

The big crit was an opportunity to get feedback on my Global Warmning piece from my tutors and peers. the format worked quite well a screening of the work and then 3 questions posed by me that my peers and tutors discussed whilst I took notes. As mentioned earlier the Global Warmning piece that I screened is really just an experimental sketch and outline of the finished piece in terms of possible content and testing of the ideology and message I want to communicate. Style was not a huge consideration and I will be developing methods to evolve the aesthetic but the hierarchy and use of multiple elements creating a collision of images and ideas and use of appropriation were an approximation of my intentions. The piece was a little too short, explicit and not as far reaching as to  what my eventual aims were but the aim was to provide a basis for discussion.

GLOBAL WARMNING 01 from Jon Saward on Vimeo.

The questions I posed for those present at the crit were the following and also there are there responses underneath as well as my own thoughts for moving the piece forward.

1: Is there a hierarchy of elements that allows you to follow the piece?

• The clips of Obama and Trump are the top of the tree as far as hierarchy goes and really attract most of your attention. Could these be audio only as the voices are so recognisable to not draw quite so much attention and allow more focus on the visuals. Other speakers would be good too. This is the idea though as this is just a rough sketch of a version.
• Could the video clips play at the same time or be cut more together?
• Many missed the slow dissolves of images such as the Mountain top with snow from the past becoming one that had much less snow on it today.
• There is a good mix of images and content covering a varied spread of issues surrounding climate change.
• Lots of the images were a little too obvious and archival ones that have been seen before.

I agree with most of these statements and will address them all moving forward. it does need more content as it is just a sketch so these were comments I expected. It was interesting to see how focus was drawn to the talking presidents to the detriment of the other clips and this is something I will need to work with . Too much happening at once, adjust pacing, use audio only of speakers and hierarchy of elements will need to be explored. Also I will need to try and find new images or facts to try and grab and inform and educate the audience more. Possibly use some kinetic typography.
2: Does it matter that all of the content is "appropriated"?

• Generally the feedback was that the appropriated content worked well, unlike the early versions of Amen Brother. It was mentioned that in particular the video content of Obama and Trump had a clarity and directness of message.
• It was commented that the clips were not all that original and examples of this nature had been seen too many time before though.

This was a positive and I like the "appropriated" content. It will need to perhaps be less obvious and not tread too familiar a path and add other content, stats and facts and figures to grab the audience though as mentioned above.

3: How important are the aesthetics of the piece?

• It was all little too neat within the boxes. Possibly consider a more interesting framework OR be more experimental with the size, shape and layering of the images.
• Hierarchy affects aesthetics. Could use audio only of Trump etc and therefore concentrate audience more on the visuals. More use of other sounds to accompany images and create more of a soundscape.
• Possibly too many images happening at the same time. Slow down and keep shifting focus and let images etc breathe and the audience digest them.
• The music was a little clunky and a better more subtle choice may be worth investigating.
• The aesthetics ARE important as they help influence the audience to decode and interpret the message. Could be more engaging.

The aesthetics do need work as they are currently just a collection of ideas. Even if the message is strong the style, look and feel have to be engaging, entertaining and hook the audience in too and help deliver the message to them. All of the above are good points but ones that I was already very well aware of.

Other thoughts that were discussed during the crit.

• Going over old ground is there a new slant that could be taken over the issue? Do we not know all of the climate change argument already? What is the purpose of the piece? A call to arms? Exploring the hypocrisy of politicians? Expose the "spin" used over the debate over time to get to a point where "global warming" is acknowledged as fact?
• Is the piece a little too explicit and "on the nose". Could it be more implicit, vague and leave room for the audience to have to do more work?
• Some of my peers had seen better harder hitting Greenpeace content similar.
• The title and typeface at the start writing Global Warmning met a really mixed response. A few liked it, most were confused and a couple really disliked. It was felt it was a little clunky which it was as this was a test and could easily be given a polish. There was confusion over it writing Global Warming, then changing this to Global Warning before settling on a mix of the tow and the actual titles Global Warmning. The font was thought to be very computer orientated in style and even a have a computer game feel with the way the letters appeared adding to this. Perhaps this is something that could be exploited within the piece.
• Presently as to what it is and where it sits some said it feels like a viral online type piece. It has documentary form though and
• The purpose was clear but as to the content most agreed that it did inform and educate even if labouring a well worn path of information most were aware of and a little too on the nose. However the most interesting factor was that it did entertain and got titters from trumps brash outlandish sound bites.
• Look at Koyaanisqatsi mentioned by one person again. Images., motion effects of nature set to sound and music but no VO. Could provide inspiration and ideas to unlocking the piece.

All of the above were really interesting points and I will be looking into further. Again nothing super-enlightening but it was good to have some of my concerns confirmed and some food for thought from some comments.

Other thoughts moving forward.
The crit was very enlightening and raised a lot of questions in developing the piece further.

• A more personal link to engage the audience. They are still one step removed from the global scale of the piece and the message that has become hackneyed. I will look at mapping the global message to local or even individual audiences. Applying it to peoples everyday lives more personally so it is not a topic too big to tackle unless nations do it but by pointing out what individuals can do.
• Explore what exactly is the event, the piece the dissemination? Is it an installation, viral, mini documentary, infomercial for Greenpeace. I feel I need to explore all of these and possible re-purpose, recycle content and re-design the message for each of these platforms. It could be one of these or use the theme to create multiple messages that will work across ALL of these platforms and genres.
• I still like the idea of using multiple images that are ever-changing and the "collision" of images as mentioned by the Soviet montagist editors but concurrently not consecutively. Just the flow has to be right and more "conducting" and guiding the audience through the piece.
• Greater clarity from myself as to what is the purpose of the piece! I will explore the following and want to avoid simply going over ground that has already had lots of exposure. Is the piece a "shock" and call to arms challenging us to do something about it? Should it as my peers said attack complacency and inactivity or lack of education over the issue and set about addressing it? Exploring the hypocrisy of politicians? Expose the "spin" used over the debate over time to get to a point where "global warming" is acknowledged as fact? I am presently swaying towards the call to arms and what "individually" we can do rather than collectively as nations etc. However I may be able to as mentioned above cover all of these by re-purposing the content for different messages on different platforms.