Final Presentation

I intend to discuss my exact plans for the presentation with Mr. Van Wormer, but for now I would like to incorporate some aspects of my thesis in whatever oral piece I will do. Since I have spent so much time with Kubrick's work I feel that it is important to acknowledge the part he played in my projects this year. As for the visual piece, I hope to show either a combination of shorts (videos), the full length Consider the Lilies, or the shortened version. More information to come later.

Updates

Over break I was able to work on some projects I cannot find time for while school is in session. Most recently I made a second video (music video) for Timber Timbre's "It's Only Dark", which I had been meaning to complete for some time. It was the first instance in which I utilized some stock footage, which was a new and interesting experience - though most footage was taken by me. It can be seen here. This small piece also gave way to a compilation of colored shots I had used when mixing milk, food dye, and dish soap to create a "psychedelic" effect I was looking for (found here). The Agonies video will be shown at morning reports at some point in the near future, as it was completed over break as well. Meanwhile I have continued to tutor the professor who has hired me in post production, and am now organizing his excess footage on the weekends. So far it has been very rewarding! If you would like to see the trailer mentioned in last month's blog post it can be watched here.

Small Projects

Though work on my thesis continues, I have found myself deeply engrossed in several small projects at once. Most recently I worked with the directors of the Winter One Acts to create both a promotional trailer, and to set up a Youtube channel where I could post each show which I had filmed on opening night. I have never recorded an entire show with a dynamic camera, so it was a fun challenge to capture everything happening onstage, while simultaneously framing closely and precisely enough to allow for visual detail. I've also made one video for Agonies, and am currently in post-production for another. Later this month I will be working on a personal project which I was meaning to complete before these alternative projects came up. Meanwhile, I am moving on to the Eyes Wide Shut section of my thesis, which will be the most challenging section thus far.

Where to next?

As of right now I am working to finish my thesis, but as Mr. Calos said, the bulk of my project is complete. I am actually unsure about where to take this blog next - besides sharing the artwork of others that I find inspiring or interesting. If anyone has ideas I would love to hear some feedback!

Working on a Website

For the past several months I've been working on a website to promote myself as a freelance artist and kickstart the company (Crosswalk Films) as an official name. I am currently working for a couple of clients who wish to learn more about Final Cut Pro X. The website can be found at this link (it is still being drafted and is by no means complete - some content was not even created by me): website

The Feifan Project

After Friday's lunch meeting I was excited to look at Vivian's work, and found that her blog really highlighted her goals and ambitions. She has shared many projects very similar to what she is aiming for, and that really helped me to get a sense of what the final product might be. Each example was highly colorful, incredibly detailed, and very bold. For each one it seemed that an underlying message of unity could be detected - even if the piece was constructed out of hundreds of different strings or statements. I think it's very exciting to see a project in which the community can get involved, then see the finished project at the end of the year. That way it is Vivian's vision, but it belongs to a wide expanse of people; it is a very unique method of creating artwork. I can't wait to see more!

Kubrick's Other Work

While conducting research for my thesis, I have seen nearly all of Kubrick's work, including his original short The Boxer, Spartacus, Kubrick: A Life in Pictures and even Room 237 (a feature documentary exploring the various conspiracy theories surrounding The Shining). I had not, however, seen the behind the scenes documentary that his wife, Vivian Kubrick, had produced detailing the making of The Shining. I found this on Youtube while reviewing scenes from A Clockwork Orange, and was immediately infatuated with the 30 minute film. Clearly Kubrick wasn't the only member of his family who fostered a talent in filmmaking. While I had seen many photos of Stanley at work I had seen hardly any footage, and was ecstatic to see him in action. With large productions such as The Shining the bustling and intense atmosphere on set is typical but exciting to witness as someone who has only worked on small scale productions. If you would like to watch the short documentary, it can be found here.