Project 3 -Life and the quest for happiness

What is happiness and how do we obtain it?

 

In an age where things matter and how much money we have defines our social status, happiness often seems to take the back seat to the all important task of living and making money.

 

Who is happy?

I intend to explore the happiness of people of all classes, from rich to poor in the hope of finding a constant source of happiness. Is it the same for everybody, or is it different?

 

If people aren’t happy what causes this?

On the flipside, what is it that causes sadness or maybe just a lack of happiness? Lack of money? Other people’s expectations?

 

Does getting what one wants make them happy, or just give them fleeting joy? And does pursuing “things” and money make people happy if they manage to obtain them?

 

Is finding happiness through a sense of purpose the goal of religion?

 

What is happiness and how do we obtain it? 

Final product

As I said in the last post the choice of music was to create a somber undertone, hinting at more than the eye can see. A further experience into a separate world of perception.

a movie

Here is my movie sans sound.
I have realised that using still photos wasn't the best choice, it turned out a touch like a glorified slideshow.
Live and learn.
I won't be trying that again until my understanding of cinematics and moving media is somewhat improved.
The concept I had aimed for has been achieved however, and the remote experience is what I had aimed for.
The soundtrack I am adding will be one of Nine Inch Nails creative commons tracks (one off his ghosts album) as this track is somewhat dark and ominous, contrasting with the footage and hopefully increasing the effect of having an unreal "expanded" experience. I hope to imply a darker undertone using sound, which would otherwise be impossible with the sunny "footage".

macro "footage"

Here are some of the closeup pictures.

Some of my "footage" (panoramas and landscape)

As I have been in the US for the last few weeks, I took my footage while I was over there.
I have taken a range of photos to use in my project, and have stiched together some huge panoramas (one of them consists of 20 photos, four high and 5 wide, heh the photoshop file was 1.44 gigs and 17000 by 6000 pixels!).

here is the 20 image panorama I will be using:




And a not quite so big one:



And another:



here is a photo I took of reflections in the pond (it was a relatively long exposure so has some interesting wave patterns):

Project two, concept.

Scale

intimate perceptions of a broad space.

In our daily life we see only what is relatively similar in size to ourselves.

I'm interested in exploring space in a much more intimate manner, not just brushing over what we would usually see, but delving deeper into experiencing both the much smaller and much larger details which would usually be out of our field of view.

The setting for this would be in a natural environment, where there is plenty of detail, both huge and small, such as a forest.

As technology is able to bring this site to audiences who would be otherwise be unable to view it, taking a larger than everyday life scope to it feels quite natural. What I mean by this is that technology is ever increasing our ability to perceive, understand and experience things which we usually wouldn't, or couldn't, so an online experience of a site might as well be much larger than an everyday glance.

I will take the notion that the viewers are experiencing a space they usually wouldn’t further by showing more detail than even a person who is walking through the sight would notice or perceive.

I will express this using still photography, which I will then animate through various means. The subject matter will be extreme macro and wide-angle shots of my chosen location, which represent it in a much wider way than is “normal” experience.

http://www.benthejack.com/ablackandgreymatter

this is my website link, I have gone for a simple website layout, In an effort not to detract attention from the video content.
I ended up putting all three of my videos on the site, (I had thought I might just put up the first and third) as I decided that the lack of audio in the second iteration achieved quite a different effect, and it is worthwhile to watch before the third .

The final iteration

This is my final iteration with sound added.

2nd iteration.

My second iteration has much more structure.

I have made the cuts from the original clips with only the meaning of the content in mind. However, as this would inevitably lead to a somewhat unordered video without much rhythm or effect, I speed up or slowed down the clips to fit into a certain timeframe.

I decided to try out a very set structure, where clips are either exactly one second, or exactly two.

I then ordered them in such a way that is an attempt achieve an almost musical beat (although the video its self is silent). I think I have achieved this somewhat and for my third iteration I will add sound to my composition.

Structure

My first Video is rather cheesy and has no definite structure.

Before the lecture today I hadn't even thought to make informed cut choices, I just slapped together clips in a format which I just hoped would work.

I really don't think it did (work, that is).

For the next two iterations I will try to introduce much more structure into my cuts, to achieve more rhythm and emotional effect.

I also want to try working only on the video at first too (ignore audio until I have achieved what I want visually) to see if it helps my workflow. This may also help me focus better on the audio as well (Im not very good at multitasking.... yet).

I will, however, ask for other opinions on this matter. 

First iteration

This is my first iteration.
In this clip I am trying to point out that basic rifle training is really teaching people to kill. DUH.. Seems obvious I know, but I don't think the true horror of death is truly understood by many of the people who join the services.

just a warning, this does contain some pretty graphic footage.

After watching it a few times, I have noticed a few points where it can improve.
Firstly I don't think the death footage really is absorbed enough to get across my meaning, as it flashes by so fast.
It is rather hard to stomach, but the footage is supposed to shock the viewer and contrast heavily with the almost jovial shooting instructor.
So, slightly longer clips of dead people.

also the animated wind adjustment sequence is a little unnecessary, my thought in putting it there was to come back from the death with something light, again to show the contrast. However, I think footage of the eager students might prove more effective.

Narrative, remix and deeper cultural sources

I found the lecture today quite helpful in deepening my understanding of cultural remixing as a source of inspiration and ideas.
The idea of using rules set in past mediums (shadowplay being the example given), and building design from these bones seems quite similar to what Lev Manovich has to say about remixing culture.

By bringing these influences into ones design process, a much richer outcome, with more meaning and basis is formed.

I don't think the consumer of whatever it is that you have designed is necessarily aware of this deeper source of inspiration. The influence it has on the thought process involved in the design process, however, becomes apparent in the final outcome.

I suppose what I'm trying to say, is that I've only just properly understood the value of basing my design process on existing ideas. Taking meaning and/or structure from the past, or visions of the future, and using this as a basis from which to build.

The present has its place as the stage in which we build, but as it is just a moment in time it can't possibly produce the unlimited potential that design based on past or future experiences can. These times span forever and are given meaning and depth from the passing of time.

yes, its another war film.

The topic of war has been well trodden.
I have however, found some incredibly stark footage from concentration camps which has changed my understanding of the horrors of war.

When told that war has no winners, is horrible, bad etc.. I would usually agree. However, I don't think I've ever really UNDERSTOOD quite how brutal and meaningless it really is.
With the ideas of war and heroism being glorified in the media I think the mental image people generally have on the topic is one of heros, excitement, action, and friendship, rather than the reality which includes anger, brutality, cruelty and death.

I intend to display these two separate outlooks in such a way that shows people the other side of war that isn't often shown (or of it is its in a stylized way which separates the viewer from the truth and rawness of actual death) next to the current glorified outlook and next to training footage of eager soldiers who seem unaware that the diagrams they see are actually teaching them the art of killing.

I hope to reveal the make-up that is washed over the topic, which makes it easy for general consumption and even enjoyment.

in response to remix and remixability

Lev Manovich has some interesting points on the topic of the culture of remixing.
The foremost point which stands out to me, is that with the advent of the internet information almost beggs to be remixed.
I personally have always been into quite the opposite. I have a rather "start from scratch" mentality. Which, I might add has always been quite restrictive to my productivity.
The reason I thought this way was that I wanted any work Ive done to be 100% original.
The idea however, that the limitlessness of information combonations leads to an ever perpetuating cycle of creativity, always building up and fowards rather than going back and starting over, does inspire me somewhat.
connecting morphable blocks which have infinate possibilitys, seems quite an exciting idea. Every time you partake in the act of remixing you are creating new blocks from old, opening up another box of infinite ideas for others to play with. The cycle then perpetuates its self when others use your material and then others use thers etc etc.....

As the trend of information communication is heading toward less defined and more modular, information is becoming easier to access and manipulate, creating a huge web of interrelated material. This is quite relevant to our current project, as sourcing remixable content takes on new scope. If care is taken not to infringe upon current copyright laws, material can effectively be pulled from anywhere in this mesh of information.
As information links to information, the chain set out for one to follow turns into a web of interrelated data leading one down a productive mine of discovery.

look.
everything is sourced from everything, links back to everything and most exciting of all creates the foundations for future of everything.

remix and share, it adds to a rich online and offline culture.