Final Project - Video Deconstruction

Final project

For my final video deconstruction project, I wanted to "deconstruct" the aesthetic of this city that I know and love.

I started by choosing a song to set my video to, settling on Sit Next to Me by Foster the People because I felt that the general vibe of the song speaks to the general vibe of the beautiful downtown area. Once I had the soundtrack in mind, it was easier to get relevant footage and have an idea of what I wanted to do.

I decided to primarily play around with video glitches to deconstruct my footage. I liked the idea of "rough edges" and the contrast between sleek, human intervention and the raw and natural beauty of the landscape.

Once I had completed the project, uploaded it to YouTube, and written out this blog post, I had a feeling I should check the syllabus and upon doing so realized that we have to self produce the audio used in our video. I also realized there was a time limit on these videos. After a brief panic, I realized it was back to the drawing board.

Link to original video:
'Rough Edges' video project

My next step was to reorganize/rearrange my footage and audio so that it fit the time parameters. At this point, I was still unsure as to what I was planning to do about the audio, and the second version of my video was born.

Link to Version 2.0:
'Rough Edges' v2

Finally, after some brainstorming, I decided what I wanted to do. I followed along with the song in my head, then created the "beat" using my hands as a drum. I recorded that audio and added it to my video. The next step was a second audio recording where I used other props to emulate other sounds from my original song choice. I then layered the two audio files over each other to create a sound as similar to my original track as was feasibly possible. This is when I realized that I am apparently incapable of creating a beat.

So, back to the drawing board once again, I finally settled on messing with the audio clips to create a spooky sound and give a different context to my video footage. While I enjoyed the video more with its original soundtrack, I was pleasantly surprised by how my artistic statement was further emphasized by the altered soundtrack. The mood of the video completely changed from upbeat and happy to gloomy, creepy, and a little unsettling.
And thus, my final project was born.

Link to final video:
Final project

Grid Art

For this grid art project, I chose to use stock photo magazines as my medium. To start, I printed out a simple grid that could easily be followed. I used a basic grid on paper so I could sketch a design over it in pencil.



I wanted to create a night sky depiction as celestial objects have always been a source of inspiration for me. I chose to depict a crescent moon in the sky.

I first traced a crescent moon shape over the grid in pencil. I then created a stencil which would allow me to trace boxes of the same dimensions as the ones in my grid. I placed this stencil over the section of the magazine I wanted, traced, and then cut out each small square.

For the moon portion, I used a variety of yellows, off whites, and even some more orangey tones. I wanted to use a variety of tones to achieve an eclectic look as well as create an illusion of dimension in my piece. For the background, I used a variety of blues in all tones, light and dark. I even used some straight up black squares. I wanted to go for a night sky look, but I wanted to mix in a lot of vivid blue tones to contrast the yellow and orange tones used in the moon.

Overall, I like the look of my finished product. It reminds me of magazine collages I used to make for fun when I was younger, but much more cohesive. I like the contrast between the foreground and background of the piece.