Collage Drawing (It will get easier)

https://youtu.be/lrbR-OsSLNI

Testing projecting the spinning video

Having done a bit of editing to the newly filmed footage of me spinning, I wanted to test it out in the studio and assess the light levels, the size of the image and get a sense of where to position the work in the room.

Over the past week Irene and I have been helping each other experiment with the green screen; both in terms of recording the footage and then learning how to edit the footage. Irene needed to increase the size of the green screen, so she bought a new one. This new screen comes with a specialist stand. I was immediately drawn to the stand, and think it could be very useful to enable me to try out projecting onto different materials at different heights.

Initially I set up the projection onto a large piece of table cloth. The material was far too transparent and the surface was not good for the projected image. Although I got the size of the character spinning to be the same size as me, the image looked small because the tablecloth was too narrow. It looked insignificant in comparison to the huge length of green material behind.

I then tried projecting the footage onto a white screen in the centre of the room. I used Irene's stand to hold the material. I think this works well. The screen has a presence and the scale works well in the room. I also like the way that the screen blocks part of the room so that you cannot see everything from the door. This prompts people to enter the room as opposed to staying by the door.

As I want a life sized projection on both sides of the screen, I need the projectors to be as far away from the screen as possible. I have therefore positioned the projectors facing each other in two diagonal corners. Set up in this way, it is possible to project my image life size.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Reshooting spinning animation

Over the past few days I have been learning how to use the green screen and chroma keying in order remove a specific colour from a video scene and replace it (keyed) with a different element. This is what broadcasters use when they replace the original background with an alternative background.

I want to create an animation of a figure spinning, and for it to be projected into a space so that it appears that the figure is in the space where the work is being played.

I used the green screen to record me spinning, but when editing the footage it was not possible to remove all the green as there was a green halo around me.

My next trial was recording me spinning in front of a black background and floor. The colour black cannot be projected, and so in theory, when I project the footage of the figure spinning against a black background, it should seem like the figure is spinning against a transparent background (and hence it would look like the figure was in the space where it is being viewed).

It is surprising how much black fabric is needed in order for the whole of the figure to remain in front of the black for the duration of the spinning. I used 2 different types of black fabric and found that one was too reflective but the other worked well as it was matt black.

I then tried setting up in a room with black walls, and covered the floor with the matt black material. This was successful, but the black walls were not quite black enough to produce the effect that I need.

I also tried wearing a different outfit. Rather than wearing black clothing which could appear rather dull and serious, I wore my orange dungarees and a teal blue jumper as well as the orange funnel I made for a previous performance. I wanted to try to avoid the video being read as a comment on body image and the female figure, and changing my outfit helped with this. The bright colours and sculptural cone also added to the aesthetic of the work. Wearing the funnel on my head is extremely disorientating because my sight is restricted. This makes it even harder to maintain my balance when I am spinning, and I think this is apparent in the footage. I like that the footage references a certain type of struggle, but does so with a sense of lightheartedness.

I am now going to source some more matt black material and cover the wall and floor in this. I will then record me spinning and will wear the orange cone and outfit.

Round and round she goes