Storytelling

For this assignment, I wanted to have a narrator that talks to kids about art history as if he's telling the a story. The kids would sit around and listen to the narrator talk about the history of art and how it has evolved over time. The narrator would be talking off-screen, but the kids would be on-screen in a half circle to see all their faces. For audio, I would use an AI generated voice for the narrator and I planned on voicing all the kids by manipulating my natural voice for each one. In order to make it more interesting and not just a blank screen with kids talking, I wanted to do something with the background that was interesting but also not just a few pictures of what is being talked about at that time. That's when I landed on doing realistic flyovers of cities that were pivotal to the history of art. This adds dimension to the video as well as gives the viewer something to look at while the narration or dialogue is happening on screen.

To make the flyovers possible I had to utilize my knowledge in Unreal Engine. I used a standard blank game template and the true magic came from the Cesium Ion plug-in. This plug-in is an API where it connects to Google Maps and generates realistic depictions of the world. You're able to travel anywhere and everywhere as if you're doing a virtual tour of the city or landmark you input. All you have to do is input the coordinates of where you want to go and the plug-in will generate the real-time view of the city. You can also adjust the Sun Sky which plays with timezones so you can adjust the time of day. For example, if you are going to Rome they are 7 hours ahead of us so it will be dark over there if it is 3pm here. You can adjust the Sun Sky to a different timezone and mimic what Rome would look like when it is 1pm local time. Adding this feature really enhanced my video and was a cool way to show the viewer what they city looked like while also hearing the history that was made there.

I ran into a major problem when doing the project, and that was the file got corrupted when uploading it to dropbox to finish at home and I lost the file. The work I had done on the video was gone and it was truly a bummer because I had big plans for it. I took screenshots of the flyovers and rendered some small clips of them which are attached below, but the master video is lost in a void. The characters I also used for this assignment as shown below as well to give a sense of what they would've looked like. In terms of content and information I would include in the video I was going to touch on quite a few topics we discussed in the lecture. The topics I planned on including are below as well. 

Although I didn't get to see the full video come to fruition, I was happy with my idea and outline for the project. I feel like I had a solid idea for what I wanted and I'm content with that.

Deliverables:

Flyovers: 

Characters:

Topics to Include:

• Alberti's Treastises
• Impressionists
• Picasso
• Cubism
• Industrial Revolution
• Surrealists
• Duchamp
• Jackson Pollock
• Dada
• Fluxists
• Post Impressionists
• Black Square
• Nam June Paik
• Bill Viola
• Fauvism
• Abstract Expressionism
• Photography
• Realism
• Etienne Jules Murray
• Muybridge- Zoopraxiscope
• Other artists who contributed to art evolution

Post #19 Reading and GRQ - Anne Collins Goodyear Launching "Hybrid Practices" in the 1960s On the Perils and Promise of Art and Technology

GRQ:

1. 9 Evenings: Theaters and Engineering

2. EAT

3. Sputnik

4. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution

5. Allan Kaprow

6. Billy Kulver

7. Rauschenberg

8. John Cage

9. intermedia

10. Fluxus

11. happenings

12. performances

13. Pepsi-Cola

14. Singer

15. the war in Vietnam and the economic recession

16. the Artists' Cooperation Program

Discussion:

In this lecture we discussed the works of Nam June Paik, and the impact he left on the art world and art history. The lecture included a video art piece titled Global Grove which I enjoyed. The art piece seems psychedelic in a way where there’s flashes of color, a lot of movement, and an upbeat song behind it all. The video seemed like a collage of some sort and truly captured the 70s era of fun and disco, and was just a fun watch. Compared to video art now, the piece was at the start of video art where nowadays you see video art about everything. I remember making a video art piece in another class and we got to make it on any topic we wanted, which was fun and easy to do. The quick movements and flashes of color created the psychedelic aspect of the video and made it engaging to watch, especially since this was unprecedented. Nam June Paik made his mark on the art world and it’s interesting to see what a trendsetter he was looking back on history. I’ve always had an appreciation of Paik and I will continue to do so as he paved the way for many artists today, and even paved the way for music videos with his video art.

Post #18 - Lecture - Electronic Media and Performance

Similar to the evolution of physical art forms, film has undergone various transformative periods where artists challenged conventions and redefined the meaning of art. One striking example of this is the Experimental film genre, which breaks away from traditional notions of storytelling and structure. Experimental films thrive on abstract and seemingly confusing ideas, epitomized by the work of Maya Deren, an influential filmmaker known for her "psychodrama" style, aiming to recreate the contents of the mind or subconscious. A significant turning point in the art world's shift towards digital art came with the formation of "Experiments in Art and Technology" (E.A.T.). This group facilitated collaborations between artists and engineers, paving the way for multimedia and video art, pioneered by Nam June Paik. Notably, Paik's "Electronic Super Highway" installation, with its vibrant neon lights, left a lasting impression. Another intriguing form of video art emerged through David Hall's TV interruptions, where short, unexpected video pieces were broadcasted on television, akin to a visual version of the sci-fi radio broadcasts that once caused panic. Furthering the evolution of art is performance art, breaking down the final barriers of traditional artistic expression. The Fluxus movement exemplified this concept, emphasizing the use of the body as a canvas for ideas and statements. Key figures like Marina Abramovic, Yoko Ono, and Orlan engaged in extreme performances to convey powerful messages, challenging conventional norms. While not all performance pieces need to be as drastic, they carry a meaningful impact, as seen in personal experiences like ballet, where the basics of flow and movement leave lasting impressions. The narrative expands to the author's personal connection with performance, drawing from their ballet background. Even in more private moments of dancing around their room, there's a recognition that this form of expression, combined with daydreaming, serves as a therapeutic outlet. This personal performance, never meant for an audience, is a testament to the idea that art doesn't always require an external observer; it can be an internal expression and release of ideas that transcend verbal comprehension. Whether showcased publicly or kept intimately personal, performance remains a powerful and meaningful avenue for artistic expression.