Vertical Slice (Berlin)

Vertical Slice (Transport) from Richard Hunter on Vimeo.

Vertical Slice (Transportation) is a quick demonstration of the current direction of my practice. Whilst in Berlin, I shot a number of movement based clips utilising my iPhone as a second camera. The flexibility of positioning allowed me to capture footage in locations requiring quick setup and limited stabilisation. In this piece I have processed the footage using heavy masking and layering to explore movement (and manipulation of).  This was influenced by the collage based practitioners such as Jeffrey Meyer (Jeffrey Meyer ) and Randi Antonsen (Randi Antonsen)  [both featured in ‘Cutting Edges’ (2012)]. I am really happy with the distortion and disorientation of the visuals and again, I have accentuated this by matching an electronic experimental soundtrack. The outcome is certainly worth the heavy render times (10+hours for 2mins!) but I intend to refine my method to streamline and further manipulated the material. Perhaps looking to add overlays and further directional slices.

Libeskind Projections

Libeskind Projections from Richard Hunter on Vimeo.

Libeskind Projections, like ‘Shapes’ and ‘Berlin Sky’, is an evolution of style in my work. It maintains the (now controlled and more subtle) threshold graphic elements and slowed footage whilst responding to Libeskind’s Jüdisches Museum environment in a dark visual way. A broken grid is used to frame the harsh graphics in the centre of the screen assisting their almost negative interaction with the underlying footage. The squares of visual information jump to reflect the jagged forms and tortured structure and sequencing of the museum experience. The overlay elements run between the base footage and the squares adding a juxtaposed increased pace compared to the slow motion. There is the danger that the refinements in this piece bring it closer to a commercial outcome (something I am conscious to avoid) and it may be that more complex animation and blending would address this for future work. I am happy with the sense of claustrophobia created by the colour treatment and camera positioning and realised that a fixed viewpoint works well as a base for more mood based pieces.

Shapes (Berlin)

Shapes (Berlin) from Richard Hunter on Vimeo.

Shapes (Berlin) again, brings together learning from my previous works. Inspired by the design of Cristina Couceiro (http://www.cristianacouceiro.com) featured in ‘Geo / Graphics (2012), I introduced geometric graphic elements as overlays on my footage in the way that her work (particularly ‘Daylight and the Sun’) combines elements. The blending effect of her shapes on muted, vintage-styled photography heavily influenced my treatment of the brighter architecture footage shot towards the end of my Berlin visit. My colour treatment intentionally ‘washed out’ the clips and the animated After Effects shape elements blends through. To add further texture, there was also the inclusion of blended ‘found’ typography. This was again, a further evolution of the threshold elements applied with subtly (in this case inverted with light opacity and blurring). The end edit adds ‘glitch’ elements by chopping the smooth animation transitions and rotating/scaling the shapes to link with the chosen soundtrack.

As a final piece I am pleased with the work. Perhaps a little too close a homage to Couceiro’s work but the added elements beginning to evolve in my own practice do change the perspective of the subject matter to a certain degree. As such the piece may sit a little uncomfortably in the collection of final pieces but it is interesting to see that digital manipulation can create such a variation, even with the same source material.

Berlin Sky Variation

Berlin - Sky Variation from Richard Hunter on Vimeo.

Berlin Sky Variation is a final piece that draws together the outcomes and learning from my first experiments. It contains a combination of masking, time lapse photography, sliced/masked sky (used from ‘side window slice) and time warping. Starting with a ‘GoPro’ time-lapse as a base, I removed the varying (though the evening) sky and colour treated the footage to concentrate the light sources. This created a somewhat Edward Hopper-esque feel of loneliness in the foreground in direct contrast to the busy ‘lives’ represented by flashing windows that is reminiscent of Mona Hatoum’s light based work. The sky is further manipulated from its first use, in that it is repeated, rotated, layered and time warped to create a cubist-like texture inspired by the collage work of previously discussed artists like Alesi and Caccavale. The audio was chosen as it gradually builds over the duration of the piece and includes electronic synthetic elements that align with the slicing and iteration of the sky and window lights.

The architectonic themes continue whilst the application of contrast and threshold is more subtly applied along the skyline. Through production, certain artefacts appeared giving slight glitches in places. These were repeated to subtly give a nod towards my earlier ‘Threshold’ work and provide visual punctuation throughout the sequence.

I am very pleased with the result of this work as I feel it captures the level of quality and combination of elements in a cohesive outcome.  In terms of performance or exhibited use I can picture a high level of impact when projected on a large scale. The collage of sky elements may be worth considering in isolation or as a lead up to the full piece in a sequenced performance.

Portapak.be / Anouk De Clerq

Showreel from Anouk De Clercq on Vimeo.

Motion for Newton from Anouk De Clercq on Vimeo.

I discovered Anouk De Clerq's work through the mention of Portapak.de in 'Audio-visual Art + VJ Culture' (Faulkner M. 2006). Her work inspired my architecture and graphic shape based material and her exploration of computer language and visual distortion fit with the themes I am currently investigating.

Threshold Digital

Threshold Digital from Richard Hunter on Vimeo.

Threshold Digital again utilises clips from the original ‘Berlin Test Footage’. The intention was to produce a more finished and stylised piece through heavily ‘effecting’ of the source material. The source audio was again electronic in nature and my response was to digitally convert my material into bold, graphic outcomes through ‘Threshold’, colour channels and ‘levels’ manipulation. The piece intentionally confuses the viewer through the removal of depth in the imagery (through its conversion to black or white only) and artificial depth through layered material. The compounded elements of camera and (reversed) subject movement such as at 01:12 and 01:37 provide alternating settings for typographic material and graphical data that seems to digitally materialise and disappear with noise rather than fade.

I set out to create a piece that was consciously different in visual appearance to my other (more commercial) work based on the source material and I feel the outcome is quite successful. There are obvious connections/influences with VJ practitioners such as Scott Pagano (particularly ‘From Brown to Green’)  and Portapak (www.portapak.be) (Portapak.be showreel) and the long-term goal to utilise the material, as visuals to manipulate live seems achievable. I have received a positive reaction from peers as a moving image piece that sidesteps convention (or at least publically recognisable convention) however, to be critical, I am unsure of the ‘uniqueness’ of the work. To me it seems to rely a little too heavily on the Threshold filter, which immediately aligns the visual feel with early video experimentation and usage by pioneering 1980’s electronic artists such as Kraftwerk (live performance) rather than forward looking material. Because of this I intend to sparingly make use of this technique in future material, particularly in development of a ‘signature style’