Dear person,
Please watch this link:
LINK
Put your headphones on and put it on fullscreen.
Disclaimer...this film has flashing imagery...
Thursday 9 December 2010
Wednesday 8 December 2010
Woops...
the links to some videos will have been broken now.
this is due to me accidentally leaving somebody's name in videos with text and I don't want them to be irritated by potential nutters scouring videos for Gaga-stalking names.
By all means bother me, but I won't let anyone bother those who don't want to be.
i am currently archiving these videos, but they will not be available online, however a new version of the final outcome is available here:
LINK
sorry..
PS: if you really do want to bother me email me at conglats@gmail.com. Seriously, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
this is due to me accidentally leaving somebody's name in videos with text and I don't want them to be irritated by potential nutters scouring videos for Gaga-stalking names.
By all means bother me, but I won't let anyone bother those who don't want to be.
i am currently archiving these videos, but they will not be available online, however a new version of the final outcome is available here:
LINK
sorry..
PS: if you really do want to bother me email me at conglats@gmail.com. Seriously, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
The Obsessive's Conclusion
I think this has been the only project I have become seriously obsessed with.
This project has turned into such a monster for me.
Day and night I have thought about it, worrying at how I can perfect it further.
I think this project for me has been more about an obsession of perfection. There are so many faults I can see in this video. And I think I have to have a cut-off point in order to stop myself from going madder than I already am.
Here's the final outcome:
LINK
I think I've become crazy with perfection because I admire Lady Gaga and therefore want to make it right from the off. But getting there has driven me to frustration.
So I'm stopping here before I kill myself.
Enjoy :)
This project has turned into such a monster for me.
Day and night I have thought about it, worrying at how I can perfect it further.
I think this project for me has been more about an obsession of perfection. There are so many faults I can see in this video. And I think I have to have a cut-off point in order to stop myself from going madder than I already am.
Here's the final outcome:
LINK
I think I've become crazy with perfection because I admire Lady Gaga and therefore want to make it right from the off. But getting there has driven me to frustration.
So I'm stopping here before I kill myself.
Enjoy :)
There's deo in my hair and hairspray everywhere..
Seriously I'm suffocating my family and goldfish with hairspray and deodorant.
And I don't think it's doing any good to my health either since I'm asthmatic and have a check-up in a month..
"So why do you have a thick lining of hairspray and lynx in your lungs?"
"I don't know..."
That's what I'll say but what I'll say to you is that I was experimenting today in prepof the preparation for a re-enactment of the video.
I finally came to the conclusion that print publication would not be a suitable method for promoting a video but instead I'm justifying that a video published on Youtube is a publication...it is published!
I was also contemplating on a half video-half live performance piece as if I'm willing to re-enact it live (with thanks to C.J. and Ness for encouraging 'the tortured artist'), that shows my passion and admiration I have for the video and the Lady herself.
But as I started preparing the video I realised that a performance AND a video may be too confusing as to where to look and the video itself was coming together quite nicely. Luckily I found the audio (maybe not legally...) from the concert so I could play around with it in the video.
The premisis of this video is to show the process of getting the video from the record company. Much to my disappointment I failed when I got back to the product manager. She said that Polydor don't have the video (or something like that) and if they did they wouldn't be allowed to distribute it anyway to anyone. Which I think, fair enough. But she did wish me good luck with my project, and although I felt like 'fuck you, bitch' at the time as I couldn't get what I want which wasn't really her fault, she's on my Christmas card list for a thank you for actually taking some interest in my project.
So I wrote down the dialogue I had with everyone on the phone up to this point and thought that it'd be a very effective alternative to the 'countdown numbers' which flash rapidly on-screen. The effect of this creates a disorientation and confusion and anticipation as to what will happen, similar to how I felt when watching it for the first time.
This dialogue flashes up on the screen and speeds up until the point when in the original video Gaga jumps down with the words 'FUCK IT I'LL MAKE MY OWN'. And this is what I did. If I don't get what I want, I'll find a way of getting it! And I did! It's just it's my version of it.
Wanna see the first draft of it?
LINK
Also I guess I used static images predominantly in this film as that was what I was working with up to this point (as you can see from the previous animations). Putting the research and ideas leading up to a final result literrally as a final result is an interesting one: I guess you never really see the initial ideas in the final piece much, so I'm putting them forward first.
The first images are just of me experimenting with the 5 photos at a time effect on my webcam and they do work well as they are very dramatic, nearing on spasticated, shots. The next set is me imitating the slap. As I have no way of getting a slo-mo camera (I asked a company how much it'd be per day and they said £1000...that's not in my budget!). So I just imitated the current style of 5 photos at a time, although I feel that part needs to be cleaned up a bit.
The dialogue will be a recurring feature of the video - similar to the numbers in the original. But the inversed version of the text adds to the confusion of the video (it's also another experiment I liked).
This is the next bit of the video:
LINK
It's not quite ready yet, but it's to mimic the hairspraying section of the video. This is a proper video recording now as the static shots sometimes don't quite cut it at recording the sweeps of my hair, so I tried with video and it comes out better!
I'm currently editing this bit and will probably have the whole video ready and uploaded by tonight.
Wish me luck!
And I don't think it's doing any good to my health either since I'm asthmatic and have a check-up in a month..
"So why do you have a thick lining of hairspray and lynx in your lungs?"
"I don't know..."
That's what I'll say but what I'll say to you is that I was experimenting today in prepof the preparation for a re-enactment of the video.
I finally came to the conclusion that print publication would not be a suitable method for promoting a video but instead I'm justifying that a video published on Youtube is a publication...it is published!
I was also contemplating on a half video-half live performance piece as if I'm willing to re-enact it live (with thanks to C.J. and Ness for encouraging 'the tortured artist'), that shows my passion and admiration I have for the video and the Lady herself.
But as I started preparing the video I realised that a performance AND a video may be too confusing as to where to look and the video itself was coming together quite nicely. Luckily I found the audio (maybe not legally...) from the concert so I could play around with it in the video.
The premisis of this video is to show the process of getting the video from the record company. Much to my disappointment I failed when I got back to the product manager. She said that Polydor don't have the video (or something like that) and if they did they wouldn't be allowed to distribute it anyway to anyone. Which I think, fair enough. But she did wish me good luck with my project, and although I felt like 'fuck you, bitch' at the time as I couldn't get what I want which wasn't really her fault, she's on my Christmas card list for a thank you for actually taking some interest in my project.
So I wrote down the dialogue I had with everyone on the phone up to this point and thought that it'd be a very effective alternative to the 'countdown numbers' which flash rapidly on-screen. The effect of this creates a disorientation and confusion and anticipation as to what will happen, similar to how I felt when watching it for the first time.
This dialogue flashes up on the screen and speeds up until the point when in the original video Gaga jumps down with the words 'FUCK IT I'LL MAKE MY OWN'. And this is what I did. If I don't get what I want, I'll find a way of getting it! And I did! It's just it's my version of it.
Wanna see the first draft of it?
LINK
Also I guess I used static images predominantly in this film as that was what I was working with up to this point (as you can see from the previous animations). Putting the research and ideas leading up to a final result literrally as a final result is an interesting one: I guess you never really see the initial ideas in the final piece much, so I'm putting them forward first.
The first images are just of me experimenting with the 5 photos at a time effect on my webcam and they do work well as they are very dramatic, nearing on spasticated, shots. The next set is me imitating the slap. As I have no way of getting a slo-mo camera (I asked a company how much it'd be per day and they said £1000...that's not in my budget!). So I just imitated the current style of 5 photos at a time, although I feel that part needs to be cleaned up a bit.
The dialogue will be a recurring feature of the video - similar to the numbers in the original. But the inversed version of the text adds to the confusion of the video (it's also another experiment I liked).
This is the next bit of the video:
LINK
It's not quite ready yet, but it's to mimic the hairspraying section of the video. This is a proper video recording now as the static shots sometimes don't quite cut it at recording the sweeps of my hair, so I tried with video and it comes out better!
I'm currently editing this bit and will probably have the whole video ready and uploaded by tonight.
Wish me luck!
Saturday 4 December 2010
What I threw up today
Maybe churned out is a better phrase.
So today I wanted to experiment with re-enacting this video and I went about it by asking my dear friend C.J. (whose blog is verbalzabuse.blogspot.com) to copy the stills which I made from the original video. Here are a couple of shots:
Because we were doing it in a cold slushy car park, the photos aren't the bestest ever.
From these shots I wanted to create an animation to see whether it can re-create the original (in essence) which can be seen here:
LINK
The music used isn't the actual mix from the video, but then I found the mix and applied it to an extended version which includes me in order to bulk it up, shown here:
LINK
I then decided to experiment on my own to see what the outcome would be if I were to mimic the video, except not using still photography, but motion photography and a little help from windows movie maker.
The following videos are three of the four core parts of the video mimicked and somewhat remixed by me:
LINK 1
LINK 2
LINK 3
I'm most happy with the first and the third outcome as I feel that they are the most effectively edited and, despite having limited resources, it's not a bad job..
Now whether I continue with mimicking the film...that's another question.
I think I'll continue some more observational drawings. See where I'll get with that.
So today I wanted to experiment with re-enacting this video and I went about it by asking my dear friend C.J. (whose blog is verbalzabuse.blogspot.com) to copy the stills which I made from the original video. Here are a couple of shots:
From these shots I wanted to create an animation to see whether it can re-create the original (in essence) which can be seen here:
LINK
The music used isn't the actual mix from the video, but then I found the mix and applied it to an extended version which includes me in order to bulk it up, shown here:
LINK
I then decided to experiment on my own to see what the outcome would be if I were to mimic the video, except not using still photography, but motion photography and a little help from windows movie maker.
The following videos are three of the four core parts of the video mimicked and somewhat remixed by me:
LINK 1
LINK 2
LINK 3
I'm most happy with the first and the third outcome as I feel that they are the most effectively edited and, despite having limited resources, it's not a bad job..
Now whether I continue with mimicking the film...that's another question.
I think I'll continue some more observational drawings. See where I'll get with that.
Friday 3 December 2010
What I did yesterday and today
I think I may be getting somewhere with these phone calls.
Well yesterday I got through to Polydor Video Department, but they said they didn't have the video in their department, so it might be in the US Polydor Video Department, who they don't communicate with...hm. So I was emailed a number of somebody that works for Lady Gaga in the UK. Due to the snow, the person I was trying to contact probably wasn't in so I left a message.
I bother them on Monday.
Meanwhile I've been continuing my drawings, but with a different drawing style.
One of my tutors suggested me to draw all of the video.
And that's what I basically kinda did (click on them to zoom in):
Well yesterday I got through to Polydor Video Department, but they said they didn't have the video in their department, so it might be in the US Polydor Video Department, who they don't communicate with...hm. So I was emailed a number of somebody that works for Lady Gaga in the UK. Due to the snow, the person I was trying to contact probably wasn't in so I left a message.
I bother them on Monday.
Meanwhile I've been continuing my drawings, but with a different drawing style.
One of my tutors suggested me to draw all of the video.
And that's what I basically kinda did (click on them to zoom in):
Well I drew the images which are a few seconds apart from each other and overlapped them slightly, which I think is a very interesting effect. It especially works on the last pic where Lady gaga is spraying Lady gaga who is spraying Lady gaga.
Similar to this eternal spraying, another tutor suggested to me of making a countdown of a countdown of a countdown of a countdown to a video. Maybe this spraying could be incorporated into this...
I've also been accused of being mentally unstable for this obsession.
I'm so totally happy now!
The tutors also questioned me as to if I even need to get the video? But surely getting the video shows what extremes I shall go to in order to have a copy of the video I'm obsessed by? Another suggestion was if I can't get a copy of the video, could I re-enact it myself?
I so could!!
Oh and here's a link to an animation of all of the drawings I made:
Wednesday 1 December 2010
Woops...
Missed one image out. This one was made using inks only.
On its own i looks a bit meh, however if you add in lines using a biro....
..it doesn't look so bad! In fact i think i'll experiment with this method: colour and shadows first, outline after!
That is all
Honest!
What I've done today
Quite a bit as a matter of fact.
I called Universal Music today, got forwarded to Polydor's number, however I got sent to voicemail. I've explained to them what I want to do and I'll follow them up tomorrow morning.
I'm not giving up that easily!
Every move she makes dominates the screen and the stage.
This picture in particular I find interesting. As you can see, a photo is being taken by an oversized posing Gaga. People want to take a picture of a Gaga that isn't real. How weird..
But this dominating by size I find very important. Maybe the posters I could make should reflect the dominance shown in the video by making huge posters.
BYE!
I called Universal Music today, got forwarded to Polydor's number, however I got sent to voicemail. I've explained to them what I want to do and I'll follow them up tomorrow morning.
I'm not giving up that easily!
In other news I've continued my 20 observational drawings, starting with two marker pens: one which was full for the darker areas and another which was nearly empty for the lighter areas.
I think this is an ideal way of drawing these images. The high contrast of the original image can be seen very effectively. The image is bold and vivid.
I then decided to experiment with a combination of inks and marker pen:
I initially used inks to represent hair as the contrast of the image is insufficient for a marker pen, so I couldn't actually draw the hair. So I started using inks. The brush strokes and colours are very dramatic and exciting, adding to the excitement that the video gives me. I also feel that Lady Gaga's hair is a very important element of the video (as well as her identity) so the colours emphasize this significance.
Perhaps this vivid imagery could be used in a publication, perhaps used as an opening to the opening of Lady Gaga's gig...maybe this campaign should create a hype, excitement and anticipation as I felt when I watched this video. I was thinking maybe to create a countdown until the day I show the video through the use of poster which are put up and taken down on a regular basis until the time I do show the video.
This would create some mystery as to what may happen on a certain day/ at a certain time, reflecting my uncertainty of what would occur after the video.
Something else I want to consider is the size of the video in relation to the audience (bit of a sidetrack!):
Lady Gaga is huge compared to the audience and appears to be looking down on them (literally). She is the dominating one; attention should be on her, it's her night and she's getting ready for it. It also feels a bit like a catwalk, but she's the only one on it.
But this dominating by size I find very important. Maybe the posters I could make should reflect the dominance shown in the video by making huge posters.
BYE!
Tuesday 30 November 2010
About this blog
Oh hey well fancy seeing you here!
Welcome to my fanatastical blog about fanaticism.
This blog will wholly be used for the current project we're working on in Foundation Graphics land, so if you want to find my general blog hop over to conglats.blogspot.com.
So indeed, fanaticism. Basically our brief is to 'convince others of [our obsession's] unequivocal worth'. We must then launch a campaign to convince others our obsessions are worthy causes. The way we do this is up to us provided it's legal and we create a small-run publication using reproduced images and text. Oh and we need to make at least 20 observational drawings of our obsession.
Eep!
So I initially created a short list of obsessions (another list can be found on conglats.blogspot.com too!) This list included:
Despite it only lasting about 2 and a half minutes I could watch this clip all day. I remember going to the gig in Sheffield and at how excited the video made me feel. I can still feel that anticipation and excitement every time I youtube that video. Never has a video been so powerful to me I think.
Therefore I think the world should know how - wow - this video is some way or another.
This is my obsession.
One thing I would really like is to find a copy of the video which hasn't been uploaded by a member of the crowd (although to some extent the cheering of the crowd does add to dramatic effect), so today I have been scouring the web for some address/number/contact info in order to get in contact with somebody who might give me access to a 'clean' copy. Initially for reference and private use, but maybe for broadcast...who knows!
So I've now got hold of a number and London address for Universal Studios which is the parent company of Lady Gaga's record company, so I'll get in contact with them tomorrow.
It's ambitious I know, but I don't fucking give up that easily.
Additionally I started some observational drawings of the video:
Welcome to my fanatastical blog about fanaticism.
This blog will wholly be used for the current project we're working on in Foundation Graphics land, so if you want to find my general blog hop over to conglats.blogspot.com.
So indeed, fanaticism. Basically our brief is to 'convince others of [our obsession's] unequivocal worth'. We must then launch a campaign to convince others our obsessions are worthy causes. The way we do this is up to us provided it's legal and we create a small-run publication using reproduced images and text. Oh and we need to make at least 20 observational drawings of our obsession.
Eep!
So I initially created a short list of obsessions (another list can be found on conglats.blogspot.com too!) This list included:
- Automated announcements on trains, buses, etc. I remember every single automated announcement - seriously! Although recording observational drawings would be a challenge...
- Argos catalogue. They are just too fun to look through
- Ikea. FUNFUNFUN!!
- Lady Gaga's Paparazzi music video. I could watch it all day. I find it so interesting.
- Lady Gaga's Opening Video to her concert. <I chose this one.
Despite it only lasting about 2 and a half minutes I could watch this clip all day. I remember going to the gig in Sheffield and at how excited the video made me feel. I can still feel that anticipation and excitement every time I youtube that video. Never has a video been so powerful to me I think.
Therefore I think the world should know how - wow - this video is some way or another.
This is my obsession.
One thing I would really like is to find a copy of the video which hasn't been uploaded by a member of the crowd (although to some extent the cheering of the crowd does add to dramatic effect), so today I have been scouring the web for some address/number/contact info in order to get in contact with somebody who might give me access to a 'clean' copy. Initially for reference and private use, but maybe for broadcast...who knows!
So I've now got hold of a number and London address for Universal Studios which is the parent company of Lady Gaga's record company, so I'll get in contact with them tomorrow.
It's ambitious I know, but I don't fucking give up that easily.
Additionally I started some observational drawings of the video:
From making these two observational drawings I noticed that boldness of the images would really suit monoprinting or stencilling. The dramatic curves and lines I find very important features of the images, as well as the way the human form is modified into abstract silhouettes.
I think I need to explore further by creating additional (...well I have to make 20 drawings after all!) drawings, experimenting with stencils, and booking myself into a printing session to see how it works and see whether the process would be suitable for this imagery.
Wish me luck!
Oh and staying on the stencil lines I did coincidentally create a piece of Lady Gaga using paper stencils and pastels:
Unfortunately due to the fact it's been scanned in, the colours aren't as strong as I would've liked but you can see how I stencilled anyway.
And on a not so dissimilar tangent, here are two further drawings of a different video from Lady Gaga's gig:
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