The Chronicle stops the presses- Play offers new twist on classic story
- Students create illustrations for Georgia Ports Authority
-
Graduate student channels classic horror in thesis film - Alumnus creates mobile gallery
- SCAD libraries hold artist’s book competition for students
- Griffis discusses development of Arthur legend
- Noted author speaks to students
- The Green Scene: 'We have a dream'
- Personnel File: New staff members join SCAD-Savannah
- SCAD hosts regional IDSA conference
- Titus Kaphar to speak at SCAD
- The Bee Line
- Women’s lacrosse sets records in Kennesaw State win
- Athlete Feats highlights for Feb. 22
- Baseball takes series from St. Thomas
- Women’s basketball wraps up second place in Florida Sun
- Athletics updates for Feb. 15
- Baseball off to best start in program’s history
- Big third period leads lacrosse team to victory
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
Class in the Spotlight
|
Art video course combines survey, studio
 Photo by Dane Sponberg Film and television professor John Drop (right) points out highlights of student Bossi Baker’s (second from right) video sketch to students in the Art Video course Jan. 24 in Hamilton Hall. By Monique Bos Published: Friday, January 26, 2007 Savannah College of Art and Design film and television professor John Drop characterized his Art Video course, which meets Mondays and Wednesdays in Hamilton Hall, 522 Indian St., as a cross between a survey and a studio. “What happens is that with video art, most students come to SCAD having seen thousands of TV shows, thousands of commercials, thousands of music videos, and hundreds of reproductions of paintings and photographs in magazines,” he said. “But they have no idea of the history of video art, so they end up reinventing the wheel.” Drop said he shows students experimental art films made from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s, as well as still images from more contemporary work. “I try to provide them with a real conceptual and technical background,” he said. “It also gives them artists to look for in the future, if they’re interested in doing more research on Google or in Art in America.” Drop started the Jan. 24 class session by asking if any of the students had been able to attend the Jan. 23 Bubblyfish concert at the Telfair Art Museum’s Jepson Center. Bubblyfish is the stage name of Haeyoung Kim, a classically trained Korean pianist who uses Nintendo Gameboys to make experimental music and soundscapes. Drop discussed the time element of her performance (perhaps too long, under the circumstances), as well as the venue and audience reaction (the concert might have worked better in a club than in a formal auditorium setting, and the audience consisted of many families with small children who weren’t able to concentrate on the whole performance). He then segued to video sketches students had created for the class. These weekly assignments serve as springboards for discussion, as well as a forum to suggest ways the students can develop their concepts further. They also provide a means for students to incorporate techniques and ideas from some of the professional work they’ve seen in class. “The critiques target suggestions for improvement,” Drop said. “That’s the point of these sketches — to see them in terms of the professional work we’ve viewed and look at how to push their ideas.” He emphasizes to the students that art videos must include an experimental element. “Why do you think it’s art?” he asked. “What’s experimental about it? … Enjoyment is different than why it’s experimental.” Students’ approaches to the projects were as varied as their subject matter. Bossi Baker combined synthesizer tones with abstract images taken from footage of his kitchen stove heating up. Tim Shay downloaded an Internet clip showing a newscast of a dead, beached whale being blown up in Oregon in the 1970s; he cut and looped some of the footage and added somber music. Amanda Finn used puppets in a living-room setting and coordinated the camera’s focus with a soundtrack of her friends having an unscripted, unedited conversation. Joey DiFranco created a 22-frame animation based on the Shel Silverstein poem “Joey,” which he said was his favorite poem when he was a child. Drop analyzed formal components of each film and discussed issues such as continuity, how to highlight the filmmaker’s technique if that was the focus of the piece, and why students made certain timing decisions. He also asked about editing software and talked about how to improve a few uneven audio tracks. Then he turned to a discussion of the content, gave his reaction and asked the rest of the class for their insights. In some cases, students were surprised at how many interpretations people found for their work. In others, they were thrilled to know their message had reached the audience. “I really enjoy hearing everything everybody has to say,” said student Heather Danosky. Misty Porter’s film, “Pay Attention,” consisted of a screen split between nine constantly changing, moving images from the Internet, while her voiceover provided information about the Patriot Act. Another student said he thought her intention was to indicate that viewers are so overwhelmed by popular culture and media that they don’t pay attention to gradual erosions of their freedom. “It makes me very happy that you said that!” Porter exclaimed. One of the challenges Drop pointed out — and several students said they faced — was how to provide viewers with enough information to understand the filmmaker’s intention in creating the work. “Art has to transcend the artist,” he explained. “In order to transcend you, the information has got to be here [on the screen] in some way.” He said he encourages students to provide honest feedback, but throughout the critique process he also emphasizes the need for comments to be constructive. “As sketches, the idea here is to try to come up with what you want to say, and through group discussion come up with directions to push it,” he explained.  |
|
|