'... Descending a Staircase'

Final idea for the 2-4 minute video task: multiple overlayed images of me walking down the stairs... a reference to Duchamp’s 1912 painting ‘Nude Descending a Staircase’. The process of filming was easy as the composition was inspired by the painting... the staircase filmed slightly to the left so that I would be travelling from the top left to the bottom right corner of the screen, camera in a fixed, stationary position.

 

I definitely did not plan my ideas enough... the decision to go with this new idea was spur of the moment and I think this made the whole process harder as I wasn't clear on what I wanted to achieve... I found the editing process very stressful, trying to understand how to use new software combined with not knowing what effect I was after anyway. I think overall I did well to produce the film that I did in a limited time (and this was something I shouldn't have allowed to happen - I should have allowed myself another day to edit the footage) and I did learn from the experience. I also found some reassurance in my ignorance.. decisions were made for me by the limitations that I had, such as turning away from an orderly, precisely timed overlap of images, to a more experimental depiction, that was more fun to make and conveys Duchamp's use of fractured shapes in the painting.

I am not exactly happy with what I have made... I think it is rushed, poorly assembled and gives very little thought to anything except the loose historical reference. I think the piece lacks a concept, which is what makes it most disappointing to me.. but this is something that I think would take me longer to develop than the time I had. Practicing using the software and becoming more confident with using different editing tools would also allow me to focus on details and sharpen ideas.

Having said this, I have taken some stills from the film which I think are really interesting visually.. very different to anything I have produced before, but I like the 'ghostly' element, and how parts of my body can be seen multiple times in the same image.

The aspect I find hardest about video is that I have no notion just yet of what makes it good... with sculpture/installation there are elements I recognise which interest me, and I feel able to judge the quality of my own work. With video, as with painting too, I find it very difficult to identify what the good qualities are or what doesn't work at all. To improve on this, I aim to look at more video art online, on Ubu etc. and maybe read some books that will introduce me to video art as it has evolved historically.  I really want to understand it more as I have enjoyed making videos in the past (on much simpler software) and it would be good to experiment with it more at some point.