Personal Reflection of I wish I could fix you

I feel that my first attempt at video editing was a pretty successful experience. I debunked a great deal of my personal fears of technology and making video art with the time I spent in the digital media lab. I used imovie a little bit, then moved to final cut pro to edit my piece. I gave myself plenty of time to make mistakes and deal with obstacles I could not have planned for. (like my key not giving me access to the lab!) With this success I am going to use video in my next piece as well.

I really appreciated the comments from my classmates and the discussion that the work generated. I feel that one of the greatest successes of this piece is that it is a deeply personal work and the back story to the piece is not important in understanding and experiencing the finished product. It is referenced, but paired down in a way that allows others to relate to it successfully. I initially wanted to reduce the time of the video even more with the a minimalism mindset drilled in to me by previous painting instructors. The idea presented in class about making it longer to emphasize the sense of waiting/anxiousness is a very interesting one; one I would not have thought of on my own. I would definitely make the video longer if it was presented in a gallery space. I would also reconsider the warmth of the light if I was to go back and fix anything. The warmth from the existing light does not lend to the institution feel I was going for. I felt a little apprehnsive about my lack of a proper tripod but the odd shake and tremor of the handheld led to anxious feel of the work.

The themes of anxiousness, helplessness, and waiting/passing of time were identified successfully by the class. I am really glad that my conventions were readily understood. I believe because the class understood and interacted with it that a broader gallery audience would understand the themes as well.

I would change the lighting, I would make it cold and incandescent. I would make the video very, very long, and would increase the anxiousness a bit more with the editing. I would make the shots shorter and a bit more disorienting at times. I would also include more camera angles to jump back and forth from. I would consider Soviet montage editing, not the rhythmic mathematical aspect of it, but the rapid succession of some of the scenes. I would also consider the performance aspect of Faye Heavyshield's art.

This project was a very rewarding learning experience.