Tuesday 19 October 2010

Idea for Filming and Greater Understanding

I am planning to shoot some slow-motion footage of flight. To do this i will need a high definition camera, tripod and a subject. I have two subjects looking at organic flight and man made flight.

Firstly I will try to capture a pigeon as it takes flight. To do this I will use some bait like bread after setting a camera on a tripod and then use something or someone to spook the bird into flying. I will the take my footage to the editing suit and use "After Effects" to slow the footage down then export it into "Quick Time".


For the second part of the footage I will be shooting a remote control helicopter taking off. I will do this by following instructions from the first shoot skipping out the bait and spooking steps.

Museum of Science and Industry Research

I went to the Museum of Science and Industry to look at some Aeroplanes and Aerofoils for research and understanding purposes.

Roe Triplane 1 Built by Edwin Alliott


I like the simplicity of this early aircraft design, I focused primarily on the struts in the wing as this is a method I could use when building my own flying machine.


This is and image of a wing, I have been trying to gain a greater understanding of wings and aerofoils. I noticed that from the side all the wings are fairly flat underneath and curved on the top. This means the air has a further distance to travel over the top of the wing therefor it must travel faster, this causes a difference in pressure lifts of sucks the wing upwards.


There was also a section of paintings of aircrafts in the museum. I found these very interesting and technical and some of the water-colour and oil paintings looked very realistic and beautiful here is one one of my favourites.

Ludwig Wittgenstein Flight Project

Ludwig Wittgenstein was an Austrian philosopher he was a Professor of Philosophy at the at the University of Cambridge 1939-1947. In 1908 at the age of 19 Wittgenstein came to England the enroll as a research student in aeronautics at the University of Manchester. Wittgenstein would escape from the the city to Glossop in High Peak, Derbyshire not far from where i live in Stockport. It is here in the countryside  that Wittgenstein would walk, contemplate and fly kites. Wittgenstein is seen as one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century and played a very important roll in the history of creative thinkers and problem solvers.


Project Outline
I will be looking at flight. My project will branch off in two directions exploring organic forms of flight like birds and manmade forms of flight like aeroplanes.

Contextual Research 
Books- AERONAUTICS, A Science Museum Four-in-One Book, C. H. Gibbs-Smith, G. W. B. Lacey
W. J. Tuck, W. D. O'Dea. 
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD The Evolution of Flying Machines, Allen Andrews, 1997.
UNDERSTANDING AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES, John Cutler, Revised By Jeremy Liber, Blackwell Publishing. 
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Standard Publications.

Manchester Museum of Science and Industry - Aeroplane section.

Craft Magazine - Taxidermy Artist

Internet Research on Flying Machines, Aerofoils, Wright Brothers, Birds, Flight, etc.

Experimental Research
Testing Materials, Building and Testing Flying Machines, Slow Motion Video, Drawings and Plans of Flying Machines.

Resources Required
High Definition Camera, After Effects Program, Balsa Wood, Wood Shop, Pencils, Paint, Glue, Understanding of Aerofoils.

Thursday 7 October 2010

Sweded Film Project - Planet of the Apes

I have really enjoyed executing this project as I had never heard of the style of film and it was a new interesting perspective on amateur film. The group worked well as we all took a roll and responsibility for different aspects of the production. We started by gathering research about the film and looking at key scenes and lines, from this we developed a plan and storyboard. Each group member agreed to bring in a range of props and costumes for the production.


The filming was a great success as we followed our plan and improvised to give our version a comical twist. We all had a good time acting like fools and expressing ourselves out of our comfort zone. When the films were screened in the studio I had a great time watching each groups take on the movie they had been set. There was some very creative shots and ideas in everyones film and some looked impressive considering we had no budget.

Saturday 2 October 2010

Party Project

I was recently set a group party project with four other students. We were given a three pound budget and had to create a party set around a theme. The theme that was given to us was "A Party With No Guest."

I think the group originally struggled with the theme but after some brainstorming we created a plan. The plan was to decorate a room in party related items and cling-film the door shut so people could view the space but could not enter. We then created a very difficult dress code and made invitations that had not been handed out. I think we took the theme in an interesting direction however when the time came for the whole class to enjoy each others party ours had become more of an installation.

Summer Project

The summer project that I was set was to invent a six player game the game I invented was called Rhyme Time.

These are the rules.

Each player draws a picture on a piece of paper.
The picture is of a corresponding rhyme.
The player must invent their rhyme.
For example I could invent the rhyme dead bed and the picture could look like this.

The game is built up of 3 rounds.
When the group is ready a player will reveal their picture and the other 5 players will guess by shouting out rhymes.
When a picture is correctly guessed it is handed over to the player who guessed it right.
The player with the most pictures at the end of the game is the winner.



I think the game worked well in as the group seemed to enjoy it and it was a good way to get to know each other. The feedback I received was all positive and I enjoyed playing the games the other group members brought.