DANCING

I worked with Leah on sequences already learned and went over the last one created. We had Gary's sample track to work with so that was good to have the timing there to follow. I have emailed Gary with a few changes and ideas towards the track. I found it hard to show a bit of new movement as my knee dislocated on Sat but i will manage!
The movement, as Leah metioned, Resembles that of manufacturing and conveyer belts, etc which i thought was a great analogy for this part of the sequence. It is very controlled, not much room for own personality from the dancers just yet as the repetetiveness, monotony and lack of individuality is accentuated.
I should have Em and Maria tomorrow and want to work on a trio with them. I wanted to do a travelling sequence but due to the knee injury I will wait until next week. I also want to film some still images of the different Sindys through time, to have at the beginning so should get that done in the afternoon and put into 3D.

2 CAMS

I filmed a moving image with 2 cameras, side by side, as close as i could get them. A lot of time was wasted getting used to a different camera and making sure each setting was the same for both. They looked too far apart though so i got the projector out to see if enlarging it and standing back further would help. The footage decided to jump loads and un-render itself.....somehow. I viewed one of the stills i did yesterday, with the shortest distance, using 1 cam, and this looked really good. If i could film dance with this technique it would be great but obviously the dancers will not be in exactly the same space each time i film so this wouldn't work. I need to experiment more with the 2 cameras again.

TUESDAY

The morning session went well with the girls, they learned what I taught Leah yesterday and a new sequence. I have emailed Gary the footage of Leah and asked for a timing of 3 bars of 3/3 followed by 1 bar of 4/4 for so long and then into 8s with 1 bar of 3 to change direction on the 2nd sequence on floor. It will be easier when the music is there and once the dancers' bodies have remembered it habitually! The movement is fairly simple but the repetition and timing makes it confusing slightly. The new sequence needs to be taught to Leah, it contains some of the elements from the other sections, with more suspension, to look relaxed and effortless.

STARTING DANCE

Today I was with Leah in the studio, creating the choreography for the 3d project. I used 2 ballet bars to act as the Sindy stands. The 1st section was created with the mechanics of the doll's body so each movement is a hinge. The movement is basic and repetitive, developing slowly and into a canon between the 3 dancers. I want the monotony to show the endless urge, without getting much further, the ridiculous goals that women try to reach.
After the bar is an extension of limbs and small twists on the floor. All dancers are in unison for the 1st time then Leah stands and does a variation whilst Emma & Maria repeat on a different angle.
Now I have the 3d glasses I tried them out on some still footage I filmed, placing cam 1/2 inch apart. It worked but I need to try it with a Sindy extending towards the camera for a greater dynamic.
Tomorrow I am with Emma & Maria in the studio and will experiment further with the anaglyph images.

RESEARCHING ANAGLYPHIC IMAGES

Firstly today I decided to do 2 short films just in the lab of still objects. I got some instructions from a forum on how to create an anaglyphic image to use with 3d glasses. No special equipment is needed to view this film once the glasses are worn.The first take was for the left eye which I imported into final cut pro on V1. The 2nd take was of the same objects but I shifted the camera over to the right a couple of cm before filming. This was then put onto V2, under V1 in fcp. I deleted the audio as it was not needed. Click here to see how I got the effect. Once this effect was done I tried to buy some red and cyan (a mix of blue and green) glasses to see if it had worked but unluckily I couldn't get any but have ordered some off ebay. If this works then I know what software I am using. Last night I tried the 3d glasses effect in AE, which gave the magic eye look...if you adjust your eyes the image produces a 3rd middle image that stands out, like in the old picture viewers. I am not sure how this would work with glasses though.
I looked up distances between lenses and found that an experiment had been done where the cameras were 100 feet apart. This produced a good 3d image but appeared very small as the lenses act like your eyes, therefore, eyes that wide apart could only come from a huge person, giving the illusion of viewing a tiny subject. I don't want my audience to feel a lot bigger than the projection so I will experiment with different distances, probably very close together.
I came across an Arrivision 3d lens which fixes on to the camera's lens and divides it in the middle, top and bottom. The top is the left eye and bottom the right. However, using this method, you also need 2 projectors with special lenses. If i can do it without this it will be great. Another option is digital stereo projection and this is the best one I think. Polarized glasses are used and also 2 projectors.
Tomorrow I need to choreograph ready for Sunday and more research into 3d.

FINAL PROJECT 3D

My final project will consist of 3 live dancers and 3D projections, either stop motion footage of Sindy or a Sindy model built in Maya.
The theme is based on superstimuli and how women are constantly being fed unreachable goals to aspire to. Air brushed models are displayed for women and teenagers to look up to but it starts much earlier on. Girls play with dolls and use them for role play and throughout the life of the Pedigree Sindy doll you can see how much British society's moulding has increased. Sindy was an average looking female and through the decades she has become not only unreachable but alien like.
I spoke to Gary who is composing the music today and he mentioned the Dove Evolution advert and how it relates to my theme. It's a good example of how women are endlessley striving to be computer enhanced models! I thought I could start off the projections with the different faces of Sindy and how she has changed from girl next door to sunburnt, turquoise alien eyes, skinny figure and gleaming teeth, just like real women in society have changed with fashion. She now resembles the American standard of a woman...BARBIE and yet, during the 1960's, child psychiatrists found that girls didn't want this, but now obviously, after years of being sold it, they now see this as normal. Young girls are now playing with unrealistic ideals and that is something we will strive for, without reaching, and therefore consume more beauty products.
I want to base the choreography for my 3 dancers on the movement of the Sindy's bodies and their capabilities. There will be exaggerated moves in places, overeaching of limbs, risk taking, competetiveness and maybe falling over to mimic how women will go to all lengths to achieve their goal, but failing helplessly.
I want to create Sindy stands and have the dancers in 'their place' restricted and bound; ready to break away and be individual, only to find that this freedom is unatainable and that instead they are manipulated by ridiculous images of 'superwomen', hypnotised in fact to become just that!
The 3D projections will be larger than life, just like our goals. They set the standards with the images of Sindy changing through the decades, the closer we get to present day, the worse it gets. Fashion is on a loop, I was just thinking today how I have worn skinny jeans in the '80's and now again in 2008! I want to repeat sections of movement and asked gary to create the music starting minimal and bringing variations in. I want him to try and capture the 3 decades (60s 70s 80s) in the music, as a sort of undertone. He will be working with music software and the sound will be electronic and fairly modern.
This project is also part of New Vibes to be performed as a work in progress in mid July. I have lots of studio time with the dancers and Gary will be able to work closely with us by attending some rehearsals and i will film as we go to send to him. He will create snippets for me to sample with the movement and build a track with the ones i like. I am meeting the dancers on Sunday.
In the meantime i need to work out how and what to film for the 3D projections. They will be viewed through 3D glasses like in Jaws 3 and i may need a special lens.

COVER

I have spent today creating a dvd cover in photoshop. It looks really good, if I had used photoshop more i would have got it done quicker as i had to learn as i went. I managed to do everything I needed to so I am happy. I based some of it on the poster I used of a b movie in Sindy's bedroom.