Chase's Multimedia Journal

Gappy Ranks - Heaven in Her Eyes (Live from Nottingham Carnival 2010)

2010-08-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

I filmed this performance at Nottingham Carnival 2010. This song is "Heaven In Her Eyes" by Reggae/Dancehall artist Gappy Ranks. The festival was great and attracts around 80,00 people during the two-day event!

This video was filmed using a Flip Ultra HD.

Audiovisual Therapy Professional Feedback

2010-05-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today, I conducted a short interview with Paul Richards, a psychotherapist in Nottingham who specialises in anger management. After showing him the material that was produced as part of the study and explaining the purpose and intentions of the project, he provided some insight as to how effective he thinks Audiovisual Therapy might be at treating mental illness. Below are the short answers to a questionnaire I asked him to complete and some of the points that came up in the interview:

1. How effective would you say the methods highlighted by this study would be at inducing a relaxed state in a client? (Circle one)

Very Effective Moderately Effective Slightly Effective Not at all

2. Do you think this would be a successful treatment technique for anxiety? Please provide your reasons for why.

"Yes - ambient anchoring"

- Ambient anchoring is the process by which a mood can be set through music and imagery. For example, a video might be played to a group to set a positive atmosphere before discussion starts.

3. Could you see Audiovisual Therapy being used as a treatment for mental illness? If so, please describe what illnesses might be benefited.

"Yes - with mild (very mild) depression and anxiety - problem is there is no feedback to the medium."

4. Would you consider using Audiovisual Therapy as part of your practice? If so, how might you use it?

"Yes - in training and groups as an anchor."

5. What changes might you make to the material that was produced as part of this study and why?

"No, none at all."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

During the interview Paul made several points, the most important of which are outlined below:

1. Audiovisual Therapy would be an effective tool for therapy when used for ambient anchoring. This method attempts to "anchor" an atmosphere or mood. This is useful when working with groups, as it produces a similar reaction by all of the clients and can positively influence the discussion.

2. The use of Audiovisual Therapy is similar to what Paul tries to achieve mentally. He says that he works with creating mental images in clients' minds and that it is the invitation to a feeling or belief that is significant, not the actual image itself. Through this way, Audiovisual Therapy would prove to be effective in changing mental processes and causing positive physical reactions to most individuals, most of the time. However, its purpose is a broad version of the "finesse" practice of actual therapy.

3. A major drawback of using Audiovisual Therapy material as a method of treatment is the factor of dependence. If a clip proves to be highly effective, for example to an insomniac, then psychological dependence could be formed, thus contributing to the problem. Paul states that especially for an individual who suffers from OCD, which by nature involves excessive repetitive actions, it could become an "unnecessary necessity".

Artefact 6 - Report

2010-05-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

As a result of the previous Artefacts’ conclusions, Artefact 6 was based on exploring the possible applications for Audiovisual Therapy. After determining the most important elements to focus on, and highlighting the possibility of self-generated therapeutic clips, it was logical to pursue other areas where the results of this study could be put to use. In doing so, a

After conducting further research into mental illness and selecting some conditions that might be benefited from the results of this study, their respective treatments were compared to the methods that might be applied using Audiovisual Therapy. For example, phobias can be treated by self-help techniques and behavioural therapy. Both involve exposure to the fear, however behavioural therapy implements relaxation techniques to aid the treatment. Thus, exposure and relaxation could be achieved through moving images and audio. Depression can be treated with Cognitive Behahavioural Therapy, counseling, and Interpersonal Therapy. These involve finding the source of the problem and trying to change the thought process. In this case, visual content might provoke changes in thought patterns. With insomnia, sleep hygiene and stimulus control point out some interesting treatment techniques, most significantly resolving stress before sleep, and the fact that a stimulus can increase the chance of a behaviour occurring due to an association in the mind. As seen in the previous Artefacts, it is possible to induce a relaxed state, therefore resolving stress and when watched every night before bed, becomes a sleep-reinforcing tool.

Although the methods for treating these conditions have different roots, the common is that they ask for an effort to be made by the patient to explore further options for themselves. This outlook is shared by Audiovisual Therapy, and it is through the interaction of the user and the content that they are able to explore various therapeutic options.

Artefact 6 - Conclusions

2010-05-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

These are the conclusions reached after conducting the research for the final artefact, Artefact 6, and some of the general points that have been emphasized by the project:

Using similar principles, the format of the Audiovisual Therapy viewing experience and the mental/physical reactions to this experience pave the way for a completely new approach to treatment.
If the format can be used to treat phobias, depression, and insomnia, then it is reasonable to assume that applications could be found for a vast number of ailments from small to large.
Existing treatments have numerous drawbacks, however Audiovisual Therapy would ideally be used in combination with an existing treatment depending on the severity of the illness. It would not be safe to assume that it would be able to take the place of necessary medication and therapy.
The technologies that exist today allow for use at almost any time, and provide the ability to create a self-generated therapeutic clip.
Audiovisual Therapy is a low-risk treatment that is accessible, cheap to no-cost, and uses modern technology to expand on the principles of existing treatments.

Artefact 6 - Research (Insomnia)

2010-05-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

Insomnia is the final condition that I have looked into that shows a high potential to be able to apply the findings of this study. Below are the existing treatments and how Audiovisual Therapy might approach it:

Insomnia Treatments:

1. Behavioural Therapy

2. Sleep Hygiene

- Sleep just to feel rested
- Regular sleep schedule
- No caffeine/alcohol/smoking in the evening
- Adjust bedroom environment
- Resolve stress and anxiety before going to bed

3. Stimulus Control

- The principle that a stimulus (getting ready for bed) can increase the chance of a behaviour (going to sleep), because of the association the mind has with that stimulus.

4. Relaxation Techniques

5. Sleep Restriction

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If an important part of sleep hygiene is resolving stress and anxiety before bed, an Audiovisual Therapy clip could help to do this, as shown by previous artefacts. Based on the principle of stimulus control, by watching this clip every night before bed, it will increase the likelihood of sleep. Additionally, using relaxation techniques such as "mindful breathing" in combination with calming images and music, a person would be able to reach a heightened state of calm, thus increasing the chances of them being able to fall asleep.

Artefact 6 - Research (Depression)

2010-05-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

Below is another illness that has treatment methods which might be benefited from Audiovisual Therapy:

Depression Treatments:

1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

- "Based on the principle that the way we feel is partly dependent on the way we think about things. It teaches you to behave in ways that challenge negative thoughts - for example, being active to challenge feelings of hopelessness." - NHS, 2010

2. Interpersonal Therapy

- Focuses on one's relationships with other people and problems such as coping mechanisms.

3. Counseling

- Attempts to have one think about the problems they are facing and find out new approaches of dealing with them.

4. Antidepressants

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Based on the methods of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, and counseling, the common factor of finding new solutions to problems seems to be the key. By facing their relationships with other people through a clip comprised of images and video of friends and family where difficulties may lie, one might be able to think more objectively about the situations. This would also cause less pressure to lie on a person suffering from depression, considering they do not have to face the problems in person. Additionally, the process itself may be a beneficial aspect. By selecting the content themselves and confronting the situation objectively, it may be easier for new solutions to be found.

Artefact 6 - Research (Phobias)

2010-05-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

To measure the scope and purpose of Audiovisual Therapy, I have conducted further research into mental illness. I am looking for three conditions to highlight the possible application of use for this study. Below is one example where the principles of some the treatments can be combined with the technique of this study:

Phobia Treatments

Self-help

- "The best way to get over a phobia is to expose yourself to your feared object or situation and to tolerate the anxiety until it starts to decrease." - Bupa, 2010

2. Talking Therapies

- Psychiatrist/Therapist

3. Behavioural Therapy

- One learns to tolerate the fear of exposure through relaxation techniques

4. Flooding

5. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

6. Pharmaceuticals

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since the best way to treat phobias is through self-help exposure and behavioural therapy highlights the use of relaxation techniques, then both of these elements can be achieved through Audiovisual Therapy material. For example, if a person is phobic of spiders, then exposure could be achieved through images and video of the spider. The relaxation technique could be applied through the use of calming images and music combined with the exposure element. Additionally, as displayed by Artefact 5, it is possible for this piece to be self-generated. Therefore, the amount of exposure could be controlled by the individual. By being able to control the amount of exposure element exists in the clip, they can gradually increase the amount until the phobia is decreased enough to challenge the fear directly.

Artefact 6 - Applications for Audiovisual Therapy Use

2010-05-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

After establishing that a therapeutic clip would be best designed using personal visual content and that technology exists to provide a template for users to create their own Audiovisual Therapy material, exploring the possible applications for its use is essential.

This direction is a result of a conversation with a lecturer, who suggested that I look further into the applications for this study. Gaining an understanding of the scope of Audiovisual Therapy is crucial to evaluating how effective the method is on the whole.

In order to determine what areas the results of these findings could be implemented, further research needs to be conducted into mental illnesses and the way they are treated. Hopefully, some treatment methods will hold similarities to the technique outlined by this study. This will allow for a comparison and merging of ideas to adapt a new approach based on the principles of Audiovisual Therapy.

Artefact 5 - Conclusions

2010-05-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

Based on the information provided by experiment exploring existing technologies that could enhance the effectiveness of Audiovisual Therapy, these conclusions have been made:

1. By providing a format for a viewer to create their own edit, a therapeutic edit can be self-generated, however the existing technology is limited and takes too long to navigate and produce a piece.

2. By producing a format that would allow an instantaneous generation of a clip through using a random selection of images, videos, and songs from a "relaxation" folder, a person would be able to access a clip without waiting.

3. The interaction of choosing the images, however seems to increase the calming effect. This means that an instant slideshow generator may hinder this effect.

4. It seems as though a program that would allow faster creation of a clip from personally chosen images may have the best effect.

5. By allowing users to store their "relaxing" content to an online database, it would be possible to create and access one from anywhere (iPhones).

Artefact 5 - Report

2010-05-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Artefact 5 aimed to provide a template for a viewer to create their own edit of relaxing material. The assumption was that a viewer who creates their own edit will reach a higher level of relaxation due to their personal connection with the piece. In order to gain the understanding of the potential for Audiovisual Therapy, is it crucial to explore the technology that would benefit the effectiveness of the practice.

Artefact 5 involved instructing a participant to use the application Smilebox to create an interactive slideshow containing pictures, videos, and music. They were asked to record the amount of time it took to perform the task and given a questionnaire to complete once finished. Afterwards, they watched the “general” relaxing clip from previous artefacts and completed a similar questionnaire. The experiment was controlled by instructing the participant to watch the clip at home, with headphones, and in a room without distractions.

The initial assumption was confirmed, with the participant rating the level of relaxation for the interactive slideshow an 8 out of 10 compared to 6 out of 10 for the “general” clip. Additionally, the participant stated that using Smilebox was “very engaging” and felt “happiness” when watching the slideshow due to being able “reflect on the memories”. However, with 43 minutes to create, the participant stated, “The functionality is not great and it took too long to make.” This factor proved to be the most significant fallback of the template.

In summary, technology exists that enables a user to produce self-generated therapeutic material. But, although the selecting of content and creating the piece is part of the therapeutic process, it can also be a hindrance to its effectiveness.

Artefact 5 - Self-generated Therapeutic Slideshow

2010-05-04T05:10:00.000-07:00

This is the piece that was created by the main participant of Artefact 5.

The participant rated the level of relaxation reached while navigating the slideshow an 8 out of 10, however stated, "The functionality is not great and it took too long to make." With 43 minutes completion time and a limited workspace (see Screenshots below), it definitely has some improvements that could be made.

Screenshot 1

With Smilebox, you can choose several templates and format options before you begin creating the Slideshow.

Screenshot 2

Once you have uploaded the content you wish to use. You can place the content of the slideshow into different sections of the page that turns as it plays. The number of images used on a single page can be controlled and the panels can be moved around. Additionally, the user can add text, or has to, as the way it is set up. The participant could not figure out how to remove the text boxes when designing the slideshow, which was a hindrance. The option for text could however, be used to send across positive messages to the viewer. These features make Smilebox engaging, thus creating a stronger bond between the user and their content.

Artefact 5 - Existing Technologies

2010-04-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Below are some of the sites I found that provide the ability to use personal images and audio to produce audiovisual material:

http://www.slideroll.com/

This website supplies a download for an application that a user can use their own images to create slideshows. The slideshows can be shared to many other sites and through email. This site does not however, offer the option to use personalised music and video.

http://www.kizoa.com

With this site a user can create slideshows with music and effects, however it does not offer the ability to upload personal music. The material created using the application can also be shared to many other sites, providing an outlet to view the piece on multiple platforms.

http://smilebox.com

This site far surpasses all of the other personal content sharing mediums. It allows the user to upload images, video, and their own music. Although it does have to be paid for. The free trial offers a basic setup with limited amount of content that can be uploaded, but will still provide a format to test how effective it might be when used for Audiovisual Therapy.

Artefact 5 - Self-generated Therapeutic Material

2010-04-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

The aim for Artefact 5 is to find the best technology available to provide a template for a user to create their own therapeutic material. This step stems from the conclusions of Artefact 4:

Artefact 4:

Personal content is more capable of helping the viewer into a more relaxed mood
Although the person who watched the edit of their personal content felt more relaxed by that clip than the "general" relaxing clip, so did the control participant.
A higher level of entertainment (engagement rather) seems to increase the calming effect
Inconsistency in the content may hinder effectiveness

Since it has been established that personal visual content has the strongest effect, finding out if a person can create their own edit of material through existing technology and determining what aspects are/aren't beneficial becomes significant.

The next step is to conduct research into the technologies available to users who want to use images and audio to produce audiovisual material.

Lenroy "Bassie" Guiste - Elements of the Past

2010-04-22T17:04:00.001-07:00

</object>

This is the final edit of the "Elements of the Past" music video that I directed for the dub artist and the reggae band, Natural Ites' (now The Ites Band), bassist Lenroy "Bassie" Guiste. The song is from his new album Roots, Rock, Dub. Visit lenroyguiste.co.uk to purchase a digital copy of this incredible dub album.

Posted via email from chasemartini's posterous

Artefact 4 - Conclusions

2010-04-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

After conducting the experiment as part of Artefact 4, the following conclusions were made about Audiovisual Therapy:

1. The assumption, that a person watching a clip of their personal content would reach a higher level of relaxation when watching that clip than when viewing the "general" relaxing edit, was confirmed. However, the difference between the levels of relaxation between the main participant and the control participant were only slight, suggesting that personalised content is effective even when the content has no connection to the viewer.

2. Even though the personalised clip was only intended to be personal for the participant who chose the images, it also provided a more personal experience for the control participant, thus yeilding a stronger effect for both.

3. The inconsistent selection of still images in the personalised clip appears to have hindered the relaxing effect.

4. Not knowing the purpose of the clip caused confusion. This could be solved by providing more instruction.

5. For a therapeutic audiovisual clip to maximize its potential for calming a viewer, personalised content, preferably moving image material, should be used.

6. A higher level of entertainment (engagement) seems to increase the therapeutic effect.

Live @ The Maze - March 16, 2010

2010-04-21T09:35:00.001-07:00

</object>

This is a short edit I created for the launch of our new night in Nottingham called Live @ The Maze. The night is focused around bringing together local artists from Nottingham. From rock to dubstep there's something for everyone! Keep checking back for updates and info about dates and artists!

Check out the next Live @ The Maze event in Nottingham on April 27th!

Posted via email from chasemartini's posterous

Artefact 4 - Report

2010-04-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Artefact 4 is based on exploring the difference between general and personal content. This aim is a result of the findings from Artefacts 2 and 3, which collectively deduced that visual content plays the largest role in relaxing the viewer. Therefore, distinguishing whether a clip has the strongest calming effect when generated for a general audience or personally by the individual viewer is significant.

For this Artefact, one participant was instructed to select images and song they found relaxing to be in the clip they watched. The other participant watched a clip of nature content that was created to be used as a therapeutic tool for a general audience. After viewing the clip, the participants completed a questionnaire, then watched the other respective clip before completing the same questionnaire. Questions included in the questionnaire covered the level of relaxation and entertainment as well as any other emotions that were felt and likes/dislikes.

The initial assumption was that the participant watching the content they chose would reach a higher level of relaxation. This was the case, with the participant rating the level of relaxation as a 9 out of 10. However, the other participant also found the personalised clip more relaxing, giving a rating of 8 out of 10 compared to only 6 out of 10 for the ‘general’ clip. This was described to be because of a stronger sentimental value towards the personlised clip and a greater appreciation for the song. It also appears that when a clip is more entertaining, the participant is more engaged, which increases the calming effect.

In conclusion, personalised content has a greater ability to induce a more relaxed state in the viewer, thus implying that an individual suffering from anxiety could create their own therapeutic piece from images they possess.

Artefact 4 - Changes

2010-04-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

The plan for Artefact 4 was to instruct a participant to come up with a selection of still images and video to be used in a relaxing clip. However, after speaking with several individuals, it is difficult to find someone who has personal moving image footage that they would deem relaxing.

Therefore, the new plan is to use only still images. By instructing the participant to chose images that can be split into the three categories, friends and family, landscape, and miscellaneous, it will allow them to collect a wide range of images with different meanings to them. Additionally, they will be able to use images of their own or ones taken from the internet. Through this way, it can be determined what content is most influential in calming a viewer, and thus relieving anxiety.

Artefact 4 - Aim & Plan

2010-04-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

The results provided by Artefact 3 show that visual content is the most influential element in inducing a relaxed state in the viewer. Therefore, pursuing what content in particular is the most effective is important.

As a result of the result of Artefact 3, the goal of Artefact 4 is to determine whether personalised content will provide a stronger relaxing effect than a clip created for general use.

In order to produce a clip that is personalised, the plan is to have a viewer select a number of images and video which they find relaxing. The hypothesis is that by selecting their own content to appear in an edit, they will have a deeper connection with the images, thus increasing the therapeutic effect.

Additionally, some participants of previous Artefacts were not completely calmed by the music due to it not being their "style". Therefore, by letting a viewer select their own soundtrack that they find relaxing, this problem will not occur.

Artefact 3 - Conclusions

2010-03-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

These are the conclusions made from Artefact 3:

1. When designing a multimedia piece with the intention of treating anxiety, the content of the piece, rather than the style, plays a bigger role in relaxing the viewer.

2. When both the style and content's effects are calming, the effectiveness is increased slightly.

3. It will be essential to find out what content matter would have the maximum degree of potential to calm the viewer.

4. There is no apparent age or gender significance.

Artefact 3 - Report

2010-03-13T16:20:00.000-08:00

Introduction

The results provided by Artefacts 1 and 2 implied that an audiovisual piece has the potential to induce a relaxed state in the viewer and imagery, as opposed to sound, has a greater ability to do so. Therefore the question posed by Artefact 3 is whether the content or the style a clip is presented in has the strongest impact.

Method

Similarly to the previous artefacts, participants watched a clip and rated the level of relaxation they experienced on a scale of one to ten; ten representing the highest state of calm. One clip contained a calming edit of Nottingham city centre, while another contained nature content, but was not edited in a calming way. Using dissolves and slow motion in comparison to cuts, respectively, the clips separated the calming effects of content and style so as not to be influenced by the other. These results were then compared with the findings of the clip in Artefact 2 that uses both content and style to relax the viewer. Three groups were formed and each watched a different piece before completing the survey.

Results

The preliminary notion was that content of a clip would have a more potent effect than the style it was edited in. This theory was confirmed by the results. The average rating for the content-based piece was 6.3, while the average rating for the style-based clip was 5.3. Although this is not a vast difference, the content piece had a 10% higher ability to calm the viewer, which is significant. Furthermore, when the content and style were both geared towards relaxing the viewer, with an average rating of 6.9, it proved slightly more effective in relaxing the participants.

Conclusion

It is evident that when designing a format for a therapeutic audiovisual clip, more emphasis should be placed on the content.

Artefact 3 - Edits

2010-03-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

Today I edited both pieces that will be used to test whether content or style contributes more to inducing a relaxed state in the viewer.

For the first edit, I used the original nature scene footage from Artefact 1 and removed the dissolves and much of the movement that was present. These kind of transitions and camera movements have a calming quality to them, thus by removing them and using cuts to transition from shot to shot, the relaxing effect can be attributed solely to the content, as opposed to the content and style reinforcing the tranquil feeling.

Similarly, I used the original footage of Nottingham city centre for the second clip. By slowing down the speed of the people and cars and using more dissolves, this clip tests the style's capability to create a calm state of mind. The slow movement combined with the fades make the busy city life look almost dreamlike, and definitely has a calming effect to it.

I feel as though the content would have a greater effect on relaxing the viewer. I believe this is because the content will make the viewer think more about what they are seeing and will have a greater link to emotions.

Artefact 3 - Aim & Plan

2010-02-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

The aim of Artefact 3 is to find out whether the content within a therapeutic audiovisual piece or the style of the piece contributes more to inducing a relaxed state in the viewer.

This objective has come from the conclusions I made for Artefacts 1 and 2:

Artefact 1

Confirmed the initial assumption, but the most influential element could not be determined
Both calming visual elements and audio elements were relaxing to the viewers, however, which one had the greatest effect was not clear

Artefact 2

Disproved the original assumption that sound would have a greater ability to calm the viewer
Although it was evident that the visual elements had a stronger influence, whether or not the style or content that made the greatest contribution to calming the viewer was not certain

It is crucial to this study to deconstruct the aspects of audiovisual material piece by piece so as to gain the understanding of what elements should be emphasized in a format for therapeutic media. In order to do this, I plan on changing the edits of the sections from the Artefact 1 clip. By creating both a clip that has a relaxing style but not relaxing content, and one that has calming content but is not edited in a relaxing style and comparing these results, it will be evident whether the style or content would play a bigger role in treating anxiety.

Artefact 2 - Conclusions

2010-02-23T11:17:00.000-08:00

Here are the conclusions about Audiovisual Therapy that were made from Artefact 2:

1. The visual elements have a slightly greater potential to induce a more relaxed state in the viewer.

- When designing a format for a piece that can treat anxiety, more emphasis should be placed on the content of the visuals.

2. When the audio and visual elements are combined, the degree to which the viewer feels relaxed increases.

- Although visuals seem to have a more profound effect, the use of sound is still important.

3. No apparent gender difference.

- Females seem to rate slightly higher, however not enough to be significant.

4. Age might be important.

- The level of relaxation reached seems to decrease with age.

- Younger participants may be more easily influenced.

Artefact 2 - Report

2010-02-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

Below is my report for Artefact 2:

Introduction

After obtaining the results from Artefact 1, it was clear that although the visuals, sound, and narrative had a calming effect on the viewer, which element was the most influential factor was unclear. In order to tackle this problem, the aim of Artefact 2 was to reveal whether imagery or sound has the greatest potential to aid the viewer in reaching a more relaxed state.

Method

For this artefact, the sound and visuals from Artefact 1 were separated. The participants were then split into three groups of ten. Through YouTube, the first group only watched the video and the second group only listened to the music. The third group however, watched the original clip. The participants were then asked to rate the degree to which they felt relaxed on a scale of 1 - 10 as well as to provide their age and gender.

Results

The initial assumption was that sound would have a more profound effect than the visuals. This belief was invalidated by the results. The average rating from the visual group was 6.1 while the audio group gave an average rating of 5.1. Although, with an average rating of 6.9, the results from the third group show that when combined, the relaxing effect of each element is increased. These results imply that the visual aspect of a therapeutic piece would be more influential, but sound would also play a significant role in aiding the treatment process. Additionally, there did not seem to be a significant difference between gender ratings, however the ratings seem to drop with age.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the results from this artefact imply that more emphasis should be placed on the content and style of the imagery, however in order to achieve a more reliable experiment, a more controlled environment would need to be used.

Artefact 2 - Re-Edit

2010-02-17T17:13:00.000-08:00

For this artefact, I have not needed to obtain any more footage, however I re-edited Artefact 1 (see previous post @ Artefact 1 Post). This re-edit simply involved removing the first section of the clip, then separating the audio from the video.

In all, I plan on using three clips in the study. One audio clip, one video clip, and one containing the original edit of the nature scene. This way I will be able to deduce which element has the strongest effect and if the effect is increased when the two are combined.

Artefact 2 - Aim & Plan

2010-02-15T10:56:00.000-08:00

For my second artefact as part of my Audiovisual Therapy study, I intend to find out whether audio elements or visual elements have a stronger calming effect on the viewer.

This is due to the conclusions I made and the feedback I received for the first artefact:

Artefact 1

Confirmed the initial assumption, but the most influential element could not be determined
Both calming visual elements and audio elements were relaxing to the viewers, however, which one had the greatest effect was not clear

Finding out which element has the greatest potential to induce a more relaxed state in the viewer is significant in designing a format for a therapeutic audiovisual piece. In order to make this distinction, I plan to separate the audio from the visuals and test their relaxing effects independently of each other.

Artefact 1 - Conclusions

2010-02-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

These are the conclusions that I have made as a result of the findings of Artefact 1:

1. The experiment was an overall success and confirmed that Audiovisual Therapy material can be used to induce a relaxed state in a viewer, however it is more effective some than others due to personal preferences.

2. The edit needs to feel more like an actual experience of taking a journey.

3. The first section of the clip needs to be more personal and engaging, rather than simply observing the crowds of people.

4. Suggestive messages may increase the effectiveness by asking the viewer to contemplate what they are seeing and how it relates to their life.

Artefact 1 - Report

2010-02-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

Introduction

The intended effect of Artefact 1 was to take the viewer on a visual journey from the city to a quiet place in nature, while using sound to enhance the therapeutic outcome. By mentally moving away from the “concrete jungle”, where the senses are over-stimulated, and moving towards being isolated in nature, the viewer is able to reach a more relaxed state.

Method

To achieve the visual experience, urban scenes were presented before gradually moving towards a more natural environment. In order to recreate over-stimulation of the senses in the city environment, quick shots and fast time lapses were used over several ambient city soundtracks. On the other hand, to enhance the calming effect of the slow, fading nature shots, healing music producer Osho’s “New Day” was used as the background music.

Results

Overall, the results from 20 participants confirmed the initial assumption. When asked what was thought/felt during the separate sections, the findings were in line with their objectives (Appendix A). However, in response to being asked how much it felt like a journey, most chose “moderately” or “slightly”, which may have negatively affected the effectiveness of the treatment (Figure 1). Additionally, 72% said the music was calming, but one response pointed out that personal preference might affect the result (Appendix B). Although these results are beneficial, the main contributing factor is that before the viewing participants were asked what best describes their current state of mood. 54.2% of the participants were in an anxious state and 42.8% were in a relaxed state (Figure 2). After the video , 13.6% were anxious and 72.7% relaxed (Figure 3). These findings show that the video influenced the viewers in a calming way.

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite confirming the preliminary postulation, due to the use of too many elements, the degree to which each has benefited the viewer is unknown.

Artefact 1 - Final Edit

2010-02-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Below is the final edit for Artefact 1. I was able to include both sections and reduce the duration to 3 and a half minutes. Overall I am quite happy with the effect, specifically the second half of the clip. Concerning the first clip, it was especially difficult to get the feeling of being taken on a journey. I feel as though this aspect is lacking in both sections, however this might be fixed by using a character of some sort in the edit and have the viewer following them on a journey, as opposed to trying to induce the feeling of traveling from a busy city to a quiet place in nature.

Artefact 1

Artefact 1 - Capture and Edit

2010-02-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

The footage ended up to be over two hours of tape. Therefore I didn't get to do as much editing as I had hoped. I did however cut out all of the footage that won't be used and render the time lapses.

At the moment there is 15 minutes of footage that would be good to use in the edit, so it's going to be hard to choose what to include. Also, the footage for the natural setting section of the clip doesn't look as picturesque as I had hoped due to the Winter season. However, the sun was out and made some of the shots look fairly Summery which I'm happy about.

"Bassie" Proposal

2010-01-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

Below is the presentation for the proposal of the "Bassie" Project, minus the visualisations (see previous post).

"Elements of the Past" Visualisation

2010-01-25T17:13:00.000-08:00

Here is the visualisation I created using FrameForge for the "Elements of the Past" music video:

The pretense of the video is that Guiste walks into a studio and begins to tell a story with his song. As he is walking he sees various characters that portray the urban, gritty side of Nottingham. These characters are seen from youngest to oldest, ending with a homeless "bag lady" and a graveyard. This progression through life is meant to suggest that the scenes and characters are all "elements of the past" and that we all end in the same place. Furthermore, another decision I made was that the second shots of the characters, where they are looking directly into the camera, will flash black and white. This will reinforce the theme of "elements of the past".

Artefact 1 - Shoot 2

2010-01-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today I filmed around the Arboretum and some more places around Nottingham. It was a shorter shoot than the one yesterday and I was able to get more than enough shots to now start a rough edit. The intended length of the artefact is 3 - 5 minutes. This amount of time will provide enough time to fit in enough of each section to make it feel like an actual journey, but will not be too long and loose the viewers interest. These two aspects are crucial in the effectiveness of the treatment. If the viewer does not get into the experience or gets bored, the therapeutic effect will have been lost.

Artefact 1 - Shoot 1

2010-01-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

Today I went around Nottingham and got an extensive amount of footage to use for the first artefact. Several of these shots I took to use as time lapses. By taking 10 minute shots of people and cars passing by I can speed these shots up to use a couple seconds to simulate an overwhelming amount of people and activity, thus hopefully creating a minor feeling of anxiety. In addition to cars and people, I took many shots of buildings, in particular buildings under construction and large apartment blocks. These shots will add to the overstimulating feel of being in an urban environment.

Overall the shoot went well, however I didn't get to film at the Arboretum and some other locations in the city due to nightfall.

"Elements of the Past" Update & Location Stills

2010-01-21T16:02:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: We have decided to add the narrative of Guiste walking around the city of Nottingham, noticing various characters. The music video will be a combination of these shots with images of him playing him bass silhouetted in a blacked out room, surrounded by smoke. This narrative we have chosen to move forward with is in compliance with Guiste's desire to give Nottingham exposure and also fits well with the song. With the name "Elements of the Past" the suggestion will be that the characters and scenes of urban life that Guiste sees don't change and that there's always a struggle.

Below are the location stills for where we will shoot some of the scenes for the music video:

"Elements of the Past" Treatment

2010-01-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

Below is the treatment I have created for the "Elements of the Past" music video. For this project, I will be directing the music video and Chris will be directing the documentary. For this reason we are each responsible for the appropriate designs. My other roles include editing the music video and producing and camerawork for the documentary.

"Elements of the Past" Music Video Treatment

“Elements of the Past” is a dub track from Lenroy “Bassie” Guiste’s recently released album “Roots, Rock, Dub”, for which he requires a high quality music video that will be featured on his promotional DVD. The motifs of the video will include mystery, community, music, and Rastafarianism. These are key factors in creating a piece that represents Guiste. As well as this, it is crucial to create an entertaining and visually pleasing piece to accompany the track. This will be done through a strong narrative and a calculated choice of images, lighting and camera techniques, and editing style.

The video begins with Guiste walking into a studio without music being played and fades to black. As soon as the shot fades, a light comes on behind Guiste and shows him standing upright, silhouetted in a blacked-out studio with smoke surrounding him, holding his bass guitar. This image will portray Guiste as a mysterious icon. He then puts his hand to the strings and begins to play. As he plays, shots fade back and forth between him playing in the studio and walking through the streets of Nottingham noticing the people, buildings, and signs around him. The various street signs and buildings that will be shown will help the viewer to identify the location as Nottingham. Thus, as the viewer watches the video, the intended effect is that Guiste has come to tell a story about the city of Nottingham and share his perception of the city.

One aim of the video is to create contrast over a generally dark tone. In order to do this, the images that will be used will be a combination of grainy urban landscape and a mix of old and young people going about their daily life and doing such things as making music and playing football. In this way, a contrast is seen between the rough surroundings and the attitude of the people. Furthermore, a contrast in the emotions that are expressed by the characters will be presented by displaying characters who are feeling happy, sad, indifferent etc. Additionally, throughout the video, the lighting in the studio shots will feature the colors red, green, and yellow. These colors will maintain the Rastafarian theme, while also supplying contrasting color to the overall grey look of urban Nottingham.

The pace of “Elements of the Past” will be relatively slow, due to the mellow nature of dub music. The transitions will be primarily fades and dissolves, which will keep the slow pace smooth and evoke a sense of flowing in the video. Also, the speed of the shots will be decreased for both Guiste walking and the people that are seen. This slow motion effect will compliment the unhurried, flowing nature of the video.

Shot techniques and effects will include point of view shots and using a dolly to move the camera sideways. These methods induce the feeling of walking and seeing through Guiste’s eyes. This is significant to the storytelling narrative of the video. Other shots will be comprised of several close-ups of the bass guitar and profile angles of Guiste’s face so as to emphasize the bass element of the track and to highlight the emotion behind the song, respectively.

The urban nature and gritty style of “Elements of the Past” is intended to appeal to Nottingham residents, fans of the Natural-Ites, for whom Guiste plays the bass guitar, and reggae/dub listeners in general. These individuals range from young adults to mature adults. These are the most likely people to purchase the DVD or Guiste’s new album.

The video will be shot over the course of February 2010 and will be shot in HD, then converted to mpeg-2 format. Shooting in HD will deliver the highest quality file for Guiste to keep and also allows for the final edit to be uploaded to YouTube in HD. The video on the DVD itself will be a SD version as using an HD format on a DVD will not play as HD, thus using far more space than necessary. The mpeg-2 encoding format is the standard for TV broadcast and compresses the file less, yielding a better picture quality.

The high quality “Elements of the Past” music video brings together several artistic, nonverbal elements to emulate Guiste’s perception of Nottingham as true as possible. Through strong images, shot technique, and a dark mood, a narrative is created that paints the picture of a world through the eyes of a mysterious icon; a gritty city where people are getting on with their lives. Furthermore, the contrasting images and slow pace accentuate the grainy, yet mellow tone of the track. In conclusion, the combination of these aspects creates a strong and entertaining narrative that will appeal to the target audience.

Client Meeting # 3

2010-01-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

Today we met up with Lenny to speak about the changes we are making and the dates that we have drawn up in the schedule (see previous post).

Overall he was happy with the dates we had decided upon and we are all pleased with the way things are progressing. The next step is to start the actual designing of the documentary and music video in preparation of our formal proposal due on the 30th of January.

Artefact 1 - Aim & Plan

2010-01-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

The aim of the first Audiovisual Therapy artefact will be to take the viewer on a journey from the city to a quiet place in nature. The purpose of this will be to create slight anxiety in the viewer before producing a calmer state.

In order to simulate the anxiety felt in a busy city, the first section of the clip will contain fast cuts and people rushing around with a greatly increased speed. These shots will be obtained by filming around Nottingham city centre.

The second section, containing the natural setting, will contain calming movements such as dissolves and pans. Due to time constraints and the fact that it's winter, it will be shot in Nottingham's Arboretum, which is the closest place that has a large area grass and plant life.

Once the piece is edited, I will conduct the study in the university's TV studio. This will ensure reliable results due to controlling the variables. With everyone watching the same clip on the same computer in a room without distractions, it is more likely that the results will be consistent.

"Bassie" Schedule

2010-01-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

Below is the schedule for the production process of the "Bassie" promotional DVD. We are well underway with the project and so far are on top of the goals so let's up it continues running smoothly!

Schedule Part 1

Schedule Part 2

Client Project Surgery

2010-01-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

Today we had a surgery lesson with our project tutor. We described our existing ideas and plans and received some feedback.

Documentary Feedback

Ask more profound questions
Find out what is different about Lenny (his hobbies, interests, idiosyncrasies, etc.)
Does it need to be 10m?

Music Video Feedback

Lighting and smoke may look to "glam" and cliche
Needs to be more variety of shots
Should provide some sort of narrative

We also decided to drop the live performance as part of the main sections. This is because there is enough work between the documentary and music video and also that in case it doesn't work out for some reason, we would not lose marks on the assessment. One of the reasons it may not work out is because of the importance of getting high quality sound. If the sound is not high quality and can't be used, then we would have not fulfilled everything we said we would do. Also, due to the difficulty in working with the schedules of a large group of people, it may not be possible to film at all. Therefore, we are going to do our best to make it happen and put it in the extras section, however, if it doesn't happen then we won't be at a loss.

"Elements of the Past" Music Video Outline

2010-01-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

We have decided, along with Lenroy Guiste, that the song that we will create a music video for will be the fourth track on his new album Roots, Rock, Dub, entitled "Elements of the Past." This track is a gritty track with a bouncy, deep bassline. We feel as though this style would be best suited for for the music video as it is representative of the dub genre. Here is the first draft outline for the visual elements of the video:

Shots of Lenny silhouetted in a pitch black studio surrounded by smoke
Different colors of light used behind him (green, yellow, red)
Closeups of him playing the bass
Closeups of equipment (speakers, mixing desk, etc.)
Shots of Nottingham city and street signs

The reason for these aspects are to give the video an entertaining and visually stimulating experience. The image of him silhouetted will portray Guiste as an icon and will add an element of mystery, which is appropriate considering there are no lyrics to the track. Using green, yellow, and red lighting will add to the Rastafarian theme that surrounds dub and reggae music and will also provide a more interesting visual experience. Additionally, since Lenny has strong feelings for the city of Nottingham and wants to give it some exposure, the shots of buildings and street signs around the city will help the viewer to identify where the music video is being shot and where Lenny is from. Finally, the closeups of the equipment will portray Lenny's passion for music.

Example of Silhouette

"Bassie" - Elements and Initial Timeline

2010-01-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

Chris and I had a team meeting today and discussed the elements that we want to have in the documentary and created a draft timeline for the various sections that it will consist of:

Elements:

Pictures of Lenny with the bands and family
Newspaper articles
Archive footage
Interviews
"Day in the life" shots
Recent live performance footage
Shots of Nottingham city
Tracks from Roots, Rock, Dub
Natural Ites songs
Positive Vibes songs
Other tracks form albums he has co-produced

Timeline:

Intro - 20s
Lenny background (childhood) - 20 - 30s
Positive Vibes history - 1m - 1m 30s
Natural Ites history - 3m
Lenny's experience and thoughts about things that were going on during the time of the Natural Ites height - 1m
What other projects productions Lenny has done since the Natural Ites split - 1m 30s
Description of his new album and what he is currently doing in his solo project - 30s
Information about the intent of Leva Works, a company he is collaborating on to promote local talent - 30s
Where he sees himself progressing in the future - 30s
Outro - 20s

Artefact 1 - Sound Inspiration

2010-01-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

In order to enhance veiwer experience of being taken on a journey from the busy city to an isolated place in nature, the soundtrack of the clip will have to match the visual elements. For the urban environment, the sound will be of cars, buses, people, and trams. On the other hand, the sound for the natural setting will need to be something relaxing. Therefore I conducted some research into music that is created with a therapeutic intention. I found a musician/healing icon by the name of Osho. He is followed by thousands of people and creates music that is meant to heal the Chakras. After listening to several of his songs on youtube, I found these to be the most relaxing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rKU0ayDJrI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfUGpcYVJHM

Artefact 1 - Inspiration

2010-01-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

After completing the Research Document for this module last term, a book arrived that I had ordered to use as part of the Survey of Literature and Works section of the essay. Homeopathic Color and Sound Remedies by Ambika Wauters highlights some points about the nature of homeopathic medicine and how color and sound can be used to heal a wide range of ailments. She states that tinctures can be created by using colors and sounds. Water is placed in a cup or beaker before being exposed to a specific color or sound and ingested by the patient, with numerous cases of successfully treating the illness being referred to. Although the uses of color and light are different, I found some of the information useful to creating the first artefact of my Audiovisual Therapy study.

In the book, Wauters mentions several times how humans feel more comfortable in natural settings and that a lack of perceiving natural colors and sounds from living in an urban environment causes unease. She also states that "like cures like," a primary principle of the homeopathic practice. For instance, someone that has an upset stomach would receive a tincture that contains a substance that induces an upset stomach. The tincture is created by diluting the substance so that it is not harmful to the patient but is still potent enough to treat the ailment.

From these points, I would like to create a piece that would induce slight anxiety in the viewer and possibly recreate the experience of being in a natural setting.

Client Project Research - Relevant Music Videos

2009-12-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

Today, I began watching relevant music videos to get some inspiration for designing the music video for Lenroy Guiste. Whilst doing this I encountered two setbacks. Firstly, we are not sure yet as to which song from Lenny's new album he wants us to make the video for, and also I was not able to find a single Dub video. It seems as though the low-budget and underground nature of the genre means that not much money goes into making music videos. Therefore, I looked at reggae music videos and dubstep music videos. Although these are not the exact same as dub, they are about as close as you can get to the genre. Below are some videos that I liked and found may be able to contribute to the format of the music video we create for Lenny:

Alborosie - Kingston Town

Capleton - Jah Jah City

Damian Marley ft. Nas - Road to Zion

In these videos, I like the urban feel and how the people of the city are displayed. This theme is a constant theme of reggae and dub music because of the roots of the music. The music is based on the struggle of the community and the self against the larger powers of life. I feel as though this theme would lend itself well to one of Lenny's tracks, since they all have an urban, gritty mood.

"Bassie" - Preliminary Interview

2009-12-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

Today we held the first interview with Lenny to gather more personal information about him and his experiences with the Natural Ites. Below are the key pieces of info that we found to be significant:

First started playing bass around 1975
Positive Vibes, the first band he played in with his friend from school was a progressive style reggae band with rock influences and was based on the pretense that everyone had to be able to play a solo.
Natural Ites were the first reggae band on Channel 4's "The Tube"
Was featured in a documentary on Rastafari
Other bands that were around at the time of the Natural Ites were Aswad, Steel Pulse, Maxi Priest, etc.
Nottingham has never had the exposure like other cities - Lenny wants to "put Nottingham out there"
John Peel gave a lot of airplay to the Natural Ites, which can be attributed to much of their success
The song "Lately," released during the second album, Marvelous, went straight to number 1
Lenny has a love for rock and even has a Van Halen collection. He is also a fan of Kings of Leon
Some of his inspiration has come from artists such as Aston Berrett, Slye and Robbie, Stanley Clarke, among others

Lenroy Guiste Bio

2009-12-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

After conducting the research on the Natural Ites, we gathered all of the information we could find on Lenny specifically. Below are some of the key points that will contribute to the project:

Born in Middlesex, London
Moved to Nottingham at a very early age
Started playing bass while at school
Formed the progressive reggae band Positive Vibes with a friend from school
Became the bass player for The Realistics, backing the Natural Ites throughout their success
Continued to play with The Realistics after the band went their separate ways which led to backing numerous Jamaican artists
Toured the world with Macka B and The Royal Roots Band
Has co-produced several albums including By Royal Command with Macka B and Upside Downside with Percy Dread
Produced his own album Roots, Rock, Dub which was released in the Summer of 2009
Has been collaborating on a new company called Leva Works, which is dedicated to promoting emerging talent in Nottingham

For more information please visit: www.lenroyguiste.co.uk

Research - The Natural Ites

2009-12-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

In order to find out more about Lenny's background we conducted some research into the Natural Ites. Below are some of the main events and points for the band:

* Formed in the city of Nottingham during the early 80's
* Lead singers Ossie Gad and Percy Dread and backed by The Realistics
* First break was appearing on Rockers Roadshow hosted by Mikey Dread, a Jamaican DJ
* 3 studio album releases: Picture on the Wall, Marvelous, and Naturalites in Ites
* Appeared on John Peel's Radio One show in the summer of 1983
* Appeared on Channel 4's "The Tube"
* Went separate ways in 1990

To find out more please visit:

lenroyguiste.co.uk

http://andybrouwer.co.uk/nites.html

"Bassie" - Client Meeting # 2

2009-11-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

Today we had our second official meeting with Lenroy "Bassie" Guiste. We met at the Alley Cafe again and spent roughly an hour going over more dates and details:

The first order of business was discussing the durations. Although, I feel as though he might have preferred a longer version for the documentary, he was understanding with the reasons for the change.

Next, we decided that the first interview we are going to have to gather bio information on Lenny will take place on December 8th at his house. This initial interview will not be filmed since it is solely to find out more personal information in order to provide a better basis for designing the documentary and music video.

Finally, we spoke about some marketing ideas such as hosting a launch party at Broadway Cinema in Nottingham and also using the live performance recording as a fundraiser for our final year exhibition held in June of next year. The launch party would take place sometime around March - April and the live performance is planned on being held in January.

"Bassie" - Feedback and Changes

2009-11-27T13:36:00.000-08:00

After receiving some feedback from our tutor for the "Bassie" project, we have made some changes to the plan. The feedback that we received was that the lengths we proposed are too long for the amount of time we have to complete the project and that for the package's purpose, it is not necessary to make that long. Here are the new durations:

Documentary = 10 mins
Music Video = As long as the song
Extras Section = 15 mins

These new durations are reasonable because we will be able to fit all of the necessary information and will also be able to make it better quality by only having to focus on a smaller portion of work.

Another change that we have made concerns the schedule. We are no longer starting the actual filming process straight away, but instead are going to wait until we have more biographical information about Lenny and the Natural Ites. This is due to some more feedback from our tutor, who pointed out that we do not want to film the interview until we know more about the background of the subject. In doing this research, better questions can be asked and irrelevant/redundant questions can be avoided.

Proposed Practice

2009-11-25T20:40:00.000-08:00

The general idea for this study is to create 6 short pieces between one and five minutes that will be followed up by a questionnaire so as to measure the therapeutic value of each one. The pieces will be shot using a Sony-Z1 HDV camcorder and edited on non-linear software. All of the standard techniques of filmmaking will be used.

The artefacts that will be created as part of this study will encompass the therapeutic aspects of sound and music, visual imagery, color, and narrative. Some will be focused on one aspect more than the others, seeing as using all of them in one piece might distract the viewer and reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. For instance, one artefact might depict a character that is anxious struggling to perform a task. For this artefact the emphasis would be on the narrative and getting the viewer to relate to the character's experience, thus allowing them to see their anxiety from another perspective.

Another piece might test the effects of using a certain frequency of sound. Through the process of octave shifting, it may be possible to produce the frequency of an enzyme that will reduce anxiety.

By testing the specific effects in this way, it will make it easier to test the individual techniques, as opposed to the general effect of all the factors combined.

Final Edit

2009-11-25T11:48:00.000-08:00

This is the final version of the advert. Overall, the project was a success. However, the main aspect that I would change is the echo in the sound.

It was shot in the Nottingham Trent University TV Studio which is a small space with hard walls, which caused the actors’ voices to echo. I tried to fix it by using a low-pass filter since the echo of a sound is usually lower pitched than the actual sound. This helped slightly but not enough. I found out after the fact that this could have been prevented by padding the walls.

The soundtrack in the ad was produced by myself. The intent was to have some lighthearted music in the background that would go with the subject of technology. It was produced using the Korg-DS10 Synthesizer for Nintendo’s DSi.

"Pirate vs Pirate"

Approach for Selecting Data

2009-11-21T19:09:00.000-08:00

For this study, the participants will watch an Audiovisual Therapy piece, then complete a questionnaire.

Method

The research methods that will be used in my Personal Research Project, Audiovisual Therapy, will be primarily qualitative for the following reasons:

Low amount of available participants
Anxiety is a personal experience that cannot be quantified without overlooking several factors (other emotions, sensations, and thoughts)
Will provide more information
Less is revealed about the intent of the study = less participant bias

In order to increase the chances of obtaining genuine answers and maximum reliability, the study will be anonymous and take place in an isolated area. Both the viewing of material and questionnaires will be held in a studio. Through this isolation, an individual will feel a limited amount of pressure, thus providing more honest answers. Also, through this method, distractions will be minimized, which is significant to the effectiveness of the therapeutic effect.

Target Audience

The target audience that will be addressed is students aged seventeen to twenty-five, due to this being the most convenient audience to study. Also, studying individuals who actually suffer from anxiety would not be possible due to legal reasons such as the Data Protection Act. Although the validity of the study is negatively affected by this, if the viewers are induced into a more relaxed state, then its implications should hold true for people who are diagnosed with anxiety.

"Pirate vs Pirate" - Shoot Day 2

2009-11-18T00:06:00.000-08:00

Today the shoot went extremely fast without problems.

After a few takes the actors recited their lines perfectly in 18 seconds. This leaves two seconds at the end for the message.

The only problem is the sound quality. Due to filming in a small space with hard walls, there is a fairly strong echo. This could have been prevented through placing padding on the walls or some other material that would absorb the sound vibrations. Considering the time constraints and cost of the costume rental, I will not be undertaking a re-shoot.

Here is the unedited take that will be used in the final version:

"Pirate vs Pirate" - Shoot Day 1

2009-11-17T23:54:00.000-08:00

Today was the first day of filming the ad. It was only meant to be a one day shoot, however due to technical difficulties (dirty tape slot) the camera would not work and the footage is now damaged.

The green screen was difficult to get right because it was a curtain, as opposed to a painted wall or board, and the creases and wrinkles in the fabric caused a distinct change in color where shadows were present. This was fixed after pulling the curtain as tight as possible and weighing it down with heavy objects.

Although, on the bright side, the takes became increasingly better and the script is now well-rehearsed. This is significant, seeing as the initial takes lasted up to 40 seconds. Now the time it takes for the actors to recite their lines is down to about 20 seconds. This needs to be a few seconds shorter in order to have enough time for the message at the end of the ad, but it is progress.

Unconventional Therapies - The Effects of Music

2009-11-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

There have been an incredible amount of studies conducted specifically on the beneficial effects of music:

A chapter in Perception and Organization: Art, Music, and Media by Alexander Styhre (2008), covers the debate between musicology and music theory. The debate stems from the question of whether music is meaningful or not. Laurence Kramer (1990) is a member of New Musicology and claims that there is "no fundamental difference between interpreting a text and a piece of music."

Similarly, O'Donnell (1999) states in his article, Music and the Mind, that music affects a listener's mood due to a physical response. For example, classical music, especially from the baroque period, has the effect of slowing the heart rate and blood pressure, producing a relaxed state. Music even has an effect on the amplitude and frequency of brain waves.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Through these notions, it is plausible that music in a film or other form of audiovisual art can communicate a beneficial meaning and positively influence the physiology of an individual that suffers from anxiety.

Unconventional Therapies - Vibrational Healing

2009-11-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

The next phase of developing my argument for the research document was to find other unconventional therapies that are used to treat mental illness. My assumption was that other forms of therapy would lend some knowledge and inspiration for my own project of developing an audiovisual treatment for anxiety. Here is one of the treatments I found:

Vibrational Healing
- reference: Meyer, et al., 2003

Notable Practitioners: Hermann Helmholtz, John Keely, Royal Rife, Albert Abrams
Based on a few solid principles including

The Principle of Vibration (Keely’s Law) - everything is in constant motion
Theory of Resonance - “every substance on earth and every bone, muscle, organ and microbe in the body has its own frequency”
Sound Therapy - based on the knowledge that “when the body frequencies are in harmony, the body is healthy; when the body frequencies are out of harmony, dis-ease results”

Frequencies in the body can be balanced through the vibrations formed by the voice, instruments, or electro-mechanical devices, which "re-establishes the rhythm or flow of the energy in the body so that its natural processes can heal the body."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The concept of sound and music therapies has achieved great results and is still being developed further today in programs at "centers of a healing revolution using sound" including clinics and universities.

Unconventional Therapies - The Effects of Color

2009-11-10T17:22:00.000-08:00

"Variety of form and brilliancy of color in objects presented to patients are actual means of recovery. People say the effect is only on the mind. It is no such thing. The effect is on the body too" - Florence Nightingale (1859)

There are several publications, which share this viewpoint, that highlight profound implications for use in therapy and treatment of various ailments and conditions.

Seeing Red: Tweak Your Brain With Colors, by Brandon Keim, displays the results obtained by Juliet Zhu, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia. She states that, "Blue is the color of the sky, the ocean, safety. When their environment is safe, people are more explorative." She also points out that red has a strong effect on the mind of individuals by arousing "neurobiological awareness and vigilance."

An article by Science Daily, Effect of Colors: Blue Boosts Creativity, While Red Enhances Attention To Detail, provides similar results from a year-long study between 2007 and 2008. It was discovered that participants who used a blue-screened computer during tests had double the amount of creative outputs than the group who had been exposed to red screens.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These findings suggest that color could provide a great contribution to the design of a therapeutic audiovisual piece.

Unconventional Therapies - Film Therapy

2009-11-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

An article entitled, Film Therapy, by Meg McConahey, covers this new form of therapy based around clients watching films. This method has become so popular that the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute issues a list of top-10 psychological films under the heading, "shrinkies"

She states that films help patients "reach insights into their own self-defeating behaviors and bad relationships." For instance, the founder of Film TX, Patti Nolan, recommended As Good as it Gets, a film in which Jack Nicholson portrays an unfriendly man who has OCD, to other suffers of OCD so that they might be able to withness the effect that their behavior could be having on other people in their lives.

According to therapists, individuals have difficulty recognizing their "demons" and might find them easier to see in a character from a film.

Also, marriage and family therapist, Nancy Feehan, states that emotional subjects can be addressed easier by referring to a movie character than by directly confronting the client.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This subject is highly relevant to what I am trying to achieve with my personal research project, Audiovisual Therapy. It highlights the power of narrative and identifying with a character. The movies that have been used for this purpose however, were not created with this intention. Perhaps, in a piece specifically designed for certain mental illness and other disorders, watching a character's actions in scene that relates to the issue at hand could have an even greater therapeutic effect.

Unconventional Therapies - Visual Imagery (Waking Dream Therapy)

2009-11-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

In Healing Visualizations: Creating Health Through Imagery, Geral Epstein explains the technique of visual imagery, also known as waking dream therapy. Below are some of the points that will contribute to my research document:

Visual imagery is a mode of non-logical thinking that aims to make contact with the "inner subjective reality".
Used for mental illness and other forms of ailments.
Consists of an extensive range of exercises that involves the individual closing their eyes and imagining a scene or experience. This visualization experience aids in healing through the sensation felt by the body as a response.
Based on the premise that humans are equally capable of working with visual language as they are with written language and the images that we perceive with our mind are so powerful that they cause physiological changes.

This can be applied to creating a therapeutic piece of multimedia seeing as it displays the potential for images to change the way a person feels. One such piece could possibly instruct the viewer to close their eyes and imagine a scene that is specifically therapeutic to their illness, and when combined with sound, the experience of the visualization might be enhanced, thus increasing the effectiveness of the treatment.

"Bassie" Promotional DVD - Sections and Durations

2009-11-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

Here are the durations that have been agreed upon with Lenny for the various sections of the DVD:

Music Video = As long as the song (aprx. 3 mins)
Documentary = 30mins - 1hr
Live Performance = 1hr
Extras = Aprx. 30 mins

We feel as though these durations are appropriate for how much we want to cover with the DVD. An hour long documentary will provide plenty of time to cover the following significant aspects:

Lenny's background
History of the Natural Ites
Some of what was going on in the reggae industry in general
Archive footage
Lenny's current projects
The intentions and focus of Leva Works
How Lenny and the Natural Ites will be progressing in the future

Additionally, an hour-long live performance will allow enough time for Lenny to play a 30min set followed by a 30min set by the Natural Ites.

Finally, the 30mins for the extras sections is allocated to allow time for a deleted scenes section, outtakes, gallery, the making of, and possibly some other clips.

Background and Context of Anxiety - Personal Research Project

2009-10-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

The first step of this phase of the project was to conduct research on the subject of anxiety. Here are some of the significant points I came across:

General Anxiety Disorder is categorized by the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), under the heading of neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders and can be described as "a general feeling of dread or apprehensiveness" (Haralambos, et al., 2002, p. 403).
Physical symptoms include abdomen discomfort, diarrhea, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat or palpitations, tightness or pain in the chest, shortness of breath, dizziness, needing to urinate more often than usual, difficulty swallowing, and shaking (Bupa, 2009).
Psychological symptoms include sleeping difficulties (insomnia), feeling worried or uneasy, exhaustion, being irritable, lack of concentration, and a sense of derealisation (Ibid).
There are only a few widely accepted forms of treatment for anxiety-related disorders, which are pharmaceuticals, therapy, and self-help techniques.
The drugs that treat anxiety are called anxiolytics and the main form of anxiolytic that is in use is known as benzodiazepines under such names as Valium, Xanax, and Temazepam (Haralambos et al., 2002, p.459).

Feedback - Personal Research Project

2009-10-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

After receiving feedback from my tutor for this module, I have decided to narrow down the scope of my study. Creating a piece that is generally therapeutic is too broad, therefore I will look into creating a piece that will be specifically beneficial to individuals who suffer from anxiety.

Due to the legal reasons of using participants who are mentally ill, the goal of this project will be to create a piece that induces a more relaxed state in a normal viewer. If my beliefs are confirmed, this study will hold implications for therapeutic use for anxiety and other mental illnesses.

Piracy Ad Budget - Commercial Cost

2009-10-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

This is a quote for the commercial cost of a full day shoot for the ad.

"Pirate vs Pirate" Visualisation

2009-10-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

Below is a Visualisation of the ad. It was created using FrameForge. Due to the very basic setup and single angle, it is very short.

Unfortunately, there was no pirate costume option for the character on the left, so the long hair had to suffice. The other character is fairly representative of what style I intend the modern pirate to be. I chose to use a smart woman as the file-sharing representation in order to break the stereotype that only teenage student males share files. The other reason for choosing this character is that it brings a contrast to the pirate, thus emphasizing the visual effect of the costume.

Location Stills

2009-10-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

"Pirate vs Pirate" Shoot Location

Nottingham Trent - Waverly Building TV Studio

Green Screen Research for "Pirate vs Pirate"

2009-10-23T22:42:00.000-07:00

"Pirate vs Pirate" will be shot with a green screen background that will be changed to white in the editing phase of the project. As I have never worked with a green screen, I researched the technique. Here are what I found to be the key points:

1. The color and lighting of the screen must be as even as possible
2. Do not place anything in the foreground which is the same color as the screen.
3. Plan the layout. Best to have lights straight on and to the side of screen. (Figure 1)
4. When editing, in order to chroma key effectively, select a part of the screen that best represents the color of the whole screen (slight color variation is common due to uneven lighting or material being used).

(Figure 1. Lighting Layout)

Information from: How to Use a Green Screen

Feedback and Risk Assessments for "Pirate vs Pirate"

2009-10-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

Today I had a surgery with a lecturer who gave some positive feedback on my script saying that it works well and gets the needed information across. However, he said I should switch the last two phrases in the script. Instead of "Shiver me timbers! Not ye treasure!" it is now "Not ye treasure! Shiver me timbers!" Another piece of advice was to have a link to a website where the audience can go to find out more information.

Also today, I got the Risk Assessment to film in the University's TV studio completed and signed:

Piracy Ad Schedule

2009-10-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

Schedule

"Pirate vs Pirate" Research

2009-10-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

I have conducted a large amount of research for this project, reading books, publications, and articles on file-sharing in order to help me understand what the most important issues are to address. Here below are some notes that I believe to be significant to the project:

- Peer-to-peer (P2P) technology (Figure 1) lets internet users exchange information through machines linked in a network, and has created a heated debate for many years (Strowel, 2009). The main issue is that P2P software users have the ability to freely exchange files such as movies, songs, and software without owning the copyrights for the product.

Figure 1. Peer-to-Peer Network (http://shafiq.pk/wpcontent/uploads/2007/12/best-p2p-applications.gif)

- According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) Digital Music Report (2009), 40 billion files were illegally shared in 2008 and that Jupiter Research valued a £180 million loss to piracy every year. The significant negative impact of P2P networks requires an ad that is effective in raising awareness and sending across a strong message.

- 96% of individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 are involved in piracy in some way (Sabbagh, 2008).

"Pirate vs Pirate"

2009-10-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

So, I have decided to move forward with the idea of a pirate and a file-sharing pirate in the style of the Mac vs PC adverts.

Below is a copy of the script I have written for the ad:

"Pirate vs Pirate" Script

Two ‘pirates’ are standing side by side in front of a white background.

Real Pirate
Ahoy! I’m a pirate

Modern Pirate
No, I’m a pirate

Real Pirate
Where do ye pillage?

Modern Pirate
File sharing networks

Real Pirate
And the booty?

Modern Pirate
Films, songs, games, you know, copyright material other people have worked hard to make.

Real Pirate
Be it illegal?

Modern Pirate
(Nods)

Real Pirate
So ye be walkin’ the plank?

Modern Pirate
More like a large fine.

Real Pirate
Shiver me timbers! Not ye treasure!

White text over black screen reads: Support the artists. Pay for your media or pay for your crime.

Client Meeting # 1

2009-10-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Today we had our first meeting with Lenny. We met at the Alley Cafe in Nottingham city centre and discussed a number of points. Here are the main ones:

Schedule:

Start: November 27th
Break (Christmas Holiday): December 18th
Finish: March 26th

Problem to be solved = Promotion
Solution = DVD and CD package

Requirements:

Music Video
Live Performance
Documentary
YouTube Uploads
Website Upload
DVD Format

Some bio info:

Born in Middlesex, London
Has been working as a social worker for 19 years with the City Council

Research: File Sharing Statistics (15.10.09)

2009-10-20T04:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some statistics from the IFPI Digital Music Report (2009):

- 40 billion files were illegally file-shared in 2008, giving a piracy rate of
around 95 per cent

- 16 per cent of internet users in Europe regularly swapped infringing music

- Number of new albums released in France fell by eight per cent in the first half of 2008, new artist releases tumbled by 30 percent and the French share of newly-released albums fell from 15 to 10 per cent 2005-08

- In the UK, Jupiter valued the lost to online piracy at £180 million annually, with a cumulative loss of £1.1 billion by 2012 if nothing is done to address the problem

- 13.7 million films were distributed on P2P networks in France in May 2008, compared to 12.2 million cinema tickets sold

- Unlawful file-sharing is driven more by the availability of unauthorised free music

- P2P file-sharing accounts for up to 80 per cent of traffic on ISP networks

Simulated - Initial Ideas & Research (15.10.09)

2009-10-20T04:26:00.001-07:00

After doing some brainstorming, I came up with a few ideas that could follow the Mac vs PC adverts, and also a couple others:

Idea 1:

Instead of a Mac vs a PC, I envisioned having an old pirate and a modern pirate. The two would be standing next to eachother and would have a small conversation stating that they were both pirates, and the old pirate would ask the modern pirate what file sharing is and what he steals. In this way file sharing and its consequences would be explained.

Idea 2:

This idea would be the same setup as the previous except it would be a monologue of a real pirate. He would explain that he used to steal treasure but now he steals songs, movies, etc. from the internet.

Idea 3:

Keeping along the lines of comparing a historical pirate with a pirate now. This idea would show a pirate with a treasure chest saying "stolen treasure" and say "THEN" in text, and then would go through a sequence where the pirate is seen stealing cds, movies, and files from other people, and going to a "pirate bay" and handing them all out to other pirates, saying "NOW" in text. This would explain what it is, and at the end would state the consequences for being involved in text.

Simulated Research - Relevant Ads (15.10.09)

2009-10-20T04:15:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I would like to follow the most simple set-up for this public information ad and am going to follow the style of the Mac vs PC adverts. Due to the time and budget constraints, this will be the easiest way to get the message accross. Here are some examples:

Simulated Research - "Creative Advertising" Notes (15.10.09)

2009-10-20T04:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some notes I took from the book "Creative Advertising":

Write a brief:

- Enlarging the search field (stimulate the imagination):
1. Benefit/USP?
2. Reason Why
3. Tone/Mood
4. Product Info. Profile
5. Target Group

- Restricting the search field:
1. Budget Constraints
2. Client's Ideas & Wishes
3. Style Requirements
4. Marketing Info.
5. Previously Rejected Concepts

Have a Clear Goal:

- Goal & Solution is like Question & Answer
- only a good question will get a good answer

- Pose as a question: "How can we achieve X?"

1. What is the Problem?
2. What is the Goal?
3. Questions lead to a new formulation of the problem:
- What is the underlying problem?
- What behind the problem needs targeting?
4. These answers produce new goal definitions.

- Separate ideas phase from evaluation phase: Ideas are free to roam before evalutation

- Avoid idea killers

- Use doodles to visualise ideas

- Grab ideas and run with them

- Expand on others' ideas

Questions to Consider:

1. Does the idea work?
2. Does it have an emotional kick?
3. Concept clear & comprehensible?

Simulated Client Project (14.10.09)

2009-10-20T03:24:00.000-07:00

For this project, we have been assigned to produce a 20 second public information tv advert for illegal file sharing. The advert must explain the following:

1. What file sharing is
2. When and why it is illegal
3. The consequences for being involved

To do a little bit of research and get some inspiration, I watched a lot of adverts and selected a few that I thought were interesting:

Anti-Piracy Ad:

This is the current anti-piracy ad that is played on a DVD before you watch the film.
I do not like this advert for 2 reasons. The first is that it compares stealing a movie with stealing a car, a handbag, TV, etc. Although I do believe it is not good to steal, I think there is a massive difference between the file-sharing that occurs and commiting these kind of crimes. There is not enough awareness about the guidelines of what's illegal concerning file sharing and pirate DVDs, so the people that are guilty are often nieve about their "criminal act", unlike someone who sets out to steal a car. The second reason is that the tone of the ad is far too serious and so it doesn't actually connect with the person who might be illegaly downloading films.

Use Condoms:

I love this advert. I love it because it is simple, funny, and only needs the punchline at the end for the viewer to understand and empathsize with the father of the child. The combination of these things makes it a very effective advert. Not only does it connect with sexually active people on a real level, but it currently has 2,980,104 views on youtube. I believe that reaching a large amount of viewers is the most effective way a public information ad can send accross its message.

Mac vs PC:

This is another advert I really like. Again I like it because it's simple and funny. I also really like how the two types of computers are represented by people that have distinct personalities. By posing the two together in this way, the benefits of a Mac are sent accross in a way that's easier to understand. As a viewer, we don't really need to know why a Mac doesn't get viruses because the details would be too technical. The only thing that matters is that they don't and it's a clever, humorous way to portray it.

Final Year Research Project Proposal

2009-10-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

The first phase of the Personal Research Project module is to write a 4000 word essay on an original research question. The essay will provide the background and context to the subject, evaluate relevant literature and works, and describe the methods and plans for the practice phase that will be used in the second phase of the module.

Research Question:

Can a film be designed with the primary function of being therapeutic? If so what would be the key issues when designing a format for this?

Below is my project proposal:

With this project, I will be expanding on the idea that art and music contain aspects of a healing nature. What I aim to show is that a film can be produced whereby the combination of the imagery and sound has a therapeutic effect on the viewer. The specific issue I will address is anxiety. Anxiety is a common complaint and will be easier to test than a more serious mental illness, for example schizophrenia. If this study is successful however, it will hold implications for similar alternative treatments for other mental illnesses.

I already know that the knowledge of sound’s healing properties dates back centuries. All over the world chants and music have been used for such things as, healing the wounded, speaking to the Gods, and gaining enlightenment. For instance, in Tibet they used different sized singing bowls, instruments that produce different frequencies, to aid spiritual growth and healing. Each is meant to react with one of the seven Chakras, and has a different effect on the mind and body. As noted in the book, Pulse: Art, Healing, and Transformation, “The role of visual and performing arts in healing has antecedents ranging from the creation of Buddhist tankas and Tibetan mandelas to the use of Navajo rugs and chants to treat mental illness.” This philosophy will be the basis of my project, however, it will be a modern form.

Already, as I read in the article Film Therapy, published in 2003 by The Press Democrat, Meg McConahey points out that psychiatrists are currently prescribing films to clients to help them understand things about their self and their illness. It also states, the reason for the films’ ability to help mental illness sufferers is due to the way the viewer identifies with a character, and that through seeing a character resembling them in some way they are able to see their situation from another angle. The films that are prescribed however, weren’t created with this intention. Instead they have been created to entertain.

By studying anxiety and its existing treatments through literature, journals, and studies that have been published, I will gain a better understanding of the issue and what might be an appropriate way to approach the illness. I will also deepen my knowledge of how various audiovisual elements can be used therapeutically and intend on developing a new way of presenting film language. Through researching the biological and psychological effects of sound vibrations, colour, shapes, narrative etc. on the viewer, I will be able to judge what combination of elements would be most effective in treating anxiety, and in what circumstances. For anxiety, the most influential elements will be those that have the power to calm and settle the mind.
I will also attempt to see how interactivity might increase the effectiveness of the treatment for anxiety. It may be the case that choosing various edits and sounds will offer the participant a greater ability to have their needs met at the time. This would also possibly offer an opportunity for sufferers of anxiety a way to express themselves to others, if for instance they have a hard time expressing how they are feeling with words or actions.

By using the knowledge I acquire, I will explore how a piece of multimedia could be created that would be used as a tool for treating anxiety and to what extent it would be able to facilitate the healing process. This will hopefully open the door to a new function for films and a new purpose for filmmakers.

Exhibition Charity Night ft. The Naturalites (10.10.09)

2009-10-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

We went to the exhibition at the Art Exchange on Gregory Blvd. and watched the Naturalites play. The show was great and the atmosphere was lively. We got some decent footage, although it was packed and we weren't sure if we were allowed to be filming. The best song of the show was their performance of "Picture on the Wall".

"Picture on the Wall":

After the show I spoke to the bass guitarist, by the name of Lenroy "Bassie" Guiste. I told him about the project briefly. He sounded very interested and I took his number. During our short conversation, he told me he was coming out with his own record label. This provided a great opportunity.

The Naturalites:

Lenroy is at the top left

Here he's at the far right

Live Client: Meeting 2 (7.10.09)

2009-10-16T08:48:00.001-07:00

So, bad news and good news: We were unable to contact Percy Dread, however we saw an advertisement for an exhibition benefiting a charity at which the Naturalites were supposed to be playing. We then decided that we would go and try to speak to one of the band members or someone who may be able to help us find a client for the project.

Also today, we studied the credits to some films and a series. We did this in order to sort out our own roles and what each of our contributions will be. It also helped to see how many different types of crew members are needed. Below are the films and series that we looked at:

"A Very British Gangster":

"Babylon":

"Flight of the Conchords":

New Live Client Project: Meeting 1 (6.10.09)

2009-10-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

So, Chris discovered a new potential artists to be our client for the project. One of them is called Percy Dread and he was one of the lead singers for a big UK reggae band by the name of The Naturalites (or Natural-Ites), that debuted in the 80s. He has a new single out and is located in Nottingham. Another, called Notts Dub, is also a local dub/reggae artist and has a website dedicated to connecting people in the industry. Before we attempted to contact them, we produced an initial proposal to make sure we were clear in telling them what the project would be like.

I will be producing and directing this project. Chris' roles are editor and cameraman.

Draft Proposal:

What:

- Final year project for Nottingham Trent University students

- Promotional DVD for local reggae band/artist containing a music video, "rockumentary", and live recording

- Free service to be distributed as the client pleases

Who:

- Local reggae band/artist (Percy Dread, Notts Dub)

When:

- November '09 - May '10

- First part: documentary, Second part: live recording, Third part: music video

Where:

- Nottingham and Gig Locations

- Bars, Festivals, Exhibitions, Concert Halls, Clubs, etc.

- Lifestyle (Artist's home, studio, rehearsals, places of leisure and personal interest

- Streets, various buildings, etc.

How:

- Rastafarian Theme

- Reggae Soundtrack

- Slow Pace

- Shots of Lifestyle and Gigs

- Highlight Song Production Process

- "Get to know the band behind the music"

Why:

- Music: Passionate about music (especially reggae) and wanted to undertake a project that involved something we were both very interested in

- Skills: Project will allow for me to further explore music the musical side of the AV pathway and will also show my ability to produce and direct diverse projects

- Usefull: It is an effective promotional tool for the band at no cost and would provide and entertaining and interactive medium through which viewers would have a chance to get to know and understand the band

- Local: Will reduce costs, increase the ability to cooperate, and will be more relevant as we live in the area.

Percy Dread:

Notts Dub:

"Doomsday" (1.10.09)

2009-10-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

As a favor for Dennix's friend Leslie, an actress, we filmed a showreel for her to give to her agency to pass on to directors. The showreel was a short film of about 5 minutes. The premise was that Leslie's character, also called Leslie, is interviewed by a doctor inside of a mental home. She claimed that a voice in her head told her the world was going to end. The dialogue consisted of the doctor asking her to look at a picture of a victim whom he was accusing her of killing and her reciting a poem she had wrote, as the what the voice in her head had told her. For this project, Dennix was the producer, and I directed it and did the camera work. The shoot went well but I do not yet have the final edit.

"Doomsday" Promo Still:

Auntie Madge Promo

2009-10-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a promotional picture created in photoshop by Dennix:

Editing "Storytime with Auntie Madge" (27.8.09)

2009-10-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

We had difficulties capturing footage, due to the fact that we shot in HD and the Uni's computers needed a software update in order for us to be able to capture the footage in HD format. This meant that we had to capture in normal DV mode. Once we captured the footage, we produced this draft edit of the pilot:

(Video to be uploaded)

Auntie Madge Production Stills (30.6.09)

2009-10-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some production stills from the shoot:

Auntie Madge - June '09

2009-10-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

Over the summer I worked with Dennix Dx, the actor I worked with on my short film "Foreign Streets", on a pilot for a children's show entitled "Storytime with Auntie Madge". For this project, I was the director, Dennix was the producer and cameraman, and we worked together on the lighting.

Dennix came up with the concept through knowing a woman from Jamaica named Madge Spencer. She is an award winning potter and praised children's storyteller from Jamaica. The basic idea of the show is that she would be doing something around her house and then would invite the children into the house to listen to her story.

Here are some old and current pictures and articles on Madge:

Jakwob Loss (20.8.09)

2009-10-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

After going on holiday, I messaged Jakwob's manager enquiring about when they would be ready to move forward. He informed me that he was no longer working with Jakwob and would not be able to help us with the project.

In response to this, I messaged Jakwob on his myspace account but never received a reply.

Jakwob Reviews

2009-10-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

"Dubstep isn't something we've ever been overly fond of 'round Neon Gold headquarters, but between Skream's "In For The Kill" mix, Nero's immense take on "Blinded By The Lights" and this absolutely massive rework of "Starry Eyed" by Midlands up-and-comer Jakwob, 2009 is slowly changing our outlook on the subgenre. The Ellie Goulding original was already one of our absolute tunes of the year and Jakwob takes the blueprint put in place by Starsmith and blows it up to epic proportions, dropping the year's fiercest bassline on the chorus and destroying everything in his path with what is truly one of the best and most unexpected remixes of the past year." -Neon Gold (May 2009)

"Jakwob has brought this track down to its knees, its roots, its foundation, and has moderately reworked it, in a way that reveils to us the shere magnitude, importance and rhamfications that is, dubstep. To acknowledge Jakwob as a dubstep revolutionary and a pioneer in the subgenre, would be an understatement, as well as an oversimplification of the precise truth of this artist. The renaissance of dubstep has begun, and Jakwob has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in this eventful resurgance." -Umoo (On Starry Eyed Remix June 09)

"Its that kind of Dubstep that’s not offensive Dubstep, its chilled, I think my mum would like that, in a good way!" -Jaymo and Andy George In New Djs We Trust" on BBC Radio1 (2009)

Live Client Project: Jakwob (23.6.09)

2009-10-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Jakwob is a dubstep/drum and bass producer based in Lincoln, Leicester, and London. His breakthrough single, a remix of Ellie Goulding's "Starry Eyed", was playing on BBC Radio 1 extra on the Huw Stephens Show and I loved the track. It was a shot in the dark but I emailed Sticky Management, the team managing Jakwob, and told them about the idea of a Promotional DVD. I soon received a call back from his manager with interest. We went over the details of the project and he said he would speak to Jakwob and see if he was up for it and would get back to me. So, a few days later he messaged me and said that Jakwob was "quite keen for anything with us", to which I replied that I would get together some preproduction work and send it to him for a look-over.

Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Jakwob Remix):

When I first saw this on youtube, it was about 900 views. Within a couple weeks, it had shot up to several thousand.

Moonbuggy Loss (13.6.09)

2009-10-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

Due to one of the band's members relocation, Moonbuggy had to replace him with a new member. They said they would need time to "teach him the ropes" and wouldn't be ready to work with us on the project.

Lenroy "Bassie" Guiste - Official Live Client

2009-10-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

Today, we called Lenny and spoke to him further about the idea and some dates.

We decided that it would be better to focus on Lenny as an artist, as opposed to the whole band. This is because he has recently released his new album, Roots, Rock, Dub and has recently started up a promotions company, Leva Works, focused on promoting new artists in Nottingham and in the UK in general. We feel as though this is a better basis for a promotional video, as there is more to promote.

We also set up our first meeting so that we can meet in person to go over what our intentions are, but most importantly to find out what he would like to achieve from the DVD.

Lenroy "Bassie" Guiste:

Personal Research Project Proposal

2009-10-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

The first phase of the Personal Research Project module is to write a 4,000 word essay on a research question. The essay will provide the background and context to the subject, evaluate relevant literature and works, and describe the methods and plans for the practice phase that will be used in the second phase of the module.

Below is my project proposal:

With this project, I will be expanding on the idea that art and music contain aspects of a healing nature. What I aim to show is that a film can be produced whereby the combination of the imagery and sound has a therapeutic effect on the viewer. The specific issue I will address is anxiety. Anxiety is a common complaint and will be easier to test than a more serious mental illness, for example schizophrenia. If this study is successful however, it will hold implications for similar alternative treatments for other mental illnesses.

I already know that the knowledge of sound’s healing properties dates back centuries. All over the world chants and music have been used for such things as, healing the wounded, speaking to the Gods, and gaining enlightenment. For instance, in Tibet they used different sized singing bowls, instruments that produce different frequencies, to aid spiritual growth and healing. Each is meant to react with one of the seven Chakras, and has a different effect on the mind and body. As noted in the book, Pulse: Art, Healing, and Transformation, “The role of visual and performing arts in healing has antecedents ranging from the creation of Buddhist tankas and Tibetan mandelas to the use of Navajo rugs and chants to treat mental illness.” This philosophy will be the basis of my project, however, it will be a modern form.

Already, as I read in the article Film Therapy, published in 2003 by The Press Democrat, Meg McConahey points out that psychiatrists are currently prescribing films to clients to help them understand things about their self and their illness. It also states, the reason for the films’ ability to help mental illness sufferers is due to the way the viewer identifies with a character, and that through seeing a character resembling them in some way they are able to see their situation from another angle. The films that are prescribed however, weren’t created with this intention. Instead they have been created to entertain.

By studying anxiety and its existing treatments through literature, journals, and studies that have been published, I will gain a better understanding of the issue and what might be an appropriate way to approach the illness. I will also deepen my knowledge of how various audiovisual elements can be used therapeutically and intend on developing a new way of presenting film language. Through researching the biological and psychological effects of sound vibrations, colour, shapes, narrative etc. on the viewer, I will be able to judge what combination of elements would be most effective in treating anxiety, and in what circumstances. For anxiety, the most influential elements will be those that have the power to calm and settle the mind.

I will also attempt to see how interactivity might increase the effectiveness of the treatment for anxiety. It may be the case that choosing various edits and sounds will offer the participant a greater ability to have their needs met at the time. This would also possibly offer an opportunity for sufferers of anxiety a way to express themselves to others, if for instance they have a hard time expressing how they are feeling with words or actions.

By using the knowledge I acquire, I will explore how a piece of multimedia could be created that would be used as a tool for treating anxiety and to what extent it would be able to facilitate the healing process. This will hopefully open the door to a new function for films and a new purpose for filmmakers.

Natural Ites @ The New Arts Exchange, Nottingham

2009-10-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

Last night, Chris, the partner I am working with, and I went to the New Arts Exchange to see the Natural Ites play for a charity gig for black history month. We went both out of personal interest for reggae and also to try and speak with the band about our idea for a promotional DVD as part of the Live Client Module for the Multimedia course I am taking at Nottingham Trent University.

The show was incredible, especially when the songs "Picture on the Wall" and "Lately" were played. We didn't know what to expect after the show and weren't sure how to approach the band. However, after the live performance, we pulled aside the bass player, Lenroy "Bassie" Guiste and spoke to him about our idea.

We told him what would be included (music video, documentary, live performance, and extras) and he said he was very interested and to call him on Monday to talk about the details.

Chris and I have got our fingers crossed that we don't lose another client like what happened with the other artists.

Below is the flyer for the night:

Client Project - Moonbuggy (1.6.09)

2009-06-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

So I conducted some research and looked for local artists and bands which would be possible candidates for the piece. At first I had a well-known DJ in mind, however, I don't want the project to seem typical of a student. This led me to the decision of looking solely for professional bands who gig regularly and play music that wouldn't only be interesting to the younger generation.

After a lengthy search, I came across a local reggae band by the name of Moonbuggy. Their style is a mix between roots, dub, rocksteady, and jazzy reggae styles. The music is mellow with great vocals and lyrics. Here is some information about the band that I got from their website:

Moonbuggy

Happy, conscious sounds to make you dance your socks off. Their original, solid rocking rhythms, jazz tinged horns and sweet laidback vocals make them Nottingham's hottest new reggae band. Having spent the past year writing and recording their debut album "Funky Diatribe", they are now playing out this striking new material with irresistible freshness.

The Players

* James - Vocals / Trumpet
* Neckie - Guitar
* Sophie - Drums / Percussion / Backing Vocals
* Deb - Tenor Saxophone / Backing Vocals
* Dave - Bass / Keyboards / Website Contact

Erstwhile Members

* Nat - Alto Saxophone / Backing Vocals. Currently taking a break from the band, but may come back at some point!
* Mark - Drums until April 2007.

The Press

"Moonbuggy are the latest addition to the Notts scene, and a very welcome one too; mining the rich vein of late-70s instrumental skank without falling into the trap of sounding like the theme tune to Pigeon Street, they've already run into the dilemma all decent Reggae bands have to face; an audience who are so hyped up on the music that they want to nip out for a spliff with an ear cocked against the fire exit. The only downer they put on the event is the fact that we're going to have to wait 9 months in order to see them in the open air, where they belong. Check 'em out the next time they're about in town; they're very good indeed."
- Left Lion, November 2006

Information courtesy of:

I have sent an email to the band telling them my idea and am anxiously waiting for their reply.

Final Year Projects

2009-06-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

For my final year at Nottingham Trent University, we have been assigned two projects. One is a research project in which 6 artefacts must be produced in order to back up a certain point or to delve into a certain aspect of multimedia and show what you can do with it. These artefacts can include interviews, questionnaires, audiovisual work, etc. The other project involves creating an audiovisual piece that can be used as a promotional tool by a real client. Below are the forms I handed in which state what I want to do with my projects:

For the client project, my lecturer advised me that the workload of this big of a project would be too much for one person to handle and that I would need to work with one or two more people. I approached my friend and classmate Chris with the idea and he agreed eagerly. I will handle primarily the directing and producing of the project while he will take care of the camerawork and editing. The same project will be turned in by both of us, however, we will each only be judged on the quality of our individual roles.

Electronic Press Kit (EPK) (21.5.09)

2009-06-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

For the electronic press kit I authored with the DVD, which contained the trailer and promotional stills, I also included a press release and bios:

Press Release

WISE PRODUCTIONS

Chase Martini
Independent Filmmaker
274 Alfreton Road
+44 (0)75 1743 1604 (mobile)

FOR IMMEADIATE RELEASE

“’Foreign Streets’ Causes Commotion in the Filmmaking Roadworks”

Nottingham, UK – 24 April 2009 –

Foreign Streets, is an urban drama that is set in present day Nottingham and focuses on bringing together two different characters and cultures. It was written and directed by up and coming independent filmmaker Chase Martini and the well-known Dennix Dx plays a leading role.

My name is Chase Martini and my mobile number is +44 (0)75 1743 1604. You can also reach me at: martinichaser@hotmail.com.

Dennix Dx has appeared in several television productions on various networks such as BBC’s Doctors, ITV’s Mr. Eleven, and Channel 4’s Shameless. He was casted through the StarNow website and provided his talent free of charge. He gives a great amount life to the main character, also named Dennix, and gives an epic performance.

Dennix was born in the jungles of Africa and moved to England as an ambitious teenager. Before moving to England, Dennix was involved in modeling and won the Mr. Red Nose teen charity competition at the famous Elephant Hills intercontinental Dennix loves gardening, going to the gym, photography, and writing books.

*****

This is the first production done by Wise Productions. The focus of Wise Productions is on films of a gritty nature and building a strong connection with the younger generation.

Bios

Dennix Dx

Dennix was born in the deep jungles of Africa and moved to England as an ambitious teenager. Before moving to England, Dennix was involved in modeling and won the Mr. Red Nose teen charity competition at the famous Elephant Hills intercontinental hotel visited by the worlds finest including Michael Jackson. Also, he entered many talent shows and even worked as a curtain raiser for “Mr. Lover Man”, Shabba Ranks on his 1998 African tour.

Dennix has been in productions such as:

Jonathan’s Creek
Doctors
Holby City
Casualty
Mr. Eleven
Channel 4 Shameless
Grown Ups

He is now the director of XXLMedia and is working on projects such as “Styles”, a stylish British sitcom, “Story Time with Aunty Madge”, a children’s program, and his latest masterpiece "Jay" the modern day Christ.

In his spare time, Dennix loves gardening, going to the gym, photography, and writing books.

Chase Martini

Chase Martini was born in South Carolina, USA and became a modeled for Millennium for a brief period at the age of ten. During this period he appeared in various newspaper ads. When he was fourteen he moved to Switzerland. At this time he took drama classes and was cast roles in school plays. He is currently a multimedia student at Nottingham Trent University, studying the audio visual pathway, and was recently the producer for a documentary about a graffiti artist entitled “Urban Art: Kid30”.

Chase is passionate about films, likes to mix records in his spare time, and enjoys cooking.

Final Edit (20.5.09)

2009-06-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

Here is the final edit for Foreign Streets:

[Video Coming Soon]

Overall, there have been numerous drawbacks during the production of Foreign Streets which has left some room for improvement. Most notably, the quality of the shots and audio was affected by numerous issues. The setbacks, lack of time and difficulty casting the role for Joseph set back the project and decreased the amount of time I spent on other important aspects of the film such as rehearsing and creating the DVD menu. Also much of the dialogue, it is difficult to hear what is being said. This makes it harder to understand what is happening in the film and is the reason why much of the dialogue in the script is not present in the film. On the other hand, I am satisfied with the shots in the film, but could have taken more, specifically cut-away shots. This would have made it easier to edit and would have helped in cutting down the length. I am also pleased with the style and message sent across. I believe that I achieved the gritty style I intended and that the moral of the story I created is strongly portrayed. These two factors were my most significant objectives in making the film. Therefore, I believe the result of Foreign Streets is a success.

Promotional Stills and DVD Cover (19.5.09)

2009-06-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some promotional stills I took for the DVD menu and other uses:

After the stills were taken I put the pictures together using photoshop to use as both the DVD's main menu and a promotional poster. Below is the result:

It is the moment that Joseph lights the match and gives Dennix advice that the main changing point happens. It represents the light in the darkness and I wanted to incorporate this into the design. Also, I wanted the most obvious thing to be that the two characters would come face to face.

Also here is an image of the cover for the DVD:

Again, I wanted to incorporate the match and didn’t want to give anything away about the film. I really enjoy the mysterious feeling when you don’t know what a movie is about before you watch it and I think it achieves this.

Music and Sound Effects (18.5.09)

2009-06-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

For the film, I wanted to incorporate various styles of music in order to achieve a higher level of contrast between the emotions invoked by the story. I wanted to show a contrast between a gritty, urban feel and a sorrowful, personal feel. This is why I used a mix of dubstep, grime, classical, and alternative rock. Below are the songs and sound effects I have included in the soundtrack:

Foreign Streets Soundtrack

Caspa – Cockney Violin

Bright Eyes – No One Would Riot for Less (dubstep remix)

Blind Faith – Can’t Find My Way Home

Pachelbel Canon in D Major

Wiley - Gangsters

Sound Effects

- Jet landing
- Glass breaking
- Helicopter
- Car crash
- Dog barking
- Clock ticking
- Heavy breathing and heartbeat
- Bus horn