I’m writing this in the Project Space, waiting for today’s videos to render.
It is so luxurious, having all this time to dedicate to a single project with no distractions from elsewhere. It means I can develop my equipment and my method gradually over days, fixing imperfections one by one until I’m looking at exactly what I want to see. And as I get to grips with the practicalities, the ideas have been developing smoothly in the background, as happens sometimes when I’m cooking or gardening or (ha! says Anton) doing housework.
Today’s main achievement has been getting a deliciously clear picture out of the camera. It’s been a process of further grappling with the curly-legged tripod, replacing yesterday’s cable ties with new ones that position the pen at right angles to the camera lens, rearranging the lights around the light tent until there is almost no shadow, and eliminating the remaining scrap of shadow on the computer.
The matchstick camera couldn’t pick up the grain of the paper, but in this proper camera it’s everywhere. Though I like the look of the grain, the problem is that it moves around with the nib of the pen, so the ink always looks grounded rather than skidding through space. So I’ve eliminated the grain of the page by adjusting the exposure in Final Cut. Here’s a video of what I’ve got so far.
Now I’m happy with the image quality, I’ll have a go at making the ACTUAL videos. That’s tomorrow’s job. I’d like to produce two videos that run in conversation with one another, replying and replying and replying. Not often words, usually just lines and shapes. I’ve had a go today and I can see it’ll take a lot of practice.
Next thing will be to try out the videos with the exact projectors I’ll be using for the exhibition, to make sure the colour turns out as I’m expecting.
And I’m thinking about showing the finished conversations too: the scribbles of pen left over on the paper. I like how insignificant they look, and how insignificant they are. They’re just what’s left behind after the dance, not meant to be looked at at all.
(I’m writing during the day because this evening I’m going to my second etching class. I started last week and I love it. You draw a line, and there it is in metal.)
