Thank you so much for the comments. I just want to explain the name of our video: (as Danny- our choreographer said) Alansania is just the name of her dance! I'm not quite sure about the origin of this name either.
The opening shots of this piece were artistically constructed and well thought out. The editing was also very well done and gave Dani's movements more power and an intimate connection to the viewer. The shift between moving and still camera was almost seemless in that I barely noticed the transitions. I appreciated the overlap of movements from different angles such as the various shots of the hands sliding against the floor both close up and far away, which emphasized its importance.
After seeing the water bottle on the floor I thought that this piece was a rehearsal but as the piece continued on the stage it seemed more and more like a performance. Dani's movement suggested that she wanted to escape from something but I was not sure what. I remember your original idea was to explore the loss of control of the dancer and the camera and I think you could have pushed this idea more in terms of the camera. Dani's movements built with fast spins and jumps at the end but camera movements remained safe. Further exploring the control of the camera could give this piece an added dimension.
The moment at around 59 where the camera was at a mid close up of Dani's hands against her stomach was particularly striking. I could almost feel the tension of her hands and the texture of her shirt while she slid her hands back and forth. The other close camera angles of her hands, and torso through out gave the movement more intensity helping me feel Dani's struggle.
I wondered if there was a significance to the blue ribbon around Dani's neck. I was hoping Dani would untie it or utilize it in some other way to further their concept. I also was confused by the title and think that a clearer title could have added to the theme of the piece. Other than a few minor criticisms I thought that the piece was creative, well crafted, and kinesthetically pleasing.
I thought this was a very strong piece. I didn't know what expect from a video dance made on the stage, but the rich red drapery dividing the light and darkness automatically redefined the stage space for me. The divide between light and dark lit the dancer in several unique, and visually inviting ways. The lighting and location of the dancer in relation to the drapery made the dance/space seem like a secret place behind closed doors (or curtains).
The lead in with the moving shots of the drapery gave a suspenseful, peeing tom feel that kept my interest, and rest of the moving shots throughout the video didn't disappoint. I felt completely caressed and dissoriented (in a good way) by the camera rising up the body as Dani lifts her head and torso into a high lift. If sensuality was the aim, the closeness of the camera to the body as it rose up it definitely gave this impression. I was also struck by the moving camera during Dani's stomach clench: the camera was so close and moving ever so slightly, that it seemed to breathe like the stomach, and made me really feel the those movements in my own gut.
I thought it was an interesting choice to switch back and forth between static shots and moving shots when Dani is turning violently after the stomach grab - same movement filmed with static or moving camera. Seeing Dani wildly turn in the crack of light with a static camera against seeing Dani turn the same way with the camera quickly following her in the darkness was a subtle juxtaposition that made the turns seem less overwhelming. The static shots sort of helped my my mind/body find its balance. In fact, those static shots in the crack of light were interspersed throughout the film, and I felt they gave the video a nice balance/grounding.
I saw that some moments were retrograded, or had the speeds changed, and I wasn't sure if I felt comfortable with this. I'm not sure, but I felt like I didn't need these effects - I thought the piece was rich without them. The retrograding felt particularly fake in this context, for me anyway.
I was also curious about the title of the piece (basically because I have no idea what it means) but I could live with the mysterious of it...if that was the idea? Mystery of title, mystery behind the curtain? Not sure.
In terms of the assignment of using a mix of static and moving shots, I think the mixture was used extremely effectively. Most notably, I was intrigued when Dani would sit and up and down and the camera would move with her- drawing me into the movements as well. The curtain gave the dance a more intimate feeling by delineating boundaries within the space with an unknown world outside. As I was unsure where Dani or the camera was located in the shot showing the arm moving back and forth with hands clasped, the video seemed to play with the sense of location within the small place- giving the location more depth despite its small size. I was confused by the significance of the water bottle in the first couple of shots, as it does not appear again. The sequences of twirls that alternated between shots of feet and Dani's upper body were delightful and by speeding the cuts up towards the end, the sense of urgency that was described in the initial pitch was achieve. Nice work!
finger like a bunny
moving with your hand up the body
faster cuts of spinning achieve the sense of urgceny
Here i go again. I am just transcribing my crazy notes for y'all...
Alansania... I want to know what it means and then I don't... in my head I decided it was the neighbor of Narnia like this magical place that isn't meant to be truly understood in a logical way, but more of a fantasy/ surreal land that I was looking into.
The space, the lighting. Perfect. I am utterly satisfied by the panel of light that peeks between the curtain and how Dani moves in and out of the lighgt and I am struck by the shadows Oh those shadows...
I am madly and I am sorry pam... in love with the shot in the beginning that pans up Dani's body. Hot damn the timing the movement and everything that went into that moment was worth everything. I was blown away.
In the movements I saw a longing and a torment. I saw repetition and releases. I was struck by the use of levels and the cutting that allowed me to follow the movements and it never felt jarring or confusing. the cuts actually kept me interested in the dance and i felt gave it this exciting dimension. Hang- you are my new queen of close ups!. The texture, the lighting.. I was having such happy satisfied kinesthetic responses... let me name a few that stood out in particular: the hands on the belly, the fists circling on the floor ( that built so much tension for me nice).. The angles... delicious and fascinating. It brought new perspectives to the body and the movements that I enjoyed especially every time you returned to the master shot.
In regards to the location.. around 2 minutes into it I longed to know what was going on on the other side of the curtain. I wanted to know what was over there... was what was other there causing Dani the tension. I began to see it was the otherside of the wardrobe (back to Narnia I know) but if this was developed into a longer piece I would want to go there or make it clearer the choice of space besides it being visually stimulating unless that's all it was. I feel there could be greater meaning though especially because there was this contrast created both from the movements tension and release and the difference between the darkness of the stage and the lightness you could perceive from the outside on the flip side of the curtain.
The last whirlwind of movement that leads into the zoom/pan into the hands. Liked that build and boom. I longed for a slightly greater build though. faster faster. I always like to push extremes on speed and I longed for a greater push here. Then the very last almost hidden moment at the end of the film: icing on my cake. Nice touch; very satisfying.
Really great work guys. I honestly feel like you managed to perform a creative piece that satisfied the requirements of the assignment. This video dance was a great example that you can't have a dark film, it just has to be lit properly. That choreography was racy, uptempo, and level changing, but the dancer always remained visible as the positiong of the lights manged to outline her body at all times.
There was an clever and artistic use of static camera positioning as well as camera movement. An apparent shift from close-u, to wide, and from high to low. Each movement was visible and intriguing. The smoothness in the editing also contributed greatly to the effect of the film, cuts on movement were smooth, and repetition between doubling shots and rewind and fastforward added cool effects the routine. Overall, great job guys, your the first film I haven't sorta bashed. I'm only being honest people, I tell it how I see it. Good stuff.
Comments
After seeing the water bottle on the floor I thought that this piece was a rehearsal but as the piece continued on the stage it seemed more and more like a performance. Dani's movement suggested that she wanted to escape from something but I was not sure what. I remember your original idea was to explore the loss of control of the dancer and the camera and I think you could have pushed this idea more in terms of the camera. Dani's movements built with fast spins and jumps at the end but camera movements remained safe. Further exploring the control of the camera could give this piece an added dimension.
The moment at around 59 where the camera was at a mid close up of Dani's hands against her stomach was particularly striking. I could almost feel the tension of her hands and the texture of her shirt while she slid her hands back and forth. The other close camera angles of her hands, and torso through out gave the movement more intensity helping me feel Dani's struggle.
I wondered if there was a significance to the blue ribbon around Dani's neck. I was hoping Dani would untie it or utilize it in some other way to further their concept. I also was confused by the title and think that a clearer title could have added to the theme of the piece. Other than a few minor criticisms I thought that the piece was creative, well crafted, and kinesthetically pleasing.
The lead in with the moving shots of the drapery gave a suspenseful, peeing tom feel that kept my interest, and rest of the moving shots throughout the video didn't disappoint. I felt completely caressed and dissoriented (in a good way) by the camera rising up the body as Dani lifts her head and torso into a high lift. If sensuality was the aim, the closeness of the camera to the body as it rose up it definitely gave this impression. I was also struck by the moving camera during Dani's stomach clench: the camera was so close and moving ever so slightly, that it seemed to breathe like the stomach, and made me really feel the those movements in my own gut.
I thought it was an interesting choice to switch back and forth between static shots and moving shots when Dani is turning violently after the stomach grab - same movement filmed with static or moving camera. Seeing Dani wildly turn in the crack of light with a static camera against seeing Dani turn the same way with the camera quickly following her in the darkness was a subtle juxtaposition that made the turns seem less overwhelming. The static shots sort of helped my my mind/body find its balance. In fact, those static shots in the crack of light were interspersed throughout the film, and I felt they gave the video a nice balance/grounding.
I saw that some moments were retrograded, or had the speeds changed, and I wasn't sure if I felt comfortable with this. I'm not sure, but I felt like I didn't need these effects - I thought the piece was rich without them. The retrograding felt particularly fake in this context, for me anyway.
I was also curious about the title of the piece (basically because I have no idea what it means) but I could live with the mysterious of it...if that was the idea? Mystery of title, mystery behind the curtain? Not sure.
finger like a bunny
moving with your hand up the body
faster cuts of spinning achieve the sense of urgceny
Alansania... I want to know what it means and then I don't... in my head I decided it was the neighbor of Narnia like this magical place that isn't meant to be truly understood in a logical way, but more of a fantasy/ surreal land that I was looking into.
The space, the lighting. Perfect. I am utterly satisfied by the panel of light that peeks between the curtain and how Dani moves in and out of the lighgt and I am struck by the shadows Oh those shadows...
I am madly and I am sorry pam... in love with the shot in the beginning that pans up Dani's body. Hot damn the timing the movement and everything that went into that moment was worth everything. I was blown away.
In the movements I saw a longing and a torment. I saw repetition and releases. I was struck by the use of levels and the cutting that allowed me to follow the movements and it never felt jarring or confusing. the cuts actually kept me interested in the dance and i felt gave it this exciting dimension. Hang- you are my new queen of close ups!. The texture, the lighting.. I was having such happy satisfied kinesthetic responses... let me name a few that stood out in particular: the hands on the belly, the fists circling on the floor ( that built so much tension for me nice).. The angles... delicious and fascinating. It brought new perspectives to the body and the movements that I enjoyed especially every time you returned to the master shot.
In regards to the location.. around 2 minutes into it I longed to know what was going on on the other side of the curtain. I wanted to know what was over there... was what was other there causing Dani the tension. I began to see it was the otherside of the wardrobe (back to Narnia I know) but if this was developed into a longer piece I would want to go there or make it clearer the choice of space besides it being visually stimulating unless that's all it was. I feel there could be greater meaning though especially because there was this contrast created both from the movements tension and release and the difference between the darkness of the stage and the lightness you could perceive from the outside on the flip side of the curtain.
The last whirlwind of movement that leads into the zoom/pan into the hands. Liked that build and boom. I longed for a slightly greater build though. faster faster. I always like to push extremes on speed and I longed for a greater push here. Then the very last almost hidden moment at the end of the film: icing on my cake. Nice touch; very satisfying.
There was an clever and artistic use of static camera positioning as well as camera movement. An apparent shift from close-u, to wide, and from high to low. Each movement was visible and intriguing. The smoothness in the editing also contributed greatly to the effect of the film, cuts on movement were smooth, and repetition between doubling shots and rewind and fastforward added cool effects the routine. Overall, great job guys, your the first film I haven't sorta bashed. I'm only being honest people, I tell it how I see it. Good stuff.
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