Project Assignment #3 Chindogu!

http://www.chindogu.com/Assignment #3

http://www.chindogu.com/chindogu/tenents.html– Chindogu – The Art of Useless Inventions -

Objective:

Create a useless invention according to the rules of the Japanese art of "Chindogu". This will be a project created in several distinct steps. First, conceptualize your own Chindogu. Second, create and 30 second to 1 minute video “infomercial” about your useless invention, appropriating the substance and style of such television advertisements.

Concept:

The first step will be to research Chindogu on the internet. Visit the blog as a starting point, I will be posting a few links to get you started. Create a graphic product proposal modeled on those featured in the Chindogu books of your project - complete with descriptive text of the function or lack there-of inherent in your idea. This proposal will be presented and critiqued to the class on Monday, October 5th.

Creation:

The second part of the project will be to actually create the invention as a sculptural/functional/performative object. Construct your invention from found or purchased everyday items. The finished Chindogu must be functional. The finished project is due on Wednesday, October 7^th.

Infomercial:

The third part will be to create an infomercial for your invention! Study the form before commencing. Produce a short, 30-second to one-minute long infomercial/commercial for your product. Show your Chindogu in action! Incorporate video and sound to create an undeniably enticing advertisement for your invention.

Examples:

Research "Chindogu" online and examine the books in class. Think of something relevant to your life - something that goes to the extreme to accomplish a simple task. Over engineering is key! This could be instructional, informational, humorous, serious, inspirational, etc..

Calendar:

September 30th Sierra Arts and NMA field trip.

October 5th Chindogu proposals as PSD prints.

October 7^th Chindogu physical inventions due, video demo.

October 12^th Reading Chapter 3 Lovejoy.

October 14^th Infomercials Due! Critique!

Found Sound...

Take a look at this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B6NGPOUslI

For Monday, bring in your word, appropriated from some media source, as spoken - you will need this as an isolated audio file so we can import it to FCP.

You can use a variety of audio programs to do this - Audacity, Garageband, etc.

Collaborative Animation Projects

WATCH THIS ANIMATION!

http://www.tinkin.com/arts/obama/

This next phase of your photoshop project, "Image, Object, Word", involves several steps:

1) Animate your image - highlight the text - improve upon your image (particularly if it was less than successful in the original montage). Those of you with the more complex images will likely have the more successful sequences as you have more visual information with which to play! Feel free to improve upon and revise your images as appropriate - we are making a new piece as derived from your still photoshop montage - nothing is set in stone!

2) In class this past Monday we created a sequencing of the words from each piece to create the flow and define the progression of the animation. Now you are to work with those just before your segment and the person after your segment to creatively, collaboratively, come up with animated sequences the combine aspects of your individual works to flow from one sequence into the other.

3) Important! Your individual sequence, as finished today, should be 3-5 seconds, with the additional transitional segments between your sequences, this will add time on the front and back of your piece (this is logical of course!). Keep the transitions short, so as to insure the eventual flow of the finished work.

These projects are due on Wednesday, September 23rd - on this day we will assemble these in class and critique as we go! Have fun!

DNA --Yurika
PROMISE --Charli
SELF-ESTEEM --Talena
HAPPY --Mao
PASSION --Ellen
FIRE --Kristi
DECLINE --Quincy
HO --Rachel
DEAL --Jose
PAIN --Katie
INFATUATION --Justeen
SCAR --Jesse
BLUEBERRIES --Josh
HEROES --Thomas
STIMULUS --Sherry
LOST --Jerri
TIME --Alex
DEATH --Cole
LIVERPOOL --John
ENOUGH --Matt

Photoshop Animation Links and Info

Animation created with Adobe Photoshop (many more examples available on youtube!)

For Monday, September 14th, as assigned yesterday in class, you are to create an animation using Adobe Photoshop. Since CS2 was introduced Photoshop now includes some rather simple yet effective animation tools similar to those available in more sophisticated animation programs such as Flash.

Here are two videos that should help get you started.

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/

From this link, go to the window on the left, scroll down and select "Photoshop CS3".

Then select in the window to the right "Animation".

Click on the video title "Using the Animation Palette"

Pay particular attention to the brief tutorial using frames for animation, don't worry about the timeline animation for now!



Ok, so these guys are a couple of dorky TV hosts, but they have some great information for you! He goes pretty fast, don't stress on the keyboard shortcuts and quick moves on duplicating layers, in the end, he has several layers he is working with which you know how to do!

Most important is to figure out the basics of animation using photoshop for the next project. You will want to know how to place your layers in the frames, tweening, durations, movement, etc. Essentially the animation tool allows you to use your layers in an image to animate between them - it is really that simple - the complexity is in figuring out the various tools and using them effectively. Watch these tutorials as many times as it takes to figure out how to animate something, anything that you can show us on Monday! We will go over these techniques in class on Monday - in the meantime, learn by doing and make an image that changes over time! Have fun!

First Assignment and Photo Montage links...

Assignment #1 – Objects, Images, Word

Objective:

Create a series of three works of digital photographic montage in Adobe Photoshop from specific source material. You must use as your subject matter for each of the three works the same scanned subjects. These are to be, at minimum, created from at least one or more objects (flatbed scanned), at least one or more images and a single, solitary word. All are to be found or otherwise appropriated (including the word – scan text from an original print source). Use Adobe Photoshop to creatively combine your image elements into three cohesive image compositions. Consider the conceptual link between image, object and word that will be created by their combination in the same image context.

Very important! Save your images with layers intact as we will be further using your image for the next project.

Examples:

The content of your work is up to you. Consider the possibilities of Adobe Photoshop to cut, paste, resize, etc.. Scan photographs from family albums, magazines, etc.. Bring in various found objects to scan - junk, a meaningful keepsake, etc.. Pick a word, either scanned from text, handwritten or otherwise created outside of the computer, scan it and include the work in the image. Think about how the creative and unexpected associations of disparate images and texts functions to establish new and multiple readings of the works.

Techniques:

Much of this you will learn by doing – some basics will be covered in class - Adobe Photoshop, image scanning, image sizes, resolution, and color inkjet printing.

Project due:

Wednesday, February 10^th, First Critique

Links to photo montage artists:

John Heartfield
Hannah Hoch
Raoul Hausmann
Robert Rauschenberg
Barbara Krueger
Winston Smith
Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung
Marcus Kenney