list of stuff we need for screening
1. laptop
2. projector
3. 4 casseroles
4. turkey
5. plates
6. napkins
7. cups
8. utensils
9. serving utensils
10. tablecloth
11. table
12. red chairs
13. candles
14. portrait
15. cups
16. napkins
17. rolls?
18. grape juice
19. mint extract
20. wine bottles
21. leaves
22. microwave

also
2 video cameras and 1 stills camera for documentation

performance review

Overall, I felt that the performance went according to plan. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of people who attempted to interact with us and with the guesses people were making about what we were doing. Generally, people seemed a bit confused/surprised by what we were doing, but they made guesses about us commenting on Thanksgiving, or the idea of a family dinner. Something I think we could further exploit/explore was this idea of "privileged" that we set up. We sat at a fancy "reserved" table, we could get our food first, and we didn't bother interacting or even acknowledging anyone else. This seems like it could lead to further performance/commentary on the way that certain people in society are given special rights compared to the general public. As far as my individual performance goes, I felt that I did alright. I almost broke character after Wesley screamed, but aside from that I felt that my character's general annoyance with the rest of the "family" was well portrayed throughout the dinner, and the interactions between me and the rest of the table seemed appropriate for the characters we set up. We documented the performance with stills, but in hindsight, it would have been a good idea to have it filmed as well. Especially for the scream portion, and the reactions to it. In the future I would like to incorporate performance, especially performance that interrupts people's "normal" routines. I thought that the timing was the most successful part of our performance, and I'd like to continue to explore ways to create work that goes outside of traditional art gallery boundaries.

what monday means

We will sit in between the two buffet tables facing the guests of the community dinner. They will have to walk by us in order to get to the food. They will have to notice us, to confront us, and possibly interact with us, ultimately realizing that we will not speak to them or acknowledge them. In a sense, we are like an advertisement. Since this action is out of the ordinary for the community dinner, it will hopefully cause the people at the dinner to question and discuss what is going on/why it is going on. They will more than likely question the more obvious absurd things about us first-why we are dressed the way that we are, why there is a microwave at the table, etc. Hopefully these questions will lead them to discuss what these different costumes and our actions mean. Our act of eating on display will create a sort of small commotion; it will interrupt the normal routine of the people who come expecting a “normal” dinner. The dinner that we eat is symbolic for our piece, as it represents the idea of a “normal” family and all of the fronts that acting like what we are told is “normal” comes with. The performance comments upon the ideas of reasonable versus absurd. Where do these ideas come from? What officials/voices in society do we let determine our ideas of normalcy? For example, reality shows seem to be gaining popularity over sitcoms because they claim to show us what people are “really like.” They show us a side of “reality” that we cannot normally see, and this further influences our opinion of what is real and what is staged. Since our “family” will be on display and undoubtedly looked at, we will be commenting upon this idea of privacy and reality. What is real and what is staged? What does this mass marketed idea of a normal family mean, and what happens when that idea is exposed and deconstructed?

oh, just, you know.

some more performance stuff i've been lookin' at





Chris Burden
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/artworld/2007/05/14/070514craw_artworld_schjeldahl

storyboards, rehearsal notes

Rehearsal Notes-
for Wesley's scene (the scene I'm directing)
maybe one extra light for the bathroom-most lights will come from the mirror
a bit cramped, so higher camera angles will probably work better
use sink to ice beer, dye tub blue, put fishing pole in tub
get tons of shots to use for montage. multiple angles.
maybe an handheld shot for the telephone scene-contrast the rest of the shots which are from a tripod

for the dinner scene
all of us on the same side of the table, centered under portrait
microwave in the middle of the table
film will end with wesley passed out and crawling, credits roll over this, then my character will walk into the screen (clicky shoes) and shut the microwave, this will be when the film cuts to black.
we might need a sheet to make the wall the table will be situated against a better color/look longer. the other doorways and such might be distracting.

character studies: Jane Davis

1. How does your character think?
She thinks in a very compartmentalized, guarded way. She is scared to believe certain things because of what others may think of her. She tends to keep different situations completely separate from one another and she likes to organize and hide away certain thoughts. This organization system she has built for herself makes her very good at remembering. She is very scared of forgetting.
2. How does your character think he/she thinks?
She thinks that she is very free-minded and open. She prides herself on her ability to remember everything, and she is constantly convinced that her thoughts are messy and unorganized.
3. What does your character want?
She wants to be remembered. She believes that people will not remember or even like her if she doesn’t keep her composure and mental structure intact in the most aesthetically interesting and pleasing way.
4. What does your character think he/she wants?
She thinks that she wants the best for other people. She thinks that she wants to be the epitome of likeable and in order to achieve this, she strives to appear flawless, every aspect of her day is well designed.
5. What does your character believe?She believes in organization, in compartmentalizing her logics, and in separating and dividing her thoughts/emotions/feelings in order to deal with them in a more effective manner. In short, she believes in detachment and productivity.
6. What does your character think he/she believes?
She thinks that she believes in
7. What is your character’s truth? Mythology?
She prays frequently to a god she can’t name. She relies heavily on her ability to see multiple angles of a situation, and sometimes she suspends this ability in order to “pray.” These prayers consist of her quickly asking/confessiong something in order for her to feel okay about forgetting it.

8. What is your character’s real truth? Mythology?
Her truth is in separation and boundaries. She is scared to be close to anyone, anything. At the same time, however, she takes everything very
personally, and holds onto memories in a compulsive way.

9. What does your character need?
Other people to recognize some of her efforts, but also a good amount of time alone to build up her ideas. A space to organize her thoughts/ideas. A means to remember these things. Video cameras, cameras, journals, etc. She needs to feel a sense of accomplishment, a sense that she is not forgotten. This, however does not always rely on other people.
10. What does your character think he/she needs?
She thinks that she needs very little. She thinks that she mostly just needs a space to live, and a means to record/organize her thoughts.
11.What actions does your character undertake?
Obsessive organizing, cleaning. Also, obsessive recording of thoughts, memories, ideas.
12. Why does your character think he/she does what he/she does?
She sees it as a simple way to remember and to honor memories. She doesn’t view her compulsions as problematic, even the ones that may seem absurd to someone else. She thinks they are simply a means to organize.

assignment write up/re-edit

I felt that these additions to my first stop motion film improved/expanded upon the original. I would have liked to have been more successful in a few places, especially the part where the tinfoil is supposed to come out of the tin. Conceptually, I wanted to expand upon this extremely artificial world that I built in the first project. I wanted to show this world imploding on itself. This project became one about "escape hatches" and that an idea I would like to further develop and explore. This idea-the idea that we can create these artificial means to escape reality is completely fascinating to me. For this project, I specifically focused on the idealistic world that the magazine National Geographic creates. I liked thinking about this idea of traveling without actually moving, and I feel like the shots with the plane and the scrolling conveyed this idea alright. I'd really like to add sound, but I'm not quite sure what I want yet. I think it would really add something to the piece though.