Happy

Briefing time! We have been given a brief for our video skills class and I think I may have gotten a "little" overexcited. The brief is to create a movie charting the things that make you happy throughout the week. I have on average taken about fifteen selfies, filmed 5 minute long videos of me singing in the car, and also taken several photos of my meals. It is actually really difficult trying to decide what to film because you need to analyse the aspects of your life that have a positive affect on you.

To begin with I was very excited about it, but then I found that its the simple day to day things that make me happy. Sometimes its a memory or just chatting with friends and I feel its a bit invasive sitting filming my friends - and sort of creepy.

Lights, Camera...Action?

Part of this years course is a video skills class which shows us how to work with movies and photography as a possible medium for our artwork. I am really enjoying it because there was a time when I had a rather far fetched idea of me becoming a director - despite the fact I had never done any films or serious photography before - so it has very much pegged my interest. Whether my mini movies peg anyone else's interest is a topic yet to be debated. I think it is very much a case of trial and error. If you don't like something film it again. If you film in black and white, revert to colour. So on and so forth.

Personally I am partial to filming in black and white, in colour I feel as though it strips away the atmosphere that you are shooting in front of you. In black and white there is a glamorous look, which to me shows off the subject better.

"A swally down tae Auld Reekie"



Following on from our introduction to the Multiples brief we were let loose in Edinburgh for the day. Considering I have lived in Scotland my entire life and have been only about 45 minutes away from the capital, I haven't really had the opportunity to look at the heart of the city in much detail. Usually I've spend whole days in the galleries or end up getting dragged around Princes Street to go shopping. But, I was incredibly excited to just walk around the city and see what it has to offer. As part of my brief I had decided that I was going to concentrate on Scottish writers who hold a unique link to the capital whether it is through themselves or through their characters. I wanted to look at a range of textures from both old and new buildings, from cobbled streets to soot stained buildings. By doing this I am hoping to gain an understanding as to what captured the imagination of authors such as Ian Rankin or Robert Burns.

Personally, I can easily understand why the city has remained a prominent location in Scotland's literature history. Within one stretch of road you can encounter great beauty, dirt and squalor, and majestic landscapes, with a mix of old and new.

One down, Two to Go

So, just another year. Having come out relatively unscathed from my first year, I am quietly optimistic about my second year at college I have to admit. Our first week back saw the introduction of a new topic 'Multiples' which has slightly baffled me, mainly as to what to consider for it. The possibilities seem to be extensive. Look for a S.O.S. very soon.