Aug 12, 2008

Split Wash: Buick Park Avenue


I washed my car!

Okay, I know it's not that exciting but happening to have my little MiniDV cam with me I decided to record it. I think I'm getting more into the habit of looking at daily life as a potential short film or exercise. I don't mean this as an epiphany either, I mean I've always looked at things that way, but lately I've been thinking why not just make more video exercises for myself? Enough with assuming I have to plan all my ideas. Why not just film more, edit more, produce more, and then have a history of footage to play with? What's wrong with collecting video clips?

It's tough to be heard and seen, and it's a struggle when what you want to do relies so much on that, but I figure if I'm having fun and it's because I'm creating, there's no harm in documenting as much as possible. What I do with it is still up in the air.


So, I washed my car, filmed it, and put together a split screen short showing the same image cut together at slightly different moments. It's basic, a technical exercise with artistic flare, but it's short and now posted below.


9 comments :

Anonymous said...

Why not, life is just one big movie anyway. May as well enjoy the show and create your own along the way. :-)

Michael said...

Cool, I like it.

Although:

Frank Sinatra once said every song needs to tell a story. I would guess the same is true of every video. I did not see a story in the otherwise pleasing images.

Cheers,

Anonymous said...

Hows your camera holding up???

I think you should focus on Quality rather than quantity. Quantity will get you noticed on youtube but Quality will get you off youtube. On the other hand the Quantity can get your Quality noticed so its a delicate balance of both but I'd still focus on Quality. After all if it is Quality you release, the better you can gage what you are doing and how you can improve/change in every facet of production.

Editing Luke said...

well the idea is to make more variety to improve as a filmmaker. Split Wash for instance is just a clip, take it or leave it, no different than someone talking to a webcam about something they did today. You'll either find beauty in that or you won't, but i wouldn't post something i didn't personally appreciate. This direction isn't about telling a story, it's just a slice, an art short, it's about reworking a simple clip to see something in a different way.

The song i used was 'such great heights' by postal service, but i slowed it down and added sound effects to again make the familiar just a little different. I liked using the song for the lyric 'everything looks perfect from far away, come down now, but we'll stay'. Take from that what you will.

In regards to youtube, it's a world audience at my finger tips. The idea is to find ways to get further into, not out of, that community. I just figure instead of talking about my daily life, i'll share it in my editing.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Paros in part. I am talking about taking your work to a world audience in other aspects such as the film fests you are in. That's what I mean by off of youtube. This vid is kind of a one trick pony which is good but I'd like to see you apply the one trick to larger pieces and form something greater than a clip that will get you a couple thousand hits on youtube. I find it funny you mention the testimonials on youtube, split wash is a similar take but in light very different and arguably better. That's all I'm saying do these things but make them greater, you have the potential to be better than the average youtuber, show them that and it will get you farther than ever imagined. Make a story, a stance, an idea, something else with a fancy cut and a washed car.

Now I ask, Why wasn't this part of the Buick to the Future series??? Where was Chico???

Editing Luke said...

haha, i like your response M. And i agree that incorporating these things into larger projects is paramount. I won't stop doing that. You've been viewing this blog practically since the beginning so you've seen a variety of the things I've posted. What i'm doing by making these short experiments is providing a teaser for the people who won't sit through the bigger projects though. They'll see this and say why do this, what is this, that's neat, i don't like it . . . but they stick around and check out other work i've done to put it in context (at least those who like it). as great as the film festivals have been and are, i don't get the same kind of feedback as i do here. Just consider the discussion about this one video. If the work I've done previously, the buick to the futures, chico bandito, etc. are more well rounded projects, than this experiment is to reach in a different direction. Split Wash isn't a stand alone project, but it's a piece of a puzzle that supports the bigger image i'm developing personally, technically, and professionally.

Anonymous said...

fair enough. Hopefully people stick around. I think your real strength in all this is your constant push and promotion. You attract an audience by being attracted to other blogs, videos, youtubers and various other sites you frequent and join. That in itself is worth buying into your whole gig. If you could only teach Tyler that. I think he thinks the audience you have gotten was easy rather than time consuming. I'm hoping this winter I can put in the Luke effort, I have lots to do but I am trying to make some me time.

Editing Luke said...

well i appreciate the discussion M, it's nice to break things down critically and get different perspectives. It's the whole reason I even bother maintaining my online persona. I'd enjoy seeing more of your personal work as well.

Angry Charlie said...

I know how much work Luke has put into his blog, and it shows. Don't take my lack of constant blogging as a sign that I'm not willing to put in the work, at the moment it's mainly about time. Soon though. Good vid by the way, Luke. Nice to see you trying some different things. And M, I will never tire of your belief in me. I just hope you don't, cause it means an awful lot.