AN ART JOURNAL CONTACT VIDEO/FLASH PASTEL PROCESS PASTEL GALLERY ARCHIVES AN ART JOURNAL/BLOG VICTORIA TAYLOR-GORE

A Blog by Victoria Taylor-Gore

Passages 3 by Victoria Taylor-GoreThis blog is to show my work and the work of other artists that I am interested in, and then get some feedback from you - thus the Art Journal!  After viewing so many compelling blogs, I decided to try my own.  My main site is at victoriataylorgore.com, so please visit there to get more information about me and my art work.  My work is represented by the Alexandra Stevens Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

New Pastels by Victoria Taylor-Gore for Santa Fe Christmas Show

Here are a few of my new pastels for my upcoming two person show in Santa Fe. Check back soon because I will be posting a few more new pastels this week.

Show: "Life's Colors"

Alexandra Stevens Fine Art celebrates twelve years in Santa Fe with our traditional Christmas Eve Open House featuring Victoria Taylor-Gore and Daniel Bayless. Come and enjoy the Art and the Canyon Road Farolitos. It is a magical evening on Canyon Road.

Location: Alexandra Stevens Gallery of Fine Art
Event Dates: 12/24/2011 - 1/30/2012
Reception: 12/24/2011 • 5 to 7 pm

See more of my work on Alexandra Stevens website and contact the gallery for purchase information.

"Shadows Inside" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, 2011, Pastel, 9 1/2" x 12 1/2", $1400

"Dark Door" by Victoria Taylor-Gore. 2011, Pastel, 9 1/2" x 12 1/2", $1400

"Red Door" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, 2011, Pastel, 18" x 25 1/2", $2600

"Blue Table" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, 2011, Pastel, 7 1/2" x 9 1/2", $950

"Green Door" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, 2011, Pastel, 7 1/2" x 9 1/2", $950

"Temple in Shadow" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, 2011, Pastel, 7 1/2" x 9 1/2", $950

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"Temple of Light" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, 2011, Pastel, 24" x 18", $2600

"Temple I" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, 2011, Pastel, 14" x 26", $2600

Before and After - "The Legacy of the Jung Cook" by Victoria Taylor-Gore

Link to "The Legacy of the Jung Cook" by Victoria Taylor-Gore: http://vimeo.com/19439126

When I was an undergraduate art major in the late 1970's, a visiting artist once told us that "if Leonardo da Vinci was alive today, he would be a filmmaker". I believe that - especially now that I have been working as an artist that creates video for the past year. There are so many aspects to tackle...design, movement, sound, storytelling, mastering your gear, learning the technical aspects, and learning to edit. Filmmaking is in the "Renaissance man" tradition of having knowledge and skill in many areas and utilizing this broad expertise in order to make one's art. And another aspect of Leonardo "being a filmmaker if he was alive today" is the way a project can take a long time to complete and can undergo many revisions (as many of Leonardo's paintings did).

In my rush to learn and produce as much as I can, I sometimes move on to another idea before one is realized to its fullest potential. "The Legacy of the Jung Cook" was one of my projects that needed improvement. I had received some excellent suggestions from professional filmmakers that I respect, and I knew that their ideas would enhance this project, but I just got tired of it and went on to the next idea.

Recently I took the time to go back and rework "The Legacy of the Jung Cook". I needed to work on some distracting audio overlays of cooking sounds that I had added over the main character's dialogue, and most importantly, improve the color correction and some design aspects of the video.

I used a great free color correction tool - Magic Bullet Colorista Free 1.0 (http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/free/) - in Premiere Pro CS5 to totally redo the color correction in the video. I've included a Flickr slideshow of before and after stills from the video to show the improvements.

Flickr Slideshow: Stills from "Legacy of the Jung Cook" - Before and After

For a larger view, see the slideshow on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com//photos/28987755@N08/sets/72157626761011987/show/

My original footage was too dark (it was an spontaneous interview and I didn't have much gear with me). I did the best I could in post to make the footage work in the first version of the video with standard tools in Premiere Pro (levels, luma curve, and three-way color corrections). In the final version of the video, I went back in and deleted all those original adjustments in Premiere and then corrected the color and values with MB Colorista Free alone. The final version is much more rich and bright, and the details in the darks are now preserved. I also made the tints in the title shots and archival footage match the new warmer color theme. Here is a screen shot of my original color correction using Premiere Pro CS5 tools only:

Link for a larger view: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/5798468560/

Here is a screen shot of the final color correction using Magic Bullet Colorista Free 1.0 only:

Link for a larger view: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/5797916923/

So, like a painting that isn't quite finished...it is worthwhile to go back into a project to bring out the very best in it. This project has been a work in progress, and the suggestions from Rick Macomber (to brighten up the shots and add some more B roll) and the suggestions from Richard Harrington (to get rid of distracting audio overlays and rework the color theme of the title sequences) helped make this a much better piece. I have learned that even when a story unfolds under less than ideal circumstances, there is still many things that can be achieved in post to make the story come through. And like a final glaze on a painting, subtle changes can bring a story to life.

Thanks to Rick Macomber (@boston_camera on Twitter) and Richard Harrington (@rhedpixel on Twitter) for their excellent suggestions and generous feedback on this video.

- Victoria Taylor-Gore

3 New Pastels by Victoria Taylor-Gore for the Panhandle Plains Invitational

These are three new pastel landscapes that will be in the Panhandle Plains Invitational at the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.  The show runs from Feb. 26 - Mar. 26, 2011 and there will be an Artists' Reception on Sat., Feb 26 at 5:30 pm and a Fixed-Price Sale at 6 pm.  For more information about the show click here.

"Along the Road 3" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, Pastel, 5 x 9 inches, 2011

"Along the Road 2" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, Pastel, 5 x 9 inches, 2011

"Along the Road 1" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, Pastel, 5 x 9 inches, 2011

My First Pastel of 2011: "Late Afternoon Glow" by Victoria Taylor-Gore

flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/5340168143/

It's not a new year for me until I do my first pastel.  This is a larger one (22 1/2 x 34 1/2 inches), and it is done on a warm rust color paper...usually my pastels are done on black paper.  The warm color popping up from underneath in a few places is a nice contrast - especially in behind the edge of the clouds and blue sky.  I love the late light of twilight when the setting sun projects a soft golden-orange glow on the land.

Roadside Snapshots with ShockMyPic App by Victoria Taylor-Gore

Flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/sets/72157625677386254/show/

These are some roadside photos snapped from my car (or right outside my car as I pulled over).  All pics were shot with my iPhone 4.  Only post is the ShockMyPic app itself...

Yes, I know this app adds a rather hokey "Van Gogh" effect to photos...but I love it anyway : )
This app is available here: ShockMyPic  iPhone and Desktop application - http://www.shockmypic.com/.

"Black Hills" - New Pastel by Victoria Taylor-Gore

flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/5287625654/in/set-72157624993443743/

And another new pastel for my Santa Fe Gallery - Alexandra Stevens Gallery on Canyon Road.

Red Hill - New Pastel by Victoria Taylor-Gore

Flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/5286747492/

Just another pastel (this time a little one) to take to my gallery in Santa Fe - Alexandra Stevens Gallery on Canyon Road.

"The Nativity" by Victoria Taylor-Gore (for Philip Bloom Weekend Challenge 4)

Check my previous blog post for more background information on this new video ("The Nativity") when it was in the planning stage - Prep Stills for New Christmas Video Project by Victoria Taylor-Gore .  A few things changed...I did a different darker, more twilight background and decided to enter my Christmas video in the Philip Bloom Holiday/Weekend Challenge #4 - see Philip Bloom's blog post The biggest and best "weekend/holiday challenge" so far...Prizes too! .  The Vimeo Group for Philip Bloom's Holiday/Weekend Challenge #4 is - http://www.vimeo.com/groups/challenge4 ...entries due on December 31.

 

"The Nativity" by Victoria Taylor-Gore (for Philip Bloom Weekend Challenge 4) from Victoria Taylor-Gore on Vimeo.

My Christmas video and entry for the Philip Bloom Holiday/Weekend Challenge 4 - http://www.vimeo.com/groups/challenge4. The theme of the Challenge is to reflect what this year has meant to you and express what the Christmas Holiday means...how we celebrate it. Funny, I usually spend the holidays making art, so this video is an expression of my artwork and filmmaking....both things that have come to life over the past year.

Video, Artwork, and Editing - Victoria Taylor-Gore
http://www.victoriataylorgore.com

Music - "Silent Night" by Emorej
Purchased music license from Jamendo.com

I had been planning to do a Christmas video this year...especially after hearing the song I used for the video - "Silent Night" by Emorej. When Philip Bloom announced his Holiday/Weekend Challenge recently, I decided that I would combine my Christmas video and his Challenge. I want to thank Mr. Bloom for all the knowledge, inspiration, and motivation he shares with others...after all, it's his fault I bought my Canon 7D in the first place :)

I have been collecting props for this Christmas video from Ebay (vintage hand painted figurines from Italy) for a few weeks, and when they arrived a few days ago, I was so excited about how lovely they looked with my own pastel backgrounds.

I shot this with my Canon 7D, Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 and 100mm f2.8 macro lenses, Kessler Crane Pocket Dolly, Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 3x, and the Focus35.com Track and Skater Dolly. This is the first time I've edited in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 - love the fast rendering and exporting time, and great quality.

Prep Stills for New Christmas Video Project by Victoria Taylor-Gore

flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/sets/72157625498963997/show/

Once in awhile, things just fall into place.  I was thinking about doing a new Christmas video a few weeks ago, but was just too busy with end of semester work at the college to get started.  I also had some other deadlines with my artwork for the Santa Fe gallery.  But I did come across this song - "Silent Night" from the album Re-Imagining Christmas by Emorej http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/678355.  I have licensed music by Emorej before and just stumbled on this track.  I knew I had to use this beautiful song for the video, so in a sense, the music came first in this case.

Then I realized a Nativity scene would be perfect with some of my pastels as the background.  I did the following pastel with this in mind:

Blue Temple II, Pastel by Victoria Taylor-Gore
flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/5269397467/in/set-72157624993443743/

Last week I finally had time to get serious about this project (didn't know if I'd have time to even do it), and searched Ebay for Nativity scenes in the scale I needed.  I finally found some vintage Nativity scenes and figures that I could afford...what I ended up ordering were all miniature vintage Italian hand painted Nativity figures and scenes.  Some Nativity figures are made of paper mache, some plaster, and some hard plastic, but all are hand painted from Italy.  Vintage nativity scenes like this were once on hand in at low budget chain stores like Woolworth's.  We had a miniature nativity scene with Christmas lights in my house when I was a child, but it has long since vanished. Here is some information about various Nativity sets - found this very interesting, and one very much like mine is included in the article - http://www.catholichomeandgarden.com/christmas_nativity_sets.htm

The best part, is the first Nativity scene arrived today - in time to get started and finish my new video with the figurines and pastel backgrounds BEFORE Christmas!!!  And the second, but more important thing is that the pastel I already finished this week (before the first figures arrived) is the perfect scale for the figurines - I had just guessed when I did the pastel, but it will work perfectly.  Here is a snapshot that shows how the pastel and figures work together:

flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/5271501263/in/set-72157625498963997/

So check back in a few days...will have the new video posted.  Merry Christmas all : )

"Blue Temple II" - New Pastel by Victoria Taylor-Gore

flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/5269397467/in/set-72157624993443743/

"Blue Temple II" - pastel by Victoria Taylor-Gore, 13 x 18 inches, 2010
 

Time for a Showreel...and a "Thank You"

The past weekend I decided to get a showreel done...not for job applications or professional purposes, but to collect what I thought were my successes in my first year creating short videos.  Hopefully by doing so, I can take account of what I've learned and think about how to improve.

In every short I've done so far, there have been mistakes and things I should have done better.  The fun of a showreel is getting to cut out the best shots out of each short and put them together.  But the challenge is to narrow the selections to no more than four minutes (and from my showreel, you can see I failed at that limitation).  Getting diverse clips and experiments that I've done to somehow hold together and flow and make some kind of sense wasn't easy either.  The saving grace was to find a song that loosely tied them all together with the theme of "life is a dream."

Another thing that goes along with this reel is an acknowledgement of how I was able to learn so much in a year (of course, there is still a ton more to learn).  So this is also a "thank you" to the amazing community of filmmakers and photographers that help and support each other along the path of HDSLR filmmaking through the Internet, conferences, workshops, meet-ups, etc.  I'd list all the people that have helped me so much by sharing information, inspiration, and their generous support and encouragement...but there are too many to list, and you know who you are anyway : )  Thanks, my friends.

2010 SHOWREEL BY VICTORIA TAYLOR-GORE from Victoria Taylor-Gore on Vimeo.

2010 SHOWREEL BY VICTORIA TAYLOR-GORE

MUSIC - "LIFE IS A DREAM" BY EMOREJ
License purchased from http://www.jamendo.com/en/

All clips can be found on my Vimeo Channel for further information - http://vimeo.com/vtg.

New Pastel - "Sky Through the Window" by Victoria Taylor-Gore

"Sky Through the Window" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, pastel, 11 x 15 inches, 2010

Another new pastel for my gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico - Alexandra Stevens Gallery on Canyon Road.  If you are in Santa Fe on Friday, November 26 come by the gallery...I'll be there in the evening : )

"Warmer House" - New Pastel by Victoria Taylor-Gore

"Warmer House" by Victoria Taylor-Gore, pastel, 10 x 14 inches, 2010

This is what I did with my morning today.  I'm taking new work to Santa Fe for a general opening at my gallery in Santa Fe - Alexandra Stevens Gallery on Canyon Road.

Dream House by Victoria Taylor-Gore

Dream House by Victoria Taylor-Gore from Victoria Taylor-Gore on Vimeo.

Video and editing - Victoria Taylor-Gore
http://www.victoriataylorgore.com/

Music - On Edge by Alexander Khaskin
License purchased from http://www.shockwave-sound.com/

This video belongs in my "The Conversation" series (http://vimeo.com/14891218, http://vimeo.com/15119881, and http://vimeo.com/15499048) - but I wanted to freshen up the title.  "Dream House" seemed more descriptive of the video since more of the Marx vintage doll house is featured in this short. This series of short films deals with a surreal conversation between miniature Marx vintage figures with sets that are Marx tin litho dollhouses. The story is implied - symbolic figures and juxtapositions allow the viewer to come to their own conclusions. Certainly the film noir influence is apparent and so inspiring for me.

Shot with a Canon 7D, Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 lens, Tokina 100mm macro f2.8 lens, Focus35 skater dolly, and always use my Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 3x! Edited in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4.

Also, so happy with my new Alzo 790L video light - worked wonders - no noise reduction necessary! The small light inside the bedroom window is actually my iPhone with a LED light flashlight app turned on - worked great and easy to get in small places. It even has a "strobe" effect that I used for the flashing light in the bedroom.

Note - added some of my own drawing elements - in a few pf the opening shots there is a tree in the foreground - that is actually a tree I drew and layered over the other video.

Gold Hill, Pastel by Victoria Taylor-Gore

"Gold Hill" © Victoria Taylor-Gore, 2010, pastel, 12 x 18 1/2 inches

Click on the image above for a larger view.

 

So I'm in the pastel mode again after working on a series of short films...getting ready for my Christmas Eve exhibit in Santa Fe at the Alexandra Stevens Gallery.

The Nerve to Shoot

Man staring at me while I was shooting video.

 

The Nerve to Shoot

video in public, I mean : )  I don't know if this is a problem for others embarking on the world of hybrid DSLRs or not, but it's taking time for me to feel comfortable shooting video in public places.  Even with the small footprint of HDSLRs, I'm finding that people watch me, stop in front of me, and worst of all...run away when I point a camera at them.  Not at all natural looking!  I have a tendency to move the camera away or point it down when I start getting attention, and that can ruin the perfect shot.

It's more compounded because I come from a fine art background (and I'm an introvert), and don't have the experience that seasoned photographers bring to the "human" element of getting good "people" shots.  There's much more to getting great video footage than using the right lenses, good camera stabilization, and proper audio...there is direct  human interaction.

Part of my fear isn't just how people react - I worry about security in some places.  Will I be stopped and harassed?  I was once, at an amusement park, and they wouldn't stop until I accepted a "press pass" (even though I told them several times I wasn't with the press).

Día de los Muertos by Victoria Taylor-Gore from Victoria Taylor-Gore on Vimeo.

One lucky situation was at a performance of traditional Mexican dances by El Ballet Folklorico Nuestra Herencia at the Underwood Center’s Ice House during the Dia de los Muertos Procession in Lubbock, Texas.  I was approached by the dreaded security guard, and he asked me what I was doing there.  I told him I was a teacher sponsoring a student trip to see the procession events (which was true), and he actually took me through the crowd closer to the dancers to get a better view.  Nice.  So I'm thinking that directly approaching security first and explaining what I'm up to is a good idea.  I'm finding that my Canon 7D with a big Tokina lens and a monopod isn't helping me blend into the crowd.  Adding more gear to a rig would make me even more visible.  I think more people are catching on.

I know the only solution I've come up with is to brave the real world and shoot as much video as I can.  Hopefully practice in public will improve my people skills.  I've been fortunate to get great video footage a few times...when people just forgot I was there.  But I'd like to hear how some of you professionals deal with shooting on location in public places.   How do you make people comfortable and get natural shots when you are just out and about with your camera (and you don't have a telephoto lens)?

- Victoria Taylor-Gore

Practice Makes Perfect (or almost perfect)

I've taken a break from my more conceptual and surreal short films (see posts below about "The Conversation" series) and have been shooting out on location near where I live for the last few weeks.  My inspiration was the "One Day on Earth" project.  I love that my new skills as a HDSLR enthusiast has enabled me to highlight the hidden beauty and dynamics of where I live in the Texas Panhandle.  I compare it to my own various series in my past fine art work.  Throughout graduate school at UCSB in Santa Barbara, CA I concentrated on a surreal and symbolic body of work.  At one point, I just needed to take a break from it.  So after returning to Texas from Santa Barbara, I decided to do several landscape series at Buffalo Lake and Palo Duro Canyon near Canyon, Texas.  Those landscape series seemed like a huge jump for me, but later when I resumed creating my surreal imagery...the skills I gained in working with with color, light and form of the land strengthened my surrealistic pastels.

Shooting on location also makes me "think on my feet" - practice managing my camera, lenses, and gear together and discover my strengths and weaknesses...experience what tools I'm missing and what I need to improve.  I love working at home in my studio with miniature props (and will definitely continue to do so), but going out on location literally widens my horizons.  As one of my Twitter friends @PolvoPolvo (Glen Ryan from Sydney, Australia) said, "...yeah it's all about learning stuff everytime you shoot."

So here are two of my latest short films - hope you enjoy.  My Vimeo channel is http://vimeo.com/vtg .

Sunset at Cadillac Ranch by Victoria Taylor-Gore from Victoria Taylor-Gore on Vimeo.

Video and editing - Victoria Taylor-Gore
http://www.victoriataylorgore.com

Music - The Art of Non-Life-Threatening Mistakes by Williamson
Music license purchased from Jamendo.com

Late evening shots - all at and after sunset - at the Cadillac Ranch (world famous outdoor art installation) near Amarillo, Texas.
Information on Cadillac Ranch - http://www.texasoutside.com/amarilloframes/cadillacranchframes.htm

I'm finding that shooting more out on location is improving my skills, so this is another learning exercise...lots of great subject matter here locally. Don't worry...I intend to continue my conceptual art films! I just have to think faster out on location, and it's good practice for me. Now time to get some good on-board video lights for night shots...another lesson learned!

Shot with a Canon 7D and a Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 lens, and my essential Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 3x. All of this is handheld or supported the camera with a monopod. I used a Singh-Ray Vari ND filter on some of the earlier shots. I pushed it a bit far - some shots had almost no light. Post in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4.

"Above the Canyon" by Victoria Taylor-Gore from Victoria Taylor-Gore on Vimeo.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, near Canyon, Texas. This is the first pure landscape short film I have done - used my wonderful Kessler Crane Pocket Dolly. I've lived near Palo Duro Canyon for most of my 50 years...and it never ceases to be a constant source of nourishment and inspiration. It is the second largest canyon in the US - and quite a surprise as it sits in the middle of the High Plains.

I set out to do this video for One Day on Earth (10-10-10), but my shoot was cut short (battery in my car died) and I didn't have much time to do footage in the way One Day on Earth requires. These shots were hasty, and only at the top of the canyon, but seems like I'm all about making something out of practically nothing - lots of post manipulation helped : ) Anyway, this video reflects part of my life for that day.

Video and Editing - Victoria Taylor-Gore
http://www.victoriataylorgore.com

Music - Angels of Hope by Roger Subirana Mata
Purchased music license from Jamendo.com

Shot with a Canon 7D, Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 lens, and a Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 lens. Edited and color grading in post in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4. Also used my Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 3x - saves me every time.

Artist demos at my gallery in Santa Fe for Historic Canyon Road Day in Santa Fe on Oct. 16.

If you are in the Santa Fe area on October 16, come by the Alexandra Stevens Gallery during Historic Canyon Road Day.  There will also be artists doing art demonstrations in our gallery and along Canyon Road - live music too!   Hope you can make it!  Details about History Canyon Road Day are posted below the slideshow of some of my recent pastels at the gallery.

Press release from the Alexandra Stevens Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico:

Historic Canyon Road Day will once again be the third Saturday in October, Oct 16, 10am - 4pm. This years festival will have some special activities that we haven’t seen in years past. As you may remember, this is the day that artists are invited to paint and speak to art lovers along Canyon Road. Whether on the street, in the courtyards or in the galleries, art lovers love watching the process, learning about the creation of art and meeting the artists.
 
The Historic Canyon Road Festival, sponsored by the Santa Fean Magazine is part of the Santa Fe Arts Festival,  You can learn more  at www.historiccanyonroad.com and www.santafeatsfestival.com. The festival is dedicated to supporting K-12 School Music Programs for Santa Fe Public Schools.
 
During the day, painters and small groups of student musicians along with their teachers will be performing for the delight of all.

At 2pm, at the parking lot across from our gallery Alexandra Stevens Gallery   820 Canyon Road, Santa Fe a live concert will feature 2 professional bands. This will also include a live radio feed on Radio Free Santa Fe, KBAC 98.I encouraging visitors and locals to participate in the festival and see the art on Canyon.
 
I hope you will join us for  this delightful event that has grown bigger every year. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions.

Alexandra Stevens         www.alexandrastevens.com 505-988-1311

"The Conversation Part III" (Final Version) by Victoria Taylor-Gore

"The Conversation Part III" (Final Version) by Victoria Taylor-Gore from Victoria Taylor-Gore on Vimeo.

Video and Editing by Victoria Taylor-Gore

Music - "Silent Tears" by Roger Subirana Mata
Purchased music license from Jamendo.com

This is the third video in a series called "The Conversation":
The first part of this series is here:
"The Conversation" http://vimeo.com/14891218
The second part of this series is here:
"The Conversation Part II" http://vimeo.com/15119881

This short surreal film continues the juxtaposition of miniature toy Marx plastic figures - and a Marx vintage 1950's dollhouse. For added lighting, I used a small portable light table. These are dream sequences, and I used multiple characters to suggest a psychological interplay between the figures. As in the other two videos in the series (to date) there is no literal story, only an implied one. To me the magic is taking something ordinary and transform it with the use of light, design, optics, and strange placement...make these characters into more that plastic toys. What they suggest is subject to interpretation - an active process between the image and the viewer.

At this point, I think there will be a few more videos in the series...not sure if I'll combine these videos into one longer film or not.

Shot with a Canon 7D, Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro lens, Kessler Crane Pocket Dolly, edited in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, used Digieffects Aged Film effects for old black and white movie texture effect (plus some post manipulation of value in Premiere Pro). And last but not least, my Zacuto Z-Finder Pro-3x which I find essential with macro shots. I also used Neat Video to remove unwanted artifacts in the dark shots, and then added back more uniform film grain effects with Digieffects "Aged Film."

"Men at the Table" - photos by Victoria Taylor-Gore

These are more photographs that I've taken to prepare for another scene in my video "The Conversation Part III" (http://vimeo.com/15499048).  I placed the Marx plastic miniature figures on a small portable light table...and got the idea for the "men at the table" from an old black and white WWII movie.

I love my Canon 7D for it's ability to make both stills and video...I like to take photographs first to plan out shots for my videos...get interesting angles, test light, which lens to use - works well.

A Personal Reflection on the PhotoCine Expo in LA

Image: From  the PhotoCine Expo 2010 presentation "Multimedia Storytelling with Ami Vitale"

 

Well, here is my report of PhotoCine Expo, and it's not a technical report...kind of a human interest approach.  But then that's appropriate for me since I'm so new at the HDSLR game - I'm an artist that has fallen in love with this medium.  There are much better reports of the great gear that was showcased and some more specific reports of PhotoCine presentations on blogs like Planet5D, Cinema5D, Radraven's blog, Dan Chung's blog, and El Skid's blog to name a few.

What impressed me was the openness and good nature of the people I connected with - top professionals in the field, that visit with beginners  and other professionals with open minds and open hearts.  You see, I've been an artist for 30 years now, and the art world at the professional level of the people I met at this conference are not as approachable, nor do many of them welcome new faces with the enthusiasm that I have encountered.

I don't know, maybe I'm jumping to conclusions...maybe it's just the way the people involved in the HDSLR revolution use social media...but to me, it's one of the things I enjoy the most.  Pros that share information freely, encourage each other, and gladly give advice - can't beat that.

I've been using a HDSLR for 6 months, and it's changed my life.  I'm still an artist - just adapting to moving images.  Several of the presenters came from a non-filmmaking backgrounds - usually from the photography side, but of course, the addition of movement has been a challenge to them as it has to me.  Documentary / photojournalists Gail Mooney and Ami Vitale spoke of how they have adjusted to this new medium...struggled in learning principles of film and motion, and they have come out with amazing results.  That gives me hope.

I also want to point out the power of these camera to enable social commentary - the power of a single camera to travel to remote places to tell important stories without the footprint of a big crew - like Gail Mooney taking her epic journey with her daughter (two person crew) to faraway places to find people doing good in the world, and Ami Vitale seeking out social and ecological injustice but with a human approach  - catching on video how these people live their lives.  These camera don't intrude as much...more close contact with people that may otherwise be put off.

Image: From  the PhotoCine Expo 2010 presentation "Vincent Laforet Keynote Presentation"

 

Pulitzer Prize Winning photographer and now filmmaker Vincent Laforet told us about how this HDSLR revolution has changed his career...how he has benefitted by riding this incredible wave, but not without challenges like learning as a photographer one of the major principles of filmmaking - how to tell a story.  I admire how far he has come in transforming his career and how willing he is to share his knowledge with the photographers that are entering this new territory.  I also appreciate how he has taken advantage of his love of aerial photography and applied those skills to his films.

And some speakers emphasized the artistry of HDSLRs...not just the practical side, but how it's starting a new "art form."  I loved how  Shane Hurlbut (ASC - Director of Photography) glowed with enthusiasm about the "democratization" of this new revolution -  how this technology is putting cinema-like results in the hands of people that couldn't approach it before, thus opening up a broader world of creative ideas. And he emphasized how it will create a new style - how this new type of camera will influence film - not the other way around.

When Shane pointed out how they threw a 5DMKII up in the air to simulate the point of view of a infant being tossed up by his father - just flinging the rolling camera up skyward (yes, they caught it!) - somehow that freed my mind of the self imposed restrictions I've experienced with my Canon 7D.  You see, I've been trying so hard to mimic a "film" look when these cameras are capable of creating a NEW look of their own that is BEYOND what film has done in the past.  New territory, not just a cheaper machine with acceptable results (although the economic advantage for a production are a plus as well).

The way the Alex Buono (cinematographer, SNL)  went out one night in NYC, stuck a HDSLR to the top of a taxi cab with an inexpensive suction cup rig and let that great footage roll (part of the Saturday Night Live intro), it just made me realize how free this could be.  And then there's Shane and his crew armed with HDSLRs chasing navy seals through their obstacle courses - sometimes crawling on their bellies with these cameras, I realized that I've been way too uptight and just need to let these cameras take me where they will - what an adventure!

Image: From the PhotoCine Expo 2010 special announcement presentation of the Redrock Micro EVF

 

So many others can give you specs (and they do a much better job with that), but I can tell you, as an artist this conference provided a multitude of inspiration.  I took away what a big tent this is - how it will change the nature of filmmaking by bringing people of so many different backgrounds into the arena.

Well that's it for now - more pics and info to follow soon.  I unloaded most of my pictures on my friend's laptop and have yet to retrieve them...check back for updates and a few more photos this weekend.  I plan to add some more thoughts too...wish I took more notes.  I was so engulfed with listening to the amazing speakers that I forgot to write much down.

For some high res. snapshots I took of PhotoCine Expo and the area around my hotel (Hollywood Renaissance) in LA, go here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/sets/72157624926604161/show/ - I'll be adding more photos of the PhotoCine Expo to the set soon and also adding labels to the photographs.

 

"The Conversation Part II" (black & white version) by Victoria Taylor-Gore

"The Conversation Part II" (black & white version) by Victoria Taylor-Gore from Victoria Taylor-Gore on Vimeo.

This video is Part 2 in a series - this is the black and white version.
The first part of this series is here:
"The Conversation" http://vimeo.com/14891218
The color version of "The Conversation Part II" is here:
http://vimeo.com/15150029

Video and Editing by Victoria Taylor-Gore

Music - "Queen of the Wind" by Roger Subirana Mata
Purchased music license from Jamendo.com

This is my second video in a series using vintage 1940's - 1950's Marx toy figures and dollhouses. My approach is based on a combination of Surrealist film and Film Noir (as far as lighting and 1940's - 1950's imagery). Like most surreal works, my goal is to imply a story...not to provide a literal narrative. New meanings and interpretations are provided by the viewer - strange juxtapositions of images evoke different stories...

This black and white version is consistent with the first in the series - with a Film Noir look and the symbolism of dark vs light...pushed the blacks to create a more tense emotional effect. I did the color version of this video just because the footage had such rich color, and it's fun to compare the different atmosphere of black and white vs. color.

Shot with a Canon 7D, Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro lens, Kessler Crane Pocket Dolly, edited in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, used Digieffects Aged Film effects for old black and white movie effect (plus some post manipulation of value in Premiere Pro). And last but not least, my Zacuto Z-Finder Pro-3x which I find essential with macro shots.

This video had lots of dark shots that were too "noisy" so I used Neat Video - http://www.neatvideo.com/ - to clean up the unwanted noise and artifacts, and then I used Digieffects Aged Film to add back an overall aged film grain (the way I wanted it!).

"The Conversation" by Victoria Taylor-Gore

"The Conversation" by Victoria Taylor-Gore from Victoria Taylor-Gore on Vimeo.

This is my new project using vintage 1940's - 1950's Marx toy figures and dollhouses. I'm not sure if this short film is finished...I have more scenes in mind, but may just do some more short films in a series. It just seemed to be enough, and the music has been a great inspiration...Roger Subirana Mata is a wonderful composer, and I love the way the track "The Dark Symphony" changes from optimism to suspense to mystery. My approach is based on a combination of Surrealist film and Film Noir (as far as lighting and 1940's - 1950's imagery). Like most surreal works, my goal is to imply a story...not to provide a literal narrative. New meanings and interpretations are provided by the viewer - strange juxtapositions of images evoke different stories...

Video and editing - Victoria Taylor-Gore
http://www.victoriataylorgore.com

Music - "Dark Symphony" by Roger Subirana Mata
Purchased music license from Jamendo.com
http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/332856

Shot with a Canon 7D, Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro lens, Kessler Crane Pocket Dolly, edited in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, used Digieffects Aged Film effects for old black and white movie effect (plus some post maniuplation of value in Premiere Pro). And last but not least, my Zacuto Z-Finder Pro-3x which I find essential with macro shots.

"Doll I Series" - Photographs by Victoria Taylor-Gore

"Doll I Series" - Photographs by Victoria Taylor-Gore

Flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987755@N08/sets/72157624769705707/show/

Twitter never fails to be a great source of inspiration.  I found out about the Plastic Bullet contest (http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/social/plastic-bullet-ipad/) last week from Philip Bloom's tweets (@PhilipBloom on Twitter) and decided to give it a try - grand prize is an iPad.  I've had the Plastic Bullet application on my iPhone for awhile, and it's a great photo application - gives your photos a wonderful old  "toy camera" look. 

So I got serious this weekend, and shot several hundred photos of some vintage 1950's Marx "Campus Cuties" plastic dolls that I had for another ongoing project with miniature toys and dollhouses.  I set up the shots of the dolls with minimal backgrounds...some have a Marx miniature 1950's pinball toy game in them.  All of the photos were taken with my Canon 7D, Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro lens, and then were imported into my iPhone to apply Plastic Bullet effects.  I played with some simple directional and reflected light, and Plastic Bullets created interesting and unique lighting changes in each one.  It's amazing that I only used two of the dolls that I have, but varying the light seemed to  change the dolls into different looking characters.

The monochromatic shots seemed to be more evocative.  Some exposures work better with Plastic Bullet than others, so I experimented with different settings to enhance the images.  As a typically surrealist artist, I really like the element of chance by not being able to control what Plastic Bullet will do to an image - you have to grab an image as you see it because you can't save, manipulate, or reproduce that effect again.  See more explanation of Plastic Bullet here - http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/plastic-bullet/

The Plastic Bullet contest suddenly became less important and the project itself became my priority (the competition for the Plastic Bullet contest is pretty stiff anyway, and I can't decide which one to submit...but who wouldn't like to win an iPad?).  What was important was the inspiration I get from things occurring all over the world through Twitter, Facebook, and now Flickr - connecting with other professionals in video, art, and photography - learning from them and finding out about events, new technology, new ways to express myself as an artist.  I never would have done this series if I hadn't checked out Twitter the other day - pretty cool.

As far as theme goes, these are part of a larger project using vintage toy miniatures in surreal environments and using composition, placement, and light (and color in other images) to create an implied dialogue.  The "Doll Series I" has a fifties film noir look due to the monochromatic and aged frame look created by Plastic Bullet.  The only challenge will be to print them...my iPhone 3G output for Plastic Bullet isn't very large, so don't know how I'll handle that other than printing them on a small scale, but larger prints would be more dramatic.  If anyone has any suggestions for that, let me know.

As a fine artist working primarily in pastels, my beloved Canon 7D is taking me into unknown territory - video and photography.  I try to apply what I know about composition, lighting, color and texture to photography and video.  But I'm still playing catch up with the technology of photography and video...it's an incredible learning experience for me.

Links:

Red Giant Plastic Bullet - http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/plastic-bullet/

Plastic Bullet Contest - http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/social/plastic-bullet-ipad/

Another related project of mine: "The Conversation" Photographs by Victoria Taylor-Gore - http://www.anartjournal.com/art_journal/2010/09/the-conversation-by-victoria-taylor-gore.html

Links on Twitter:

Red Giant Software - @RedGiantNews  -  http://twitter.com/RedGiantNews

Victoria Taylor-Gore - @vtg60  -  http://twitter.com/vtg60

Philip Bloom - @Philip Bloom  -  http://twitter.com/PhilipBloom

 

"The Conversation" by Victoria Taylor-Gore

"The Conversation: New Ongoing Series of Photographs by Victoria Taylor-Gore"

I bought my Canon 7D to make videos.  But something is happening.  With this magic image maker in my hands...I am falling in love with photography too.

When I watched Vincent Laforet's wonderful three day CreativeLive workshop a few months ago, I realized the importance of planning...storyboarding...how to get a story across.  His ideas really impressed me - so much that I created my own template for storyboard sheets.  But this pre-planning can be a problem for a surrealist like me - you see, often surrealists only imply a story - provide clues that have to be solved and interpreted by the viewer, and the conclusions are never the same.  So I have decided to make surrealist thumbnails - hints of a story with photographs - not necessarily in any logical order, and no apparent end in sight...just the workings of the imagination linked together in a sequence of possibly related images.

Don't ask me what these images mean - I'm not sure.  They are intuitive juxtapositions of objects (true surrealist form).  Yes, they are characters - plastic toy miniatures, but I'm placing them together with a visual impulse, not a logical one.  So the story evolves as I go, and I see things later that I didn't plan.

My own interpretations will differ from yours, and I hope my thoughts don't color your impression.  But I see strong commanding male forces contrasting the gentle beauty of the female form.  The reclining woman for me is a symbol of the feminine, the earth, the intuitive, mother nature.  The strong male characters (WWII generals and presidents Truman and Eisenhower) symbolize the power of the masculine, discipline, order.   I try to make symbols of ordinary objects - get beyond the personal and make something small and plastic like a toy evoke greater principles and suggest implied relationships.

Tech notes: Most of these photographs are right out of my Canon 7D (but of course I optimized them for the web).  A few photographs have some levels manipulation and cropping, but I tried to create the color and atmosphere with set lighting and camera settings alone.  I used a Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro lens...all shots are handheld.  The background images are created from a 1950's Marx tin litho dollhouse and images from a flat screen TV (set on the Turner Classic Movies Channel). 

This project is not complete - more to explore and I'll be posting additional photographs in this series.  As we speak, I am starting a video with these characters and this theme, so check back for the video of "The Conversation." 

Thanks, Victoria Taylor-Gore

Links:

HDDSLR Cinema Workshop with Vincent Laforet on creativeLIVE - http://creativelive.com/courses/vince_laforet/

Videos by Victoria Taylor-Gore on Vimeo - http://vimeo.com/vtg