Reflections on the video dance ‘Antarctica’

The above video was one of my first attempts of recording a human body with a moving camera. I realised that I had to build up a relationship between my body and the body of the camera in order to shoot stably. How do I keep the camera? What is the position of my body? How long can I bear the camera in that position while shooting? All these are questions for further exploration and experimentation. Moreover, another parameter was the relationship between me and the performer. We had a mediator between us; the camera. In that case, I have an intimate relationship with the performer, as she is my friend. But I wonder how I could make the performer feel comfortable in case that we don’t have this kind of relationship.

While shooting, I catched myself looking at the performer mainly through the lens of the camera. It felt that I was in-between two realities; one which was delineated through the lens of the camera and the other one between me and the performer. The latter was coming to the surface when the performer was asking for directions or was sharing thoughts. I found myself struggling to shift from one dimension to the other; from dealing with the camera to advising the performer. I was focusing a lot on how I handle with the camera. So, I would like to work more on a way that I shift from one dimension to the other with fluidity so that I can be more helpful and supportive to my performer.

The application of instant composition to the process of video-making

ROUGHCUT

instant composition in editting

Here is a video I made where I experiment with the application of instant composition in editting. Below is the score that I activated:

‘A score for choreographing the process of editing’

Build up a dialogue with the used sound/music and let it become the partiture for editing
Create rhythmicality through cutting.

Reflecting on the process, I realised that the method I followed created a corresponding atmosphere to the video. Specifically, I editted through a sensorial way while I was building up a rythmicality on cutting based on the song. It feels that these two qualities became visible to the final video and formulated the atmosphere of it.

I’M WATCHING YOU,

Instant composition for both performer and operator.

Application of the same condition to the camera and the performer.

• In the video ‘I’m watching you’, camera and performer share the same condition of limited vision. The eyes of the performer and the lens of the camera are both covered. The quality of instant composition was applied in the process of decision making during the shooting.

• The approach of time concering decision-making was instant; a quality which penetrates the practices of instant composition. So, we took an immediate decision exactly before we start filming it.

• My collaborator and I went to the woods with the camera without a set structure of what we would do. We had as a goal to create space for not-knowing and train ourselves on how we interact in a playful and creative way in this context.

KONTA

One-shot as a way to compose the process of shooting instantly.

• The questions which appear during the shooting of the video ‘Konta’ was: How does the distance of the camera affect the movement of the performer? What is the relationship between the dancer and the operator? What is the role of the camera in this relationship?

• The process of preparation, the state of not-knowing, the quality of experimentation, the constant negotiation of the relationships which are delineated between the camera, the operator and the performer became visible through our decision of making a one-shot video.