ART 385 – Video I

Taken during the Fall 2023 semester, Video I brought me back to my high school roots as a content creator and allowed me to utilize this dormant skillset in fun and interesting ways.

For my first video, I was interested in exploring something that had been weighing on my mind at that time: how does the separation between creator and creation function? What kind of “life” do my pieces take on after I finish them? What if I am not happy with what I created? I think it’s interesting to consider how I interact with my art after I push it out into the world, as in some ways, it no longer belongs to me.

All in a Day’s Work is a work based on the experiences of social anxiety and how that affects our perception of events that will/have transpired. This was a very personal story to me, as there have been countless times where I was worried I made a terrible impression on people or portrayed myself as someone I do not feel like I am. It can be tough being so concerned with other people’s perceptions that moment itself can get away from you. This video was my attempt to show that through a hedgehog plushy’s date.

Going back to my true roots as a comedic content creator, this video was my way of showing the many ways an object could be used, in this case, a wooden artifact. The artifact itself is originally from my woodworking class, which you can read more about here. To give some basic context, it is a utensil for something that does not exist, so the contemplation of potential uses is intended to be a part of the piece. I tried to make this video very tongue-in-cheek with its explanations (note that all three were originally taken from classmates and then expanded upon by me) and delivered matter-of-fact enough to go over the heads of some viewers.

My final project delves into the melancholy of routine and the “sameness” it can create. At this point in my semester, I was extremely burnt out and just ready to go home. Each week was starting to feel like the same week with the same routine that only barely changed. Like with “All in a Day’s Work,” this video was very personal to me, and truly one of the most personal pieces I have ever made. This video took a lot of inspiration from “Someday, You will Break It” (at one point I was considering making it a companion piece) and utilized some aspects of its unused ideas. It was also my first video using my brand new camera, which I plan to showcase in future work.