Project 3: Community

This project stumped me the most, no doubt. There were so many requirements to consider, them being: three 30–45-second videos, interpreting community, non-linear narrative, and square compositions that must loop. I found it hard to start anywhere because it didn’t make sense to me yet.

My first idea was based on a tool we had just learned in After Effects, the 3D Camera. I thought of creating a 3D space using drawings of each wall of a room to then be assembled using the tool. My second idea was to structure the three videos as a performance with an intro, improv, and choreography. But I quickly learned that my ideas were a bit too ambitious for my capacity for productivity right now, so I quickly started over.

My third idea involves the concept of community as a space for belonging using color. My narrative is centered around the idea that a dancer in all white is the canvas (community) for these different colored socks to exist and belong. As she dances in each pair, she learns the personality of each color and how they interact with the other colors.

To make the narrative non-linear, I started with a sequential story that was then broken up and rearranged for each of the three videos. The original structure was as follows: The mundane, discovery, play, interaction, harmony.

I gave each video a different personality for each color. Red is energetic, spicey, and fast. Yellow is happy, light, and free. Blue is graceful, dramatic, and calming. I kept this in mind while dancing in each pair of socks. In terms of visual cohesion, I chose to incorporate the bulk of the color by drawing gifs in Procreate and bringing them into the After Effects compositions to play with the blending modes. I also used different editing techniques in each video, ranging from the type of blending mode to the speed of the clips.

My biggest challenge for this project was trying not to be too ambitious. I often found myself shooting down my own ideas because I knew it was too much for me. Nonetheless, I ended up doing the amount of work I first anticipated, but I’m glad I pushed myself to create work I’m proud of.

Red: https://youtu.be/pTS3YzYzU_4

Yellow: https://youtu.be/oQd5nkuP3B4

Blue: https://youtu.be/_tEyOAyOB7I