IDeATe

Statement

The idea here is to create a supercut of short internet videos from Youtube. All of the chosen videos have a moment of anticipation (where the viewer expects or even desires something to happen) and a moment of payoff (when a diver hits the water, when a BMX rider does a cool trick, when complex machine finishes operation, etc.) The twist with this video is to remove the payoff component, and to leave only the anticipation. So, the video messes with the perceptions and expectations of the viewer and provides a new lens to the average viral clip. I believe that a video with this theme has great potential to spread, because the idea is easy enough to describe in a sentence or two (perfect for twitter!). Also the video can be as short or long as the viewer likes and can turn it off at any time, making it perfect for bite-size viewings.

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Context

The format of the final video was largely inspired by youtube content creators who make “supercuts” - mashups of many different but related videos all in one video. Supercuts often go viral because the viewer would rather find all of the content that they are looking for in a single video as opposed to looking for content themselves. In a way my video is a supercut, but only by format. Clearly, no viewer wants to find a supercut of suspenseful videos that end too quickly. However from a technical perspective the work was inspired by these cuts. The actual content of the work was additionally inspired by Kyle Bean and Aaron Tilley’s photograhy series In Anxious Anticipation. I wanted in part to see if I could replicate the anxious tone of their photos, but in an animated context.

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Process

The most time consuming part of this project was the process of finding content to include in the supercut. I set 3 rules for myself when finding material. 1: There can not be any background music in the videos that I include (I actually break this rule once, because the clip itself is so good I felt that I had to include it). 2: I tried to choose low-quality handicam videos instead of higher quality clips. 3: I tried to pick videos with a strong “buildup” - that is, videos with a very strong implied ending. I settled on 10 videos that (for the most part) fit these criteria.

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Product

I created the video itself in Sony Vegas. As mentioned in the “Context” section, the product is largely based on commonly-found Youtube “supercuts.” As such the video is composed of simple hard cuts in sequence. I chose not to use fancier transitions because hard cuts accentuate the idea of the video: I am essentially “ripping away” the outcome of each clip from the viewer. Therefore I feel it would inappropriate to use a soft fade. I also chose to play the audio from each clip slightly before and after the video cuts in / out. This makes the cuts seem less harsh but preserves the aforementioned hard cut. Also I can further “hint at” the outcome of the video through the audio without showing the actual video. For example, in the clip where the boat crashes into the dock, I let the audio play for a few extra frames to allow the crashing sound to play.

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Critique / Personal Reflection

I think that the video was successful in executing its core concept: removing the payoff from short clips and leaving raw anticipation behind. Despite this, I still see a number of problems with the final work. Firstly, I’m still not convinced that the idea of the video is conveyed to the viewer - I feel that as of right now many viewers will not “get it” and shut off the video. Secondly, I feel that the pacing of the video could be improved. In fact, not much thought was put into the ordering of the video or the exact timings between videos. With this in mind I feel that the overall “feel” of the video could be made more smooth with a bit more moulding on my part.