Blog 1

[Alex Krebs]

The first video I viewed is called "Lucky Trimmer Tanz Performance Serie 19". It can be found here:

http://www.dance-tech.net/video/lucky-trimmer-tanz-performance-seri...

The purpose of this video is to showcase snippets of performance and choreography (shown through a series of solos and duets), rather than to create a work of art in itself. The camera techniques and cuts were simple so the focus was on the dancing, which was quirky and full of contorted positions and movements. The performers were generally centered in the frame, and the dancer's bodies were mostly presented in their entirety. The camera tended to remain stationary. The video cuts lacked transition, but I think the intention was to not distract from the choreography.

The second video I chose to watch and comment on is called "HUMANS (2012)". It can be found here:

http://www.dance-tech.net/video/humans

The reason I decided to write about this video is because it greatly differs from the first one I viewed. "Lucky Trimmer" was a video designed to showcase dance for an audience through the medium of video, while "HUMANS (2012)" was created to be a video project. "HUMANS (2012)" features three performers: two dancers clothed in white undergarments, and a video technician in a silver mask who alters the dancer's appearances via video projection. The video presented clips from the same location in a sequential order, whereas the other video showed multiple locations in a seemingly meaningless order. The camera was not always still in "HUMANS (2012)", but panned occasionally as well as zoomed and tipped. This video enhanced the perspective of the viewer by moving the camera very close to the performers, rather than keeping their entire bodies in the frame. The camera work, in my opinion, was used to show the perspective of the live video technician featured in the work.