Making "Recorder Made Easy"

Here's some images I took while making my short video "Recorder Made Easy". I'll put the finished version on the blog soon.

Recorder collection

Here's my recorder collection. I haven't played properly for ages and since starting the recorder video last week I desperately wanted to play again. I'd forgotten how beautiful these are just as objects.

Recorder Made Easy (First Draft)

Here is //WAS// a draft of a video that needs to be finished by Friday. I'm really not happy with it yet so hopefully a nights sleep will make things better

The idea behind the film is to play with the simplicity of a task that may require skill. I've broken down a piece of recorder music into single notes and altered a recorder so it has notes that are already created. The performer can't touch the recorder but only blow through it, playing only one note. I've recorded these single notes, then edited them together to make a piece of music.

If all goes wrong I have an idea for a film about a cheese grater.

Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeecorder

Whisk + Recorder + Simon

Whisk + Recorder + Simon from Matt West on Vimeo.

Poundshop

So we've been instructed to buy some things from a poundshop for next weeks workshop. Not sure what we're going to do with the objects so am just buying things that instantly tickle my fancy. Its actually pretty liberating to have an excuse to go indulge on useless things you don't need or really want, yet have an impulse to buy. I think I'm going to get more objects than I need because I'm sure in a day or two I'll realise how stupid half of what I've bought really is.

Today

Well today has felt like a lazy day with not much productivity happening. Most of my time I spent shopping and watching tv, but I did get round to making a couple little blueberry tartlets. They're really satisfying to make (and eat) so I might make a few of them for the Design Cafe this week.

James Bond in the studio

We're getting into the habit of watching a film a week in the studio, this week was the turn of James Bond.

keyboardkeyboard

//made by chris//

30 seconds Vs. 29 hours

Domestic Perfection: Hamburgers

  

Although I thoroughly enjoyed making and eating them, these certainly weren't perfect hamburgers. The only thing missing from Blumenthals ingredient list was the 16g of sodium citrate, which I couldn't find in any of the pharmacies and chemists visited (except in the form of lemon flavored cystitis tablets), and I doubt this made much of a difference to the outcome. Mistakes were made in the final stages of the recipe; exact amounts of ingredients weren't used in the last ten steps, the wrong type of frying pan was used and I slightly burnt half of the burger buns under the grill at the last moment. Apart from the frying pan these mistakes were due to the pressure of having a lot to do in a short time. This is the point where skill and experience is needed. A complete amateur, like myself, can quite easily complete the majority of the recipe because of the extreme detail of the instructions and ingredients, even though they are complex. But as soon as there was any suggestion of pressure and fast paced accuracy I failed completely and needed extra help (kindly given by Ben and Simon).

 

The point of doing this was not an act of the ego. This was the part I disliked the most; going to various butchers and shops, asking for strange amounts of and unusual ingredients, and receiving skeptical looks and questions in return. Instead, the point was to experience the attempt for perfection in what may be an everyday act and to see whether skill is needed. This is not an outcome or full-stop, but a starting point and experiment to help guide my work. Through the experiment I shall have an analysis of the experience and more of an opinion on what it means to do something everyday in regards of time and money spent, necessity and the social.

good idea or bad idea?

The worlds cutest firework. (didn't really work though).

Thanks Simon.

Drawing Book

Briefing Document