Unit 35 – Task 4 – Producing Video Installation Work – Evaluation

1. By Chelsie Brandrick Page 1
Unit 35 – Task 4 – Producing Video Installation Work – Evaluation
By Chelsie Brandrick
Evaluating a project allows the creators to analyse the whole process and reflect on what went
well and what didn’t during the production. This can enable the creators to address any areas
of weakness and improve on them as well as praise themselves for their strengths.
I presented my installation on a computer screen in a dark room as I thought it would be the
best way to involve and target my audience whilst giving them an intimate experience. Before
I installed the piece I did a location recce of the room I wished to install the piece in, which
consisted of taking photos and making notes of how I will present the piece. Once I picked an
idea for my installation, I decided I would need to film in the photography studio. I needed a
camera, tripod and lighting equipment to achieve the shots I desired so I used my own camera
and sourced the other equipment and my filming location through my college.
I carried out a health and safety checklist and risk assessment for my shooting and exhibition
spaces,as I wanted to ensure my crew would be safe during the production stages of the
project. I created a suitable working environment for my crew by keeping the filming session
short as I managed to set up the studio and film in under 30 minutes. Whilst filming I abided
by the health and safety check list which stated I needed to make the actors aware of any
cables or how hot the room could get. This allowed the filming to run smoothly, prevented
any injuries occurring and allowed the filming to be completed in less time than I initially
allocated.
My final installation resembles my original idea accurately as I used editing effects and
techniques such as flashing light, static and distorting images to recreate what I envisioned in
my mind. In my proposal I stated that I would make an installation that contained a mix of
psychotic and psychedelic images that had a jarring atmosphere. I feel like I have achieved
this but my final installation has a more psychotic vibe than psychedelic, as the psychedelic
editing techniques clashed with the music I had chosen for my piece. I also wanted to blend
together a few clips of my actors sitting down and it would achieve a similar effect to the
Bohemian Rhapsody music video. However I found it too difficult to blend the clips together
and present them without an obvious blend, so I abandoned this concept mid edit.
The video is within the time limit that I wanted it to be (40 seconds) and I think the mixture of
images, effects and sounds blend well together whilst keeping the viewer engaged. The
almost psychotic vibe the piece has intrigues me and allows my mind to wander and be

2. By Chelsie Brandrick Page 2
inspired to think and create. Now that I have completed the video, I think the target audience
can be changed. In my proposal I thought 13 years old and up would be appropriate but I
think the final piece would be suitable for viewers that are a bit younger, such as 10/11 year
olds.
I think my final installation is better than I originally thought it would be as I experimented a
lot during the edit, which enabled me to use new techniques, and ideas that I hadn’t initially
thought of. An example of this is using the static sounds and visuals to transition between
clips. The production processes were completed much faster than I thought as I completed
this unit within four days, rather than eight days which has allowed me more time to reflect
on my idea and make any changes that I have thought of when I’ve watched the video with
fresh eyes.
The video looks professional as it is well lit with artificial studio lights, shot using a high
quality camera,edited and uploaded to a good standard and the actors I used completed the
job the way I wished.
A classmate commented on my video installation piece and offered the following feedback.
Ricardo said that he thought the video was “very cool” and he enjoyed watching it. But would
improve the piece by making it look vintage as he found other video installations used this
effect.
The video already looks as professional as it could, considering the low budget, but it could be
improved by featuring a larger variety of positions from the actors as the video shows 2-3
angles. I think the addition of shooting some shots with a black background could add diversity
to the video and they would’ve been easier to transition and edit. For example, the fire images
would’ve been easier to overlay on a black background as the video I used already had a black
background.
If I were to complete this assignment again, I would’ve researched the editing techniques I
wanted to recreate so I could’ve included them in my piece. I would also shoot more footage of
the actors in different positions on black backgrounds as well as white as this will improve the
variety of shots in my installation. The mistakes I made were due to my lack of experience, as
it was the first video installation piece or video of this style I have produced.

3. By Chelsie Brandrick Page 3
Overall, I am pleased with my approach to this assignment as I think that I performed well,
quickly and produced an interesting video installation piece that fulfilled the specifications of
the brief.
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