Stacey Steers

Heidi made it a point to introduce Stacey Steers as one of the most patient artists in the animation world and considering her animations take around 4 years to produce, I would say that's a pretty accurate evaluation. Since Steers doesn't make her collages under a camera, and instead creates each frame as if it were an individual art work - using clip art from old archives as her subject matter - the process of creating her stop motion animations is incredibly time consuming. While her process is lengthy, her attention to detail makes for really beautiful work. She was discussing how since each frame is made separate from the last it allows her to not only manipulate each detail in the image at her whim (by painting on them, etc.), but also so there is the added element of movement that the small imperfections and incongruities between one frame and the next create. Stacey explained that she doesn't story board her pieces or even plan out her storyline ahead of time, instead she lets her materials guide the work's trajectory. Often times I think that when an artist gets so wrapped up in process the end product can suffer, but in this case I feel the quite the opposite. Sometimes leaving a piece's outcome in the hands of a material puts the artist's point of view on the back burner. It can give an artist the excuse to take themselves out of the picture because they can blame its outcome on outside factors. Stacey's work, however, is wrought with really conscience choices that take her animations from a simple study of technique to something  an audience can connect to on multiple levels.

scavenging.

  RULE OF THIRDS: 

9/22/11 Merrill & Shelly in Yorktown, Indiana



 DEPTH OF FIELD: 

 9/24/11 Kevin Koger in MIchigan Stadium

 TEXTURE: 

9/24/11 Fans at the Big House




 USE OF LIGHT: 

 9/25/11 Hershey Dog

 LINE:  

9/25/11 Ikea

channel surfing.

Things I am nervous about:
a. Is the narration too loud, or is the opposite true of the background noise?
b. Do I get my point across - is it too cryptic, or too straight forward? 
c. Is the style of narration fitting for the piece?
d. How can I kind of amplify the silence near the end of the piece to make a more dramatic moment?