For the X4 assignment I was running a bit behind on time for completing requested work, I decided to remedy this issue by attended the screening of six of Julia Oldham’s short films. The presentation was held at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art on the University of Oregon campus, beginning at 7pm on the 19^th of November. I wasn’t totally sure what to expect from the artist after reading the short description on the website of the event hall, but I was intrigued by it so I went there with an open mind and am now happy I did.

Our artist was introduced and she gave a nice in-depth look at her background, what her inspirations towards her works were and a glimpse of some of the process’ that contributed to them becoming a finished piece. She tells her story of how she was raised by a father who was a physics, a stay at home mother who was an amazing gardener and a pack of dogs. Growing up in very rural area in Maryland, there were not many other children for companionship and so she would spend much of her time exploring the woods and garden with her dogs, drawing and doing science experiment with her parents. Her revelation came while she was attending University of Chicago and began experimenting with video. Her short films incorporate whimsical elements of the natural world and the wonders and facts of science world. She plays a wide array of characters while starring in her own films and uses a number of mediums to share her stories. She often collaborates with others including her father and husband who also happens to be a physics. She and her husband live and work in Eugene,OR. Her work has been shown in galleries all over the United States. The short films presented were all from between 2010-2012.

The first film to be shown was called Mud Lair, where she plays a woman in love with a coyote and has to tell him goodbye. She works works with animator Jenny Kroik to produce a musical stop frame film about the love affair with the coyote. Although I found myself with raised eyebrows and head tilted in wonder a few times over the love dance with the fake fur cloak meant to be the coyote. I did appreciate the unique creativity in her work and that she had used her own music as an added element of the piece.

On another piece of work titled Infinitely Impossible tells a story about an unrequited love between a woman and infinity and her increasingly bizarre tasks in attempting to find infinity. What I appreciated about this was how she went about conveying something where that is a bit of a challenge to do with film and still staying true to her vision and the facts of science. In the film the were sounds but no voice instead a narrative screen was placed in between shots, so it was easy to relate what was happening visually to the story line.

From These Woods is a story about a deer that can travel between dreams. It was an interesting story that use real life footage coupled with animation of the deer she had drawn and created. The story was calming as well as triggering wonder and also had an element of humor to it.

In all her work I noticed the scenery in which she shot her video and I was impressed by it because it to was very creative even with some of it being very norm she was able to add elements to make it unique and interesting. This woman’s ideas may be a little outlandish for some but I really appreciated the opportunity to see it and respect her vision for being so original and true to itself. I thought it to be very cool how she meshed very different worlds and elements together to come up with the end product. Julia’s work is also great in that it encourages you to open your mind and think and feel differently.

As many of you know by now I am a huge fan of Elena Hight and I love snowboarding! With this project, I realized that I have actually done this exact process before when I met Elena Hight! Although I have no idea what I want to do career wise, I know that I want it to be involved with the snowboarding industry. What better way to get involved with the snowboarding industry than to interview a professional snowboarder?

When I went to Mt. Hood this summer to snowboard and meet Elena, I knew I was going to be nervous. Considering my past with being starstruck before, I decided that it would be a good idea to write down some questions. Even just writing down the questions got my nerves to boil up! I thought about all of the different things i could ask her. I could ask her about how she got started with snowboarding, I thought about how I could ask her why she loves snowboarding, I thought about how I could ask her about her sponsors, I thought about how I could ask her about her personal life and possibly become friends with her (in the most non-creepy-way possible), I thought about how if I asked her about her boyfriend, who in a previous interview I watched of her she mentioned that he wasn’t a professional snowboarder as well as her but he was involved in the industry, and I thought about how I could simply ask her about what she thinks I should do to get more involved in the industry.

Getting to meet Elena was the highlight of my summer so i remember this interview vividly. My heart pounding, my stomach growling, and being so anxious that I couldn’t even eat Volcano Cones. Volcano Cones is one of the best ice cream places I’ve ever been to. It’s so good that it’s ridiculous. Waiting for a message on twitter from Elena was the most suspesful thing I’ve ever been through. After hours of waiting, she messaged me. She asked if I was in Government Camp, and as I replied with a yes, lightning fast, she proceeded to tell me that she was at Volcano Cones. My friend and I walked towards Volcano Cones with our nerves bouncing off the walls. We were a block away from meeting our favorite snowboarder. Not only were we a block away from meeting our snowboarder, but we were also going to hangout with her.

When we finally reached Volcano Cones, I spotted her. Not only did I spot Elena Hight, but I also spotted two other professional snowboarders: Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark and Olympic athlete Spencer O’Brien. Well, that didn’t exactly help my nerves. We proceeded to sit at the table where Kelly was and awaited Elena Hight’s arrival.

When Elena came over, she greeted me with a hug and was just about the nicest person ever. During the interview, I had Kelly and Spencer there to contribute to my answers. I asked them everything from how they got started with snowboarding, to how they manage their sponsors and the business aspects of their profession. They gave me amazing advice on how to find out what I want to do. They told me to start out taking business or Media Arts classes to see what interests me the most. After doing that, if I still had no clue on what to do with my life, they told me that I could always contact them again and ask them on their opinions. Not only had I finally gotten the help I had been looking for career wise, I had also made three business connections that could last a lifetime.

Ron Smith Multimedia Designer My informational interview was with David Vanderhafen a multimedia designer in the Eugene area. David said his company did not currently have a name due to complications. We went on site to a nightclub to make a promotional video. We met one half hour early at the Jazz Station to set up before any one else arrived. The sound person arrived to and we chatted a bit before the owner came and unlocked the door. David arrived caring all loaded down with all kinds of equipment I helped him carry it and he returned to his car for another load. The equipment he brought for the job was microphone stands, a Cannon HFM 500 camera, a go cam, amplifiers, and studio lighting equipment. I asked him how he ended up doing this kind of work. He began as a Rock Musician in the 60’s and 70’s. Later he went to Lane Community College were he studied electronic engineering. Later he mastered the media design program. I wanted to know what kind of person could make it in this industry so I began firing questions at him. He replied that employers are looking for the kind of people who can interact successfully with a variety of people, and who also have an understanding of music and video production. You also need an attitude of being both humble and outgoing. Its is also essential that you be a self-starter. I asked him if there was a surplus or shortage of workers. He said, ”there is always room for great artist and great managers”. Multimedia appears to me to be in such a transitional state of flux, and I wanted to know what sort of things was affecting the industry. David said, that the Internet had changed everything about video production. People who are located on different continents can now divide projects. Skype has made it in expensive to personally communicate and collaborate with people in different countries. One of the economic factors that affect him the most is the availability of money. Art becomes one of the first expenses to be cut, when money gets tight. So I asked him, ”What is the outlook for the future for this job”? The future of video Production wide open, and can only grow and expand in the future. I wanted to know how people in this industry advance. His reply was that because he was Self employed, it is important to continue to learn and increase one’s skill level in order to obtain more advanced job opportunities. To find business opportunities you have to be diversified. One day you could be working with a musician, the next creating of commercials, or a documentary. Sometimes travel is necessary but most of the work can be done on line. Other skills that may be useful are a “Sound Mixer,” or a Photographer. Some of the greatest challenges that Video Editors face include meeting deadlines, getting good video footage, finding projects that pay well, and finding the right people to collaborate with. I feel the interview went very well and I learned a lot about the multimedia industry. David was very candid and helpful. The next interview I want to take more time to stay and get to know the Artist.

We have all seen or heard of diet plans that tell you they are the best. I have always been skeptical because these get fit quit nonsense never work. But is there a product that can get you to lose weight in 24 days? Where you can have a big support group that helps motivate you, pull you through the tough cravings, and the “I just want to quit” moments. Can such a product exist? I personally am still a skeptic but I figured I would take this opportunity to learn more.

I did my interview with Tracy Griffith who not only sells the product but uses it as well. We sat down at the local Starbucks to discuss the interview. I treated myself to a large Mocha while she ordered a small Chai tea with no sugar or cream. I already don’t like this diet, no coffee, not good. Once we picked where to sit she began to speak before I could even start my first question. Tracy stated that Advocare is among the best diet programs out there she doesn’t have any set hours, the more you work every week the more you make. Well that took care of a few of questions; I sipped my coffee and began the interview.

Tracy started Advocare in January 2014, after the 24 day challenge she signed on to sell it herself. As stated above there are no set hours, you work as much as you want. The more you put into it the more you get out of it. There is no limit on how much product you can sell; if you don’t sell anything then obviously you do not make anything. There are meetings/mixers that are local and regional where people discuss their own personal success and you learn new ways to attract customers. After a certain amount of sales you will get a personal discount of 40% on any purchase. Any product you are able to sell you get 40% of that order, which is your income. Tracy uses social media as her main tool for getting the product out there, at this time she helping 2 people. She supports them, answers any questions they may have, struggles they are facing. She gets a huge amount of joy when they thank her; when they have their own success stories, and she encourages them in to encourage others. She stated I get to work from home, I make my own hours, and I help get people healthy. You get to hear stories that break your heart and then in a few months you see the transformation. You see that person smiling all the time, sending you pictures of dressing rooms wearing clothes they never thought they would fit into. This job is so full filling in so many ways. Whether you chose to sell the product or if you are just looking to try it out there is such a huge support group of people saying “we got your back.”

I am still a skeptic, but after I wrapped up this interview I was greatly intrigued to try this product.

Laura Hale

X4 Assignment

November 2014

I attended the talk of Mr. Erik Bishoff and his work in architecture. He started off his speech with a general overview of who he was and what he did as a photographer. It was made very clear that although he was inspired to do photography on architecture that only half of his business was in that field. It seems that depending on the subject of photography you want to pursue, it comes down to location, location, location. Eugene is not a prime place to photograph architecture. Mr. Bishoff makes up for this fact by photographing other things i.e. weddings, profiles etc etc. Like most jobs it seems the key is flexibility and patience. Not only in where you’re willing to work, but how you’re willing to work and to always have a back up plan if the client wants something but won’t allow you to work the best route to the goal.

He also mentioned that if you have flexibility with your client to take advantage of it as much as you can, for example a client wanted a specific time for their home to be photographed, however he scouted the area out at different times of the day to see how it looked in the different lights and brought forth a product that the client was much happier with. However you also get people that only want things done a certain way but are not aesthetically appealing. Mr. Bishoff stated that having a bank of pictures to perhaps edit in (ie the sky) and skills in the editing program of your choice are crucial for these kinds of shots. This is also where HDR comes in handy if you are not allowed to shoot at the time of day that you want. Mostly because it takes three different aspects of pictures with different information.

Another skill he mentioned and showed was that of stitching. You can take a photo and have it be beautiful but then it doesn’t work in a magazine because it’s set landscape instead of portrait or vice versa. Being able to stitch your photos into different variations offers flexibility and therefore more photos bought by potential clients.

If you’re interested in shooting architecture apparently it’s in your best interest to get yourself a tilt-shift lens as it makes the view of a massive building more accurate to the eye as opposed to the curved lens the regular cameras have. You can also really change the focus up if you need the camera to make emphasis on one thing as opposed to another.

Mr. Bishoff’s work was very impressive and his inside knowledge the most helpful on how to deal with different types of people in the business. I found that to be more useful than his talk about the relatively rare tilt-shift lens. Most of the technical things he spoke of had already been gone over in class and he was just putting it all into a one-hour crash course.

By: Shane Boss

On November 7, I attended the Lane Arts First Friday Artwalk in downtown Eugene for my professional practices assignment.  First Friday Art Walk happens on the evening of the first Friday of each month, and each time there are a different variety of local galleries on display showcasing a wide range of artwork.  There were five galleries participating ranging in paintings, sculptures, jewelry and clothing on display.

The first stop was at Jacobs Gallery at the downtown Hult Center.  The Eugene International Film Festival helped present the event for this gallery and on display were nearly a hundred years of work from the southern region of Willamette Valley.  There were a lot of old film posters and newspaper clippings on display as well as a window from the house that was used in Animal House from 1978 starring John Belushi.

The next stop was Vistra Framing & Gallery located at 160 E. Broadway.  Local cartoonist, Jan Eliot, was on site answering questions and talking about her work and her journey as a cartoonist getting her cartoons printed on the newspaper.  Also on display were several paintings, mosaic pieces and jewelry made by local artists such as, Shanna Tumbly, Janet Biles, Diane Lewis and Lynn Patterson from around the city.  I did an art review on a mosaic piece called “Exuberance” for my color theory class here at Lane this past summer.  It is a very interesting piece that is rich in colors.  It is a collaboration of a lot of various different images hidden within all the pieces.  I talked to Lynn at the artwalk and she said that the music she listens to while creating her pieces is her motivation and inspiration.

The third stop on the Artwalk was a gallery called Out on a Limb.  A guest artists named Mary Oleri had her pencil drawings on display and answering questions for everybody.  Other art was also for sale such as wood tables made of naturally shaped tree trunks and branches.  Embedded in them were stones and rocks.  It was very interesting furniture.  There were also several wicker chairs and cutting boards for sale.  The gallery was very ‘wood’ oriented.

The fourth stop was the Oregon Art Supply located at 1020 Pearl.  On site was local artist Gabriella Soraci (who use to teach art at Lane) and she was painting with acrylic paints.  Most of her work as of lately is mainly flowers or cupcakes.  She graduated from U of O and mixes all her own colors using primary colors.

The last stop was Harlequin Beads and Jewelry located at 1027 Willamette.  Two artists were featured were clothing artist Kristi Holaas and jewelry artist, Thomas Sauve.  Each of them had their work on display.  Kristi creates all her own designs and patterns knitted with beads.  Thomas Sauve is from Maui and has been designing jewelry for over 40 years.  Thomas has created jewelry for music and movie artists such as Cary Grant and Carol Lawrence.

Overall it was a fun experience and I recommend the First Friday Artwalk to anyone interested in art, or anyone who wants an interesting event to attend for Professional Practice.  A lot of galleries will have free snacks and wine for everyone who attends.

By: EJ Olson

Architecture, Tilt Shift Photography and an Ever-Changing Industry

     On Thursday, November 13th, at Lane CC, I attended a lecture by Erik Bishoff, a professional photographer residing in here in Eugene. As a former architect, Bishoff has a particular affinity for architectural photography (although he specializes in a variety of forms). The main focus of the lecture was Tilt Shift photography, and how using one of these lenses is not only effective but essential for architectural and landscape photography. However, Bishoff started off the lecture by showing us his portfolio and talking about his journey to becoming a professional.

     Bishoff received his BFA in photography in 2005, and a Masters of Architecture in 2008. After bouncing around and working for multiple firms in his first few years, he decided to turn his passion into a full time gig: his love of photography and his knowledge of and expertise in the field of architecture made it an easy transition. He emphasized, though, that even though he’s able to make a living taking pictures, he’s unable to specialize specifically in architectural photography. The industry is always changing, and clients needs are always evolving. He’s worked with dozens of companies, and even more individuals. He made sure to stress that, if one wants to make it in the industry, you must be versatile. Not only must your skill set match what it is you want to do, but you must expand that to include things such as wedding and portrait photography. In this industry, in this economy, it’s almost impossible to narrow your focus and spend all your time with one format—it’s imperative that you are a jack of all trades if you want to ensure a steady stream of work for yourself.

As for the gear itself, he went in depth on the use of tilt shift lenses. He showed multiple examples of how he has personally used and applied the tilt-shift principle in a professional setting. First, its a crucial tool when shooting architecture and landscape photos. The camera is unable to do precisely what our eyes do, so this lens helps by both tilting and shifting up and down to compensate for the angle of the camera and depth of the subject to maintain a realistic perspective. Tilt-shift lenses also have a much wider FOV, so you’re able to capture more of the scene without vignetting and without losing pixel integrity. One intriguing utility was when using the lens to catch multiple shots, stitching them together and creating a panorama shot, whether vertical or horizontal.

Bishoff went on to give us a few examples of when he had to use Photoshop to edit photos in a crucial manner. He emphasized that, while it’s imperative that a photographer must master his craft so that you’re always able to capture the best shot possible, one must also be proficient with tools like Photoshop and Lightroom. He showed us a few instances where he had to edit out a vehicle or some other inadvertent item in the frame. It was also interesting to hear that it’s important to have a nice backlog of stock photo shots, in case you’ve got to replace the sky in a particular scene.

Some interesting gear he showcased included a bubble level that mounts on top of your camera, helping you to get your camera straight. The CamRanger is a tool used to wirelessly transmit what your camera sees directly to an ipad or HDTV. This can be particularly useful when working with clients on-site.

Overall, this was an interesting and informative presentation. Not only did I discover and learn about a some new technology and gear, I also got some insight on what it is to work in the field of photography and media arts.