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AestheticsAesthetics are a particularly subjective yet powerful characteristic. It was not initially considered but arose as an essential part of development as analysis proceeded, particularly for the art videos, but in all schools, aesthetics were commented upon. When commented upon, it was generally due to some visual appeal: palm trees reflecting off a windshield in a circle around the driver’s face (see Illustration 6, Still 1), a person’s movement framed by the railings on either side of her path (two sets of early, highly structured shots at Suburban High unavailable for analysis), and the sun shining through the slats of a roof (Still 2). Some students also developed “special effects” that were notable, such as making it seem that the torso of one person was on the legs of another or playing with perspectives by rotating the camera or repeatedly using the zoom. These moments were striking, but the application of aesthetics across projects is unquestionably subjective. The moments deserve to be noted, but the key to seeking development in aesthetics is dependent on an emerging pattern. This requires seeking multiple striking images or more simply to look for an emerging style. Even if a style changes over time, which one would hope for, the emergence of a style is evidence of developing an ascetic sense that can be acted upon. “The Good, the Bad, and the Techies” seemed to demonstrate a lack of ascetic awareness: Potentially interesting images were not emphasized, and the song mentioned above ended abruptly. On the other hand, the project was well outside the norms of the program. It showed an awareness of style in efforts to avoid influencing events and in Luke's reference to his first day of recording (not available for analysis) as having the “Blair Witch” effect (a style allowing the camera operator to be visible in camera movements). Thus Luke demonstrated some awareness of style that might have become more apparent if the technical problems were resolved. This project shows some of the problems of analyzing the aesthetics of student videos—particularly without additional interview time. Aesthetics in particular would be served by multiple observers. |
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