Reflective writing December ‘08

Final amends to the presentation include a simple but summative slide explaining 3 different phases in the project as follows:

Phase 1: Sept 07 - Feb 2008
Rapid and progressive animation tests/
broad research into language/reflective practices throughout

Phase 2: March 08 - Nov 2008
Audio collated and transcribed/audience clarified/focus shifts from dialect towards subtleties of spoken language/focus on word stress/critical analysis of own and others’ work

Final phase: Dec 08– July 2009
Application of linguistic research and critical analysis to pre-production/Commence final animation of 3 conversations for MA Exposition.

This slide should clarify timescales and changes to the original proposal. The next section is a more detailed account of my observations of the last year.

Minor changes from the original proposal (as the project has evolved)

Animating and reflecting on the East Midlands accent is less important than the individual quirks that occur naturally in speech

My original pre-conceived idea of animating purely typographically has been overtaken by visual stimuli to aid a sense of location and personality within the speakers.

Language references change from Chomsky, Descartes, Barthes, Umberto Eco, CS Peirce, Derrida to focussing more carefully on discourse analysis with the following linguists; Tannen, Lakoff, Becker and Grumperz

Original time planning has been unrealistic and tight. I had over-planned and not allowed space for technical issues or organic growth. Not enough time was devoted to preparation for audio or the animation process and this has meant that the final outcomes will be reduced.

Motion graphics has been less important than the process of stop frame animation.

The project evolution has increased my awareness of audio as a subject matter of great importance.

Location and visual reference to location in connection with language has also evolved within the project.

Being recorded as well as recording (as part of Bill Drummond's art project Choir 17) helped me analyse my role as an interviewer.

Including overseas students to review the work has allowed my project to become more focussed on key areas of speech analysis, primarily word stress. This has helped my research to become more specific.

In relation to the point above, previous research with Professor Antoinette Renouf (which was broadly based on language acquisition) has changed to the University of Derby ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) department.

My working methods have altered throughout the year. Originally writing in a diary and having imagery separate was the beginning of my reflective writing practices. Currently, I jot ongoing notes in my diary after a week I will summarise these notes formally. I Print the writing and publish a blog with relevant images. Interesting quotes appear next to work in my sketchbook, in effect I am visualising the theory directly into my work. I deliberately ‘react’ to the quotes I have found and draw conclusions from them.