Blit z - Artefact for Spectacle

1. Blitz- Artefact for Spectacle By Kiren Chanchal

2. What is Spectacle? • Spectacle is distinctive • It is an event that makes you feel as if you are a part of it even though you are merely an observer • A spectacle is something extraordinary which stands out from the norm • It can be anything from viewing fireworks on bonfire night, to the spectacle, for example, of Lady Godiva riding naked on horseback, or even a theatre production where although watching passively, it gives the illusion of participation through cheering and jeering, or even gambling on what happens next • Spectacle affects our emotions and transports us to a time and place we don’t generally experience in everyday life.

3. Research into Spectacle The Yes Men are a group of people who infiltrate worldly organisations and pretend to be one of them When Media is present they then create a spectacle by making helpful/honest false claims The leader of the organisation is then left red-faced when they themselves have to admit that the person who everyone thought was representing them, actually was not part of their organisation at all, which ultimately means the claims made are now non existent, which inevitably makes the public aware of the bad that organisation are doing.

4. Blitz Weekend- Research There was an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the blitz. The event itself was a spectacular one, with a brass band and activities families could participate in including an air raid siren with air raid shelter experience, and Q&A with real life war veterans

5. The artefact • The artefact was initially meant to be moving video footage of the events on the weekend. • We lost the footage, so the artefact is now mainly images and a simple informative piece displaying through sound and still image of what the weekend entailed.

6. Problems with footage and overcoming them • Lost the footage of video from the whole weekend- Had the sound from the marantz recording at the cathedral on sunday, and still images from both the cathedral and the galleries.

7. Proposal • Title and Pitch • Title: The Blitz Weekend • Pitch: to document the events of the events on the 70 year anniversary of the Blitz in Coventry • Pitch • A piece to show what happened on the weekend of the blitz remembrance. • Non fiction • 1 and a half minutes long • series of still images and short video using audio from the even • Rationale • Main subject is the activities that the weekend held and showing how the community got involved

8. Spectacle Artefact • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTWbI3UnPbs

9. Evaluation, Reflection & Conclusion • I’m relatively surprised the piece came out so well, taking into account the difficulties. Its lucky I took a short video at the cathedral that I incorporated. Of course the quality isn’t brilliant but it was all I had to work with. • The sound on that piece was very distorted too, so I replaced it with just the audio from the marantz. The only audio I had to work with was the church bells & the choir. • If i were to re-do this project from the beginning, aside from the obvious- of keeping footage safe- I’d ensure I’d get some good quality audio to use. The audio I had was taken from within the crowds, so there was audible conversation which although gives atmos, doesn’t give professionalism. • I also worry that the artefact wont be taken as Spectacle. However, I didn’t try to make the artefact a spectacle, I tried to show a spectacle in play, which I’m afraid might not translate. • Overall I’m not happy with this artefact but its adequate enough to document that i can still produce something half good even with severe problems and little time. I will also look at this film as a reminder to never make the same mistake again.