Chan's first draft ToP

What have you been making?

The Drone

"The Drone" project aimed to explore various narrative structures that a specific subject could generate, inspired by a chance encounter with a YouTube video. It focused on exploring how the drone, as the main theme, could create fresh, altered narratives derived from the original video material.

The project is about to understand the potential for storytelling within digital media, particularly concerning the use of drones.

In the new story, the drone continually asks questions to comfort those facing similar situations. Despite its constantly changing appearance, the drone is oblivious to the passage of time and the existence of other similar entities.

The original video that inspired this project depicted a drone gradually descending into water for unknown reasons, while in the distance, the owner of the machine, resembling a guardian, rushes towards it.

In today's society, where rapid consumption and production have become the norm, the core structure of the newly constructed narrative revolves around the fading of once cherished expectations and hopes. It aims to depict the gradual erosion of these sentiments, along with the joyful emotions, as we confront the reality of readily accessible commodities slipping away.

How did you do it? (method)

The aim was to create realistic drone images for the new story. I began with standard drone shapes but adjusted them multiple times by repeating, stretching, shrinking, and distorting them to align with the narrative. This effort reflects common online practices and appearances.

To create compelling narratives from fragmented drone images

Establish a Narrative Framework:

Explore main ideas and concepts depicted in the footage to shape the narrative direction.

Identify Key Characters:

Select central figures or subjects from the footage to anchor the story.

Utilize Fragmented Drone Imagery:

Generate diverse drone images, incorporating elements of decay and fragmentation to evoke intrigue.

Reconstruct Associated Stories:

Develop narratives that complement the fragmented imagery, creating a cohesive and engaging storyline.

Moreover, I sought to explore how this process could enhance the relationship and interaction between the newly developed narrative and the original materials.

Relation to previous practice

Artificial Landscape 01

The previous works reflect a process of recombining various elements to create new meanings. Personally accumulated images are reinterpreted in new contexts and can be consumed differently in various situations.

The "Artificial Landscape" project is based on the observation that landscape images encountered in the digital environment are becoming universal, forming a new natural landscape. This illustrates how experiences through specific media are recreated and consumed in new forms.

Artificial Landscape 02

"The Drone" project shares similarities in generating new artworks by reworking materials experienced in digital media into different mediums. These works present new perspectives and interpretations in their respective contexts, delivering diverse experiences through various media.

What do you want to make next?

I plan to expand my previous study on digital media images, utilizing this knowledge for current research or personal exploration. My focus lies in integrating content from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram to delve into the deeper implications of memes and easily consumable media. Initially, I'll adopt a visual approach, constructing narratives around social media fragments, memes, and images.I also want to highlight the importance of recycling images and discovering their background narratives. By doing so, I intend to challenge the necessity of creating new content when existing materials can be reused.

Additionally, I'm curious about how visual communication shapes digital languages, especially through activities like sharing reels with friends. I term this exploration "digital linguistics," aiming to understand the subtle dynamics of digital communication better.

Why do you want to make it?  

In digital media, information, or some images and stories can be confusing and distorted due to various sources and viewpoints online. This makes it hard to understand in one solid form, and digital media covers a wide range of topics, making it even more complex. So, I want to look at this content from my own perspective. I hope to provide different and new insights based on my experiences and wish to resonate with others amidst this digital chaos. By doing this, I aim to find deeper meanings in digital content and encourage thoughtful discussions in this vast digital landscape.

References

- original drone video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=LgT5GME6JvxQI2ND&v=72OhmRGrLLE&feature=youtu.be

- Artificial Landscape

https://youtu.be/PY0_g4ow9mc?si=kDVsqDj9ZeYgY6BM

https://youtu.be/zSHKS1FpZbg?si=IJkIagzx2w3CG5hm