YAMANOTE /  by Po Lao

IML 335 Process

For project 2: process, I decided to document my collaboration between my friend Matthew Dinh and I on creating an abstracted model of a train line. The model is based on the most used JR line in Japan called the Yamanote. The one-take continuous shot that we did was fairly difficult in terms of choregraphing the movement, the script, and keeping the camera sturdy and smooth. In total, I had to reshoot about 8 one-takes. Furthermore, what I thought was the ‘best’ piece did not make it in the cut. Instead, it was the take before the ‘best’ take that made it into the cut. The primary reason is because it was much more natural regarding the movement and speech of the actor. What I realized from this is that one-take should allowed for a certain level of freedom to the actor to deliver his role. I find that the more input I gave to the actor, the less natural it has become. In addition, I set up my phone to take time-lapse while we were working on the train line. Later when I was going to edit the video, I ran into the file format compatibility of the time-lapse and Premiere Pro. Apparently, Iphone time-lapse uses variable frame rate and is in the .mov format. Therefore, I had to convert the file into mp4 in order to work with it. At last, the goal of this process documentary is fairly straight forward in its concept. My intention is literally just to show the process of us making the train line by having Matthew introduce us to the equipment and tools that we’ll be using to engineer and program the lighting and sound that represents the Yamanote stops. I had a great time shooting and editing this video. I learned to work with the depth of field that my camera has to offer. Moreover, I began to have better understanding of video capability of my camera, and I realized that I’ll probably have to upgrade mine very soon if I want higher quality videos.

Enjoy,

Sreng. 

SKETCHES /  by Po Lao

How important are sketches? To me, I think that they are pretty important as they can convey the ideas. However, we don't see much of sketches that I am showing you anymore. Much of what we see nowadays are  renderings, and these hand-sketches play a much less significant role in presentation or conveying ideas. This is mainly due to the technology that the field has picked up and adapted. Therefore, I just want to see you some of the sketches that I did for class as well as from traveling. 

Enjoy,

Sreng. 

 

 

 

 

MEDIA ARTS + PRACTICE /  by Po Lao

Hey guys, 

I am sure I haven't mentioned this at all until my last post, I am doing the Honors Program with the USC Cinematic Arts School in Interactive Media Arts + Practice. The focus of this minor is to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration between their major and minor, in this case for me, architecture and digital media. I am really glad that I decided to pick up this minor as it has exposed me so much to things that I would not have otherwise. I have been thrown into web-design, coding, film-making, data visualization, mobile apps design, and many more to come. Therefore, I decided to create another section on my website dedicated to my minor and showcase all the work that I have done and continue to do. check it out!

thanks,

Sreng. 

S21 Prisoners /  by Po Lao

NOTE

I haven't been able to update the blog since mid-semester during my time abroad because of how busy it was. Now, that I am back in LA, I want to get back into it and to talk a little bit about some of my work that I done for my minor as Media Arts and Practice at the School of Cinematic Arts. Please read the description for the concept and intention. 

CONCEPT 

My goal for this project is to allow my audiences to understand the effect of war, using the Khmer Rouge regime as my foundation. I will use this S-21 prison's portrait as a template for the project, keeping some prisoners, and replacing some with portrait of other victims from other wars as well as a portrait of me. I believe that the placement of myself into the project will open the portal for the audiences, and especially, our classmates to time travel and place themselves in the situation. 

The punctum of the original photography is the expression of pain, suffering and innocence in their face. However, I believe that the punctum will be transformed completely from the expression to the idea of self-placement in a this horrific setting. The power of imagination will take all of us and place ourselves in front of the Khmer Rouge's camera at the S-21 prison, we will see those flashes from the camera, and we might express fears as the victims did. I believe that will be the new punctum of this project, the power of imagination and self-placement.

HISTORY

I am studying the Khmer Rouge regime, which resulted in the death of many innocent lives as well as affecting those who have survived. During the regime, "public schools, pagodas, mosques, churches, universities, shops and government buildings were shut or turned into prisons, stables, reeducation camps and granaries." (CTM). One of the public high schools that was shut down was known as the S-21 prison, which played a very important and crucial role for the regime. "The most important prison in Cambodia, known as S-21, held approximately 14,000 prisoners while in operation. Only about 12 survived." (CTM).  This is extremely horrifying. Therefore, I want to tell the stories of the prisoners who did not survived, to put ourselves in their shoes, to understand the condition in which they were going through in order to help my reader understand the effect of war on a society as well as the innocent people just like you.

To help us understand the project further, I want to present a quote from the testimony that was given by one of the 12 survivors of the S-21 Prison.

                There are millions of Cambodians who lost their immediate family members and loved ones. The Khmer Rouge regime not only traumatized millions of Cambodians' psychological function but it created a permanent scare in every Cambodian citizens. We lost so much. The greatest lost of all were those whose resources and capacities to advance our social development. A lot of talented individuals died because some defected semi- intellectuals such as Pol Pot and Ieng Sary were too incompetent to deal with social development. However, the essence of this testimony is not seeking sympathetic sentiments. It is a reminder of what happened to our society in the last 20 years. The Khmer Rouge legacy should not be neglected or overlooked because it was the past. It should be a monumental lesson for our future generation. Such an atrocity should never be allowed to reoccur. But it should never be forgotten. (Sisowath).

I believe that Sisowath's testimony directly represent my intention for this project. It is to remind us of what happened during the Khmer Rouge regime, as well as, other regimes around the world. The innocent will suffer the most, and that we take what happened in the past as a lesson for the future and to never allow it to reoccur.

 

SILVER LAKE LIBRARY /  by Po Lao

 

SILVER LAKE LIBRARY (2nd year - 2nd semester)

The project was to design a library in the Silver Lake Meadow. The goal is to explore the materiality and characteristics of steel, the strength, stiffness, stability, and synergy.


The main concept of this project was to explore the idea of Film Noir through the color “white and black”, which is “light and dark”

The idea of the horizontal bans were implemented for the skin portion of the project. These bans would sit flush against the curtain wall to prevent sunlight from entering or they would start to rotate and open for the sunlight to enter. The intention of the horizontal bans is to be closed or opened base on the program of the project. 

The form of the project was being explored through the idea of torqueing and shifting to an octagon. The intention was to create an extraordinary and complex form through very basic and control moves. 

VENDING MACHINE'S HABITAT /  by Po Lao

Vending Machine's Habitat is the third topic of investigation that I decided to do. For those who've been to Japan and those who have not, I think it is safe to say that Japan is probably the world capital of VENDING MACHINES! They're everywhere, big streets, small streets,  alleys, under the staircase, on a hilly slope, train platform, parking lots, and even the restaurants use automated machines for ordering. The intention of this photo-series is to look at placement in which the vending machine is housed. Although each vending machine is very similar in its design and form, the habitat in which these machines is placed is what makes it unique in his characteristics. When you visit Japan, I would recommend paying attention to this particular phenomenon that I am talking about. You will notice that a majority of them are embedded into a side of a building, and it makes me wonder if the vending machine's habitat was a part of the design process, or was it added on later in the renovation process. The question that follows is whether if the vending machine company contact the building owner before the building is built or afterward. Either way, there is something that is so fascinating about the sprawl of these machines. I know this whole curiosity sounds a bit weird, but I think its pretty cool. haha. 

Thanks,

Sreng. 

ARCHITECTURE AGAINST THE SKY /  by Po Lao

Architecture Against The Sky is a topic of investigation that I chose as a part of my study abroad assignment. The title tells it all; it is simply a photo-series that utilized the sky as the background. Similar to the DETAIL series, I wanted to explore these photos in high-contrast, black-and-white. Before finishing this series, I asked for opinions from my buddy Alex whether or not should I do this series in color. He said yes, and gave me his reasons. However, I decided to go with the high-contrast saturated aesthetic. This is because I was really interested in the architecture to be represented as a uniform structure, the synergy between architectural form and structural system. In many ways, I feel that color would differentiate the architecture into many components and distract our attention towards it instead of the form, material, and the architectural beauty of the structure.  Anyway, I hope that you would find this series as interesting and beautiful as I do. 

Thanks,

Sreng.