Weeks 3-4 progress

I am most of the way through with building the bike and have been filming everything. I have a few hours of footage that I will need to cut down and speed up to show a fast forwarded version of the build for the final video. So far, the build has been pretty fun but frustrating at the same time.

So far I have built the frame, both wheels, front fork, and front axle. By next week the bike will be fully done leaving me a week to work on the final video. To complete the bike I need to make: -seat -handlebars -rear axle -pedals

Week 2 Progress

I totally revamped my design and came up with a blueprint for an all wooden bike that should be totally rideable. The bike will feature a fixed gear drive system that will be powered by pedals mounted directly into the rear wheel.

The frame will be made from 2x4's and wooden dowels and everything will be held together with wooden pegs and glue eliminating the need for any metal screw or bolts. I believe the new design will be able to support the weight of a rider and allow the bike to be fully functional.

The wheels will be created from large sheets of plywood with a single layer inner spoke design and two layers of plywood sandwiched around the spokes to form the tire. This will provide strength and a larger surface area to grip the ground when riding.

I have gotten the plywood and some 2x4's from some scrap wood piles and am getting money together to buy the dowels, wooden pegs and glue to begin construction of the bike this week. I plan to start with building the wheels and then move on to the frame and rest of the bike as time permits, filming the whole process to put the footage towards the final video.

Week 1 Progress

Projected timeline for Project #2

4/03 Create timeline for project.
Draw projected plans/blueprints for bike
Decide on materials/strategy for building

4/10 Buy/Gather wood
Being building
Film building process

4/17 Keep building and filming
Organize footage as the project progresses
4/24 Finish building bike and filming

5/01 Edit footage into short video to accompany the physical project.

5/08 Final CRITIQUE/PROJECT #2 Due


I have two different way of making the bike in mind. The first way I would use dowels of various sizes for the main part of the frame and then cut wheels out of plywood to form the big circular parts. I would use glue and wooden pegs to hold it all together and it would most likely be rideable.

The second option I would like to explore is using branches from actual trees. I would have to hunt for pieces that are close to the actual shape of the frame so I could use as few branches as possible and have nature dictate the form somewhat. This would be much less exact and be more of a show piece than a rideable bike.

I made a general plan for the size of the frame but it is just a guide so I purchase or find the wood to start building with.

Project #2 Proposal

For my second project I really want to build something with my hands. After attending Kiel Johnson's lecture earlier this semester and seeing the videos he created following his various projects I was really inspired to actually make something physical instead of just manipulating things with a computer.

Kiel Johnson's Cardboard Twin Lens Reflex Camera Time Lapse from Theo Jemison on Vimeo.

While he made all sorts of objects out of cardboard, I want to make a bike entirely out of wood that will roll and have working pedals and steering. I plan to tie my project into digital media by filming the entire construction process and making a short video showing all the steps to make each aspect of the bike and the final product. The final product will be a wooden copy of a real bike with a video to accompany it. Everything possible will be made by hand leaving all the wood raw with no paint and each process will be revealed in the video.

Project #1 - MOTION

By filming with the GoPro I was able so get a new perspective on forms of motion that many of us see every day. Combining this video footage into a moving collage and adding an original score composed of sounds from the different motions involved in the video adds another element of movement to the piece. I really wanted to convey movement through the video and with all the elements used I believe I was able to do so.

WEEK 5

Since last week I have filmed more and tested out the new mounts I got. I have also been recording sounds with the Zoom recorder that I have access to through my Music 409 class to record sounds of motion that I will mix into an original soundtrack for my piece. My original plan was to use eyecon to control the sounds, but after thinking about it I don't think it really adds anything at all to the piece and will probably just confuse viewers. Instead of using the eyecon, I plan on dedicating my time to making an experimental music piece to accompany the video which will play along with it. I plan to use sounds from the motions I filmed and mix them together into something entirely different. I got to use to new mounts on the back of a snowmobile and i think they add a very cool new view.




Im going to spend the next week getting everything worked together in Final Cut and After effects and writing the soundtrack to have to all ready for Tuesdays presentation

week 4

I ran into a couple speed bumps this week. I ordered a couple different mounts for the camera 2 weeks ago expecting them to show up pretty quickly but I didn't get them until today leaving me no time to put them to use. I do have them now and can't wait to put them to use this week.

Before I was pretty much using duct tape so secure the camera on the skateboard and car so these new mounts will help stabilize the picture and allow me more confidence that my camera will be safe on a car or other moving vehicle.

I was able to get much better shots on the skateboard using the duct tape and better lighting. I was planning on getting some different shots outside on the streets and in other skateparks but the weather stopped that pretty quickly so I will make sure to shoot as much as possible as soon as the ground is dry again. Here is a quick mix of the shots I got last night .



This week I plan to shoot more, record sounds and edit a soundtrack with them to apply to eyecon. I hope to get enough footage to start editing it all together in final cut and after effects to get closer to finishing.