Ryan Magner

I started a Collaboration on Hitrecord.org. Sometimes you can’t do things all on your own.

The idea of this collaboration is to compare the work of hands with the work of machines: Hands making direct contact in a process, no tools VS. Machines pumping away in the assembly line. The focus is not on the end product per se but more on the intricacies of the processes of making something, or just a process itself (a la peeling an orange), and what is left behind after the process is complete. Do I have an explanation as to why this is so? Not really. I am just going with a gut instinct for what this piece can evolve into.

First and foremost, you can ignore every pointer and direction that follows. As long as you believe that your idea will fit the concept of “Hands Aren’t Machines”. This is hitRECord.org. If you want to do something a different way, then you should do it.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to film hands making something or doing something. Anything that is a process and that leaves some sort of waste behind. Waste clearly has a negative connotation, but waste can be useful (when peeling an orange the peels on the ground are waste, but they aren’t necessarily damaging…and some people eat them…gross). Direct contact between hands and process is one of the main points. Try to keep tools out of the equation, as they are more machine. Ex: painting with your hands or fingers as opposed to a brush, or playing guitar with your fingers rather than a pick. Try to keep focus on the close-ups and intricacies of the process you are shooting. And then document the waste left behind. Also super useful would be capturing the little intricate sounds to match the up-closeness of the video.

The second part is to film machines at work. Intricate close-ups and capturing the loud, clanking noises (or maybe quiet noises) made by the machines are the key points. Maybe you live near a factory or any place with production machines. Or you work at one of these places. Perhaps construction vehicles on the streets, hard at work. ANYthing you would consider a machine that is making contact with metals or concrete or anything else a machine can make with precision. Then for the “waste” factor you could get some smoke billowing in the air, or oil drips.

Again, for this collaboration, and any that follow, you can ignore every pointer and direction given. As long as you believe what you are creating will work in the concept. This is hitRECord.org. If you want to do something a different way, then do it.

I originally was putting together a little example video with the two clips I’ve got so far, but it got to be very repetitive with only two variations. So I’m uploading the raw footage. But here’s the script I wrote so you might be able to understand more where I’m starting with this:

—————————————————————————————

XCU of an ORANGE being PEELED by BARE HANDS. The intricate sounds of squishes and rips as the peel is ripped off and the orange squeezed for grip. 

INTERCUT XCU machines at work. Loud abrasive noises come in and out with harsh attack. 

The juxtapositions play off each other like listening to two radios play music at the same time: One classical, the other heavy metal.

At the end of each cut, an adjective flashes for a few frames. Quickly, subliminally.

Gradually revealed is what is left behind from each process. 

Peels fall to the ground and create a picture of the work of human hands.

Smoke rises into the air, and oil and grease fall on the ground to create a picture of the work of machines. 

The work of hands is random; The work of machines is predictable

talented; systematic

gentle; brutal

willful; compliant

meaningful; precise

special; routine

creative; productive

—————————————————————————————

So the idea is somewhat like that. Just obviously tons more clips of different things being done with hands, and many different machines and sounds.