Regarding Parkour



The video above was shot in National ChengChi University in Taipei, Taiwan, by two Americans, who currently reside in the city teaching English.
It was a really enjoyable work with music flows in sync with the movements, and that instead of shooting from a fixed spot, the usage of Glidecam allowed viewpoint to move in, at least similar, speed with the runner.  

What amazed me beyond the incredible physical work was the speed and view the runner might have during the course.  As one of the comment described "It feels like he is moving in 3D, whereas we normally see things only from 2D."  In his spins, he may look at the place from a oblique angle; when he jumped down several stairs (even stories) at once, his eyesight was experiencing different velocity and that usual walking may seem like a slow-motion movie in his course of movement.  

His course, although limited around the campus and was not the most efficient route to destinations, had opened up different light on how certain concrete establishment could be viewed as a city scene.  For instance, whereas substation device around every corner was considered rather obtrusive, it may appeared as a vaulting horse in the eye of the runner.  My personal favorite was his steps on the bollards, that not only the run on those small pillars seemed dangerous, but it revealed a different line in tracing the city.  Whereas bollards in its function should stand in right angle with moving directions of pedestrians, stepping on them created a flow that runs along the street.  Parallel movements seemed milder than hostile position of right angle.

What's also interesting was the comments in Youtube responses.  Most of them expressed surprise and admiration to the video in that it had turned mundane and everyday scene into something different.  A comment by xyth4857 extended the interpretation, and considered this free-running course in a university implied how students should overcome obstacles outside campus protection and take the leap out into the future.

Yamakasi (Full Movie)

follow the links to see the whole film.

'A Methodological Parkour'



Firstly, apologies for the poor quality - both the visual aspect and overall film production on my part. I had to downsize the original video as it contained a large amount of MBs. Secondly, I feel that I should explain my intentions with this 'film'. I consciously chose my iPhone to record my project, as I aimed to remove myself from the act of 'photographer'; I often find myself focusing all of my attention upon the confines of the camera lens, and trying to frame compositions with my Canon digital SLR, rather than being aware of the entirety of my surrounds. My photographs and footage in this project are often blurred, a product of the device I was using as well as my own movements, as I went from forward strides to halts and pauses as I considered the consistency of spaces around me.



My main aim was to produce a 'scheme' or path for a possible traceur, whilst paying particular attention to two key elements: how we are lead through the city space, and the texture of objects and buildings. The soundtrack is
Girl Talk, 'Can't Stop', and I have chosen this music for a particular purpose. Girl Talk, the stagename of Greg Gillis, is a DJ who produces music through digital sampling; he creates a hybrid album from a variety of musical sources, but largely combines rap and popular music genres. He is a poster-boy for the possibilities (and also controversial problems) for producing music and dispersing it through the internet. Girl Talk does not record CDs, but instead provides all of his albums for free download upon his website. Girl Talk, like parkour, uses the internet to disseminate information and identity.

Lastly, there are two different 'paths' that I have constructed in this project. I considered my original path as flawed. I then realised that my reasons for this are actually beneficial to my own understanding of how we can understand the city space through the method of parkour.



I will post further explanations as to the content of this homework project after our class on Wednesday October 10, 2012.

Amelia.