Post #2 Observing The Crowd

The last post analyzed the performance aspect of the show. This post will be intended to describe my observations of the crowd and the people who I watched record media throughout the performance. Although many people were snapping pictures and recording videotape, I chose to keep my eyes on the two who I had worked previously with before, and knew their cababilites of media producers. The following were people who I had instructed to record media throughout the show. Our friendly relationships with each other, although contains a bias, still allowed each individual to observe the show from their own personal perspective. A goal of mine to accomplish during the show. Not only did I want to document for reasons pertaining to the assingment, but I've found that posting pictures of past events on facebook, allows viewers to observe something they may not have been able to attend. This satisfaction of knowing what happened through photographs and video are helpful for people to stay in touch and be aware if they were unable to attend. However, it does pose a problem for producers getting people to attend performances, because it allows the potential attender to stay at home and wait for the media to be released and shared freely on the Internet.



1. Kellyann, a photo major at Purchase and a good friend. Kellyann has been taking pictures at every concert we've been to together. Her work has appeared on numerous websites featuring not only band photography but also headshot and landscape photography. I asked her to snap some pictures for the assignment, that i explained to her prior to the event. She took pictures of the crowd and of others taking pictures and recording. While she was around I took notice of her style as she got close to the stage and how she would dissapear in the crowd at different moments. I consulted with her throughout the show, observing the pictures she had taken on her professinal digital camera.




2. James, who also performed in the show was responsible for filming. I also had asked him to film the event. His camera, is a high end digital HD camera that shoots in great quality. It also looks very expensive, I took notice of this fact, the way people interacted near him. It was as though most people in crowd distanced themselves more than someone with a regular point and shoot, as though they didn't want to be responsible to be knocked into it and breaking the expensive piece of equipment. Throughout the show, I would ask how the filming was going and received positive responses. However, it did seem as though James was not thrilled to be taping at the show. Compared to Kellyann, who possessed a smile through each performance, James seemed to be composed in a more serious temperment.


In the crowd, we're people taking pictures with phones and taping with flipcam's. I asked each person about their intentions with their projected media and the general responses pertained to facebook or recording for their personal blogs to document the show.








In the events soon after the show, as early as the next day. People involved with the show had their pictures updated with shots of themselves at the show. Most of whom were performers. This type of self induldgence has become apparent not only on facebook but on all types of profiles on the Internet. It is crucial to create an acceptable image of what people see of the user. This ability is something almost impossible to acheive in real life because a person never has the capability to alter what others see.







One of the performers in the Pixies band hadn't had her pictures "developed" while the others did and was upset that no one had taken pictures of her. I had told her the reasoning, because Kelly was still uploading and the Internet at Purchase was remarkably slow. She remained upset, until the pictures were finally posted and her worries of not having documentation of the event quickly vanished.









Without taking pictures of these events, it in some sense renders them useless. I've found that to truly have a "good show" you need people to be talking and discussing after it happens. Photographs and video provide for discussion days, months, and years after the performance is over. Without this discussion, the event may as well never happened.