An exhibit by Allison Uhlenhop and Erika Lobati
tar pit
/ˈtär ˌpit/
noun
a hollow in which natural tar oozes out of the ground and accumulates, in particular one in which the bones of prehistoric animals trapped in the tar have been preserved.
"fossil remains of dire wolves are abundant in the La Brea tar pits"
a complicated or difficult situation or problem.
"about seven million homeowners continue to be stuck in the tar pit of serious negative equity"
Definitions from Oxford Dictionary
The Process
Prior to shooting we recorded audio of a preliminary conversation with ourselves and special guests Lauren Land and Ashley Zellers. We established a general theme for the discussion being “sexism in college”, but we did not prepare any interview questions or additional prompts. This lack of structure intended to elicit organic “cinema verite”, capturing a stream of consciousness. All participants were able to discuss topics that they felt most passionately about. The final conversation ran around 50 minutes long, and highlights from the audio were used to guide direction of photography.
Production took place over two nonconsecutive days. Day one was filmed in Erika Lobati’s apartment. While day two was filmed at the Natural History Museum in Dyche Hall at the University of Kansas. We shot the film using a Sony A7c DSLR. Although we had some loose ideas as to the visuals, we did not prepare a shot list ahead of time. Rather we listened to the audio ahead of time for inspiration and then surveyed each location on the spot. Each shot was determined on the same day of the shoot and we sought out imagery, subjects, and actions that poetically spoke to us in the moment.
The final film was cut together in Adobe Premiere Pro. Using the opacity measure in Effect Controls, we were able to complete digital bi-packing, overlaying multiple image sequences. Additionally, we used Adobe Photoshop to complete the graphic design. The animated quote graphics were achieved by double framing, an animation technique where every frame is drawn twice and alternated to give the appearance of movement. The quotes were drawn to intentionally fit within the shot that the quote was heard. This ensured that no major objects were covered by text in frame, but rather were emphasized.
We created the Tar Pit interactive space through a digital bulletin board making site called Padlet. This site was integral to our participatory design due to its accessibility and anonymity. Padlet walls can be commented on anonymously without an account or publicly by logging in. This allows potential viewers to choose whether or not to be credited for their thoughts, ideas, and stories. Considering the serious nature of the film, we felt it necessary to make a flexible interaction space, allowing viewers to participate to the degree that they feel most comfortable. Page features excerpts from Erika Lobati’s poem titled “Foul Memoirs” as well as prompts to share specific encounters and memories. The final page was linked to our project website that features information about Tar Pit’s creators, influences, and vision.
