In 2014, the blogging platform Tumblr existed as a cottage industry of GIF-making, with many users mastering the skill of creating GIFs from video footage of their favourite television show, anime, and Youtube videos. In this two-hour workshop, join multimedia artist Alex Jensen for a crash-course on GIF-making as he explores and shares his own queer history of GIFs and how GIF-making practices are being integrated into contemporary media art.

As part of this workshop, participants will learn how to make animated GIFs from images and videos using the open source image manipulation software GIMP 2.1. Participants will have the opportunity to follow along and create their own GIFs and share their creations with the other participants at the end. This tutorial will focus primarily on creating GIF animations from video footage with the intent that participants explore themes of identity, queerness, and adolescence in their creations; however, participants are welcome to bring all kinds of imagery and animation projects to work on.

Content warning: This presentation and workshop contain mentions of rape and murder of a trans individual while talking about gif and internet based contemporary art works. There will also be flashing and rapid-moving videos and images that may be triggering to some participants who are sensitive to such stimuli.

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

6pm - 8pm (EST)

Registration fees: This workshop is PWYC ($20 suggested donation). Please note that the fee can be waived if it is a financial barrier to participation. Send an email to education@interaccess.org and we will manually register you to the workshop.

After registering you will receive an email with a Zoom event link a few days prior to the workshop. Contact education@interaccess.org for any questions.

Essential equipment and software:

• A laptop or desktop computer (Mac, Microsoft Windows, or Linux)
• Access to Wifi
• Zoom video calling (Zoom will prompt download when joining meeting; no account required)
• GIMP 2.2 photo manipulation software (download here: https://www.gimp.org/downloads/)
• VLC media player (or other media player capable of taking screenshots) (download here: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/)
• A video or series of stills that you would like to animate

About the Instructor:

Alex Jensen is an early career multimedia artist living and working on the unceded traditional lands of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, in Victoria, BC. Alex is a third generation settler of Scandanavian-English-German descent and was born and raised in the interior of BC. Alex received his BFA from Thompson Rivers University in 2017 before moving to the island to further develop his artistic practice and career in the arts. His practice engages primarily with the themes of memory, popular media, relationships, and queer identity. Through his work, Alex explores ideas of self, and aims to create a space for both contemplation and connection with others. Alex primarily works with image-based media including photography, videography, printmaking, and intermedia sculpture.

Questions? If you have any questions about the workshop or special requirements, please contact us at education@interaccess.org.

Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy: We are unable to accommodate attendee cancellations or refunds less than 1 week prior to a workshop or event. InterAccess reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this workshop if necessary.

Image credit: Alex Jensen, 2020.

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This workshop is part of Vector Festival 2020: Online Edition. Vector Festival is a participatory and community-oriented initiative dedicated to showcasing digital games and creative media practices. Presenting works across a dynamic range of exhibitions, screenings, performances, lectures, and workshops, Vector acts as a critical bridge between emergent digital platforms and new media art practice.