Final Outcome + 1000 Word Report

Create a Piece of Art that Captures a Moment of Energy

The title for my EPQ was to ‘Create a Piece of Art that Captures a Moment of Energy’. This was a title I initially struggled to work with as it was broader title than I had imagined but after I persevered and continued to plan around this title, I came up with the four main aspects of a painting which aid it in its portrayal of something specific (energy). These aspects were colour, scene, medium and technique and so I used these as a base for my research and let it stem from there.
I began my research by looking into colour with the aid of books such as ‘Color Psychology’ by Richard G. Lewis. This enabled me to understand the psychology of colour and how each colour I used in my final piece would affect my audience. For example, colours such as red are used to raise the blood pressure which would automatically inspire a feeling resembling adrenaline and energy within the viewer of my painting. To my surprise, the research I did on colour went on to become some of my most important research as it was something I referred to throughout, even when analysing other aspects.
Once I had completed my research into colour psychology, I struggled to move from here, even with my initial aspects plan, and so I made the decision to visit art galleries in order to view other artist’s work and the ways in which they portray energy. I decided to visit both the National Museum Cardiff and the National Gallery in London in order to collect research from varying locations rather than just that which were local to me. This actually meant I had a variety of different art styles, for example, the National Museum Cardiff held a lot more modern artwork which I wasn’t acquainted with and so this gave a good contrast to the more traditional paintings at the National Gallery. While at the National Gallery, I saw William Turner’s work which then led me to look into more of his work online using sites such as the Tate Britain website. I noticed how while his stormy scenes widely involved a lot of greys and monotone colours, he almost always had subtle hints of red which further backed up my idea that red was a necessary colour to create an energetic piece. I found the technique used in Turner’s work to be most inspiring of all as the quick harsh brush strokes portrayed a stormy kind of energy that smooth blending could never have provided. The technique was hugely inspiring to my own final piece and I found that I painted with more free and expressive brushstrokes than I would have before analysing Turner’s work. In addition to Turner’s work, I also looked into Nick Andrew and Hiroshige. Rather than looking into Hiroshige’s Japanese woodblock printing technique, I focused more on the scenes he created as I felt these played a bigger part in portraying energy within in his work. I noticed that his bustling scenes such as that of Yoshiwara Nakanochō Yozakura relied on perspective to make the viewer feel involved in the scene. This is both an important and clever technique as the viewer’s feeling of involvement will likely increase their heart rate much like the colour red. I decided this would be a useful technique for my final piece and so while considering the importance of scene and perspective, I began researching the scenes I could portray within my own piece. I used a survey to find out the scenes voted most popular and came away with an over whelming majority in favour of a concert scene. This led me to actually buy tickets and experience an Imagine Dragons concert at the O2 Arena in London, one of the photos I took went on to become my final piece. This was a crucial moment for me because I found that actually experiencing the energy really impacted my artwork as I was no longer just painting a photo, I was painting something I had actually experienced and so I had a full understanding of the energy within that moment. Unaware that this was to become my final piece, I looked into other scenes of energy such as the energy filled dance performances of Korean pop groups and the theatrical performances of Japanese Visual Kei bands. I continued to gain first-hand experience by visiting the Hyper Japan market in London in order to see a Visual Kei performance however, found that due to the niche interest in the UK, the crowd was small and so the energy not quite so great as that of the 24 thousand people at the O2 Arena.
In terms of resources, I struggled to find anything directly related to my topic however, found that less topic specific books such as Colour Psychology by Richard G. Lewis were more useful to my research while books such as Energy and Art by Barry Lord were completely irrelevant. Websites were also an important part of my research as these gave updated views and opinions and so I had contemporary ideas as to what energy in art was.
My greatest struggle with my project was due to my choice in platform for my research. As I had chosen to write all of my research on blogger in order to have an easy to use platform where I could directly analyse and include videos through the HTML coding, I found that I encountered some damaging technical problems. The worst problem by far was when blogger malfunctioned and so deleted all my work at Christmas time, leaving me near the end of the course with no research. This was hugely problematic as I had decided I wanted my EPQ to be as much about the research as it was the final piece. However, while extremely stressful, I decided that I would not cut out my blog of research from my final outcome and so set about rewriting the entire thing which while time consuming, still gave me the chance to expand on areas I wanted to research further such as my page on Japanese and Korean band performances.
Be that as it may, this project was extremely helpful in allowing me my own independent development in art. I found that while my work had been safe and precise before the project, I learnt to experiment with colour and a more expressive painting technique which over all positively developed my artistic technique. This was important as my original aim when starting this project was to learn how to create more exciting and energetic work and so I feel this project was extremely successful and has given me important artistic skills to take with me to university.

Imagine Dragons Concert

After much consideration into the scenes of energy I had already experienced, I decided that my Imagine Dragons concert had been the best conveyor of energy. This is due to the intense energy I experienced while at the concert. For example, unlike the Hyper Japan Visual Kei performance, there was intense lighting which immediately set up an atmosphere of energy. The lighting included bright colours such as red and yellow which according to my researching into colour psychology are very important in creating the correct reaction within your audience. In addition, I found more of a personal benefit from the incredible audience of 24,000 people at the O2 as the impact of so many people singing to and enjoying one song at one time together was incredible and quite unlike the audience of perhaps 100 people at Hyper Japan.
In order to choose an image for my final piece, I must pick out the best photos and analyse them in terms of energy portrayal. The analysis of these images should not be too in depth as it is important that at this stage I am beginning my painting. In depth analysis of these images would be pointless as the analysis will not assist the final outcome of my piece. However, it is important that I pick out certain aspects of these paintings according to my research in order to choose the best image for my piece possible.

Sunset Sons were the support act for Imagine Dragons and so their stage set up was smaller in order to suggest that they weren't as big a band. Due to the smaller stage and less extravagant lighting Sunset Sons would be a less suitable final piece choice as their stage set up wasn't particularly eye catching and the constant use of bright white light took away from the energetic atmosphere and made the whole scene less visually exciting.

 In contrast, the Imagine Dragons scene used an assortment of different lighting in order to create the illusion of different stage set ups. In this photo electric bolts, almost like lightening bolts are displayed on huge screens in the background of the stage. The lightening bolts could be a good idea as these would also tie in with my ideas of stormy weather however, this would mean it might be harder to use the colour red due to the natural colour of lightening and how it might seem strange if edited another colour. Red will be an important part of my final piece as I have found that throughout this project I have constantly link my research back to colour psychology and so I feel that colour will be a very important aspect of my piece.

 I chose this photo because I felt that the audience were a crucial part in creating the energy I experienced at the concert. I could edit the colours of  the image so that they were closer to the important red tones I wish to use in my piece. However, I believe I should avoid this image as a final piece due to the complex detail involved in painting so many people. I would be unable to use the expressive style of Turner as this would mean it would be harder to tell what the huge audience were and so it would perhaps ruin the idea of painting that crucial audience.

This photo could be a good choice due to its already vibrant flamy colours which could also be easily manipulated into more redish tones. However, the image lacks the perspective I wish to use in order to create a feeling of the audience being within the moment. Due to the lack of zoom, the image is too far out and so that takes away most of the energy within the singer's performance as he is made to seem so small. The size of the singer would also make painting the details harder and so the entire painting would either take longer or become a lower quality of work.

Here, the lights are the perfect colour with vibrant reds which achieve my goal of portraying energy through colour psychology. In addition, spot lights are shot in varying directs which add the effects of lazers to the scene, another aspect which uses visual excitement to catch the viewers eye. However, the stage at this point, unfortunately, lacked any close up band members which destroys my idea of incorporating performance to excite the viewer. Without visible band members, the scene loses some of its original effects and becomes less entertaining for the viewer.

Again, this photo has easily manipulatable lighting with eye catching screens. However, the distance and lacking perspective makes it a bad choice and harder image to paint.
The smoke machines which seem to feature in all the images have positive effects as these help to capture the rays of light and so the dramatic lighting spreads throughout the image.

I have decided that with some editing, this image has the most potential to become my final piece for a number of reasons. For one, the perspective is exactly how I wished it as it takes a low angle shot of the lead singer and so my audience feel as though they are in the crowd experiencing this concert. In addition, the vibrant colours mixed with the almost lazer like lighting above create an eye catching scene which with the right editing will evoke feelings of energy within my audience. In terms of editing, I would have to use Photoshop in order to change the colours of the lighting in this image. Through the use of red paint with low opacity and high saturation, I have achieved my vibrant red lighting below.

Energy within Japanese and South Korean Band Performances

  Korean Pop, more commonly known by the abbreviation K-Pop, is a fairly recent addition to the music scene, having made its entrance in the 1990s. Unlike Western pop music, K-Pop is energetic to the core, not to say that Western music isn't lively, however, as Mark James Russell said in 'K-Pop Now!', "there is something distinct and special about K-pop. It's like everything is a little bit louder, the images brighter, the style flashier - it's just more."¹
I have decided to look into the lively performances of K-pop bands as I would like to understand the ways in which they put across so much energy through dance. In addition, when considering my options for the scenes I could paint as my final piece, concert/performance and dance scenes were within my considered options.

This is one of the rehearsal videos for Mansae by K-pop band Seventeen. I feel that this video is a good representation of the energy that goes into K-pop performances and also shows the talent and bodily fitness it takes to achieve such a style of dancing. For example, the way all thirteen of them move in such perfect time at 1:25 almost makes them seem a singular force of energy. Grouped with the inhuman smoothness and flexibility of every move, an unreal aspect is created which only intensifies the shocking performance of energy. I could take inspiration from this kind of thing and create a piece much like Hiroshige's 'Yoshiwara Nakanochō Yozakura' where the large number of people gives a definite appearance of life and energy.

Here we have the official music video for Mansae, the first thing that catches my attention is the bright colours which, paired with the school uniform and setting, give a light and boyish atmosphere. This atmosphere is important in creating an energetic image as the connotations of being 'boyish' are often the stereotypes of being sporty, lively and fun. These aspects of being 'boyish' are also directly shown through the dance performance, however, I have decided to focus on the mise-en-scene (look of the scene) as I focused on the performance previously.
In the first few seconds of the video our attention is drawn to Seungcheol (person in the immediate foreground), he portrays boyish style through his casual jeans and t-shirt which are stereotypical of boyish image. In addition, the happy smile on his face (or even the sunshine grin of Seokmin at 1:19) creates a positive image which suggests lively cheerfulness. Positive imagery within this video is important as this has the effect of energising the audience whereas negative or sad imagery would have the effect of  disheartening the audience or of creating a sombre atmosphere. A negative atmosphere tends to create a sluggishness within the audience and so it is important to keep the atmosphere light and happy. Further positivity is shown at approx 0:40 into the video where the sun seems to glow around the girl, causing her to seem like a positive energy and therefore reflecting happiness onto the audience. Throughout the video, either sunlight or bright in doors lighting is used which carries the positive image throughout the video. In addition to this, at the beginning of the video, the walls of red in the background not only create a more vibrant image but also, referring back to my earlier colour research, cause an increased heart rate and therefore simulate a feeling of energy within the audience.
This is all something which could influence my final piece as I feel the energy of a performance like this is captivating due to the group force. In terms of mise-en-scene, I would like to carry some of these aspects through to my final piece, for example, the boyish energy created by the ever-present red is something I would like to subtly incorporate.


This is a song called Overdose, performed by another popular K-Pop band named Exo. I chose to analyse this music video as it shows a contrasting side to K-pop which relies on visual intensity rather than boyish liveliness. The opening of the video appears grim in all its grey tones, this, however, simply causes the later imagery to seem more intense when compared. The fog shown in the beginning here adds a ghostly movie aspect which evokes a slight fear within the audience as this is the kind of thing you might see in films such as The Signalman, a BBC film remake of the book by Charles Dickens. This film uses fog and grey/dark imagery to make it seem atmospheric which therefore causes the audience to feel fear as their view is obscured by the darkness and the fog, a sort of fear of the unknown I guess you could say. Fear is, in some ways, another way to create energy within the audience, this is however, a different kind of energy. The energy created by fear is more due to the physical intensity - "Fear is a chain reaction in the brain that starts with a stressful stimulus and ends with the release of chemicals that cause a racing heart, fast breathing and energized muscles, among other things, also known as the fight-or-flight response."²
I like the idea of not only creating energy through the usual obvious way of lively positivity but also through evoking a subtle fear within my audience. This could make a concert scene of some sort a suitable choice of final piece as concerts often use fog machines to create intense atmospheres, plus other than the lighting focused on the band, an all consuming darkness is present due to the lacking lighting anywhere else.
At 0:40 in the music video, we are introduced to a more vibrant side to the music video. Through out the video, from here onwards, neon lighting is used to create an intensity which is quite unlike the positive lighting of Mansae. I would like to have something similar to the lighting at 2:01 where intense red light is introduced. I like this idea because mixed with fog, this could create an energy evoking intensity while still softly connoting the fun boyish appearance of Mansae.
Again, in this video, the dancers portray energy by uniting as a force and moving as one. The dance is an important aspect in adding energy to a video such as this, for example, the fast movements of each person create an excited appearance, excitement being another effect which holds connotations of energy and liveliness.
Even before K-Pop, in Korea "dancers from the ancient periods mainly tried to express a deep ecstatic power. They were not interested in acrobatic physical emotions, but in expressing metaphysical joy."³ Excitement and joy are things portrayed not only in modern day K-pop (for example, the lively excitement portrayed in Mansae) but were also things shown through traditional Korean dance.
"The Mayako Odori (Cherry Blossom Dance) takes place four times a day throughout April at the Gion Kōbu Kaburen-jō Theatre, which adjoins Gion Corner. Maiko (apprentice geisha) dress elaborately to perform a sequence of traditional dances in praise of the seasons."⁴ While Korean dance expresses an excited or intense side to energy, traditional Japanese dance such as that of the Geisha, expresses all kinds of emotions and focuses on creating a narrative. The traditional dances of a Geisha are often far more elegant and contrast the boyish energy within dance routines such as that of Mansae.
 In this video, we have The Miyako Odori (Cherry Blossom Dance) of April 2015. The Geisha in this video seem as though they are not meant to be seen as individuals but rather they are a singular elegant force of energy. This is portrayed though the repeated use of the same kimono on all Geisha and by their synchronised movements which cause them to seem as though they are one. I feel that in my final piece, the number of people featured may be important as my research suggests that numbers often add a busy atmosphere and so they reinforce the idea of energy due to the multitude of activities or perhaps due to the amount of people doing one thing at once. However, I will need to consider the availability of such a scene, for example, I am unlikely to come across a performance by a Geisha as this is something that is traditionally exclusive to Japan. I also will struggle to find a K-Pop band performing in England as K-Pop is something that although globally popular on a small scale, is mainly something enjoyed in Korea which means that most K-Pop groups tour Korea and on occasion, America. This means that the kind of group performance scene I am interested in would be unavailable to me. However, this does not mean I should not continue pursuing the idea of a performance scene as there are plenty of other aspects which come with performance that create a scene of energy.
I decided to look further into Japanese performance after having researched Geishas and I found out about a Japanese genre of music called Visual Kei. The genre consists of an overall eccentric appearance including costumes which would be considered theatrical, sometimes of a Victorian or perhaps Lolita style. Make up and almost gravity defying hair also stars in the style for this genre. One of the most notable aspects of this genre would be the live performances as these, from what I have seen, always include a theatrical aspect which can range from simply dancing in an eccentric manner or to full narrative sequences.
 I recently discovered a Japanese Visual Kei band called Lacroix Despheres who would be best described as a theatrical rock opera band. This is a song by that very band named Tenkei no Hitomi, the video is a collection of live performance clips of this song being performed.
The first thing to catch my attention in this video is the dramatic red lighting which first appears at 0:25 to illuminates the stage and performers. This red lighting immediately affects the heart rate due to the reasons I have mentioned numerously after having researched colour. The fact that the colour red is something that catches my eye each time means that colour is important as it is something which consistently affects my view of the scene. Whether it be due to editing or to a genuine photographical capture of the lighting, I feel it is important that I incorporate red lights in my own scene, especially if it is a live performance as this will look natural due to the expectancy that there will 'flashy' lighting above the stage when at a concert.
I like that the lighting in this video is set up behind those it is trying to illuminate (eg. 0.29 and 0.42) as this not only causes the band to become more distinctly visible in their sharp silhouettes but also causes them to take on a red and somewhat ethereal glow that makes it seem as though they are radiating energy. I am keen to make this effect a feature in my final piece as I feel it effectively puts the lights to use in a way which enhances the energy portrayed.
In this video, there is a complete lack of synchronisation and the camera often focuses on individual people, therefore making it seem that numbers are not important. This video is more focused on the energetic narrative performance that each person is creating rather than how they work as a group. Although the focus is more on individuality, there are wide shots used which effectively create an establishing shot to give an overview of the entire band working to create a narrative through their music, costumes and actions.
At 3:30, we are presented with close ups of selected members which clearly show their lolita/visual kei style. The petticoats and almost gravity-defying styles of hair create a light and fun appearance that gives off connotations of girlish energy, a feminised version of the boyish energy shown in Mansae.

Overall, each of the music videos portray energy through either an excited, childlike fun style of acting and dressing or through group synchronisation. Independent focus on dancers means that the singular person will captivate all attention and so have complete control over the energy portrayed. On the other hand, the rapid and quick motions created within a completely synchronised group causes an intense force of energy as the increased number of people enforces the idea of intense motion multiplied to create energy.

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1 Russell M. J., K-pop Now! The Korean Music Revolution, (Singapore, Tuttle Publishing, 2014)^↩

2 Layton, J., How Fear Works, http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/emotions/fear.htm^↩

3 Facts about Korea, (Seoul, Republic of Korea, Korean Overseas Information Service, 1993)^↩

4 Lonely Planet, Japan, (Hong Kong, Lonely Planet Publications, 1997)^↩

Scenes of Energy

One of the most important aspects of portraying the correct message in a piece of art is the scene or action you choose to base it on. For example, if you were to paint a passionate sex scene, no amount of white (this being the colour often associated with purity) paint will portray the innocent and pure scene you had originally been hoping for. Therefore, it very important that you choose a relevant scene which portrays your theme exactly.
Arne Westerman, when exploring how we can express energy and life through art, said "we recognise emotions we've actually felt"¹ which means it's important for me to paint a scene which people are able to relate to, something people have experienced.
We react to colour, sound, texture and material and so this started me thinking about exactly what kind of scenes captured these elements and I began to brainstorm a few ideas.

Sport
I feel that sport is one of the obvious choices as it is a well known release of energy which, as stated above, increases the heart rate in a similar way to the colour red.
However, while being an obviously energetic sport, would the scene be exciting enough to interest the audience? While a lot of people do enjoy watching sports both in person and on TV, I can't say the scene would be exciting enough to evoke a feeling of energy within myself. This is why I did a survey on the topic to see what other people felt constituted a scene of energy.

I was surprised by the result as I expected a lot more people to vote for sports due to it being an obvious release of energy. However, I also feel that this was to be expected as viewing a painting of sports doesn't usually evoke a feeling of energy within the viewer. While being an obvious release of energy, the scene doesn't always create the most exciting or eye catching imagery.

Concert/Live Music
In contrast to sports, this option received a majority of votes which I found unsurprising due to my own personal experience with concerts. I felt this would be a popular option as it not only holds incredible energy when captured in a photo, but also creates an atmosphere of energy when genuinely experienced. From personal experience, I find the atmosphere to be one of the most important parts of live music. Large numbers of people all crammed into one space should be cramped and awful but instead, it creates this united feeling where everyone is excited for the same thing. Once the music starts and you have an excited band bouncing about on stage, the atmosphere really takes it to the next level. Hundreds of people jumping (almost) in time, singing and screaming together. If you take a moment to break out of that excited screaming at the band on stage and look around, you're faced by huge numbers of passionate people. In my opinion, it's that passion and unity that creates the incredible atmosphere of energy at a concert. If I were to capture a moment like this in paint, using subjective viewing to make it seem as though the viewer is in the audience looking up at the band, I feel I could successfully create a piece of art that captures a moment of energy.

Dance
Another scene I considered was a dance performance. I feel that dance effectively creates energy as there is more room for experimentation with colour and other effects. For example, while with sports you may only be able to capture the colours you're given at the event (green fields, sports kits?), with dance, if done on a stage, there is room to experiment with brightly coloured props, lighting and costume. Dance could be considered a mixture of Sports and Concert in the case as you are witnessing the energetic actions of something much like sports with similar fitness requirements while also witnessing something which aims to perform, much like a concert. "The immanent energy of the body is externalised and transmitted through dance. Energy is, after all, the ultimate source of social control and with the body as instrument, dance may signify power and/or be charged with it."² This quote put basically, is saying that we use dance to express and release our energy through the control of our bodies in dance.

Other
In addition, I was also considering stormy weather as a scene for my final piece however have decided that it would be too risky to rely on a storm happening for my own photographic benefit. Due to the unlikeliness of a storm happening soon, I have decided not to look any further into this idea.
Children's games could have been an interesting scene to depict relying on them playing a high energy release game such as tag but perhaps this falls under sports which would mean the earlier analysis I did of sports could also apply to this idea. However, the lack of votes towards this idea is enough to convince me that it isn't worth researching. This is because my art will be targeting my audience and so if I were to choose a scene they do not find particularly energetic, my aim of energy may not be fulfilled.

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1 Westerman, A. Paint Watercolours Filled With Life and Energy (Ohio, North Light Books, 1994) ^↩

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2 Hanna J.L., To Dance is Human: A Theory of Nonverbal Communication, https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7YrqN-uPf0cC&oi=fnd&pg=PR17&dq=portrayal+of+energy+in+dance&ots=CX5RUbNPHt&sig=O1RhKp6Dry6uox1rL-S40beNT2Y#v=onepage&q=energy&f=false ^↩

Survey Analysis

In order to find out the opinions of my audience, I decided to create a survey on the site Survey Monkey. It is important that I get my audience's opinion as these are the people I am marketing my painting to and so they are essentially the ones who will decide whether my piece portrays energy or not.

"In your opinion, which colour portrays the most energy?"
The highest voted colours here were clearly red and yellow which proves my research into colour correct. I found that red is seen as the highest energy portraying colour due to its blood pressure raising aspects.
Being a colour that is voted by both colour psychology and my audience as most energy inspiring means that red will be an almost vital aspect of my final piece.

"Which medium do you feel has the most energetic effect in art?"
Here it seems that the voting was closer in result however there is still a clear win for acrylic/oil paint. Originally I wanted to paint my piece using water colour but acrylic has received almost double the votes and so I feel persuaded to use this.
Acrylic could be a better choice for many reasons. For example it is easier to control and manipulate, therefore meaning I could paint using a wider range of techniques that I might have struggled to do with watercolour.
In addition, after analysing the works of Turner and Nick Andrew, I am more inclined to imitate their technique in order to produce energy in a similar way.

"Which size of work is best for capturing a moment of energy?"
The majority of people answered that size doesn't matter to this question. While this may be true, I have decided to go no smaller than A3 as A4 received no votes, therefore implying that while size may not matter, A4 would still be a less effective size for my piece. Out of the two sizes (A3 and A2), A2 received more votes however, I feel that considering the time scale I have been given it would be a better idea to perhaps work on a smaller scale in order to avoid running out of time. Having painted on A3 many a time in Art, I also feel that this may not be an appropriate size as it is usually slightly too small in scale when trying to paint the finer details. Taking all of this into consideration, I have decided my best choice would be to use a size midway between the two, perhaps closer to A2 in order to give me ample opportunity to capture the finer details of my scene.

"In your opinion, which scene is the best representation of energy?"
The highest voted result was a Concert/Live music scene. I feel that this would be a good choice in scene as concerts are easy to buy tickets for and so this would be something I could actually go and experience. Next came dance performance and stormy weather. Dance might be less easy to see because while I am aware it is easy to find cheap concerts, I know less of dance performances which are affordable and easy to get to. Stormy weather may have been voted because of Turner's work. However, in order to do this scene, I would have to wait for a storm and even then, I could not confirm that a storm would even happen in time for my EPQ. Judging these through course of availability is important as I feel that it is vital that I get the chance to experience my moment of energy in order to have complete understanding of what I am trying to portray. This will give me a deeper understanding of exactly what portrays energy in that moment.

Over all, my survey has helped me decide the important aspects I must focus on when creating my final piece. For example, I now know that acrylic paint is likely to be my best option when it comes to medium for my final piece. However, I believe it would benefit me to do further research into scenes for my piece as it is important to understand the energetic imagery that can be brought with each rather than just the availability. I will do this through direct analysis of each type of scene and then perhaps I will create another page of more in depth research based on selected scenes. This will likely be scenes such as concert and dance as these received the highest number of votes.

My Survey

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