Hi!
Aydin Hayat
Aydin Hayat is a videographer, editor, and artist based in the New York Metropolitan Area. Aydin graduated from The College of New Jersey with a BA in Interactive Multimedia. He has collaborated and worked with multiple visual artists, videographers, and designers to help creative projects come to life. He is commended for his work with motion graphics and fast-paced editing style.
Aydin Hayat // 862-251-2161aydinmhayat@gmail.comMe, You and Media
This is my short video essay based on my experiences with the media world and how it impacted me and others growing up! Interactive Multimedia is all of our majors, and obviously Media, in any kind of form, is prominent in our daily lives. I personally am enamored with the way Media has evolved into something that has a profound impact on our emotions and world-knowing, and appreciate the beauty of emotional connections between pieces of Media. So, I explore what made me tick as a child, what other people thought of their childhood media, and explore how I came up with this idea all in my Video. I do throw in some comedy sketches too! Media is beautiful, and I hope my small video essay can give you some insight as to why I love media, and also through the lense of a First Generation POC.
Inspo and My Initial Thesis thoughts
Nam June Paik’s “TV Garden”
So I originally wanted to make a video art installation within the AIMM building. I was inspired by the works of Joan Jones - “Reanimation” and Nam June Paik’s “TV Garden”. The ethereal and moody atmospheres was something I wanted to orchestrate and replicate within the AIMM building was extremely enticing to me. Unfortunately with the COVID-19 Pandemic - I shifted gears to a more online presence, and decided to build my Installation on a Virtual space, incorporating elements of Dadaism. I decided to use the program Mozilla Hubs, which is a VR virtual gallery where users can explore and interact with objects and media. However, I kept becoming dissatisfied with the prospect that this would only be online, when I truly wanted this to be an in person experience.
Thus, I decided to make a short video essay on why I love Media. This gave me the opportunity to express my love for the screen while showcasing my strengths. The video highlights my use of video editing software, my stylistic choices and filming capabilities, and overall set of skills to achieve a certain look and bring my ideas to the screen. I was very happy going in this direction, as it was able to showcase what i’ve learned as a IMM major with a focus on visual media, and also allow me to express myself in a aesthetically pleasing way. However, I do not plan to give up on my video art installation dreams moving forward ;) !
Process and Aesthetic for the Video
Camera I used!
I wanted this video to be in the style of a YouTube video essay, while also having sketches and cutaways that provide the “meat” of the video. I was able to add graphics, vfx, and other adjustments to achieve the aesthetics of the 2000’s. Especially for the news segment, I worked tediously on that part to get the flow and editing top notch to make it actually feel like you’re watching an after school special of some sorts. In addition, I wrote out and utilized a script for the entire video, which aided me in creating a cohesive narrative.
I wanted to go for a very nostalgic feel for my video, or what would be nostalgic for me. So I purposefully used a Sony Handycam from the 2000s to get that grainy, homemade look! It fits in with the narrative, showcasing the fond memories we have with pieces of media, but gives off a fuzzy yet familiar look. I filmed all of my “Real-life” footage with this camera. It worked especially well with the News segment part of the video, and gave off a very cheesy yet fun feel. Filming with this camera was a blast, as i’m used to my Canon 80D. The point and shoot nature of the handycam was something I would love to experiment more with in the future!
I wrote this video in order to try to convey to people how important media is on your personality - even if it was when you were a kid. I emphasize this through my example of Sonic. I am mostly proud of my ability to talk about a character that means so much to me - it’s hard for anyone to talk about anything personal on video, so I’m glad i was able to overcome that obstacle.
I had so much fun making the video, and I am glad I was able to showcase some of my technical skills as an editor with this project. I hope you enjoy!