Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Soundwalk (TH212)

Footsteps echo from down the hall, keys clanging against someone's hip. The janitor, I assume, because I can hear wheels rolling under the burden of what I can assume is a day's collection of student garbage strewn through the halls. Doors creak open and close, rumbling and rolling ensues, I can hear the mumblings of other club members in the room next door, as the culprit of these sounds ask if they have recycling. Mumbling again, more creaking rolling and groaning. Patricia, the energetic janitor who can usually be seen moving to the sounds of her iPod in front of the Thomas Hunter women's bathroom on the second floor, calls out a greeting. More mumbling. More rolling. More creaking. A knock on the door, four quick raps against the old wooden frame, alerts him to our room. I don't turn around, it was just a courtesy knock. I hear rustling, he's pulling the garbage bag from our recycling bin, and then there's the sound more rolling. After a few minutes, all full of the even more burdened garbage can, he's gone. All that's left is the sound of some students in the hall, doors creaking open and closed as students leave for the night, and the typing on my Macbook Pro.

Audio Project - Interview with Jacob Cintron

This is the interview that I did with Jacob Cintron about his photography for the audio project. (Sorry for the lateness, I didn't realize I hadn't posted it before break.)

Audio Project - Jacob Cintron



Interview of Deanita Redwood for Audio Profile assignment.

Movie Magic at the Museum of Moving Image


When I walked into the Museum of Moving Image, there was an immediate feeling of nostalgia and old Hollywood glamour. The first thing I saw during the tour was a wall covered in framed black and white headshots, which the tour guide referred to as portraits, of some of the earliest big time actors and actresses, such as Judy Garland, Eva Gardner, Shirley Temple, and Audrey Hepburn among others.

As we moved through the museum it was fascinating to see actual original costumes and masks used in classic film and TV shows. There was Chewbacca’s mask, Mrs. Doubtfire’s face mask, the mask from The Mask, and wardrobe from Chicago and The Cosby Show. We also saw replicas of the terribly damaged prosthetic legs from Black Swan and learned about make-up artists’ use of silicone latex masks for certain films in which the characters need to transform into a very different looking people or creatures. It is extremely important that the transformation looks believable so that the audience can allow themselves to really experience the film’s theatrical reality.  If they don’t believe what they see on camera, they’re simply unable to buy into it. The transformations that are accomplished properly are truly amazing. The talented makeup artists, who accomplish much more than just throwing wigs on actors, work with very high attention paid to detail.

As someone who has always been mesmerized by “movie magic”, I can really appreciate the hard work, time and dedication of all the people involved in the process of creating an alternate reality on film.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Hunter Stone - MOMI Trip

Before I went on the MOMI field trip, I had no idea what to expect. I had never been there before. My first impression was that I thought it was cool that it was located right across from the famous Kauffman Studios building. Secondly, I liked the wide range of exhibits they had - there was something for everyone.

One of my favorite exhibit was the hands/grenades sculpture. It very well illustrated the way motion can be perceived where there's no actual motion. But more importantly, it was just super cool visually. The dark room with the strobe light was an interesting atmosphere to be in, and added to the eerie feeling the sculpture's imagery evoked.

I also really enjoyed the exhibit that showed how sound effects are made. I thought it was really interesting how  many of the sounds we hear have nothing to do with the actual sound that's trying to be imitated . The idea of using gunshots for the snapping wires in Titanic to add drama was so clever. It gave me a new appreciation for those who create sound effects - a job most people forget about when discussing the art of filmmaking.

The last exhibit I'll talk about is the set design exhibit. Maybe it's just because I love miniature things, but the tiny set models were awesome. Not only does the detail need to be there, but everything has to be accurately placed and measured as well. I had no idea that the models had to be THAT detailed. And I had forgotten just how much labor goes into preproduction so it was a good reminder of that fact.  I imagine creating those models is tedious and not anything I would ever want to do, but I really appreciated the final product.

Blog #4- Maya Shor

The video I chose is of Buzz lightyear attempting to defeat Zurg from Toy Story 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyGuBM1ELf4

Although this is a clip from an animated movie, there are still interesting angles and different shots used in order to draw in the audience's attention. The scene opens with a medium shot of Buzz flying through the air and then cuts to a close up of his face and his hand out in a superman like position. The camera then switches between close up shots of Buzz flying and his POV shot of the clouds and sky he is flying through. The camera switches back and forth between close up of his face and his POV which adds to the fast paced urgency of the scene ahead.
The POV shots are very important because this is a children's movie and little children love Buzz because he glides through the air. The POV shot allows the child to see the flight pattern and pretend that they are Buzz Lightyear flying through space to defeat his arch nemesis.
In the middle of the clip, the camera pulls out and uses long shots to show Buzz in a new alien environment. Buzz is a small figure in the middle of a crater-filled planet. Even in an animated film, it is important to show a sense of environment, and get a feel for the relationship between the person and the natural surroundings.
The color in this clip is also important to mention because the colors on Buzz are very vibrant whereas his surroundings are a muddy brown color which creates a sense of emphasis on the figure. Later on in the clip, Buzz finds himself trapped in the dark and his suit lights up neon green which creates a stark contrast to the black background. Throughout the clip Buzz is embellished with bright colors, even his laser is bright red! Eventually when he meets Zurg, who is dressed in a rich purple the two are brightly clothed so that there is emphasis on the fight scene. Our eyes are drawn to the bright rich colors that the characters are wearing which focuses our attention to their ultimate fight scene!
Unfortunately Buzz is defeated and the scene ends with a close up of Zurg laughing an evil laugh!

Audio Project-Stevie Borrello

Interview

https://soundcloud.com/user310064739

MOMI Visit

During the trip to the Museum of the Moving Image, there were plenty of interesting items and examples on display. One of the displays that was interesting was the display of the baseball game, and how many different camera angles are used during a single game, and how quickly someone has to decide when to switch in order to get the best view possible for the viewers at home.
When filming action shots for a film, a director may set up as many as five camera angles in order to get the correct, desired shot. This is especially helpful in the editing process, when an editor can put several shots together to get a more dramatic view of the action shot.  
The television broadcast of the baseball game is very similar, although arguably much harder. This is because the action is live, and there is no time to edit what the cameras have caught. Sometimes a split-second decision needs to be made. On top of this is the liability of the physical cameramen to do his or her job of following the action correctly. In todays world of sports, there is always a camera right on the action, but choosing which of the almost twenty cameras to show to millions of viewers is a task needing quick thinkers to fulfill. This task will become especially important this year, with the implementation of the new instant replay rules. It will now be absolutely crucial for both television crews to capture the right angle, in case an umpire needs to review the call.

Sound Walk

I did my sound walk in my local park (Cunningham Park) in  my neighborhood: Fresh Meadows. In the one hour period, I was able to walk around the park track several times, thus hearing many different sounds in the various locations in the park. Firstly, I noticed birds chirping for the first time in months. As I passed by the first softball field where a team was practicing, there wasa variety of sounds, including softballs hitting players' gloves and the coach organizing the team's metal bats.

As I kept walking, people were running by. I tried to listen to the sound of their shoes hitting the pavement for as long as I could. Focusing on the sound, I feel I was able to hear it for a much longer time than had I not been paying attention to it. The same thing happened when I would pass people who were walking their dogs: I was able to hear the sound of the leash for a longer time than had I not been focusing on it.

One more interesting thing that I noticed was the impact that the sound of the cars had on the feeling of the environment I was in. One part of the park is parallel to the road, while the other is parallel to the deeper parts of the park. When I passed by the part that was next to the road, I felt much less connected to nature than I did when I was on the other side of the park. The sound of the cars had much more of an impact that I would have guessed it would. 

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Blog #3 - MOMI Visit

Visiting the Museum of Moving Images was a nice treat considering I live in the neighborhood (so I didn't have to go all the way to Hunter) and it's my favorite museum to go to (not just in the city, but my favorite museum EVER). I've been going there for years, so in that respect I can't say that I really learned anything 'new' on the little guided tour. However I did enjoy the Jim Campbell exhibit about perception afterwards. I think that it probably would've fit in with the 'media' theme. It involves sight and seeing and hearing, it's kind of really awesome. It's an experience in itself. MOMI is nice and all on its own, but with it's film covered walls and no windows I never really want to leave and then when I do leave I don't want to be in New York City cause there's nothing really here anymore movie-wise compared to Hollywood. Being at MOMI makes me nostalgic for things that I could've never experienced. Nonetheless, it's the bittersweet things in life that really make you reflect, so alas it serves a purpose and that's what really counts.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Med160 Audio Interview: Interview with Deena

https://soundcloud.com/jessg26/interview-with-deena

MOMI Visit - Kristina Garcia

I never really thought I would visit the Museum of the Moving Image, for some reason I thought it would be very technical and dull. However, once our tour of the MOMI started, I knew I was wrong. I ended up loving the museum, I enjoyed how interactive and engaging everything was. The wide variety of different exhibits showcasing the multiple aspects of movie production was also surprising and interesting to learn about.

One of my favorite parts of the museum was the Automated Dialogue Replacement. I didn't know that almost every film records dialogue separately from filming the visuals. It really shows just how much work and effort is put into every scene of a movie, then the editing process is also affected, since the dialogue has to be set perfectly to the visuals. Getting to play around with that technology and trying it out for ourselves was awesome, especially getting to do it with one of my favorite movies, The School of Rock.

Another part of the museum that I really enjoyed was getting to see all the old models of cameras, up to the modern ones we use today. Seeing how we went from using a wooden enclosed camera, which was extremely dangerous considering how hot the camera gets, to the highly sophisticated cameras we use now was interesting. Relatedly, seeing the very old models of televisions was cool as well. Our tour guide also mentioned a theory that some of the older models of televisions looked like other household appliances (like ovens, washing machines), because they would appeal more to women, who were the ones home during the day and could watch TV, so they would sell more TVs.

Overall, I would definitely recommend anyone with an interest in media to check out the MOMI, it's has something for everyone: from camera models, to audio production, to film makeup and vide games. It really was an interesting place.

Project 2: Shafat Chowdhury: Don't Follow the Crowd (by Deleta Smith)

CLICK HERE

Audio Assignment 2

http://soundcloud.com/casuigirl/assignment2-160

Assignment2
Audio Project, featuring Hunter's very own Entertainment Correspondent, Korina Serrano

There and Back Again/Interview with Deleta- Assignment 2

https://soundcloud.com/shafatchowdhury-sc/there-and-back-again-with

My music (Jose)

https://soundcloud.com/eiri

MOMI Visit

Our trip to the Museum of Moving Image was as entertaining as it was informative. The tour the class was lead on, made sure to teach while using interesting examples to keep the crowd's attention. The entire museum was an interactive learning experience, as each floor had creative displays that showed aspects of film through history. One of the most informative parts of the trip, was the tour guide explaining the importance of sound in a film and the job of a foley artist. A foley artist creates sounds with objects to try and fit the image (for example: a chair with a sack of potatoes inside being pushed over represents a person falling over and tripping visually in the film Titianic). The tour allowed us to see the famous movie without certain sounds making for a comical experience seeing the sounds the actors have to recreate in order to make a sufficient sound for the film. Some other interesting exhibits were the make-up exhibits, viewing very realistic wounds on legs and facial molds for movies such as The Mask or Mrs. Doubtfire. The amount of layers and precision put into each piece just so that it can appear realistic is phenomenal. As an audience member, you would never even suspect that anything wasn't real but it gave me a better sense of what creators want audience members to feel. Not only do they not want audience members to be drawn out of the experience of the film but they also want the audience to feel a part of the action as if they can really meet and speak with the characters that couldn't exist without the make up.
I would definitely return to this museum as it has several exhibits I'd like to spend more time with. The gaming exhibit most definitely since they had systems, even I hadn't heard of existing with simplistic ping-pong pixel games. I love how you can come into the museum and get a sense of how the present media industry came to be, with different types of cameras, old school gaming systems and even a recreated ancient Egyptian theatre (that the tour passed by, but my friend and I snooped around).


Project 2 Interview - Pamela

Diaka Project 2- Interview

Hunter Stone Interview

http://soundcloud.com/carolinalondon/hunter-stone-interview

Blog #3 - MoMI Visit - Deleta Smith

The Museum of the Moving Image is a small establishment that packs a big punch. The first thing I encountered was the .gif wall. It compiled the most popular .gifs with an explanation for each. This part of my visit was not necessarily my favorite however it reminds me how egalitarian and collective the online space is. Technology has put a global voice at everyones finger tips. The creators behind those .gifs are young and old, amateur and professional. And frankly, none can claim "ownership" of these derivatives because that’s how the internet tends to work. 

It was nice to see some of the things that I learned about in MEDP 150 and 160 materialized like the zoetrope and daguerrotype in the permanent exhibit. But most of all I enjoyed the interactive elements: I created my own voice over and worked with sound effects in the small studio spaces on the second floor. In the limited space, MoMi provides a crash course in history on things like videography, engineering, costume design, set design, special and sound effects. 

The best part of my visit was the Jim Campbell, Rhythms of Perfection exhibition. When I walked onto the third floor, I walked past what looked like a large hanging mirror. When I moved in closer, I was surprised (and quite frankly frightened out of my mind) to see not simply my reflection but a recording of my movements. While I was in awe at that station, my photograph was being taken by another installation only inches away so that by the time I reached it, my likeness appeared on all three tiny television screens. I appreciated that as a spectator I also became the subject. I was forced to look at my self as a part of the installations. I was a part of the art. 

Moving on through the exhibit, I thought I was walking through a world of digital abstractions. And this to me was the genius of Campbell’s work. As you move in closer, it seems to be nothing but interesting moving lights creating a simple fog. When you step back, the images become clear and you see video and photographs of people moving through the dark space. Each work existed as both an abstract and figurative piece, it was profound. My favorite part of the entire exhibit was The Last Day in the Beginning of March. It was such an interesting sensory experience: the dimmed spotlights that danced around the room, the sound of heavy rain, and the small plaques of words lining the walls. I felt the sorrow because I knew that the installation was about the artist’s deceased brother but I also felt comfort. I felt - maybe like Campbell’s brother during his last days - at peace.

Leticia Infante - Assignment 2 Interview

interviewed Avni M https://soundcloud.com/leticia-infante/avnis-story

Museum Tour- MOMI

I was extremely glad for the experience I had on our trip to The Museum of the Moving Image.  The tour of their core exhibit “Behind the Screen” reveled to me the contributions of the inventors, technicians, and craftspeople who occupied the world of work behind the screen.  The process of how moving images are produced, promoted, and presented was an essential thing to see as a Media Studies major. 

The part of the exhibit that stood out for me was when we watched a short film called “The Great Train Robbery,” which was an example of the first motion picture used to tell a story.  This was important because the earliest moving images were not narrative in nature.  They were simply just studies of motion, more like a scientific look at the way people and animals move.  Then people started to catch on that they could use this new technology as a means of storytelling or entertainment.


This 1903 movie had stark differences compared to the films I watch today.  It had all the characteristics of an old film.  It was black and white; grainy; camera was stationary with long takes; and vaudeville style acting, etc.  Fortunately, as people discovered better ways to shoot film, the technology advanced into the quality we are accustomed to today.  I was especially surprise to learn that in order to add color they would take the developed film and hand paint it frame by frame.  This reminded me of my Medp150 class and how I used Illustrator to kind of do the same thing.  But, I think I prefer the modern technology of adding color.  In great ways, moving images have come so far and I feel lucky to be able to see the before and after effects at the museum.  

MOMI

I have definitely taken this museum and living in Queens for granted because there's so much to explore. The last time I was in the Museum of the Moving Image I was 7 and wasn't very interested. Going back there in college with a different mindset I can say I really enjoyed the experience and my time there. One of the things that struck me was the wall of celebrities. Our tour guide had mentioned that a lot of people in this generation don't recognize old faces anymore. Some even called Shirley Temple Honey Boo Boo. I thought it was interesting that the more we become technologically advanced the more we tend to forget the classics that our media outlets were based upon. Looking at the timeless costumes that figures like Mrs.Doubtfire and Bill Cosby wore was really nostalgic for me as well. The way in which media has evolved through giant cameras that were made out of wood to DSLRS and point and shoots are really remarkable. What I found to be fascinating was watching our guide disassemble the different aspects of sound of the movie, Titanic. I thought it was interesting how in Final Cut we do the same tasks and each sound is a factor that plays a big role in evoking audience emotion. Their sound effects like elephant noises and gun shootings that were used in the movie were symbolic and thoughtful ideas. Overall the trip was a fun and enlightening experience.

Getting fit with Tash

You can Wear Anything....As Long as you're confident


MOMI Visit

How lucky are we to live in a place with access to such incredible resources as Museum of the Moving Image. It is one thing to learn in a classroom but to see firsthand the methods and practices of the creators of such famous work as Titanic, is inspiring. MOMI tucked away in a quiet neighborhood
in Queens is a gem for anyone who is studying Media or enjoys learning about the motion picture industry. It was great to see the beginning stages of special affects makeup, the head of Chewbacca and the legs from the accident scene in black swan. However, I really enjoyed see the historical examples of just how far the moving image has come from the thaumatrope to the zoetrope and of course the first “film” the great train robbery. It was awesome to see the use of color in this piece. Because they were hand painted pieces of film its interesting to see how the color transfers. Seeing the different sound elements using Titanic as an example was pretty awesome; learning the animal sound affects make up a large part of the noise we expect in a movie is cool piece or trivia. Furthermore, the example of the director in the control room was pretty awesome as well. This provided insight into a very relevant part of our delay lives as we watch sporting events regularly and never fully understand how they get from the camera to our television screens. I would love to go back and further explore what MOMI has to offer

Thursday, April 10, 2014

sound portrait

https://soundcloud.com/milushav/sound-portrait

Museum of Moving Image-Stevie Borrello


The trip to the Museum of Moving Image was very informative and in an interactive way that made it relatable and enjoyable to learn about, especially as a media student. It was interesting to see how much time and dedication goes into each step of a film, and that each piece is just as important as the other.

But the one demo that really impressed me was the one on sound. It was a scene from the Titanic and at first the tour guide only played the voice-over sound portion for the scene. There was no feeling of emotion and it felt very fabricated during the clip. Then he added another sound portion, and then another, and in total he might have added about five or six different sound tracks. It showed me how much time and effort has to be put into such a small scene with the sound to set the right tone and mood to the scene. Without that perfect sound the scene can so easily lose its reality aspect and it becomes less believable and entertaining.

It’s also crazy to think how much of those sounds are created in post-production, so it makes one appreciate the actors’ believability for the scene and to be able to convey those feelings and emotions on screen. The technology continues to advance for sound, and creating easier ways to generate real sounds for films, but it still goes back to basics and each sound still has to fit perfectly into the scene.

Project 2

Blog 3

Our class trip visiting the Museum of the Moving Image was actually my first visit ever. I really enjoyed the museum. I found it unpretentious compared to other museums in the City that can feel a little stuffy. It also wasn’t crowded which was nice because so many museums in Manhattan tend to be over crowded and are hard to enjoy. I did not know anything about the museum prior to my visit so I just kind of expected it to be just about the history of film and photo. I thought the museum had an interesting collection of moving images and technology. I was surprised that they had a section for old school video games. It was interesting to see al though I’m not interested in video games. The museum also had a variety of other things to see that I did not expect such as costumes, headpieces, cameras, etc etc. The architectural drawings for “Silence of the Lambs” were really cool to see upfront. I found that the museum was really interactive and hands on with a lot of interactive experiences such as the voice dub both or that computer where you can edit stop motion edits or you can add your own sound effects to a movie scene. I also kind of liked that the museum wasn’t that big because sometimes I can find that to be too overwhelming and I tend to loose my interest/attention fast. I overall thought the museum was really comprehensive and interesting. It is cool to look at artifacts up close from films we have learned about.

What I Hear

Hearing is something that can be taken for granted, especially in this day and age thanks to our cell phones, which just drag us into this relm of total disregaurd for our actual surroundings. I live less than a block away from a park which is always a nice place to sit down and enjoy a little bit of "nature". Sitting at the park I pick up on a bunch of different sounds. Now that it is getting warmer the sound of the birds singing is the first thing that stands out to my ears. Listening to the chirping of the birds allows me to zone out all of the other sounds around me, but I get pulled out of that zone by the sound of a car's loud exhaust as it zooms by the park. That is a sound that nobody can tune out, unlike the sound of the birds which could be so easily "heard" past. Another sound that could be easily "heard" past is the sound of the wind rustling through the leafless branches of the trees.

MOMI Experience

During the tour at the museum I was introduced to a lot of interesting exhibits. The one that stood out to me the most was the one about sound editing. Prior to the tour I was aware that a lot went into producing the sound for a movie, but I was surprised to find out how much work was actually put in to making the sound of a movie. The tour guide that I had showed us a scence from the movie, Titanic, in which she first played just the sound and had the group guess what movie it was from. My guess was wrong... I thought it was one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, especially since the sound consisited of water moving in waves and what I thought was the sound of guns being fired into the water. Shortly after I learned that my ear was not much of a failure since the sound of the wires crashing into the wires was actually the sound of guns being fired into water. It was really incredible to see how well the sound was corresponding with the actions that were happening on the screen. Watching a movie I usually do not realize that the sound that I hear is a combination of foley sound effects and additional voice recordings and all of these different layers of sound put together to make the movie work.

Interview with Jessica Granato



In this interview Jessica Granato talks about her family, her upbringing, and her passion for set design.

Holes of Hunter (Revised/Project 1)- Shafat Chowdhury


Saraa Elkhaloui Audio Project

Audio Project - Korina Serrano

https://soundcloud.com/kserr6/audio-project-2

Audio Portrait--Zehui Liu

Museum of Moving Image in all its Grander

My first visit to the Museum of Moving Image

My favorite exhibition after making my pilgrimage to Astoria, Queens would have to be “The Reaction Gif” exhibition. Me being a freelance photographer I recognized a lot of the amazing Gifs that have influenced my love for motion picture. All the Gifs had an excerpt explanation of what the image was. Each Gif had some relation to hip hop and pop-culture that I can identify with; it featured stars like SNL Tina Fey, Michael Jackson, and the extremely talented goddess Jennifer Lawrence. The animated Gif is the communication of motion picture that speaks to the audience, we had the lecture in class about the Soviets contribution to film post-production montage would un-doubtedly be its daughter giving birth to numerous animation with limitless possibilities of entertainment due to social media.

Sound Project- Keiko Yara

MOMI visit- Keiko Yara

My experience at the Museum of Moving Images was very entertaining and informative. It was my first time visiting this museum and whole experience was a lot more fun than I had thought it would be. The demonstrations from the educator made me realize that there is so much more to a movie than just the visuals. One of the demonstrations that we saw was the sound elements from a scene in Titanic. It is not just about the dialogue from the script, it is also about the extra sound effects and the music score paired to the scene. The extra bits of sound are what make an epic scene from a movie believable. It is all about layering different sounds with dialogue and music to set the atmosphere. The way that different sounds are created is also an interesting process. The imagination takes us a long way with sounds. The sound of a person falling can be recreated by dropping heavy books, a heavy sandbag or a bag of potatoes. The sound of aluminum crunching can be recreated by crunching a can. Sometimes extra sounds are added that the audience did not know it even needed. For example the the sound of a punch in movies is exaggerated much more to add a dramatic effect. These extra sounds are there to fill space and add emphasis to any given action. Overall the experience was very fun and I know I will be going back in the future. 

Monday, April 7, 2014

Sound Walk - Korina Serrano

The area in which I live does not know the terms peace and quiet. Even if one isn't directly outside, the sounds of strangers still seep through the thin cracks of apartment windows. As I step outside the first sound immediately heard is of a basketball bouncing along the concrete floor. The people surrounding the basketball have changed their language around the sport in the form of grunts, cheers, and yells. Every time the opposing teams come in closer physical contact, the slam of hard matter is emitted.

 As I travel along the sidewalk, the sound of footsteps distinguishes themselves from the way strangers walk to their foot wear. Those that emit a barely detectable sound, wear heel-less shoes such as flats, loafers, boots, or sneakers. Any shoe that sends a click-clack sound to my ears derives from a heeled shoe. For those that run in a hurry, heavy breathing entails their rush.

 The barks of dogs and the collision of chains pertaining to their leash are in the background. The meows of homeless cats ring loud and clear as they venture off to find shelter or a source of food. Sirens signal a warning that at first is believed to be far away, but it keeps getting louder.

 From the mouths of strangers, no one emits the same sounds. I hear laughter, anger, anguish, sarcasm, etc. The call to buy and spend is announced from the top of sellers’ lungs. All that is to be bought sounds like shaved ice, boiling hot dogs, and the grilling of meats and vegetables. The aforementioned sounds are of release – of steam, of air, of water.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Friday, April 4, 2014

Sound Walk - Leticia Infante

Waiting for the bus at 11:00pm, I decided to listen. I was near St. Mark’s Place and the sidewalks were not as packed as one would expect. The sound of cars became louder; they sounded a lot like waves reaching the shore. I heard different tones and dialects from various pedestrians. On the street corner, I heard obnoxious laughter from a pack of women whose unsettling pitch seemed to produce a ringing in my ears; I heard a ringing in my ears; however, I am not sure if those women were the actual reason for my discomfort. Additionally, a man who was also waiting for the bus lit his cigarette; I heard him exhale; it was an exhale out of exhaustion. His phone vibrated about three times. I heard a bell jingle after someone walked out of a deli; I heard it hit the door. All of these sounds happened at once. It was as if St. Mark’s was an orchestral piece composed by all these individuals and objects. The piece was interrupted as the overpowering sound of an ambulance’s siren began to merge with the original sound. The neighborhood became replete with that sound, as it bounced off and entered through every object. One could hear nothing but that siren. No heels clattering on the concrete, or beer bottles clanking inside plastic “thank you, have a nice day” bags could be heard. All that there was, was that monstrous siren, devouring the humble frequencies and amplitudes that were once there. Quickly, the ambulance disappeared and the orchestra of St. Mark’s Place gradually returned.

Trip to MOMI - Leticia Infante

It was sincerely refreshing to do something outside of the classroom by visiting The Museum of the Moving Image. I had never been to Astoria, first of all, and I thought it was a beautiful neighborhood with an immense amount of history. As for the museum, I felt rather frustrated with our tour guide. Although she was extremely kind and informative, I noticed that she would dumb many things down. If I were in elementary school, it would have been appropriate, but we were all young adults, going to a University, working on our Media/Film degrees. It was unsettling to see the tour guide ask questions with obvious answers and have the entire group in silence. However, I did appreciate looking at everything on my own and being so close to props and costumes that have been included in the films that were directed by my idols. I remember the first time I watched the opening scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick and noticing how realistic the ape costumes were and there it was, a mask from the film. I mostly enjoyed the exhibition by Jim Campbell. It was clever, surreal, and whimsical. I love it when artists try to mess with one’s perception, and I feel that Jim Campbell executed just that. I believe it was my favorite part of the entire trip, along with the GIFs that were projected on the wall near the entrance, which made me laugh. I plan on revisiting the museum, soon, and take my time to soak everything in.

Audio Portrait - Kristina Garcia

Interview

Project 2 - Interview with Olivia C.

https://soundcloud.com/srochelle/project-2-interview

Hunter Stone - Interview Project

https://soundcloud.com/huntervalentina/interview-project

Deleta Smith - Central Park Soundscape - Blog #2

The soundscape of New York City can be quite deceiving. When I first approached this assignment I was strangely tempted to question “what sounds?” We often hear the saying “stop and smell the roses” a proverbial encouragement to take things easy but seldom do we do so with sound. As a New Yorker, I believe I have become desensitized to certain sounds; knowing that they exist but not bothering to analyze the many parts that make up the whole of what I can consider my life’s soundtrack. 

My sound walk did not require any walking, the sound came to me. I live near Central Park on Manhattan avenue and W. 107th street. I woke up early this morning, opened my window, closed my eyes and simply listened. There is a dog barking (sounds like a Shitzu), it barks every morning, if I am home long enough it barks for hours. It is funny how I found it annoying two years ago when I first moved in. My apartment is positioned so that I am only - at most - three meters from my neighbors window in an opposite facing building. They are mumbling short statements, maybe too tired to speak in full sentences. 

I can now hear the birds that chirp and sing every morning and through out the day. I wish I could pin point the species but for me that would be impossible. There are about 235 species of birds that either live in Central Park or visit during spring and fall migration. I find the chirps to be calming and entertaining. As I listen closely, I can tell I am eaves dropping on a conversation between several bird friends. They are calling and responding to one another. 

Finally, I am interrupted by the dominating sound of a garbage truck coming down the street on W. 107th. The sound is monstrous, even scary. I would suspect that the birds would stop chirping or be frightened off to another place but they seem to be true New Yorkers too. They carry on as if nothing has happened. 

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Museum of Moving Images Response-Blog #3

Blog #3

My visit to the Museum of Moving Images (MOMI) was interesting particularly for the reason that it focuses on a topic not touched upon too much in terms of other museums I’ve visited; the subject of film and media production. Whereas most museums are centralized around history, MOMI offered me a way to explore the history of video. In addition, the visit to MOMI gave a refreshed perspective as the exhibits there reveal techniques that go on behind-the-scenes, ones that usually go missing to the naked eye.


The most telling examples of MOMI’s unique exhibits was the dissection of sound for the film Titanic in addition to the special effects that were used for Freddy Kruger’s battle with soul. Firstly, the Titanic display exemplified the parts of production that aren’t widely prominent, which is the creation of sound to synchronize with film. The layering of sounds is integral so that the audio can harmonize with video. All these exhibits really epitomize the famous words of philosopher Kenneth Burke; that every way of seeing is also a way of not seeing.