1. I selected Paul D. Miller's "Material Memories: Time and The Cinematic Image." I chose this article because the title sounded interesting, but also because he is DJ Spooky and I found one of his videos that we watched in Film 114 to be very thought provoking.
2. The first main point of the essay is that ritual is art. Miller describes how Maya Deren was one of if the not the first person to discover this, when she traveled to Haiti to capture the tribal Voudon dances. Miller describes her intentions in the first paragraph of the article, "She sought a new art to mold time out of dance, a social sculpture carved out of celluloid gestures and body movements caught in the prismatic light of the camera lens." Miller goes on to talk about how she influenced what the term "ritual" truly means and how it in itself is one of the most ancient art forms. Miller's second paragraph talks about how we as a human race depend entirely on currency. Money, dollar bills, cash, its what makes the world goes round and often times a few have too much and many have too little. He goes on to explain how Surrealists have determined what our society and culture actually is at this point in time. Today's society is based entirely on how quickly and easily we can do things in our every day lives, regardless of whether or not that central theme in life is deteriorating our necessity to interact with each other. Miller also talks about how our society has become obsessed with celebrity's and the fact that virtually everyone is trying to get their fifteen minutes now. He explains here, "...where identity is for sale to the highest bidder. Screen time. Prime Time. Life as a infinite level video game with an infinite array of characters to pick from." The overall main point of Miller's article is to make you think. He talks about theories and Greek gods and even the Wu-Tang Clan. But he does it in a way that makes want to take another look at our culture today and reevaluate what its really all about.
3. This entire article and everything in it is relevant to my own practice as a media artist because if I do not stop and question what I am being immersed in every day of my life, then all of my natural creativity is lost. Miller talks a lot about how we've progressed as a world and not necessarily in a good way. For instance if I just sit in front of two different screens every day (my TV and computer) while I am not in class for the rest of the year I will not be able to appreciate the work that I do outside of my apartment as a media artist. If I don't take some time each day to simply walk around the environment that I live in and take it in for what it is worth I might as well be dead. I feel as though 95% of what I consume through my computer and TV is complete garbage, that has no real substance or meaning. Miller talks about these kinds of ideas in his article, and that is why it is relevant to my practice as a media artist. Because without creativity and vision in this practice, you might as well not even try.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Video Hardware/Software Response
1. My overall experience with the Olympus digital camera was a good one. I did not run into any serious problems with the camera and I found that it was very easy to use whether I was recording video or just taking pictures. I haven't used a lot of digital cameras in my life, but I have used a few compared to this one, and I would have to say that the Olympus matched up pretty well. The controls were straight forward and when I imported my pics or video to my computer it was pretty much seamless. I would say that I was able to implement my Image Capturing Strategy with this camera. It had enough features that I was satisfied with my work at the end of Drift 2. In an ideal world I would have a six figure camera that shot in HD. Then I would be able to capture my Drift 2 in the highest possible quality and it would turn out stunningly.
2. I chose to use Quicktime Pro to edit my video. I am familiar with just Quicktime and have used it before, but I have never used Quicktime Pro before. I got more and more comfortable with this program, but I felt that the editing options were somewhat limited. I was happy with the my Final Video for the most part, but I think I could've produced something a little more unique had I chosen to use Final Cut or something a little more sophisticated. There's a chance that I would use Quicktime Pro for future projects but I might look into some other software, just to see what my other options are.
2. I chose to use Quicktime Pro to edit my video. I am familiar with just Quicktime and have used it before, but I have never used Quicktime Pro before. I got more and more comfortable with this program, but I felt that the editing options were somewhat limited. I was happy with the my Final Video for the most part, but I think I could've produced something a little more unique had I chosen to use Final Cut or something a little more sophisticated. There's a chance that I would use Quicktime Pro for future projects but I might look into some other software, just to see what my other options are.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Reading Response #2
1. I chose Suzanne Delehanty's article entitled "Soundings" because it had an interesting title and seemed like it would be somewhat unique compared to the other articles available.
2. The first main point that Delehanty talks about is the fact that sound is one of the natural five senses of all human beings. Sound is and always will be a fascinating and invigorating sense for human being's which is why it is so important to us. As Delehanty explains in her second paragraph, "Human thought is manifested in word and speech, while emotions such as joy and sadness are expressed in song and lament." We communicate by using sound that is formed into letters and then words and then sentences. Delehanty explains how sound has no barriers. For instance if I sat down with someone from a tribe in Africa who did not speak English or relate to me in any way, we could still both listen to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and appreciate it to the same extent. Delehanty's next main point revolves around the idea that sound offered some of the first Modernists a way to present their revolutionary ideas. She talks about how eventually the correspondence between music and the visual arts became very common for artists and musicians from such places as France, Germany and Italy in the early decades of this century. She goes on to finish her article explaining how sound, music, ambient sound and silence have allowed artists to "...transform the visual arts into a new and third realm." In other words the very existence of sound has opened the doors for all kinds of possibilities in the mind's of artists.
3. The entire subject of sound is quite relevant to my practice as a media artist because it plays a large role in what I do. Sound allows me as a Media Artist to express my ideas and beliefs in a way that is universal. Sound compliments my use of visual art in a way that cannot be done otherwise. For instance my first Drift wouldn't exist if it weren't for sound. I would simply have pictures of what or where I recorded along with a good description of the sound, but the actual sound would not be there. The use of sound is absolutely essential (usually) in my practice as a media artist because without it, the word media would not exist.
2. The first main point that Delehanty talks about is the fact that sound is one of the natural five senses of all human beings. Sound is and always will be a fascinating and invigorating sense for human being's which is why it is so important to us. As Delehanty explains in her second paragraph, "Human thought is manifested in word and speech, while emotions such as joy and sadness are expressed in song and lament." We communicate by using sound that is formed into letters and then words and then sentences. Delehanty explains how sound has no barriers. For instance if I sat down with someone from a tribe in Africa who did not speak English or relate to me in any way, we could still both listen to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and appreciate it to the same extent. Delehanty's next main point revolves around the idea that sound offered some of the first Modernists a way to present their revolutionary ideas. She talks about how eventually the correspondence between music and the visual arts became very common for artists and musicians from such places as France, Germany and Italy in the early decades of this century. She goes on to finish her article explaining how sound, music, ambient sound and silence have allowed artists to "...transform the visual arts into a new and third realm." In other words the very existence of sound has opened the doors for all kinds of possibilities in the mind's of artists.
3. The entire subject of sound is quite relevant to my practice as a media artist because it plays a large role in what I do. Sound allows me as a Media Artist to express my ideas and beliefs in a way that is universal. Sound compliments my use of visual art in a way that cannot be done otherwise. For instance my first Drift wouldn't exist if it weren't for sound. I would simply have pictures of what or where I recorded along with a good description of the sound, but the actual sound would not be there. The use of sound is absolutely essential (usually) in my practice as a media artist because without it, the word media would not exist.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Audio Hardware/Software Response
1. I did think that the initial process of building my microphone would be somewhat difficult, and I was a little behind to begin with but once I finished building my microphones they worked very well. My mic rig worked pretty well on my first Drift. I put my recorder in my pocket and either held the mic's in my hands or clipped them on either side of my backpack. My mic's worked superbly when it came to the capturing ambient noises as well as extreme closeups. I was honestly a little surprised at how well the mic's picked up sound when I began my first Drift and it really made the experience more enjoyable. My ideal microphone and recorder setup would take place with my mic's and recorder attached to a subway train in New York City for three or four days. This would be an amazing chance to capture a very rough and urban sound that is authentic. Also, I would probably be able to pick up some interesting conversations when the train stopped and people got on and off of it.
2. I had no problems with the MiniDisc recorder from the start. Once I learned all of the controls for recording and saving, it worked fine. I haven't really used any other audio equipment like this before, so I can't really compare it to anything other than a video camera. In an ideal world, my recorder would have no settings or "groups" of sounds like ours did. It would simply have a record button, a pause button, a stop button and a play button. It would be so well made that it could adjust to any environment you were in to capture a great sound, thus, it would have no adjustable settings.
3. I chose to use the application Audacity, as recommended by Mr.Bach. It worked quite well from the start, and I found that the controls and editing options were straightforward, hands on and easy to use. I have never used this software before, and I chose to use it because it was recommended by Mr.Bach and it was free to download. Audacity definitely had the editing options that I needed in order for me to creatively edit my sounds in my own way. For instance some of my sounds naturally had too much bass, and using the EQ edit option on Audacity, I was able to equalize the bass to match the treble. I will most likely use this software again in the future, because it was easy to use as well as effective.
2. I had no problems with the MiniDisc recorder from the start. Once I learned all of the controls for recording and saving, it worked fine. I haven't really used any other audio equipment like this before, so I can't really compare it to anything other than a video camera. In an ideal world, my recorder would have no settings or "groups" of sounds like ours did. It would simply have a record button, a pause button, a stop button and a play button. It would be so well made that it could adjust to any environment you were in to capture a great sound, thus, it would have no adjustable settings.
3. I chose to use the application Audacity, as recommended by Mr.Bach. It worked quite well from the start, and I found that the controls and editing options were straightforward, hands on and easy to use. I have never used this software before, and I chose to use it because it was recommended by Mr.Bach and it was free to download. Audacity definitely had the editing options that I needed in order for me to creatively edit my sounds in my own way. For instance some of my sounds naturally had too much bass, and using the EQ edit option on Audacity, I was able to equalize the bass to match the treble. I will most likely use this software again in the future, because it was easy to use as well as effective.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Ten Questions
1.Are there any interesting sculptures in the area?
2.Where can I find the best place for a panoramic or landscape type of view?
3.Where in the area do sounds appear to be more ambient?
4.Are there any particularly ally-ways that lead to an interesting place?
5.Are there are houses in the area that have unusually large yards?
6.Are there any specific areas that look drastically different between night and day?
7.Are there any specific places within the area that drew your attention?
8.Are there any particular spots of dense foliage within the area?
9.Are there any large bodies of water in the area?
10.Does Lake Michigan sound different during the day than it does at night?
2.Where can I find the best place for a panoramic or landscape type of view?
3.Where in the area do sounds appear to be more ambient?
4.Are there any particularly ally-ways that lead to an interesting place?
5.Are there are houses in the area that have unusually large yards?
6.Are there any specific areas that look drastically different between night and day?
7.Are there any specific places within the area that drew your attention?
8.Are there any particular spots of dense foliage within the area?
9.Are there any large bodies of water in the area?
10.Does Lake Michigan sound different during the day than it does at night?
Drift Assessment
1.Describe two situations that aggravated, bothered, shocked or otherwise stressed you during Drift 1. (Please note that the situation CANNOT be technology-related.)
A: The first situation that really bothered me during my first Drift was the fact that it was very windy on the day that I chose to go out and record. I knew I had a solid Drift strategy to go off of, but I didn’t realize until about half way through my Drift that I was picking up a fair amount of wind which created a lot of white noise. Luckily I was able to EQ most of the overshadowing wind once I sat down to edit my sounds. The second situation that stressed me out during my first Drift was the idea that I was not picking up sounds that were unique or interesting enough to actually post online for my Drift. When I was out recording, I had been walking for about half an hour and the only interesting sound that I had recorded was some older people speaking Russian just outside of a senior residence home. But as I kept going I began to get some fairly unique sounds, such as a water fountain as well as a plane taking off above me.
2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.
A: The first time that I felt entirely at ease during my first Drift was when I came upon a water fountain that was just outside of an apartment complex. The reason that I felt at ease was because I had been walking for about 20 minutes and had been recording the exact same sounds the entire time including, cars driving by on the street, the wind and the occasional leaves being blown around. Thus, when I reached this water fountain, it was almost a sign that I had to record this beautiful, ambient sound because everything else had been the same. I was also in need of a small break, so I just sat next to the fountain, held my mic’s about a foot away from it, and listened to this serine and tranquil sound for 5 minutes while thinking about absolutely nothing. The second time that I felt unusually peaceful during my first Drift was when I walked by a father and his son throwing a football around in their front yard. The man looked to be in his late 30’s and his son was probably about 6 or 7 years-old. They were tossing a football back and forth and both of them and this very genuine smile on their faces. Then all of the sudden the dad started running towards his son after he had thrown the ball to him, as if to tackle him or “get” him, and the kid let out this mixture of a scream and a giggle at the same time. At that very moment I felt unusually peaceful because that sound was the sound of true, unfiltered joy.
3. Describe three surprises or unexpected situations you encountered on your Drift and in the days that followed. The surprise could stem from your expectations that conflicted with "on the ground" realities, cultural or social issues of which you were previously unaware, feelings and reactions that you did not expect to have, appearances and soundings of things you did not expect, good or bad outcomes of "on the spot" decisions you had to make, or the discovery of "deeper" realities in the materials you brought home. (Again, skip anything technology-related!)
A: The first surprise that I encountered on my first Drift took place when I was recording the sound of a water fountain. As I was sitting next to it with my mic’s, one of the tenets who was leaving his apartment just stared at me for a while, and then politely asked me what I was doing. I explained to him that I was recording the sound for a class and he wished me the best of luck. The second surprise was that I had the basic idea set in mind of how long my drift would take based on my Drift strategy, which was 45 minutes to an hour. But my first Drift actually ended up lasting about 2 hours, which was obviously a good thing in the long run. The third surprise that I had was the fact that I did not expect to be able to pick up the conversations of people who were anywhere within 10 to 15 yards of me. For instance when I was walking by the basement windows of a house that were barely open, I could hear very distinctly what they were talking about, but when I took my headphones off, there was nothing.
4. Describe your favorite experience, situation, place, or recollection from your Drift. Be specific about what happened, how you felt, how you reacted, and why you think this particular experience affected you so much.
A: My favorite recollection from my first Drift had to have been when I had finally reached my end point near Lake Michigan. I had walked for just under 2 hours, recorded multiple different sounds and had seen many parts of Milwaukee that I had never seen before. To top it off, I got to walk along Lake Michigan and simply appreciate its beauty. In my opinion it was a great reward for having completed my first Drift, because I had taken in so many sights and sounds that day that watching the tide go in and out and listening to the wave’s crash against each other with my own ears was very peaceful and invigorating at the same time.
A: The first situation that really bothered me during my first Drift was the fact that it was very windy on the day that I chose to go out and record. I knew I had a solid Drift strategy to go off of, but I didn’t realize until about half way through my Drift that I was picking up a fair amount of wind which created a lot of white noise. Luckily I was able to EQ most of the overshadowing wind once I sat down to edit my sounds. The second situation that stressed me out during my first Drift was the idea that I was not picking up sounds that were unique or interesting enough to actually post online for my Drift. When I was out recording, I had been walking for about half an hour and the only interesting sound that I had recorded was some older people speaking Russian just outside of a senior residence home. But as I kept going I began to get some fairly unique sounds, such as a water fountain as well as a plane taking off above me.
2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.
A: The first time that I felt entirely at ease during my first Drift was when I came upon a water fountain that was just outside of an apartment complex. The reason that I felt at ease was because I had been walking for about 20 minutes and had been recording the exact same sounds the entire time including, cars driving by on the street, the wind and the occasional leaves being blown around. Thus, when I reached this water fountain, it was almost a sign that I had to record this beautiful, ambient sound because everything else had been the same. I was also in need of a small break, so I just sat next to the fountain, held my mic’s about a foot away from it, and listened to this serine and tranquil sound for 5 minutes while thinking about absolutely nothing. The second time that I felt unusually peaceful during my first Drift was when I walked by a father and his son throwing a football around in their front yard. The man looked to be in his late 30’s and his son was probably about 6 or 7 years-old. They were tossing a football back and forth and both of them and this very genuine smile on their faces. Then all of the sudden the dad started running towards his son after he had thrown the ball to him, as if to tackle him or “get” him, and the kid let out this mixture of a scream and a giggle at the same time. At that very moment I felt unusually peaceful because that sound was the sound of true, unfiltered joy.
3. Describe three surprises or unexpected situations you encountered on your Drift and in the days that followed. The surprise could stem from your expectations that conflicted with "on the ground" realities, cultural or social issues of which you were previously unaware, feelings and reactions that you did not expect to have, appearances and soundings of things you did not expect, good or bad outcomes of "on the spot" decisions you had to make, or the discovery of "deeper" realities in the materials you brought home. (Again, skip anything technology-related!)
A: The first surprise that I encountered on my first Drift took place when I was recording the sound of a water fountain. As I was sitting next to it with my mic’s, one of the tenets who was leaving his apartment just stared at me for a while, and then politely asked me what I was doing. I explained to him that I was recording the sound for a class and he wished me the best of luck. The second surprise was that I had the basic idea set in mind of how long my drift would take based on my Drift strategy, which was 45 minutes to an hour. But my first Drift actually ended up lasting about 2 hours, which was obviously a good thing in the long run. The third surprise that I had was the fact that I did not expect to be able to pick up the conversations of people who were anywhere within 10 to 15 yards of me. For instance when I was walking by the basement windows of a house that were barely open, I could hear very distinctly what they were talking about, but when I took my headphones off, there was nothing.
4. Describe your favorite experience, situation, place, or recollection from your Drift. Be specific about what happened, how you felt, how you reacted, and why you think this particular experience affected you so much.
A: My favorite recollection from my first Drift had to have been when I had finally reached my end point near Lake Michigan. I had walked for just under 2 hours, recorded multiple different sounds and had seen many parts of Milwaukee that I had never seen before. To top it off, I got to walk along Lake Michigan and simply appreciate its beauty. In my opinion it was a great reward for having completed my first Drift, because I had taken in so many sights and sounds that day that watching the tide go in and out and listening to the wave’s crash against each other with my own ears was very peaceful and invigorating at the same time.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Reading Response #1 The Art of Noises: Russolo
1. I chose Luigi Russolo's article entitled "The Art of Noises" because it seemed like a very unique and in-depth writing on how noise and sounds have graduated through time into what we now call music. Russolo also had in my opinion, a very interesting title to his article which also helped attract me to it.
2. First Russolo talks about how noises have been appreciated since the beginning of time. He talks about how with the invention of the machine in the nineteenth century noise was created. He explains that primitive races at the beginning of time considered noises to be in the same realm as the Gods. Sound was considered sacred and attributed with the highest of holy men long ago. Russolo goes on to talk about The Middle Ages and how music became more real, with the development of the Greek tetrachordal system. I noticed that Russolo really talked about machines and how they have been the main contirbution to sound, for instance he says "the musical evolution is paralleled by the multiplication of machines,..." Overall I found this to be one of the most interesting articles I have ever read in relation to the idea of sound, noise and the overall tone of music.
3. I personally feel that Russolo hit many points in relation to sound and how I use it in my practice as a media artist. For instance his point about machines was by far the most spot on point that he made. Without machines (cars, boats, planes, weed-whackers etc.) We would not be able to collect any urban noises on our sound walks. I found many of his points to be in direct correlation with what I do as a media artist.
-Connor Murray
2. First Russolo talks about how noises have been appreciated since the beginning of time. He talks about how with the invention of the machine in the nineteenth century noise was created. He explains that primitive races at the beginning of time considered noises to be in the same realm as the Gods. Sound was considered sacred and attributed with the highest of holy men long ago. Russolo goes on to talk about The Middle Ages and how music became more real, with the development of the Greek tetrachordal system. I noticed that Russolo really talked about machines and how they have been the main contirbution to sound, for instance he says "the musical evolution is paralleled by the multiplication of machines,..." Overall I found this to be one of the most interesting articles I have ever read in relation to the idea of sound, noise and the overall tone of music.
3. I personally feel that Russolo hit many points in relation to sound and how I use it in my practice as a media artist. For instance his point about machines was by far the most spot on point that he made. Without machines (cars, boats, planes, weed-whackers etc.) We would not be able to collect any urban noises on our sound walks. I found many of his points to be in direct correlation with what I do as a media artist.
-Connor Murray
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