Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Final Project

Artist Wanted from masaye f on Vimeo.

Flobots

For the last blog post I decided to talk about Flobots- "Handlebars"

 Upon first listen, it seems like a happy song about riding bikes, this is not the case. It begins with two friends biking and coming to two signs, one with a "C" for corporate and one with a dove symbolizing peace. The video does an excellent job of depicting the theme of the "dove" (peace) and the corporations clashing. Throughout the video, the story becomes darker and darker. This feeling of darkness is done by the use of increasingly dark colors and depiction of violence. The animation is well done, and captures the viewers attention while visually depicting themes/songs lyrics. The entire video is sort of a discussion about our modern society and the way technology has developed. A theme in the story is the ability for technology to be used for pain and violence. They discuss the ability to use drones to kill people thousands of miles away, and portray it in a somewhat gruesome animation.
The song/ video do an amazing job of portraying a story and a difficult/reoccurring theme. The dove is portrayed multiple times being destroyed by the corporations.  The relationship between the music and visuals of the video correspond perfectly. I feel the shots are seamless and make the story/song understandable to viewers. The video uses close ups and long shots to show different aspects of the story. The close ups are generally to show the detail or symbolism of a moment. The visuals enhance the music, which is not always the case. I'm glad I re-watched this video and came to a better understanding.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Interview with Walaa!$!$!$!$!$!!!!!!!

Museum of Moving Images

The demo my group experienced involved the sound production for films, specifically the Titanic. Our guide went through the various levels of audio that make up the finalized version of the film.  As a group, we dissected the audio for the scene where the Titanic is sinking. It is a scene of utter chaos. To begin, there was one level of audio that mostly consisted of loud sounds of things breaking and the ship sinking. We also discussed the different objects that were used to make up the sounds of the ship sinking. Then there was the actors/actresses voices which had to be added in because there is too much noise in the scene for their lines to be heard properly. In addition to their voices the actors fell and ran around, which was another level of sound. Then there was the music which was really intense and powerful. When you heard each of the parts by themselves it didn't seem correct, but together they worked well and as a normal viewer you wouldn't think there were so many layers of sound.
For future visits, I think it would be better to let students learn about these processes on their own since the tour seemed oriented toward a younger audience. The guide went over a lot of information I have heard in most media classes, and I'm sure my peers felt the same way.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Sound-off Sound-walk

I chose to do the sound walk in my neighborhood (Bushwick). I decided to do it in the evening since I thought there may be some interesting sounds I haven't noticed. I have never tried to do something like a sound walk in a place with so many noises.

When I walked outside, the first noise I was able to hear were the numerous cars driving fast. I walked on the traffic heavy road for another ten minutes. I started to notice how different each car sounded and that some were really loud, and others had a rhythm to their engines. During those ten minutes there was also a great deal of honking. It was also nice to hear the shift from cars driving to the semi-silence of the stoplight. I moved over to a different street that has more foot traffic. I walked under the train tracks and listened to the train roar through the station in both directions. The sound of the train drowns out so much while it's going by. I kept walking and started hearing a lot more human noises. There were the usual people on Broadway selling incense  and other stuff. They were all talking about the weather when I went by. There was the sound of the Halal truck, the man said hi to me and I waved back. He was chopping up some meat for a customer, the sound of his knife and the sizzle of food was audible over all the other street noises. I kept walking, I passed by a man singing and then by a church where the congregation was singing, listening to the music of the band, and the words of their preacher.  I overheard the words a couple exchanged while walking by, and the sound of the girlfriends heels. And then a plane flew overhead, and I thought about how difficult it is for me to try and hear the sounds above me when there are so many sounds on my level.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Artist Statement


When I wake each morning, there is a moment when I am struck by what it means to be alive. Each of us experience these moments differently, but they are part of what make us individuals and what connects us as humans. In my work I hope to share my view on what it means to live in a changing world. Through pictures and stories I hope to convey the colors, places, and people that are important to me, and the experiences I have had. Since I was a child, I've had the opportunity to board planes and see and experience new parts of the world. Through my travels I have realized both the importance of capturing moments. either through pictures or a story, but also letting some experiences come and go, allowing my memory to shape those moments how it likes.

I’m interested in stories that can capture an audiences attention for long periods of time, or in the case of an amazing television series, years. I find inspiration in many things, but Issa Rae's show Awkward Black Girl and her ability to create a show that portrays a black woman in a non-stereotypical has been helpful guiding me through the media frenzy.