I found it to be easy working with the camera. Compared to other cameras I worked with in the past, the digital camera was easy to operate and light in weight. I feel anyone can use this camera. All you have to do is "point and shoot," unlike other cameras that require you to adjust some functions. This is helpful if there is an object you want to capture and don't have a lot of time to make those adjustments. Because of this and other options, I feel I was able to project my Strategy into my video successfully. In an ideal world, my camera would choose the best photos automatically and put them in categories as well.
The video-editing software I used was iMovie. I have used this program several times in the past. I edited some small experimental films for a neighbor using iMovie. Some may not like this program but I find it easy to use, without the complications of having to log your footage. You just connect your camera to the computer and press the import button. However, this semester was a unique experience because I had the opportunity to use different sounds, other than the ones on the videos. Since I am comfortable with this program at this point, I will continue to use iMovie and then begin to use other programs such as FinalCut Pro.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Reading Response 2
The article I have chosen to read is "On the Aesthetics of Urban Walking and Writing" by Phillip Lopate. I chose to read this article because the title alone captured my attention. I asked myself what this title is referring to and how the author was going to explain what this meant. As I began to read the opening paragraph, I felt that I was going to go on a journey through his words and feel what he felt during his walk.
One of the main points of this article deals with the idea of walking. Lopate explains that anyone who goes on a walk, may find that they will become lost in thought and become part of the surroundings. Walking takes people to different places and develops new emotions. In addition, you will experience new places you never thought existed, including the objects within that area and taking everyday life. The author tells us about his walking experience, how they evolved as he got older. He loved walking when he was younger, but now he realizes he can walk whenever he feels like it. Also, he talks about the various people he has come across and how the streets helped to guide him on his walk. Another point Lopate illustrates is how other authors have written about walking and the experiences one could have during their walk.
The ideas that are illustrated in this article relate to me as a media artist because I have felt the same experiences as Lopate. I now realize that you can use the streets around you to map out your walk. You can use this method to expolore new details in everyday life that you otherwise would not notice had you not been walking. By walking, you can become involved with nature and even get lost in thought. I have personally become so involved in one of my walks, that I did not realize the specific noises around me. It was as if they blended together, making natural music. When I was younger, I would just simply go for a walk without a purpose. Just like the author, I now seem to enjoy and appreciate walking more because of the experiences I can have.
One of the main points of this article deals with the idea of walking. Lopate explains that anyone who goes on a walk, may find that they will become lost in thought and become part of the surroundings. Walking takes people to different places and develops new emotions. In addition, you will experience new places you never thought existed, including the objects within that area and taking everyday life. The author tells us about his walking experience, how they evolved as he got older. He loved walking when he was younger, but now he realizes he can walk whenever he feels like it. Also, he talks about the various people he has come across and how the streets helped to guide him on his walk. Another point Lopate illustrates is how other authors have written about walking and the experiences one could have during their walk.
The ideas that are illustrated in this article relate to me as a media artist because I have felt the same experiences as Lopate. I now realize that you can use the streets around you to map out your walk. You can use this method to expolore new details in everyday life that you otherwise would not notice had you not been walking. By walking, you can become involved with nature and even get lost in thought. I have personally become so involved in one of my walks, that I did not realize the specific noises around me. It was as if they blended together, making natural music. When I was younger, I would just simply go for a walk without a purpose. Just like the author, I now seem to enjoy and appreciate walking more because of the experiences I can have.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Audio Hardware/Software Responses
Building the microphones was a new experience for me. I have soldered before, yet building the microphones involved more concentration and patience for me. My experience with the microphone build was exactly what I thought it would be like. I did have complications with the solder on the wires. The solder fused together on one microphone and shorted it out. I had to go back, clean up the capsule and re-solder the wires onto the capsule. It was more difficult to take off the wires than it was to solder them on again. My microphone rig did work until one point where the clips came off because the tape did not hold. I was able to capture some close-up sounds, yet I did not have too many opportunities to take advantage of. My ideal microphone set up involves smaller microphones that can be easily hidden and can adjust to the noise levels automatically. In addition, the recorder would have unlimited space so you do not have to worry about running out of memory and the recorder would not have any batteries.
I did not have a difficult time with the mini-disc recorder. After going through the set-up steps several times, the process became routine and did not have to look back to the sheet with the set-up steps. The mini-disc recorder was different from other devices I used because it had more steps to follow and had more features such as adjusting the volume depending on the type of noise. On other recorders, you do not have that option. In an ideal world, the recorder did not need a disc or at least, the disc would be smaller and would hold more information. In addition, the recorder would not need to run on batteries. The audio-editing software I chose to use is Audacity. I have never used this software before and was completely new to me. I chose this software because I felt that I could easily use it and understand all the functions it has to offer. Since this was my first time using Audacity, I ran into some complications. I was not sure where my saved projects would go and where my initials recordings would go. I also thought about what would happen if I deleted something I did not want to delete. After becoming more experienced with the software, I will use Audacity for future projects again.
I did not have a difficult time with the mini-disc recorder. After going through the set-up steps several times, the process became routine and did not have to look back to the sheet with the set-up steps. The mini-disc recorder was different from other devices I used because it had more steps to follow and had more features such as adjusting the volume depending on the type of noise. On other recorders, you do not have that option. In an ideal world, the recorder did not need a disc or at least, the disc would be smaller and would hold more information. In addition, the recorder would not need to run on batteries. The audio-editing software I chose to use is Audacity. I have never used this software before and was completely new to me. I chose this software because I felt that I could easily use it and understand all the functions it has to offer. Since this was my first time using Audacity, I ran into some complications. I was not sure where my saved projects would go and where my initials recordings would go. I also thought about what would happen if I deleted something I did not want to delete. After becoming more experienced with the software, I will use Audacity for future projects again.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
10 Questions
1) Are there any unique man-made sounds such as a fountain or tools being used?
2) What area was the most unique in terms of visual stimulation?
3) Which area produced the most useful sounds?
4) Is there an area where I can produce different angles or views using that area or the objects in
that area?
5) Which area produces different, yet, unique sounds both at day and nighttime?
6) Which area tends to have more people around it?
7) Are there any interesting twists or turns during the sound walk?
8) Are there any obstacles I have to go through to get to a certain area?
9) Where can I find a place that is surrounded by buildings and does not contain a high population of people?
10) When is the best time of day to capture sounds?
2) What area was the most unique in terms of visual stimulation?
3) Which area produced the most useful sounds?
4) Is there an area where I can produce different angles or views using that area or the objects in
that area?
5) Which area produces different, yet, unique sounds both at day and nighttime?
6) Which area tends to have more people around it?
7) Are there any interesting twists or turns during the sound walk?
8) Are there any obstacles I have to go through to get to a certain area?
9) Where can I find a place that is surrounded by buildings and does not contain a high population of people?
10) When is the best time of day to capture sounds?
Monday, October 20, 2008
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.)
I was aggravated that I could not find too many unique sounds or at least sounds that were different from each other. I was also frustrated because I was, in a way, constrained to one area on my sound walk. This did not allow me to find too many sounds. Some of my sounds were too short to do anything with them.
2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.
I felt at ease when I was walking past a dog. I was unusually at ease because I did not notice the dog barking until I had walked in front of it. I was getting used to my surroundings at that point. I actually felt so comfortable, that I stood in one place until I thought I had enough sound recorded. In addition, I felt at ease when I entered a neighborhood that I was not familiar with, which made up most of my drift walk. Even though I was in an area I knew little about, I was still at ease.
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!)
One surprise that I came across was the sound of a dog barking. I didn’t hear the dog barking until I was directly in front of it. The sound of the dog barking blended in with the background noises, which made it hard for me to recognize what was going on until I reached the dog. Second, as I was walking through the neighborhoods, I would pass people and some of them would look at me in a strange way, possibly because I was wearing the microphones. In addition, others would walk by and just simply say hi and not give a reaction. I was surprised nobody asked what I was doing and what the two “things” were on me. Finally, I did not expect to get lost, yet somehow I did. I thought about where I wanted to walk but made some bad choices, meaning bad turns. At one point, I was unsure if I was going to make back to my starting point. However, I just looked at the street numbers to help guide me. What surprised me was that nobody seemed to be too worried about me when I returned. However, it was a great experience altogether.
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.
My favorite experience was listening to all the people around me and seeing what they had to say. At those moments, I got a glimpse into how they were feeling and the things that were on their mind. People just carried on doing what they either had to do or what they wanted to do that day without me getting in the way. For example, I captured the sounds of men moving objects into a moving truck. In order to get enough sound recording, I stood there until they entered the house again. They saw me standing there and they just continued with what they were doing without asking why I was standing there. I thought they certainly were going to say something to me but they did not. It was one of the most unique experiences in my life to see how the world, or at least a small portion of Milwaukee, continued to move and progress while I was on my sound walk.
I was aggravated that I could not find too many unique sounds or at least sounds that were different from each other. I was also frustrated because I was, in a way, constrained to one area on my sound walk. This did not allow me to find too many sounds. Some of my sounds were too short to do anything with them.
2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.
I felt at ease when I was walking past a dog. I was unusually at ease because I did not notice the dog barking until I had walked in front of it. I was getting used to my surroundings at that point. I actually felt so comfortable, that I stood in one place until I thought I had enough sound recorded. In addition, I felt at ease when I entered a neighborhood that I was not familiar with, which made up most of my drift walk. Even though I was in an area I knew little about, I was still at ease.
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!)
One surprise that I came across was the sound of a dog barking. I didn’t hear the dog barking until I was directly in front of it. The sound of the dog barking blended in with the background noises, which made it hard for me to recognize what was going on until I reached the dog. Second, as I was walking through the neighborhoods, I would pass people and some of them would look at me in a strange way, possibly because I was wearing the microphones. In addition, others would walk by and just simply say hi and not give a reaction. I was surprised nobody asked what I was doing and what the two “things” were on me. Finally, I did not expect to get lost, yet somehow I did. I thought about where I wanted to walk but made some bad choices, meaning bad turns. At one point, I was unsure if I was going to make back to my starting point. However, I just looked at the street numbers to help guide me. What surprised me was that nobody seemed to be too worried about me when I returned. However, it was a great experience altogether.
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.
My favorite experience was listening to all the people around me and seeing what they had to say. At those moments, I got a glimpse into how they were feeling and the things that were on their mind. People just carried on doing what they either had to do or what they wanted to do that day without me getting in the way. For example, I captured the sounds of men moving objects into a moving truck. In order to get enough sound recording, I stood there until they entered the house again. They saw me standing there and they just continued with what they were doing without asking why I was standing there. I thought they certainly were going to say something to me but they did not. It was one of the most unique experiences in my life to see how the world, or at least a small portion of Milwaukee, continued to move and progress while I was on my sound walk.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Reading Response
The article I selected to read was "On A Clear Day I Can Hear Forever" by Gary Ferrington. I chose to read this article because the title captured my attention. The title mixes what you associate with sight (a clear day) and hearing. With this in mind, I was curious to find out what the author meant and how he was going to explain this to the reader.
The article discusses the life of the man in a city. He describes the different noises he encounters every day. Some are identifiable, daily noises, while others are hard to make out. He then continues by stating when the seasons change, the noises also tend to change. For example, Ferrington says when it is winter or is a clear day, the city becomes more quiet than usual. It is this description that gives the article it's title, "On A Clear Day I Can Hear Forever." In addition, he states that the day starts off quiet but then as the day progresses, the noises increase.
The ideas in the article are relevant to my own practice as a media artist because they discuss the variety of sounds that can be heard. The article teaches to listen to our surroundings and we will notice sounds that we have not been aware of before. In addition, we begin to recognize more sounds and associate them with objects. Finally, we can possibly associate the various sounds with time, if the sounds are routine. For example, a garbage truck usually comes the same time each time it picks up garbage. A person will know what time it is simply by hearing the garbage truck.
Erik Wagner
T.A. Heidi Spencer
The article discusses the life of the man in a city. He describes the different noises he encounters every day. Some are identifiable, daily noises, while others are hard to make out. He then continues by stating when the seasons change, the noises also tend to change. For example, Ferrington says when it is winter or is a clear day, the city becomes more quiet than usual. It is this description that gives the article it's title, "On A Clear Day I Can Hear Forever." In addition, he states that the day starts off quiet but then as the day progresses, the noises increase.
The ideas in the article are relevant to my own practice as a media artist because they discuss the variety of sounds that can be heard. The article teaches to listen to our surroundings and we will notice sounds that we have not been aware of before. In addition, we begin to recognize more sounds and associate them with objects. Finally, we can possibly associate the various sounds with time, if the sounds are routine. For example, a garbage truck usually comes the same time each time it picks up garbage. A person will know what time it is simply by hearing the garbage truck.
Erik Wagner
T.A. Heidi Spencer
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Soundwalk
I was able to find places where I could really listen such as a park and a neighborhood. It was possible to move without making a sound. When I plugged my ears, the sound(s) around me became muffled and then I was able to make out the sounds clearly after I unplugged my ears. The types of sounds that I was able to hear were vehicles passing by, people talking, children yelling and playing, and electric saw being operated. In addition, I heard the wind blowing through the trees and an airplane flying over. I think I was able to recognize most, if not, all of the sounds that i could hear. The human sounds that I heard were people talking and coughing. The mechanical sounds that I heard were cars passing by, an airplane passing over and a saw being operated. Finally, the natural sounds that I heard were the wind blowing, a bug making a noise, and a dog barking.
I was not able to detect subtleties in the everpresent drone. Some noises that were extremely close were the airplane flying over, cars passing by, and the sound of footsteps. Also, some noises that were far away were the wind blowing through trees in the distance and children playing and yelling. The wind blew the leaves across the ground and shook the trees that surrounded us. I was not able to intervene in the urban landscape except for the sound that my feet made as a walked down the sidewalk. After going on the soundwalk, I have a new appreciation of the sounds of our landscape/cityscape. I think that the soundwalk will affect my practice as a media artist because I appreciate the ability even more to hear the sounds of everyday life and have a new perspective on sound.
I was not able to detect subtleties in the everpresent drone. Some noises that were extremely close were the airplane flying over, cars passing by, and the sound of footsteps. Also, some noises that were far away were the wind blowing through trees in the distance and children playing and yelling. The wind blew the leaves across the ground and shook the trees that surrounded us. I was not able to intervene in the urban landscape except for the sound that my feet made as a walked down the sidewalk. After going on the soundwalk, I have a new appreciation of the sounds of our landscape/cityscape. I think that the soundwalk will affect my practice as a media artist because I appreciate the ability even more to hear the sounds of everyday life and have a new perspective on sound.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)