Final Project

https://vimeo.com/378877545

Guest Lecture Reflection

The lecture provided by Kirsten Johnson was nothing like what I expected it to be. I was expecting most of the lecture to be Kirsten explaining her creative process for Cameraperson, but what I got instead was an interesting conversation about self-expression and how we as people relate to each other. Her pacing throughout the classroom, which at first felt a little uncomfortable for me, soon changed into something very engaging. There were a few times I caught myself looking at and dissecting her outfit instead of listening to what she was saying. I enjoyed the fact that her lecture had a sort of improvisational aspect to it. It seemed like everything that she discussed came organically from just speaking to different people in the classroom. I really enjoyed the short film of hers that was shown, and I loved how she actively took input from people in the class and seemed like she genuinely learned something from the class. I'll admit that I did not watch Cameraperson before this lecture, but I will definitely be checking it out now. 

Shot Relationship: American Psycho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ440xOiyho


In this scene of American Psycho, the main character Patrick Bateman is trying to break up with his girlfriend Evelyn. At the start of the scene we see a close up of Patrick drawing on the table cloth, while the camera slowly pans to the left, showing that he's barely touched his dessert. In terms of editing, the scene is made up of mostly eye-line match shots between Patrick and Evelyn, with cuts made back and forth once they finish their lines. Starting at 0:12 we are shown a two shot of Patrick and Evelyn, so that we can see where exactly Evelyn is gesturing towards. Specifically at 1:04 a cut is made to show the action of Patrick grabbing and putting down Evelyn's arm in a smooth motion. Starting from 1:12, we have the longest shot of Evelyn in the whole scene, and the only time Patrick says anything without the camera on him. This might have been down in order to show the emotion on Evelyns face as she realizes Patrick really does want to end their relationship. At 1:36 we get the widest shot of the scene, in order to show the reaction of everyone in the restaurant due to Evelyn's crying. At 1:50 Patrick makes a sudden move toward Evelyn, forcing the camera to make a quick adjustment down. Finally at the end of the scene, we see Patrick get up and start to walk away from the table. At 2:04 we can see that where Evelyn's eyes are looking is exactly where Patrick is in the next shot.

Interview Project

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

Sound Walk

I decided to undertake my sound walk while walking my dog around my neighborhood of Kew Gardens/Jamaica in Queens. The weather happened to be very tame, without much sound of blowing wind. It was early afternoon so, since the morning rush had ended, I would hear a car approach and drive away every so often. The jingling of my dogs collar was a constant sound throughout the walk, something that I had not really noticed in the past because of the music being played too loud as usual into my ears. However, it soon became like background noise, and I hardly noticed it after a while. At a certain point I heard the barking of a couple of dogs in the distance. It didn't sound like they were getting along. A man walked by who was in the middle of a phone call, talking way too loud at that. I had heard some rustling in the trees, most likely coming from some squirrels. Eventually, I noticed that I was not thinking about much of anything. I was simply taking in and enjoying the sounds of the environment around me. I was noticing how I was breathing, and correcting it, almost as if I was doing some sort of meditation. This sound walk was almost like an exercise in mindfulness, and I think I will challenge myself to do it consistently.    

Libray Video Project

https://vimeo.com/362388925

Artist Statement

              My biggest inspiration in life is music, and if one day I get to work in a field that is at least a tiny bit related to it, I would be 100% fulfilled. Music has been the one stable thing in my life that brings me true, untainted joy. It may not be able to completely solve the issues in my life, but it absolutely gives me a break from them. I wouldn't say that there was a defining moment in my life that made me so infatuated with music, I think at some point something just clicked. In high school I made the conscience decision to always look for new and different music to listen to, and become as well versed as a person can be.

              I'm inspired by musicians who give all of the attention to the music their creating, such as the rapper MF Doom, who has not even shown his face since taking up his super-villain persona. Their is no ego or unnecessary frills when it comes to artists such as him; the music they create speaks for itself. I want to exercise this philosophy with whatever I end up creating in my life. I want my art to exist on its own. Overall, I think my ultimate goal is to just be able to share the joy that music gives me to other people, possibly in the form of a radio or podcast show.