Light Observation 2

For my second light observation, I looked at the light coming through the window of my girlfriends apartment. The blinds are usually completely closed, which blocks out the majority of the light entering into the apartment. However, a little bit of light comes through the cracks created by the blinds, casting unique and uniform shadows on the wall and floor. The light coming through the blinds gleams over the individual blinds, creating a unique gradient, separating the light and shadows in a very satisfying way. Its simple light patterns like this that make me appreciate how cool something you look at everyday can look if the light hits it in the right way.

Light Observation 1

For my first light observation, I looked at the sunset over the Wilmington skyline. For some reason, the sunset over Wilmington always has so many vibrant colors and beautiful gradients. The sunset seems to start early around 5 o'clock when the sun starts casting a warmer orange color across the sky. Throughout the duration of the sunset, the colors in the sky change to be dark orange, yellow, red, purple, and blue, until the sun completely sets. Since the sunset lasts so long, you can see all of the different colors throughout the duration of the sunset. Although it looks beautiful, the sunset reminds you that there is a lot of pollution in the sky. A haze can normally be seen across the bottom of the horizon, and although minimal, is still a significant amount of pollution. Despite the pollution aching the sky, the sunset still remains a gorgeous sight to see.

Lynne Sachs Interview Reflection

After reading Lynne Sachs' interview with Karen Rester, it became clear to me that Lynne was a very curious person. She seems like a person who wants to learn more about people and the world while showing what she has learned to the rest of the world. Her discussion about filming in the Mississippi Delta and Chinatown was very interesting, mainly about what new things she learned and the previous thoughts she had about the people and places where she filmed. Her passion for the arts speaks loudly to me, and I want to incorporate that passion into my works. She does not seem afraid to hold back on her thoughts, but mainly she seems like she constantly wants to learn. I want to achieve that same mentality and outlook on life, for I am constantly learning new things every day. The interview was a wonderful read, and I cannot wait to see Lynne speak during her presentation at UNCW

Tornado: Lynne Sachs Film Reflection

After watching a few of Lynne Sachs' films, I've come to enjoy her film "Tornado" the most. Although it was not the most visually interesting film in her catalog, the message conveyed by her was touching. The film discusses the chaotic events of 9/11 and the events leading up to that day, reflecting on how the world changed in an instant and the immediate impact felt. While watching the film for the first time, I noticed a pair of hands holding a torn piece of paper with a calendar date showing September 8th, 2001. After she starts talking about 9/11, the message immediately clicked with me. There is a possibility that the piece of paper in the film was part of the actual wreckage from 9/11. Overall, I thought the film showcased a very tragic event in a completely new and original way, and I respect Lynne Sachs tremendously for her creativity

Assignment 1B reflection

The second part of our sound design project was a blast. Working with Ben was very rewarding since we both shared similar creative ideas, resulting in a steady yet original work flow. We bounced ideas back and forth constantly, always coming up with a new way to present our project with unique effects and audio tricks. I learned that it is very difficult to come up with a sound scape out of thin air, but if you have a goal in mind and a few good ideas, anything is possible. I hope that Ben and I will be able to work together again in the future, and I'm very happy with how our sound project turned out. If we had to do it again I would make it a bit creepier, but I'm happy with what we accomplished.

Synesthesia and Cymatics

Synesthesia and Cymatics are two forms of audiovisual techniques for communicating sound in a visual medium. Synesthesia is a condition where people see, taste, and feel different things from seeing different symbols. For example, some people mey see the color purple when looking at the number 2, they might taste chicken when seeing the word “dave”, and so on. This phenomenon allows people to look at symbols and words in a completely different way from other people; it allows them to look deeper into the meaning of words and also helps with remembering different characteristic and traits of people.  

Cymatics, on the other hand, is the transmission of sounds in a visible medium. For example, sound waves can be transferred into a machine with a plate on top covered in sand. The sound waves create different patterns in the sand based on the sounds frequency. Another example is placing different fluids onto a speaker. The vibrations coming from the speaker creates different patterns in the liquid. This technique allows people to visualize different frequencies of sound through the addition of visual aides. Cymatics and Synesthesia help people look at sounds in a new, interactive way. By studying these different forms of sound design, it will inspire people to use these techniques to create original forms of art.

Sound Recording Experience

My sound recording experience was wonderful. My group members, Christian, Catherine, and Matt all did a wonderful job with recording high quality sound. It was fun being able to wander around campus recording different sounds. Our group was very creative with different sounds we wanted to record, especially the ones we recorded with our voices. We organized our time so we could block out enough time to get all the sounds we need, along with setting specific dates for editing. This allowed for an efficient work flow. It would be wonderful if this group could work together again in the future, but it will be exciting to be able to work with other groups on different projects.