Taylor Engelsman Crit

Taylor's research video piece is about Syracuse University, the video is made up of different shots of various places on campus such as the quad, the bus station, the Hall of Languages, Crouse, etc. Anyone who goes to SU or is familiar with the campus will know what is being shown in each of the shots. Each video clip has a nice looking composition, and there's a very aesthetic quality about the entire piece as a whole. It's simple and there's not much use of sound except for the very end of the piece, but I think it works because it allows you to really pay attention and focus on the images. There's one clip in particular of a sunset that had a total duration of about 45-50 minutes but it has been sped up and now has a very nice look to it, I think it's one of the highlights of the piece.

3 Things I Learned In Class 4/20/2007

1. How use of monotonous video footage can create a feeling of frustration, I don't know how Andy Warhol could make an 8hr video of the Empire and expect people to enjoy it, I honestly would probably have to leave after 5 minutes.

2. How to use a video camera to create a narrative, with a video camera my two partners and I recorded our characters using different cinematic techniques so that we could put together a video narrative.

3. How to edit video footage using iMovie, it was pretty much the same as editing with stills so it didn't take long to figure everything out.

3 Things I Learned In Class 3/23/2007

1. I learned about clips of video that are originally meant to represent one thing can be manipulated to mean something entirely different, especially when the right music or sounds are used to evoke certain emotions. The video clip by DJ Spooky demonstrated this.

2. I learned how to upload pictures into iMovie and edit the compilation. The duration of time for each photo can be changed so that certain photos and sounds are synchronized.

3. I learned that sometimes you do things in sound and video pieces intuitively that work out nicely, overthinking things can sometimes have negative outcomes.

3 Things I Learned In Class 3/9/2007

1. I learned how changes in the amount of photos taken over a given time can manipulate perceptions of time. For example a smaller number of frames taken over a long period of time will seem a lot slower than a large number of frames taken over a short period of time.

2. I learned that in some cases the use of sound can also change perceptions of time, it's a little harder to explain but one example might be the way the use of repetition with a sound or series of sounds can seem to create a slower sense of time especially when the sounds are slow and drawn out with a long duration.

3. I learned how to upload and edit photos in iMovie, I didn't really get that much time to experiment with it but it seems pretty straight forward.

Why I Run

3 Things I Learned In Class 3/2/2007

1. I learned the importance of taking a problem, making sure all the necessary questions are answered/analyzing the problem before conceptualize different solutions to the problem.

2. I observed the importance of making sure certain sounds don't drown out others in a piece. I also noticed how in the narrative professional piece there was one section where the background sound drowns out the narration.

3. I learned how sometimes researching and coming up with a plan for an assignment can make it easier produce effective results. I planned out how I want my research project to work and what questions I want to have answered, I'm feeling pretty good about this project right now.

nike running ad

I posted this video because I think it is a good demonstration of something I want to explain in my research sound project. When you run for a long distance you inevitably reach a point where your body and your mind begin to suffer from fatigue, at this point it feels as though there's a voice telling you to stop running. This is where mental toughness becomes a major part of running, you have to be able to ignore that and just continue to run. This nike ad illustrates this nicely.

Research Sound Project - Running

1. The topics I'm considering are Running, Basketball and Graffiti.

2. The top 6 questions that I received for Running were:
1) What kind of mind state are people in when they run?
2) Why do people run past their limit?
3) Why do people even like running?
4) How mentally tough does one have to be in order to complete a marathon?
5) What does running have to do with the way we see ourselves?
6) How do you metaphorically run/run away

3. I've already recorded some sounds but I'm planning to record more sounds this weekend.

4. The topic of running matters to me because it's something that I've been doing for years and enjoy, but It's hard to explain to people why I enjoy it and I think this assignment might help me do that.

5. The challenges I see in creating the project are mainly in collecting sounds that I can't record in person (i.e. a cheetah would be hard to find). Also I'm planning to add a sort of poetic narrative over a series of running sounds that both reflect the state of mind of a runner and explain why I enjoy running personally, so coming up with that poem could take some time.

Research Sound - Professional Examples

For the professional examples I decided to comment on Artificial Treatment and Territories de Sans Blanc because I found them both to be very similar in essence but different compositionally.

I found Artificial Treatment to be interesting because of the strange way these very artifical mechanical sounds seemed to work together. The timber was generally the same throughout the piece so that may be the reason that all the sounds seemed to blend together well, but the use of the different pitches and tones also worked in a an interesting way. The piece was almost irritating yet soothing at the same time and it's kind of hard for me to explain why exactly. There were also some occasionaly uses of rhythm throughout the piece created by a few repetitive mechanical sounds.

Territories de Sans Blanc worked in much of the same way that Artificial Treatment did, it used the same artifical/mechanical sounds with a sense of imber that was generally the same. The tones in Territories de Sans Blanc also seemed to have that irritating yet soothing quality. My only criticism about this piece is that it seemed to lack the variety that was present in Artificial Treatment and I think that's where Artificial Treatment seemed to break away from Territories de Sans Blanc.

I liked both pieces, I think that they both seemed to have an aesthetic quality about them that was somewhat pleasing, I just think Artificial Treatment was a little better compositionally.

Research Sound - Student Examples

Of the student research sound examples that I found there were two that I found particularly interesting one was about poetry and the other was about attention deficit disorder.

I guess I found the piece on poetry interesting because it both describes the art of writing poetry and gives examples of different types of poetry. Not only does the piece accomplish this but it accomplishes it in a very poetic way, the rhythmic beating of the drum in the background sounds a lot like one of those drums you might hear someone playing at a poetry reading while they recite poems, and the use of different voices all work together in this very poetic fluid way that is both informative yet interesting because of the way the voices overlap.

I found the piece on A.D.D. to be similar to the poetry piece in the sense that it was also narrative, but what I found especially interesting about this piece was the way all the voices jumbled together sounds like the thoughts and voices that might be going through someone with A.D.D. and I thought the way the artist did this is what took the piece to the next level. There are also a few instances throughout the piece where you get a real clear sense of who the person is that actually has A.D.D., for example there's one case where there's a voice that says "I'm so bored, but yet I'm still hyper" and then there's something about his head feeling like "a million people jogging an olympic race." The piece also finishes with a voice saying "Andrew pay attention," which I find to be a really nice touch, it's almost as though the entire piece was just the person with A.D.D. wondering off thinking about all these things when really they should be paying attention to something else. This is a good example of creating a situation or narrative that conveys the point through the use of structure and composition rather than just words alone, and I found it really effective.

Neither one of these pieces really seems to focus on pitch, tone or timber all that much, although they are all used in some way. The main focus of these pieces seems to be in the narrative and although that's different from the representational and abstract sounds that we have been studying, I think they both work nicely.

Haley Uyrus - Abstract Sound

Listening to Haley's abstract rhythm file there is a pretty good sense of rhythm being demonstrated through the use of the metallic tapping, the potato chip crunch sounds and the ticking of a clock. There are some sounds at the end of the file that are a little more abstract and harder to determine what they are but they sound like they work rhythmically. My only criticism is that the sounds at the beginning are a little repetitive and I kind of want to hear a little more of the variety that there is at the end of the piece earlier. Also the ambient machine sound in the background along with some of the more random sounds sound a little more like pitch. Overall I still think it's a good piece.

Hayley's abstract pitch file works really well there's clearly a a range of different pitches and tones and the variety of timber is also very effective. The piece may use ordered language but I think the ways in which the language is manipulated works as it becomes very abstract. The end of the piece seems a little too different from the beginning of the piece and it could use something to relate it back to the beginning. The idea of adding an extra "you can't do the switch" at the end, which was mentioned in class, might be a good idea.

3 Things I Learned In Class 2/23/2007

1. I learned how certain aspects of a sound art piece like pauses, timing, transitioning and variety can really contribute to what makes a sound piece interesting to the listener. I'll definitely make an effort to pay extra attention to these things in my next assignment.

2. I learned that the ways in which sounds are manipulated can really create an emotional impact for the listener, certain sounds can be used in a way that makes them humorous or frightening and a number of other various emotions simply because of the ways in which the pitch, tone, etc. were manipulated.

3. I learned how to take a concept and develop it in a quick and efficient way with the help of other people. I usually like to brainstorm on my own and then have other people give me feedback, but having other people help me brainstorm ideas for this next assignment was very effective today.

Into The Zone

What does it mean to be in the “zone”?

I think being in the zone means to be in a mental state of complete focus and concentration, that enables you to perform physical tasks to the best of you're ability despite any sort of fatigue.

When have you been in the “zone”?

I guess I've been in the zone a few times during both cross country and track meets, I just got to the point where I felt as though I was able to run faster and all the fatigue that I had been feeling just seemed to pass. I think I've been in the zone a few other times when playing sports recreationally but it's hard to remember specific times.

What exactly enabled you to get into the “zone”? Please be specific.

I'm not really sure, usually before I compete I listen to music and sometimes while I'm in the middle of competing I get this sort of beat in my head that get's me into this sort of physical rhythm and I just start to relax and focus on what I'm doing and block out everything else.

How could learning about methods or tactics for getting into the “zone” help you with your Research Sound project?

I don't know maybe I could study the songs I used to listen to to prepare myself for competitions and see if I could put together some sort of compilation that has a similar feeling or effect that the songs had.

3 Things I Learned In Class 2/9/2007

1. I learned how to observe and listen carefully to representational sounds and use those observations to make conclusions about what the sound is and where it is in relation to the space it occupies. This will help me improve my representational sound composition.

2. I learned how to listen to abstract sounds and comment on them using terminology like pitch, timber, tone, tempo, etc. I got a better understanding of what all these terms mean as well.

3. I learned how to take normal sounds and alter them in ways that make them sound entirely abstract, using Sound Studio. I altered the sounds by changing the pitch, tempo, amplitude and volume.

Response to Abstract Sound

Assign2_aroskopf

This example has a clear sense of rhythm, and it's all very sequential as there's really only one series of sounds being used in a continuous loop, the way in which the pitch is changed adds a lot of variety to the sounds though. There's a series of three sounds being used here including something like a gurgling water sound a brushing shh sound and a very animated cartoon like laugh all being used in that sequence, so it seems fairly simple but the way in which the pitch and tempo of the sounds being played back changes really makes the piece. The The three sounds work together fairly well despite a clear difference in timber and there's no real emphasis on any single sound which I think is good being as there are only three sounds being used.

Response to The Art of Noises and John Cage Questions

The Art of Noises

1. How do you think Russolo would feel in a world without simultaneous sound? Explain your answer based upon what you have learned about Russolo’s philosophies of sound from this article.

Russolo would probably be happy in a world with simultaneous sound, but then again he would probably argue that we're already living in a world with simultaneous sound. There is a difference between sound and noise though and I think Russolo might be even happier in a world with simultanesous noise being as he described the sounds of war as an "orchestra" of noise, then again if there were simultaneous noise I guess it would eventually lose it's effect and uniqueness.

2. Does Russolo value “noise”? Do you value it? Why or why not?

Yes he does, I guess I do sometimes but not nearly to the extent that Russolo does, I guess I do just because there are some noises that just have a sort of nostalgic quality that I appreciate.

3. What is the role of noise in the media you enjoy? (games; films; radio; news; music)

Well... noise, especially ambient noise, in films and video games gives the media a greater sense of realism that you just couldn't get without it. As far as radio, news & music I don't really think noise plays that large a role, radio stations and music occasionally use sound effects but I wouldn't say the noises are essential and news is more dependent on the information that is being provided not the noises.

4. What do Cage and Russolo have in common?

Both Cage and Russolo clearly have a strong appretiation for sounds and/or noises, Cage seemed to have a more active role in contributing to the art of noise, but Russolo was most likely a great influence and motivator for musicians like Cage.

John Cage

1. Can you imagine a current day performance that would attune people to their surroundings with a similar effect?

The only thing I can think of is concerts in different locations or a CD that just records the ambient sounds of different locations like city streets, a shopping mall, the highway, etc.

2. Do you think John Cage ripped off his audience, or provided them with something profound? Or do you have a different opinion entirely?

I think it depends, if he charged a large ammount of money for tickets then I would probably say he ripped them off, but I guess he ripped them off and provided them with something profound at the same time.

3. Explain your answer to question 2.

Cage may have provided his audience with something profound but the fact that he litterally did nothing and pretty much had the audience do all the work doesn't seem like something that he should be paid for. It would also be very easy to misunderstand the whole point of the performance without some sort of explaination and from what I've hearned he didn't provide that after the performance.

3 Things I Learned In Class 2/2/2007

1. I learned how to take recorded sounds and edit them using Sound Studio, I'm not completely comfortable using it right now but I think I could get used to it.

2. I learned how to compile the representational sounds I collected using the recorder and compile them into a single audio composition. Unfortunately there was some sort of distortion when I tried to reload it after exiting Sound Studio, so I'll probably have to redo the work I did in class during studio hours.

3. I learned how to convert mp3 audio files into AIFF files... the long way, I'll have to remember to convert them when I burn the CD next time.

3 Things I Learned In Class 1/26/07

1. I learned how to record sounds using an MDR Flash Player, which is basically a portable device not much larger than an I pod with a microphone attachment. The microphone was pretty sensitive and picked up very small sounds, it was also pretty easy to use.

2. I learned about the different ways in which sound is distorted when recording using a microphone and steps that can be taken to prevent these distortions. Being careful not to shake or bump the microphone or sheilding it from wind distortion just to name a couple.

3. I also learned how to take files recorded using the MDR Flash Player and import them into programs like iTunes and organize them so that they can be easily accessed at a later date. The whole process is pretty simple.

3 Things I Learned In Class 1/20/07

1. I've learned how to create a blog.

2. I've learned about more of the capabilities of macs and the programs that are available for them.

3. I heard about a website called pandora.com and looked into it on my own time. It's an interesting way to find out about differet artists and genres of music that appeal to me, but as of now I'm not so sure I preffer it to sharing music on iTunes.

Introductory Questions

INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS:

Please give me your name: Cameron Etheredge

Please give me your email address: cjethere@syr.edu

Phone: (if you are OK with having it online – otherwise please email it to me):

Cell phone if you have one: (if you are OK with having it online – otherwise please email it to me):

Do you know what you want to major in? Communications Design/Painting

Rate your experience level with MacIntosh computers: Medium
High Medium Low None

What programs are familiar to you?
Sound Programs: iTunes
Video Programs:
Others: Adobe Photoshop

Rate your experience level with digital still cameras: Medium
High Medium Low

Rate your experience level with digital video cameras: Low
High Medium Low

What motivates you to work hard? I just want to be successful in whatever I do

How would you define Time Based Art? Art that involves movement and/or a series of progressive events

If you had to choose between being a plastic surgeon and a police officer, which would you choose and WHY? I guess a police officer, it just seems more benificial to society in general

What aspect of your personality is most often misunderstood by others? My quiet nature

If you had an hour to spend do anything in the world, what would it be? I really don't know there are too many things I'd like to do to just choose one.

LEARNING STYLES:
Take the test at:

Learning Styles Test

http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

Are you more:
ACTIVE or REFLECTIVE? Active

SENSING or INTUITIVE? Intuitive

VISUAL or VERBAL? Visual

SEQUENTIAL or GLOBAL? Sequential

Are you on the extreme end of the scale for any of these styles (i.e. extremely global or extremely sequential?) Extremely visual

What are the three best tips for your learning styles you can gather from the site listed below? Read about the meaning of your results at:
1. Study in groups when going over course material
2. Use diagrams, charts, graphs and other visual tools when studying
3. Organize course information in a chronological order when reviewing

Learning Tips

posted by timearts @ 2:09 PM