Initial Reaction
ABSTRACTION is the art of distorting media or commonly understood articles of society in order to give them new meaning. Abstract arts comes in various different forms, often adopting different labels, the most prominent being experimental film, expressionist painting, and most of that which is often referred to as the "avant garde". Typically abstraction is characterized as something that goes against the mainstream, also euphemised as "poetic".
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QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS OF ABSTRACT SOUND
Focusing on : "Tyler_M_Rhythm2_Fri.wav"
1) This rhythm piece definitely emphasizes sequentiality. It establishes a couple simple study sounds that a student might hear and then adds to the sequences by slowly tacking on more sounds through 45 seconds of playtime. The structure is very simple but effective, as it's clear that one element was added to the sequence of already established sounds in order to build the rhythm.
2) For about two thirds of the piece, there are several small gaps of silent that break up the repeated sequences. The silences are more noticeable at first, as they slowly become unnoticeable after more elements are aded to the sequence. The dynamic range is quite diverse, since the levels of the sound bytes start small and insignificant and then grow louder and more prevalent as new elements are added. Although the beat remains constant through the whole piece, the illusion that it's getting faster is created as the more clips and added and the sounds becomes much busier.
The sound quality of several of the sounds is slightly distorted, probably because the mic was held too close. The duration also feels quite short, as a gradual build in the sequence never comes to a full climax and ends abruptly.
3) I don't feel too strongly about this piece. I appreciate the obvious concentration that went into pacing and the gradual layering of sounds, but ultimately the piece was too short and too cluttered to compel me or to communicate clearly the artist's motive. I came to the conclusion through the sighs and the crumpling of paper that there was a message of frustration in school work. If I had to guess, the piece is an abstraction of the emotions that a college student might go through during a late night of heavy schoolwork. Althoguh I do believe this message would be stronger if there was a more eclectic choice of sounds, in particular a shift of tone. All the sounds are very harsh sounding, which made it redundant.
4) Despite my above sentiments, the project did meet the criteria of objective 1-3. It's emphasis is clear, it experimented with variations of of silences, range, pace, and accent, and it transitioned well, with no glaring gaps that disrupted my listening experiences.
BONUS QUESTION
My thoughts and beliefs on abstraction are still the same, but I have been exposed to a wide variety of examples of abstractions since class began. It have given me some new ideas and has made me very excited to complete this project!
The idea of the spectrum, ranging between rhythmic based abstraction and ones based on pitch/tone/timbre are interesting, but I confess that I am not completely clear, and wish that I was! I have done my fair share of dabbling in the rhythmic side of the spectrum, and I sincerely want to do something on the other side. At this point in my career, if possible, I'd like to make something that I could one day use.
Question for Anne…
The idea of using harmonic tones or pitches and juxtaposing them with other sound abstractions is very appealing to me. I want to make something that is smooth and flowing and easy to listen to, but I feel like there will still be a rhythm, a specific succession, of the piece no matter what end of the spectrum I emphasize. I want to make sure my emphasis is clear. Am I thinking too much about this?
Thursday, September 29, 2011
UNOBVIOUS SOUND : Explained
Sound Assignment #2 : Written Assessment
My layer of "unobvious sound" consists of three sound tracks and one concise idea, stemming from experiences that I had during our recording sessions at the Archbold gym. While doing some primary recording of gym ambient, we recorded a conversation between two young men. They looked to be sophomores, and we simply sitting and shooting the breeze. But when I added this layer into my environmental soundscape, I listened to what they were saying, remembered my experience, and an idea was born.
The layers consist of the following:
1 ambient track of a boy's conversation
1 secondary track of a boy in pain
1 ambient-shifts-to-primary track of hard breathing, pain
I decided to incorporate these unobvious noises not by deliberately hiding them but by masking them slightly through adjusting sound levels, changing speed, and juxtaposing against harsher sounds. For example, the conversation in the beginning seems like just an ordinary inclusion of ambience. The hard breathing at the end starts distorted in a slow, low pitch, but then transitions to a normal sound. This stylized shift, including the intentional cell phone noises I added at the end, gave the piece a fractured, abrupt ending, which I liked a lot because it expresses that not all is well. The singling out of the harsh breathing at the end tells us that something is not right.
The purpose and the idea behind the sounds reflects the ironies and realities of young men's motives in going to the gym. It is so often used as an ego-boost for college boys to go to the gym and feel good about themselves by playing basketball, racquetball, or lifting weights. The cockiness or immaturity is symbolized by the conversation in the beginning, where they use explicit language and dumb humor when walking to the basketball courts. But the idea is that these are illusions that boys create in order to improve their image. When it comes down to it, the gym can be a very dangerous place. I have seen many guys get seriously hurt when playing basketball or racquetball. For example, last weekend a game had to be stopped because a boy started hyperventilating, which partly inspired the heavy breathing at the end. In a nutshell, the significance of the piece is about the young male hubris, and how even the most confident can be humbled, hurt, and scared by injuries or gym accidents. Perhaps, on a further level, it is a small commentary on the relationship between immaturity and reality.
There is great value and moral behind the significance of my unobvious sound because it is a universal fact. The gym is a prime place for boys to go and show off, but hubris and recklessness often lead to injury and pain. Archbold gymnasium is a prime example of this. Personally, I myself have suffered some harsh, embarrassing injuries at Syracuse's fine gym, and it was during a moment of bad judgment. The motive of the piece is certainly a relevant and valuable one. However, it is presented in a slightly avant garde way, and there may not be too much at stake by simply revealing the information without verbally explaining it. But when I do imagine explaining it, it's not something that any young man could deny. The relationship between ego and recklessness is undeniable.
My layer of "unobvious sound" consists of three sound tracks and one concise idea, stemming from experiences that I had during our recording sessions at the Archbold gym. While doing some primary recording of gym ambient, we recorded a conversation between two young men. They looked to be sophomores, and we simply sitting and shooting the breeze. But when I added this layer into my environmental soundscape, I listened to what they were saying, remembered my experience, and an idea was born.
The layers consist of the following:
1 ambient track of a boy's conversation
1 secondary track of a boy in pain
1 ambient-shifts-to-primary track of hard breathing, pain
I decided to incorporate these unobvious noises not by deliberately hiding them but by masking them slightly through adjusting sound levels, changing speed, and juxtaposing against harsher sounds. For example, the conversation in the beginning seems like just an ordinary inclusion of ambience. The hard breathing at the end starts distorted in a slow, low pitch, but then transitions to a normal sound. This stylized shift, including the intentional cell phone noises I added at the end, gave the piece a fractured, abrupt ending, which I liked a lot because it expresses that not all is well. The singling out of the harsh breathing at the end tells us that something is not right.
The purpose and the idea behind the sounds reflects the ironies and realities of young men's motives in going to the gym. It is so often used as an ego-boost for college boys to go to the gym and feel good about themselves by playing basketball, racquetball, or lifting weights. The cockiness or immaturity is symbolized by the conversation in the beginning, where they use explicit language and dumb humor when walking to the basketball courts. But the idea is that these are illusions that boys create in order to improve their image. When it comes down to it, the gym can be a very dangerous place. I have seen many guys get seriously hurt when playing basketball or racquetball. For example, last weekend a game had to be stopped because a boy started hyperventilating, which partly inspired the heavy breathing at the end. In a nutshell, the significance of the piece is about the young male hubris, and how even the most confident can be humbled, hurt, and scared by injuries or gym accidents. Perhaps, on a further level, it is a small commentary on the relationship between immaturity and reality.
There is great value and moral behind the significance of my unobvious sound because it is a universal fact. The gym is a prime place for boys to go and show off, but hubris and recklessness often lead to injury and pain. Archbold gymnasium is a prime example of this. Personally, I myself have suffered some harsh, embarrassing injuries at Syracuse's fine gym, and it was during a moment of bad judgment. The motive of the piece is certainly a relevant and valuable one. However, it is presented in a slightly avant garde way, and there may not be too much at stake by simply revealing the information without verbally explaining it. But when I do imagine explaining it, it's not something that any young man could deny. The relationship between ego and recklessness is undeniable.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
WEEK 1 : Anticipation & a Suggestion
After my first week in class, I find my self feeling refreshed. In contrast to what has become a very regular, uniform envelopment of detailed film protocol, this class embraces a much more liberal, free-spirited sense of exercise. We take time to pace our breathing and absorb our environment's natural ambient. We embrace the silence; we seek to grasp that that is not there. An object, a motive masked by silence that some can only see by noticing its nonexistence. Starting things off with some words by John Cage seemed appropriate, since so many theories like the aforementioned have been realized and proposed by him. He is the seminary figure of sound composition, and I've learned a lot by watching a handful of his brief videos. As we sit in silence with our eyes closed, it's nostalgic for me to look around the room and see the reflexive turning of heads, rolling of eyes, signs of the widespread skepticism around a room of young artists. As our activities are commenced by bells and urged forward by paper balls, the silent chuckles continue. I was them once, three or four short years ago. Young, undeveloped, and unable to grasp the substance of what I was doing. It was embarrassing, and uncool, and to submit completely to such an unorthodox strategy might take a toll on my reputation (or what little I had). But after I had been exposed to such a breed of teaching, after I had learned to embrace "the weird", I began to understand, or at least in my subconscious. A comfort and an appreciation replaced any feelings of mockery, and such things became a part of my routine. It wasn't until this past summer that I finally grasped the central motive of my department, and the purpose of my four years at Syracuse. Looking at these young faces, I'm excited for them to experience the same thing, at least not before too long.
As I stated earlier in class, I'm excited for this class because it takes things back to the basics, the foundations of my art form. At its simplest state, film is identical to any other art, composed of a subject, an action, and the talented craft of the artist. As a student of sound and image, having the opportunity to examine these often overlooked essential elements is an opportunity to understand and achieve even more. Jeff was just saying to me in class today how he hates Hollywood film, how he's more of an indy or documentary kind of guy. Like so many others in this country today, Jeff has a point and a very valid reason to feel this way. Today, in Hollywood, we are stuck, run aground by the rising influences of technology and its burdens. We as Americans have been free to swim the seas of success that has come from our talent in cinema. It it an art that we have always excelled in, one in which seminary American artists have paved their way through history. But the 80's and 90's are over, and with the new, burgeoning presence of the newest technology, and the pressure to use it to its utmost, we have lost sight of the actual purpose of cinema. People have overlooked its elements and created a muddled summary of a passable form of sappy spectacle, which we know today as the common blockbuster. Cinema is language, and as with any, it is a language which must constantly change, reshaping along with the growth of society. Americans have fallen behind as the language of cinema seeks only to do what it was meant to do: evolve. It's up to the minds of my generation to push us along, back to the filmic streets we once paved. We must shift the discourse of the story, change the way it is told, not add monotonous, cliched twists and arcs which even the simplest of viewers could predict and loathe. By studying the foundations of sound, image, and time, I am excited to grow as an artist and strengthen my knowledge as a professional.
I see now that an objective to achieve, perhaps even by the end of the next class, is to be able to understand the layers of sound, and ultimately the concept of the complete soundscape. I can remembered as a younger artist a lot of this going over my head. There were some things that I just couldn't pull off. Psychoanalyzing sound (if you will) was never a problem for me. I grew up with a strong choral background and can confidently say that I owe my musical experiences over the years everything, them being completely responsible for my passions and talents today. But I know how listening and understanding music can be difficult for some, in particular identifying the layers of foreground, middle-ground, and ambient sound. I think there is any ideal exercise that could really help some. The music of the very famous Asian composer Joe Hisaishi is something that has captivated audiences for the last 25 years, but he became famous first and foremost for his layered compositions. In particular, his track called "Silent Love" was very successful, and is one of the most identifiable and moving "layer songs" I've heard. In significance to our course, the track slowly introduces layer after layer, each element beginning in the foreground and making the shift from middle to background elements of the song. It slowly builds to a climax before it reverts back to the beginning, where it starts back again. It's better heard than read, but I would like to hear any thoughts you have. Identifying the number of layers in the song, and then tracking one and seeing what happens to it is a simple exercise that has really helped me in the past. I'll post the song and Hisaishi's bio below.
As I stated earlier in class, I'm excited for this class because it takes things back to the basics, the foundations of my art form. At its simplest state, film is identical to any other art, composed of a subject, an action, and the talented craft of the artist. As a student of sound and image, having the opportunity to examine these often overlooked essential elements is an opportunity to understand and achieve even more. Jeff was just saying to me in class today how he hates Hollywood film, how he's more of an indy or documentary kind of guy. Like so many others in this country today, Jeff has a point and a very valid reason to feel this way. Today, in Hollywood, we are stuck, run aground by the rising influences of technology and its burdens. We as Americans have been free to swim the seas of success that has come from our talent in cinema. It it an art that we have always excelled in, one in which seminary American artists have paved their way through history. But the 80's and 90's are over, and with the new, burgeoning presence of the newest technology, and the pressure to use it to its utmost, we have lost sight of the actual purpose of cinema. People have overlooked its elements and created a muddled summary of a passable form of sappy spectacle, which we know today as the common blockbuster. Cinema is language, and as with any, it is a language which must constantly change, reshaping along with the growth of society. Americans have fallen behind as the language of cinema seeks only to do what it was meant to do: evolve. It's up to the minds of my generation to push us along, back to the filmic streets we once paved. We must shift the discourse of the story, change the way it is told, not add monotonous, cliched twists and arcs which even the simplest of viewers could predict and loathe. By studying the foundations of sound, image, and time, I am excited to grow as an artist and strengthen my knowledge as a professional.
I see now that an objective to achieve, perhaps even by the end of the next class, is to be able to understand the layers of sound, and ultimately the concept of the complete soundscape. I can remembered as a younger artist a lot of this going over my head. There were some things that I just couldn't pull off. Psychoanalyzing sound (if you will) was never a problem for me. I grew up with a strong choral background and can confidently say that I owe my musical experiences over the years everything, them being completely responsible for my passions and talents today. But I know how listening and understanding music can be difficult for some, in particular identifying the layers of foreground, middle-ground, and ambient sound. I think there is any ideal exercise that could really help some. The music of the very famous Asian composer Joe Hisaishi is something that has captivated audiences for the last 25 years, but he became famous first and foremost for his layered compositions. In particular, his track called "Silent Love" was very successful, and is one of the most identifiable and moving "layer songs" I've heard. In significance to our course, the track slowly introduces layer after layer, each element beginning in the foreground and making the shift from middle to background elements of the song. It slowly builds to a climax before it reverts back to the beginning, where it starts back again. It's better heard than read, but I would like to hear any thoughts you have. Identifying the number of layers in the song, and then tracking one and seeing what happens to it is a simple exercise that has really helped me in the past. I'll post the song and Hisaishi's bio below.
JOE HISAISHI
Works: Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Hana-bi, Sonatine, Welcome to Dongmakgol, When the Last Sword is Drawn, A Scene by the Sea, Dolls
Country of origin: Japan
Born: 6 December 1950
Occupation: Composer, musical director, arranger, conductor
Joe Hisaishi (or Mamoru Fujisawa) is one of the most established and respected score composers in the history of cinema. Over four decades, Hisaishi has composed scores for over 100 films. Most famously, Hisaishi has collaborated regularly with Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano (until their falling out during the production of Dolls). Hisaishi's style and tone of music is absolutely singular, employing musical elements of minimalist, electronic, and Japanese culture throughout many of his works. He is often accredited to the immense successes of his employer's work. Many firmly state that films such as Hana-bi and Spirited Away are only as powerful as they are because of Hisaishi's score. Typically consisting of strings and a piano base, Hisaishi's music is a powerful force throughout each film in his extensive filmography.
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