"The Pen"_Final Project_MAURO

Media 160 Final Project from Megan Brosi on Vimeo.

MOMI Blog

I really enjoyed visiting the MOMI.  One of the exhibitions we experienced was the automatic dialogue replacement simulator.  First, a clip from a movie was played with the original dialogue.  Then it played again with no dialogue, and had the words on the screen, to which a student in our group spoke through a microphone.  I learned how difficult and time consuming it is to replace dialogue.  The voice and mouth have to match up perfectly, and the expressions on the person’s face has to match the tone of the voice. ADR is used in many films and TV shows.  Sometimes, someone other than the actor does the voice for that character.  Another exhibition we experienced was the music demonstration.  A clip from a film was played, and 4 different tracks were played over it and we got to vote on which track fit the best.  Each track gave the film a completely different mood and tone.  Music choice is very important when filming; it strongly dictates the feeling of the actions and visuals in the scene. A lot of what happens in post-production is vital to how the film is presented.  Post-production and editing takes as long, probably longer, than actually filming.  The little things, and details that we overlook are what make a film great. We also were able to see the evolution of cameras used for filming. In the early days of film production, there was no post-production!  There was just a film camera-and the footage was unedited, so they had to be extra innovative and creative.  

The Third Work-Extra Credit Assignment

The Third Work Extra Credit Assignment I attended The Third Work Symposium on Friday, November 13th at 5:15 pm. The discussion was titled “What’s the Score: Contemporary Sound Design in Documentary Cinema.” Discussed were the categories in sound design. The participants, Barker and Velez, talked about the relationship between image and sound and how they can create different meanings. In contemporary documentaries, emotion and tension rely highly on the score. In Contemporary fiction, designers have been relying on sonic textures rather than score. What opportunities does this arise for creators of non-fiction media and film? They defined foley as being what draws attention to the center, ambiance as what draws attention to the edges, and score as relating specific images to abstract ideas. The participants spoke a lot about the film II Castello, where people are shown packing lobsters into a box, and the sound of tape being wrapped around boxes is heard not seen. Even though we did not see tape, we can make relationships as to what the tape is being used for, hence, sound creating meaning. Then we were shown Double Tide (2009), where there was a still shot of a woman on sand, and foley sounds of her digging in the mud for oysters. The sound created a relationship between the figure and the world. Next we watched a clip from Manakamana (2013), a film about people in Nepal traveling to a temple in a cable car. The shots switch from different cable cars, where different people are shown making different noises. In one shot, the people were just sitting there, so all we could hear is the cable wire. In another shot, two women were shown eating ice cream. Sounds help to support and confirm actions performed by characters. Another clip we watched was from Last Days (2005), where it seems as though a man is trying to survive on his own in the woods. The sounds of nature, such as a waterfall and fire crackling, really take over the picture. In this case, the sound is in front of the image, perhaps to suggest that he is so alone that is all he can hear. I learned that foley sounds and sonic textures are more frequently being used in films, and how they can be manipulated to create different meanings.

Blog #3

I chose to analyze the scene in The Godfather when Michael shoots Sollozzo and McCluskey. There is no musical score in this scene, except at the very end, after Michael shoots the 2 men. The only sounds that can be heard during the scene are key sound effects and voices. Coppola makes this choice to create immense tension, and to emphasize Michael’s emotional state. The scene begins quietly, with a medium close up of each character at the table. Michael excuses himself to go to the bathroom, and there is a long shot of the whole restaurant. We can see how empty and desolate the restaurant is, as well as the darkness outside. The restaurant itself has dark colors, and in the back bright neon red lights. This creates an eery feeling. As Michael walks towards the camera (the bathroom), we can hear a very loud train running on the tracks. This creates a feeling of anxiety, the sound of a train getting closer. As Michael enters the bathroom, the camera angle is from the stall. Michael anxiously searches for the gun in the tank of the toilet. We are wondering and hoping that he will find that gun that was planting there, and it seems like it takes forever. There is a shot of the men sitting at the table eating, waiting for MIchael to come back, not suspicious of what is about to happen. Finally, he finds the gun and we are relieved. We can again hear the very loud sound of the train coming again, as well as feel Michael’s nervousness before he exits the bathroom. There is an over the shoulder shot from behind Michael, looking at the 2 men. Michael sits back down at the table, and the men speak to him in Italian. There are no English subtitles. This has a very great effect in that we are not paying attention to what is being said, but how it is being said. We are forced to examine Michael’s body language and facial expression. Michael is trying to stay calm, but we can sense his nervousness. He was supposed to start shooting as soon as he came out of the bathroom, but instead he delayed the attack, and is thinking about whether to do it or not. The camera zooms closer to Michael’s face, as we can hear the train getting even louder and coming to a stop. Suddenly Michael leaps and shoots one of the men in the head. When Michael shoots the other man, there is a high-angle shot, showing Michael’s dominance. Then there is a long shot of the restaurant, as the table falls over and Michael’s stands there unknowing what to do next. He runs out of the restaurant, drops the gun, and then the music cues. The music signifies that the deed is done, and MIchael is not the innocent man we thought he was. Overall, editing as made a significant contribution to the story and feel of this scene. The train, the guns, the choice of no music until the end, the Italian dialogue with no subtitles, all contributed to the overall feel of anxiety, tension and eery feeling of the scene. The relationship between shots brings us from the restaurant to the bathroom, where we can follow Michael’s thought process and feel his emotions.

Project #2-Interview

Sound walk

I sat outside hunter west, near the subway. The sounds of the cars are overwhelming. Their engines roar, their horns beep, brakes screech, motor idling. Occasionally an ambulance or police car tries to rush by, and the loud sirens bounce off the metal buildings. Underneath I can hear the subway approaching, as it stood the brakes screech loudly, and soon after a group of people ascend from the group, immediately taking out their phones. I focus in and out of conversations mostly from students about midterm week. I hear the uncrumbling of wrappers to a sandwich. Next to me 2 boys are rolling their own cigarettes. I can hear pages flipping through a textbook, and garbage rolling like tumbleweed on the sidewalk. I hear high school students chanting and laughing. I hear the sound of coins dropping on the ground, and the rhythm of shoes hitting the ground. What I cannot hear is nature, the birds chirping or leaves moving. Everything echoes off the skyscrapers and goes above our heads. Though no one is talking, it is all too loud, and then I put my headphones in

Define a Space

Define a Space Mauro from Lauren Mauro on Vimeo.