Response On Image And Media

1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.

I chose "The Art Of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. I had no reason to choose it really. I just decided to pick the bottom article of the page.

2. What are the main points of the essay

This essay is an historical remembrance on the progression of the photograph. Even though most of the essay deals with this, there is an underlying theme that the more our technology progresses the less these "photographic memories" mean to us.

3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?

This article made me contemplate two things. It caused me to wonder about what can possibly be faster than what we have now (this idea of instant photography that digital image creates). Can it come down to voice activation in order to take and transfer pictures? Is that too Sci-Fi of an idea? I don't know. We have come so far with photography I am not quite sure where we can go to improve speed.

The other mark of contemplation the essay left on me was this idea of our private lives dying. The internet has created a new brand of voyeurism that relies on this speed of information. As a human it concerns me. Knowing that people can be stalking me on facebook or myspace. As a media artist it thrills me. This sense of speed, and ability to get my work out at the click of a button. As an artist I "want people to stalk me" because it means they like my work. At the same time I want some of my work to remain private. I guess those just don't go up on the internet.

Video Hardware/Software Repsonses

How was my experience with the Olympus digital camera?

I thought this camera was very good. The only thing I would have changed was that I noticed the camera would sometimes take a clearer image than what the screen showed. It would also eliminate some of the sun (this was both with and without the flash). The images had an interesting feel to them that ended up disappointing me because of the camera. I was however, very pleased with one of the settings that created a bluish tint on my images and I used it very often.

What editing program did I use and was it a good choice?

I used my MacBook Pro's version of iMovie. The reason I chose this was because I did not have enough time to learn Final Cut Express and I am familiar with iMovie. Wait! I take that back. I am familiar with a different, better version of iMovie. I in fact got very fed up while trying to navigate this program and transition and effect options are limited to a short few that were not useful to me. I don't think it was a good choice for me to use this and I think it would have been a better experience had I tried out Final Cut Express instead. I hope I will not be using this software in the future.

Reading Responses #2



Reading responses on assigned readings will be due throughout the semester as posts to your Research Blog. The responses will consist of three-paragraph statements on the readings or screenings, answering the following three questions (one paragraph per question):

1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.


I chose "Sound, Art, Music?: Searching For A Personal Aesthetic" by Aaron Ximm for m reading response. My reasoning for choosing this article is simple. I know that he is coming to UW-Milwaukee for our Experimentations With Sound class so I wanted to make sure to read it (plus the teacher did ask us too). Because of this it is very important to understand him and his work so I can better understand him when he comes to class.


2. What are the main points of the essay?

I think the most important point of his essay is to not limit yourself to a certain part of a field of study. He talked about how he uses the title of Sound Artist to describe what he is because it both gives him a chance to do multiple things for other people and it does not stop him in his own endeavors. Through these"infusements" of ideas he is able to further his learning experiences. He uses both sound and visual components which take different types of thinkers so it forces himself to adapt and change on many levels. 



3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?

For me, his main point about not limiting yourself in a field of study struck home. I am somebody who is "I want to make full length movies"! Nothing more, nothing less. Anything else is just a failure. But this is a very interesting idea that Zimm brings up. This idea that by not limiting yourself in the field your pursuit you are really going to gain a better understanding of things. He even talks near the end that by not understanding all of these things the work you do becomes unenjoyable. That is something I don't want to happen to me. Filmmaking is such a big part of the way I move around my world that for it to become unenjoyable would put a metaphorical dagger in my heart.

Audio Hardware/Software Repsonses

Reflect on your experiences working with the audio hardware and software in this class. Answer the following in a single post to your Research blog.

1. Discuss your experiences with building your microphones. Was this process more or less what you thought it would be? How did your microphone rig work on your Drift walks? Were you able to capture both overall ambiance and extreme closeups? Describe your ideal microphone and recorder setup, with unlimited time and money.

The building of the mics went exactly how I pictured it would: I'd get it done, but it would not come easy. The rig worked alright, but it just picked up too much wind noise. My ideal microphone would be one which pin pointed a specific sound and was able to drown out all other sounds around it. And a recorder that was automatically set on manual gain.

2. How was your experience with operating the MiniDisc recorder? How does this recorder compare to other audio equipment you've used? In an ideal world, how would your recorder of choice function?

I hated the MiniDisc recorder. It was sometimes confusing. At some points in time it did not allow me to record things and at many points in time I was not able to get the mannual gain function to show up. In my ideal world the MiniDisk recorder would be voice operated.

3. Discuss the audio-editing software you chose and your history with this application. If you used this software for the first time, explain why you chose this particular application and how you think it helped you to accomplish your creative goals (or proved detrimental). Will you use this software again for future projects?

I used Audacity because that is the one talked about in class and it is free. This was another application I had problems with. It in fact screwed up my project. I was not allowed to make any cuts because every time I saved it and would then go back into the "document", everything except for the fades would be mute. They would not work. I think I will look into it more before deciding whether or not to keep using it.

Ten Questions

1. I had fun venturing off campus. Will I get that same feeling taking a bigger leap and going farther out?

2. Are there places without cars in Milwaukee? :)

3. What noises are different at night then at noon (the time of my Drift 1)?

4. Will the same location that I had produce non-construction noises, or is it an area where construction never sleeps?

5. What is the difference between sounds produced on the ground and ones in the air?

6. Should I switch Drift sights?

7. Why do I find noises that are indoors better than the ones outdoors?

8. How much recording does it take to fill my minidisk?

9. Can traffic sounds be interesting?

10. What types of people will I run into along my way to different places?

Drift Assessment

1. Describe two situations that aggravated, bothered, shocked or otherwise stressed you during Drift 1. (Please note that the situation CANNOT be technology-related.)

The area that I chose did not have a variety of sounds. I was pissed that they were all traffic and construction related. I was happy when I first started hearing construction, but then it just kept happening over and over.
My other problem was the wind. I didn't think the wind was going to be as bad as it was, but man, it was terrible. It was all over the place!


2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.

I don't think I have two. My only ease came when I was away from UWM. This completely surprised me because I am horrified of Milwaukee. I was expecting some gangster guy to beat me up, but instead I felt really at peace being away from people talking. I got some of my worse footage then, but it was still being somewhere away from school. I was still doing school work, but it just felt like I was exploring, not "working".

3. Describe three surprises or unexpected situations you encountered on your Drift and in the days that followed. The surprise could stem from your expectations that conflicted with "on the ground" realities, cultural or social issues of which you were previously unaware, feelings and reactions that you did not expect to have, appearances and soundings of things you did not expect, good or bad outcomes of "on the spot" decisions you had to make, or the discovery of "deeper" realities in the materials you brought home. (Again, skip anything technology-related!)

Again, the wind noise. I was surprised that it turned out to be as bad as it did.
I was also surprised at the recordings that turned out "good" compared to the ones that did not. Some of them that sounded good while recording ended up being terrible.
I think I also gained a deeper understanding for how hard it is to be a sound recordist with original content. Everything sounds the same or are really close to the same.


4. Describe your favorite experience, situation, place, or recollection from your Drift. Be specific about what happened, how you felt, how you reacted, and why you think this particular experience affected you so much.

My favorite part of the drift was actually a recording that ended up being heavily damaged by the wind, but the recording of the piece was very fun. I saw a group of Asian students sitting at a bench talking and so I decided to sit at the bench next to them and record their conversation. I know, it sounds so wrong, but it was some of the most fun I ever had. They were talking about school and what it means to be Asian and how one of them was going to be mad if he became less Asian. It was extremely funny, because it was all serious. The guy actually meant it.

READING RESPONSES

1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.

I selected "A New Way Of Walking" by Joesph Hart. I selected this article because even though it was interesting, I found some of his reasoning to not be correct.

2. What are the main points of the essay?

His main point is that by taking different routes than our usual routine we find out a lot more about ourselves. Although I agree with this idea of going outside the box I thought a way he said it was rather contradictory. He says that "chance and randomness are what's exciting" and proposes that one way to achieve that is by doing the walking strategies we did in class. I just don't like that statement because we are not being random if we follow a strategy. Even so, the idea that he is trying to get across is well meant.

3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?

I think that it proves that in order to really experience the world of sound we must search for it, we will not just walk upon it in our daily routine. There is much that is found when looking in places that we normally wouldn't even think of looking. Experiencing different things is the joy of all of life. That is the main message of this article.

Scans Coming SOON

Soundwalk Response

Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen?
Yes. We were by the fountain and a bunch of stuff was going on.

Was it possible to move without making a sound?
If you move your arms in the air. Otherwise no, not really.

What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?
Everything suddenly sounded clearer (which it should I guess). Everything was noiser as well.

In your sound log exercise, what types of sounds were you able to hear? List them.
Water fountain cash register grasshoppers & birds
engines of all sorts airplanes police walkie-talkies
people and clothing skateboard wheels piano
leaves buzzes chip bag
car door car alarm air conditioner
car starting up unsticking of a sticker

Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place?
Yes. Recognizable sources tended to be louder and closer

Human sounds? Mechanical sounds? Natural sounds?
Yes. Very recognizable difference.


Were you able to detect subtleties in the everpresent drone?
Some things that were closer I was. Otherwise it had to be loud in order to hear it.

Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away?
Couldn't detect far away subtleties.


What kinds of wind effects were you able to detect (for example, the leaves of trees don't make sounds until they are activated by the wind)?
I didn't catch much of the wind except for its low pass by. Every once in a while I heard the leaves, but even that was hard to 'find'. I remember a couple of times during the walk where I'd look up from my paper and see a tree so I'd focus my attention on leave noise, but couldn't get any because of everything else drowning it out.


Were you able to intervene in the urban landscape and create your own sounds by knocking on a resonant piece of metal, activating wind chimes, etc.?
Pushing a door open, but nothing much. Oh! And the rustling of my notebook paper.

Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape?
Not really. Although, the sound of the ignition starting really is pretty sweet sounding.

How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?
I think that I will listen more carefully for interesting sounds, but nothing other than that.